Joel D. McDavid - "Never Off Duty" (December 14, 1980)

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	(gentle organ music)	0:04
	(bright organ music)	5:42
	♪ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty ♪	9:15
	♪ The King of creation ♪	9:18
	♪ O my soul, praise him ♪	9:24
	♪ For he is thy health and salvation ♪	9:27
	♪ All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near ♪	9:33
	♪ Join me in glad adoration ♪	9:42
	(stately organ music)	9:54
	♪ The church's one foundation ♪	10:31
	♪ Is Jesus Christ, her Lord ♪	10:35
	♪ She is his new creation ♪	10:40
	♪ By water and the Word ♪	10:44
	♪ From heaven he came and sought her ♪	10:49
	♪ To be his holy bride ♪	10:53
	♪ With his own blood he bought her ♪	10:59
	♪ And for her life he died ♪	11:03
	♪ Elect from every nation ♪	11:10
	♪ Yet one o'er all the earth ♪	11:15
	♪ Her charter of salvation ♪	11:20
	♪ One Lord, one faith, one birth ♪	11:25
	♪ One holy name she blesses ♪	11:29
	♪ Partakes one holy food ♪	11:34
	♪ And to one hope she presses ♪	11:39
	♪ With every grace endued ♪	11:44
	♪ Mid toil and tribulation ♪	11:51
	♪ And tumult of her war ♪	11:56
	♪ She waits the consummation ♪	12:00
	♪ Of peace forevermore ♪	12:05
	♪ Till with the vision glorious ♪	12:10
	♪ Her longing eyes are blest ♪	12:15
	♪ And the great church victorious ♪	12:20
	♪ Shall be the church at rest ♪	12:25
	♪ Yet she on earth hath union ♪	12:33
	♪ With God the Three in One ♪	12:38
	♪ And mystic sweet communion ♪	12:42
	♪ With those whose rest is won ♪	12:47
	♪ O happy ones and holy ♪	12:52
	♪ Lord, give us grace that we ♪	12:57
	♪ Like them, the meek and lowly ♪	13:02
	♪ On high may dwell with thee ♪	13:06
	(organ drowns out singing)	13:14
	♪ Amen ♪	13:56
	(footsteps tapping)	14:13
-	This is a special day of remembrance	14:34
	and appreciation for all who have gone before	14:37
	in establishing and creating and building	14:43
	a great university from the Methodist and Quaker farmers	14:47
	at Brown's Schoolhouse, to Braxton Craven and Preston Few,	14:51
	and all of the others we remember,	14:56
	and on this day especially, we remember the three men	14:59
	who bore the name Duke.	15:04
	The first, George Washington Duke,	15:07
	gave of his substance to a fledging college named Trinity,	15:09
	thus setting an example for his sons.	15:14
	He nurtured in them a dedication to his church	15:17
	and a belief in sharing of one's worldly goods	15:22
	for the future good of mankind.	15:26
	The eldest son, James Buchanan Duke,	15:29
	with the signing of the Duke Indenture	15:32
	on December the 11th, 1924, fulfilled	15:34
	what he considered to be his sacred duty	15:38
	in the stewardship of wealth.	15:41
	That was a phrase he often used,	15:45
	the stewardship of wealth,	15:47
	for he believed that possessing wealth	15:49
	carried with it a responsibility	15:52
	for the wellbeing of others.	15:55
	Benjamin Newton Duke, after whom the magnificent organ	15:58
	at the entrance of the chapel is named,	16:02
	was the youngest of the Duke founders,	16:05
	and many a time, he came to the rescue	16:08
	when there was a crisis at Trinity or Duke.	16:11
	He was a quiet benefactor, often self-effacing,	16:14
	a warm human and altogether humane man.	16:19
	And something that was in the heart of Ben Duke	16:24
	lives on today at Duke University,	16:27
	and Duke University is the better for it.	16:30
	And Duke University serves with excellence all humanity	16:34
	because of those and thousands of others	16:39
	who have had a part in the founding and building	16:42
	of this university, and today we honor all of those	16:45
	who have gone before.	16:50
-	Will you join with me as we offer to God a prayer	16:56
	of thanksgiving and remembrance.	16:59
	Let us pray.	17:02
	O Lord, our gracious and merciful God,	17:05
	from whom all wisdom, goodness, and righteousness flow,	17:09
	receive these our prayers of remembrance and thanksgiving	17:14
	on this holy day,	17:17
	for those persons in days past	17:19
	who had the vision and determination	17:22
	to set aside mind, body, and spirit	17:25
	and dedicate them to the enlightenment of others,	17:28
	we give you thanks and praise.	17:31
	For the names of those of days gone by	17:35
	whose presence and influence still pervade our thoughts	17:38
	and actions, Craven, York, Crowell, Kilgo,	17:41
	Few, Flowers, Hart, Davison, Edens, Knight, and others,	17:47
	for all these and countless others	17:54
	whose names and gifts we remember before you now,	17:56
	we give you thanks and praise,	17:59
	especially, O Lord our God,	18:03
	we thank you for the members of the Duke family,	18:05
	the good and lasting influence,	18:10
	the imaginative and bold gifts,	18:13
	the daring and creative risks,	18:16
	the determined and unyielding commitment,	18:19
	the desire to serve others and to serve you, O God,	18:23
	the longing for minds to be informed,	18:27
	for spirits to be nurtured and lives to be transformed	18:30
	for the betterment of all humanity,	18:33
	for all these good and noble and lasting values	18:36
	that motivated and moved father, sons, and wives,	18:39
	and for all the worthwhile efforts	18:44
	and generous concern that have been shown	18:46
	by other family members over the years	18:48
	and in this present time,	18:50
	we give you, O Lord, thanks and praise.	18:53
	Make us today, O God, worthy of every precious gift,	18:57
	eager to learn and grow and serve.	19:03
	Make us determined to receive and to share	19:07
	the good life that is ours this day,	19:09
	grateful for the past, joyful for the present,	19:12
	concerned about the future,	19:16
	we give thanks for all with which you have blessed us	19:19
	and commit our lives anew in greater service to you	19:22
	and to our neighbors through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	19:27
-	Several years ago on this occasion,	19:39
	I suggested that we might well make this	19:41
	a celebration not only of the founders	19:45
	that had gone before, but of the new founders,	19:48
	the people who today make it possible	19:51
	for us to assure the future of Duke University.	19:53
	And last night, officially, we announced	19:57
	the inauguration at Duke University	20:00
	of the Founders' Society.	20:02
	The Founders' Society will be a means of recognizing	20:05
	and honoring, through membership,	20:08
	those individuals who establish permanent named,	20:10
	fully-funded endowments at Duke University.	20:14
	Membership is conferred by reason of the fact	20:18
	that they have already instituted such funds at Duke,	20:20
	and endowment donors of the future will join their ranks.	20:24
	The Founders' Society will constitute	20:29
	a unique group of individuals.	20:32
	Its members will be men and women	20:34
	who through their generosity provide	20:36
	for the future of Duke University	20:39
	by making possible a sound and lasting financial base.	20:41
	So it is precisely appropriate that we celebrate	20:47
	on Founders' Day those who are participating	20:51
	in the future of Duke University.	20:55
	The name for the Founders' Society,	20:58
	like the name for Founders' Day,	21:01
	harks back to the pioneering days of this university.	21:04
	The symbol for the Founders' Society is The Sower,	21:10
	our statue on East Campus.	21:14
	It symbolizes what all of us here seek to express,	21:18
	our concern for the future.	21:24
	It is appropriate that a new tradition,	21:27
	the Founders' Society, is born during the observance	21:29
	of one of our oldest traditions, Founders' Day.	21:34
	At old Trinity, they called it Benefactors' Day,	21:38
	and for a while, it was known as Duke University Day,	21:42
	and since 1948, it has been Founders' Day.	21:45
	We have observed Founders' Day in a variety of ways,	21:50
	planting trees, dedicating buildings,	21:54
	inaugurating a president, Douglas Knight,	21:58
	announcing major gifts and grants,	22:01
	awarding honorary degrees, Alfred P. Sloan in 1938,	22:04
	Dirk Flentrop in 1975,	22:10
	holding meetings of alumni all over the country	22:14
	and in China and Japan in 1931.	22:16
	Our most meaningful observance of Founders' Day	22:22
	has been and remains today the service	22:25
	of remembrance and worship in Duke Chapel	22:28
	on the Sunday in December closest	22:31
	to the date of the signing of the Duke Indenture	22:34
	creating Duke University.	22:37
	So this Founders' Day weekend,	22:40
	in the spirit of the original founders	22:42
	of Duke University, and in the spirit	22:44
	of the special days on which we have paid tribute	22:47
	to them, this Founders' Society,	22:50
	looking to the future of Duke University is established.	22:54
	And now it's my pleasure to call on a trustee	22:59
	of Duke University, a former chairman	23:02
	of the board of trustees, Mr. Charles Wade.	23:05
-	Mr. President, it is my pleasure	23:15
	to present to you the name of Joseph McKinley Bryan,	23:17
	who is a candidate for the honorary degree	23:21
	of doctors of laws.	23:23
	The nomination has been approved	23:25
	by the faculties of the university	23:27
	and by the board of trustees.	23:29
	Professor Hobbs, his faculty sponsor,	23:31
	will escort the candidate to the chancel.	23:34
-	Joseph McKinley Bryan,	23:50
	distinguished North Carolina citizen,	23:52
	we honor you today for a long and productive life	23:55
	in the service as a business leader,	23:59
	philanthropist, and a friend of education.	24:02
	Your concern and vision have turned ever outward,	24:05
	as you have combined qualities of leadership	24:09
	and appreciation of human aspiration	24:11
	with profound understanding for the needs of people	24:14
	in your community, state, and nation.	24:17
	Your career in business	24:21
	has been both exemplary and inspiring.	24:23
	You have been a leader in the development	24:27
	of the insurance industry in North Carolina,	24:28
	and in the South.	24:32
	You have been one of the great pioneers in broadcasting,	24:33
	nurturing this now vastly important industry	24:37
	from its infancy, bringing the first television	24:40
	to North Carolina, creating a whole new area	24:43
	of artistic and industrial development for our state.	24:46
	Your sense of what is important	24:50
	and your instinct for the significant	24:53
	have been demonstrated assuredly,	24:56
	whether as a result of your stature in the business world	24:58
	or as the product of your abiding concern	25:01
	for the public good.	25:04
	You have given generously of your wisdom,	25:07
	time, talents and substance to foster opportunities	25:10
	for others in a broad range of humanitarian causes.	25:15
	Duke University is proud to honor	25:20
	a sensitive champion of education,	25:22
	a loyal and supportive friend of Duke University,	25:25
	and one who is a constant inspiration	25:29
	to all who endeavor to preserve	25:31
	the strength and diversity of our system	25:33
	of higher education, while enhancing	25:36
	the quality of life in our region,	25:39
	and the strength of our educational institutions,	25:41
	you have personally enriched the lives	25:45
	of all who have known you.	25:48
	It is a special pleasure to welcome you	25:50
	to the fellowship of the academic community	25:53
	of Duke University, and by the authority vested in me,	25:56
	I confer upon you the degree of doctor of laws,	26:01
	and I admit you to its rights,	26:04
	its privileges, and its obligations.	26:06
	(papers rustling)	26:09
	(quiet organ music)	26:27
	♪ O come, O come, Emmanuel ♪	26:50
	♪ And ransom captive Israel ♪	26:58
	♪ That mourns in lonely exile here ♪	27:05
	♪ Until the Son of God appear ♪	27:13
	♪ Rejoice ♪	27:21
	♪ Rejoice ♪	27:24
	♪ Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel ♪	27:26
-	Lift up your heads, O gates,	27:49
	and be lifted up, O ancient doors,	27:52
	that the King of Glory may come in.	27:54
	We acknowledge that we have sinned against God	27:59
	in thought, word, and deed,	28:03
	that we have not loved God with all our heart and soul,	28:06
	with all our mind and strength.	28:10
	And that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.	28:13
	Let us then confess our sins.	28:17
All	O Lord, creator of all things,	28:23
	and source of all truth, we ask your forgiveness	28:26
	for the sins of the mind,	28:30
	the pride of thinking that we are masters	28:32
	of all creation and history,	28:35
	our slackness or compulsion in our work in this university,	28:37
	our doubts about your power to make all things new.	28:43
	We ask your forgiveness for our lack of a sense of history,	28:47
	for thinking all of the world begins and ends with us,	28:52
	for our too easy acceptance of our heritage,	28:56
	for those who will suffer	29:00
	because of our unconcern about the future.	29:02
	Help us as we worship you to come to a truer knowledge	29:06
	of ourselves, knowing that we cannot hide from you.	29:10
	God, be merciful to us, for we are sinners.	29:15
-	The Lord is my light and my salvation,	29:39
	whom shall I fear?	29:42
	The Lord is the stronghold of my life,	29:44
	of whom shall I be afraid?	29:47
	Let us give thanks to God, for God is good	29:52
	and God's love is everlasting.	29:55
All	Thanks be to God, whose love has made us.	29:58
	Thanks be to God whose mercy forgives us.	30:02
	Thanks be to God whose grace leads us into the future, amen.	30:06
-	We would like to welcome you this third Sunday of Advent	30:15
	to this very special celebration service of worship,	30:18
	Founders' Day at Duke University.	30:22
	Today, in this Founders' Day service of worship,	30:27
	we are most pleased to recognize the establishment	30:31
	of the Founders' Society of Duke.	30:34
	As a part of this day, many benefactors	30:38
	of endowed professorships at Duke	30:41
	are with us this morning.	30:44
	We welcome you to this special service.	30:46
	Also, many faculty members who hold distinguished	30:51
	and named chairs are with us today.	30:55
	We want to recognize and express our gratitude to you,	30:58
	you whose research, writing, and teaching	31:03
	bring honor to Duke University.	31:07
	This is our day and our opportunity	31:11
	to acknowledge how very much	31:14
	your contributions mean to Duke.	31:16
	We are pleased to have you with us this morning.	31:19
	You will note in the bulletin today	31:27
	a most important announcement	31:29
	about plans to purchase new altar pieces	31:31
	for worship in the chapel.	31:34
	We would like to have you share in this project with us.	31:36
	If you wish to make a contribution	31:41
	to provide for one of the pieces,	31:44
	or to contribute to the altar pieces fund,	31:46
	please use the special offering envelope,	31:49
	or call the chapel office.	31:53
	A display of the designs of the new pieces	31:56
	may be seen near the entrance in the chapel.	31:59
	As part of the celebration of Founders' Day,	32:05
	we cordially invite you to attend	32:08
	the organ recital here in the chapel	32:10
	at five o'clock this afternoon,	32:13
	with Professor Fenner Douglas at the organ.	32:16
	The preacher for this 1980 Founders' Day celebration	32:23
	is Bishop Joel D. McDavid.	32:28
	He is a native of Alabama,	32:31
	graduate of Millsaps College	32:34
	and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.	32:36
	Bishop McDavid has served with distinction	32:41
	in the parish ministry	32:44
	in the Alabama-West Florida Conference	32:45
	of the United Methodist Church.	32:48
	He was elected to the episcopacy in 1972,	32:51
	and at that time, assigned to the Florida area.	32:55
	Earlier this year, he has been reassigned	32:59
	to the Atlanta area of the United Methodist Church.	33:02
	Mrs. McDavid is with us today in the worship service,	33:07
	and Bishop and Mrs. McDavid	33:11
	are the parents of three children.	33:14
	I am privileged to have Bishop McDavid here especially.	33:17
	He has been my first bishop in the United Methodist Church.	33:22
	He is known across the church	33:26
	as not only a person gifted as an able administrator	33:29
	and a dedicated churchman, but one who possesses	33:33
	the rare gift of being able to be a pastor to the pastors.	33:37
	We welcome Bishop McDavid and look forward	33:43
	to his message for us today.	33:46
	(dramatic organ music)	33:52
	♪ I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills ♪	34:28
	♪ From whence cometh my help ♪	34:38
	♪ My help ♪	34:45
	♪ My help cometh even from the Lord ♪	34:47
	♪ Who made heaven and earth ♪	34:53
	♪ And earth ♪	35:00
	♪ He will not suffer thy foot to be moved ♪	35:07
	♪ And he that keepeth thee will not sleep ♪	35:13
	♪ Behold, he that keepeth Israel ♪	35:27
	♪ Shall neither slumber nor sleep ♪	35:37
	♪ Slumber nor sleep ♪	35:40
	♪ Shall neither slumber nor sleep ♪	35:42
	♪ Slumber nor sleep ♪	35:48
	♪ Slumber nor sleep ♪	35:52
	♪ Slumber nor sleep ♪	35:55
	♪ The Lord himself is thy keeper ♪	36:00
	♪ The Lord is thy defense upon thy right hand ♪	36:08
	♪ So that the sun shall not smite thee by day ♪	36:17
	♪ Sun shall not smite thee by day ♪	36:21
	♪ Neither the moon by night ♪	36:24
	♪ Neither the moon by night ♪	36:29
	♪ The Lord shall preserve ♪	36:37
	♪ Shall preserve thee ♪	36:41
	♪ Shall preserve thee ♪	36:44
	♪ From all evil ♪	36:46
	♪ Yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul ♪	36:50
	♪ Yea, it is even he ♪	37:01
	♪ That shall keep thy soul ♪	37:07
	♪ The Lord shall preserve thy going out ♪	37:18
	♪ And thy coming in ♪	37:27
	♪ From this time forth ♪	37:31
	♪ Even from evermore ♪	37:36
	♪ Forevermore ♪	37:43
	♪ Forevermore ♪	37:47
-	Let us pray.	38:11
	Almighty God, in whom are hid all the treasures	38:14
	of wisdom and knowledge, open our eyes	38:18
	that we may behold wondrous things out of your word,	38:21
	and give us grace that we may clearly understand	38:24
	and heartily choose the way of your love,	38:27
	through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	38:31
	Will the congregation please stand	38:35
	for the reading of the gospel lesson?	38:36
	The gospel lesson is from John, chapter four,	38:44
	verses 31 through 38.	38:47
	Meanwhile, the disciples besought him saying,	38:52
	"Rabbi, eat," but he said to them,	38:55
	"I have food to eat of which you do not know."	38:59
	So the disciples said to one another,	39:02
	"Has anyone brought him food?"	39:05
	And Jesus said to them,	39:08
	"My food is to do the will of him who sent me	39:10
	"and to accomplish his work.	39:14
	"Do you not say, there are yet four months,	39:17
	"then comes the harvest?	39:19
	"I tell you, lift up your eyes	39:22
	"and see how the fields are already white for harvest.	39:24
	"He who reaps receives wages,	39:30
	"and gathers fruit for eternal life	39:32
	"so that sower and reaper may rejoice together,	39:36
	"for here the saying holds true, one sows and another reaps.	39:40
	"I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor.	39:45
	"Others have labored,	39:49
	"and you have entered into their labor."	39:51
	Here ends the reading from the gospel lesson.	39:53
	(stately organ music)	39:57
	♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪	40:03
	♪ Praise to our Redeemer, Lord ♪	40:10
	♪ Glory be to our Sustainer ♪	40:17
	♪ Ever three and ever one ♪	40:24
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	40:31
	♪ Ever shall be, amen ♪	40:38
-	President Sanford, Dr. Bryan,	41:04
	distinguished guests, trustees,	41:11
	faculty members, student body,	41:17
	and dear friends,	41:22
	I am honored to be in this place on this day,	41:26
	to join with you in the celebration	41:30
	of Founders' Day and Founders' Weekend,	41:33
	and to join in expressing a word of gratitude	41:38
	to those who have made it all possible	41:43
	and who feel a sense of responsibility	41:47
	for this noble heritage that it must continue.	41:49
	I am pleased to be in this service	41:56
	with these other ministers, and particularly,	41:59
	Charlene Kammerer, my dear friend,	42:04
	whom I ordained and feel a very close tie	42:09
	with her and her ministry.	42:15
	I am grateful also that on this celebration,	42:20
	at Duke University, you would allow an Emory graduate	42:25
	to be a part of the celebration.	42:32
	This indicates the breadth of your spirit	42:36
	and your generosity.	42:39
	The date is 1937.	42:44
	The place is Nazi Germany.	42:49
	Berlin.	42:54
	Bishop Otto Dibelius, the head	42:57
	of the Evangelical Church of Germany, is on trial.	43:00
	He is being tried because he dared to defend	43:06
	the rights of all people, including the Jews,	43:10
	who were being persecuted at this time.	43:14
	Hitler's minister of church affairs is quizzing him.	43:18
	He asks, "Why, Dr. Dibelius, do you feel	43:23
	"that it is your duty under the present law	43:27
	"and circumstance, to defend the rights	43:31
	"of all people when this is illegal?"	43:35
	Without hesitation, Bishop Dibelius responded,	43:42
	"Sir, the Christian is never off duty."	43:47
	That's our theme for today.	43:52
	The Christian is never off duty.	43:55
	In John's gospel, which has been read for us today,	43:59
	there's the story of Jesus and his relationship	44:04
	with his disciples.	44:08
	He has been busy about his important work,	44:11
	suffering from fatigue, having gone without food,	44:15
	the disciples send out and bring food in for him.	44:22
	He refuses to eat it.	44:27
	His response was, "My food is to do the will	44:29
	"of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,"	44:33
	and then he said, "You have a saying among you,	44:38
	"four months and then comes the harvest,	44:43
	"but I say to you, the fields are white unto harvest now."	44:45
	Put these two stories together.	44:52
	The one of Bishop Dibelius, and the other	44:55
	from the Gospel of John,	44:58
	and you sound the note of urgency,	45:02
	so significantly important for our day.	45:06
	For these are days that try our souls,	45:11
	when dishonor and sometimes foolishness	45:16
	seems to march in high places with a rare acceptance.	45:21
	This is a call for a new vitality	45:29
	of the Christian faith,	45:34
	a new recognition of the greatness and the power of God,	45:37
	an awareness of the fact that if the church	45:42
	is to be the church,	45:45
	it must move out into life	45:48
	and magnify moral and spiritual values	45:53
	all over again.	45:57
	We must be concerned about the conversion of persons,	46:01
	for systems and plans may be ever so delicate	46:07
	and effective,	46:11
	but they can be no more effective	46:15
	than those persons who manage those plans and systems.	46:17
	It is therefore significant on this day	46:24
	that we remember those persons who founded	46:29
	this great center of learning and faith	46:34
	and made this beautiful sanctuary	46:38
	to be its focal point,	46:42
	magnifying the worth of an individual	46:45
	to transform society	46:49
	and make ours into a better world.	46:53
	And these were the ones who give emphasis to our theme	46:58
	because of their devotion and commitment,	47:05
	they were never off duty.	47:08
	As Christians, we are never off duty in our beliefs.	47:13
	Some have said that this is the day of unbelief.	47:19
	I disagree with this.	47:25
	This is the day when we believe everything,	47:28
	anything that seems to have a religious ring to it,	47:32
	some of us will identify with it.	47:37
	But when we allow these great beliefs	47:41
	that have stood us in good stead through centuries	47:46
	to disappear from our minds and spirits for a short while,	47:50
	it's like moving out of a house,	47:56
	and all kinds of strange infestations begin to move in	47:58
	and destroy them.	48:04
	This is why later in this service today,	48:06
	we will affirm our faith	48:08
	and say these are the great beliefs	48:12
	that stand us in good stead.	48:15
	This is not just a time for congregational participation,	48:18
	this is a great moment	48:22
	when we say, here I stand.	48:25
	We speak to ourselves and we speak to the world	48:29
	in this great affirmation.	48:34
	Dean Robert Inge said, "If you want to know	48:37
	"what a person really believes, then ask two questions.	48:39
	"The first one is, if I had a fairy godmother	48:44
	"who would grant three wishes, but only three,	48:49
	"what would they be?	48:53
	"And the second, what is it	48:55
	"that I would rather die than do or not do?"	48:58
	Ponder those two,	49:04
	and you probably will come up with the answer	49:06
	to your basic belief.	49:10
	What do you believe about God?	49:14
	What do you believe about Jesus Christ?	49:18
	What do you believe about the church?	49:22
	What do you believe about yourself and your neighbor?	49:24
	These will tell you who you are.	49:29
	It's time for us to become concerned	49:34
	about the minds of people and to convert them	49:37
	because shoddy thinking always results	49:41
	in shoddy living.	49:45
	When we honor great personalities today,	49:48
	we honor those who have had great beliefs,	49:52
	who dared to understand that life is a stewardship,	49:56
	and the responsibility for that stewardship	50:02
	is grounded in the basic belief about life itself.	50:05
	What you believe about the stable	50:12
	and the star and the shepherds and the wise men	50:15
	will determine what you believe about the child	50:22
	and how you celebrate Christmas.	50:27
	We're never off duty in our beliefs.	50:30
	We're never off duty in our behavior.	50:35
	The discipline of deed is a part of our faith.	50:39
	We are called upon to act upon those noble purposes	50:44
	and genuine intents that we carry in our souls.	50:48
	My food is to do the will of him who sent me,	50:54
	and to accomplish his work.	50:59
	The fields are white unto harvest,	51:03
	and some of us carry heavy guilt	51:06
	because we are not among the laborers	51:09
	and those who bear this guilt	51:13
	and who feel a sense of an awareness of sin	51:16
	in their lives constantly are not the ones	51:20
	who will make this into a better world.	51:24
	They're so involved with their own personal deficiencies	51:27
	that there is no time to reach out	51:33
	nor is there any such inclination.	51:36
	The discipline of work is an important discipline.	51:40
	It's not necessarily the 10-talented persons,	51:44
	but often the one and two-talented persons	51:49
	who dedicate themselves and labor at it	51:53
	who give leadership and make a vast difference in our world.	51:57
	1521, April the 21st,	52:05
	Martin Luther was to appear before the Diet at Worms.	52:10
	And here he had to defend himself	52:16
	and the great movement to which he had dedicated himself.	52:18
	This movement was in great danger.	52:23
	His life was in danger.	52:27
	Had I been facing that kind of setting,	52:29
	I'm sure I would have been up early	52:33
	the morning of the 21st to perfect my brief	52:35
	in order that I might defend myself	52:40
	with accuracy and clarity.	52:42
	This is not what Martin Luther did.	52:45
	He was up early that morning, to be sure,	52:49
	but he visited a man dying with cancer	52:52
	and had prayer with him,	52:55
	and that day, when he stood before that court,	52:57
	he could say not only this is the theory about life,	53:02
	but this is where I stand,	53:05
	and I've made it to be active today.	53:08
	We are never off duty in our behavior.	53:14
	And we are never off duty in our being.	53:20
	This is a little more difficult to define.	53:24
	Being has to do with who we are	53:28
	and what we think of ourselves	53:34
	and how we stand in the presence of sunshine and storm.	53:37
	It has to do with the symbol which we represent in life.	53:44
	Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do men say I am?"	53:53
	They answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist	53:57
	"or another prophet."	54:00
	Then he turned to Peter.	54:02
	"Who do you say that I am?"	54:03
	Because of Peter's answer, he was given the keys	54:07
	to the kingdom and became the foundation	54:11
	for the establishment of the church.	54:15
	It was important to Jesus and to them	54:18
	as to who he was.	54:23
	We are never off duty in our being.	54:26
	It has to do with our psychological understanding of life	54:28
	and Carl Jung,	54:31
	the great Swiss psychologist said,	54:35
	"In my 35 years of counseling,	54:39
	"I've never seen a single person	54:41
	"whose basic need was not for a greater religious faith."	54:43
	And he was not particularly a religious man himself.	54:49
	It has to do with our stability and our ability	54:54
	to deal with the emotional needs of life,	54:58
	and so those who are in the counseling world	55:03
	are turning more and more to the gospels	55:06
	to get a new insight into Jesus,	55:09
	because he seemed to understand	55:13
	so clearly human personality.	55:15
	It has to do also with our faith,	55:19
	which is the foundation of life,	55:22
	the spiritual statue by which we live.	55:25
	Bishop Mortimer Arias of Bolivia,	55:31
	who's recently been released from prison there,	55:36
	in a Christmas letter which came a few days ago,	55:40
	tells about his prison experience.	55:44
	He describes the loneliness.	55:47
	He describes the slow passing of time.	55:50
	He describes the prison as a desert and as a school,	55:55
	talks about how much he has learned.	56:00
	He expresses gratitude to those who prayed for him.	56:02
	And then he quoted, as the scripture which stood him	56:07
	in good stead, from 1 Peter,	56:11
	which said, be ready at all times	56:15
	to explain the hope within you,	56:18
	and do it with gentleness and respect.	56:21
	Mother Theresa recently said,	56:27
	"We do not proclaim the gospel, we are the gospel."	56:30
	We are never off duty in our being.	56:35
	I believe that Bishop Dibelius is right.	56:41
	As Christians, we are never off duty.	56:45
	We are never off duty in our beliefs.	56:49
	We are never off duty in our behavior.	56:55
	We are never off duty in our being.	56:58
	Some months ago, I sat with an outstanding musician,	57:03
	a pianist, at a banquet.	57:08
	Later he was to perform.	57:12
	In our conversation, I asked him the question,	57:16
	"How much time do you give to music?"	57:19
	He looked at me in astonishment, and then responded,	57:22
	"I suppose I give all the time there is."	57:28
	Said he, "I practice eight hours a day,	57:33
	"when we're at home relaxing, the stereo is going,	57:37
	"playing great music.	57:40
	"When I have time for reading,	57:43
	"I read about the great musicians	57:45
	"and their contribution,	57:47
	"and sometimes, I dream about it.	57:50
	"And there have been occasions when I would wake up	57:54
	"in the middle of the night, would simply have	57:57
	"to go to the piano and play awhile,	57:59
	"or make some notes."	58:04
	And then he responded again,	58:07
	"I suppose I give all the time there is."	58:09
	My closing question to you,	58:14
	do we expect more of our artists	58:18
	than we expect of ourselves as Christians?	58:25
	I don't think so.	58:32
	I really don't think so.	58:35
	For as Christians, we are never off duty.	58:38
	Let us pray.	58:45
	Our Father, we are grateful to thee	58:51
	for this magnificent day	58:54
	when these thy servants, who have given such a great account	58:58
	of themselves are honored.	59:02
	We thank thee for the challenge they present to us	59:06
	and the noble heritage which is ours,	59:12
	help us to feel this continuing responsibility	59:15
	and respond to it with our commitment to thee	59:20
	through Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.	59:26
	(gentle organ music)	59:40
	(organ drowns out singing)	1:00:01
-	Let us affirm what we believe.	1:00:58
All	We believe in God, who has created and is creating,	1:01:01
	who is come in the truly human Jesus	1:01:06
	to reconcile and make new,	1:01:09
	who works in us and others by the Spirit.	1:01:12
	We trust God who calls us to be the church,	1:01:16
	to celebrate life and its fullness,	1:01:21
	to love and serve others,	1:01:24
	to seek justice and resist evil,	1:01:27
	to proclaim Jesus crucified and risen,	1:01:30
	our judge and our hope,	1:01:34
	in life, in death, in life beyond death.	1:01:36
	God is with us.	1:01:41
	We are not alone.	1:01:43
	Thanks be to God.	1:01:45
-	Will you be seated?	1:01:48
	(congregation shuffling)	1:01:50
	The Lord be with you.	1:01:56
-	And with your spirit.
-	Let us pray.	1:01:59
	Almighty and eternal God,	1:02:02
	in whom our parents trusted, we their children	1:02:04
	on this day of remembrance offer unto you	1:02:08
	our litany of commemoration.	1:02:11
Congregation	Hear us, we beseech thee, O Lord.	1:02:14
-	For the Duke family, father, daughter,	1:02:17
	sons and their wives, grandchildren,	1:02:20
	and continuing generations,	1:02:24
	who with wonder and surprise,	1:02:26
	bewilderment and tenacity laid a good foundation,	1:02:28
	built a worthy school, and provided	1:02:32
	for the exciting growth beyond their ken in years unseen.	1:02:35
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	1:02:40
-	For the men and women of this state,	1:02:43
	Methodists and Quakers, farmers and merchants,	1:02:45
	teachers and administrators,	1:02:48
	who believed in education and made their belief prevail.	1:02:50
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	1:02:55
-	For the embodiment of their dreams,	1:02:57
	a private school, academy, college, university,	1:03:00
	founded in hope, continued with perseverance,	1:03:06
	growing in outreach, stablished in assurance.	1:03:10
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	1:03:15
-	For educators whose vision was matched by their courage,	1:03:17
	whose patience was tempered by their indignation,	1:03:22
	whose idealism was moderated by their awareness of sin.	1:03:25
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	1:03:30
-	For the continuance of good ideas,	1:03:34
	the union of truth and reverence,	1:03:37
	the freedom of responsibile academic thought,	1:03:40
	and the right of public concern,	1:03:43
	the joint care of the body and the spirit,	1:03:46
	the linking of science and humanities,	1:03:49
	the realization that old order changes.	1:03:52
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	1:03:56
-	For the future of our university,	1:03:58
	stablished to your glory, and for the relief	1:04:01
	of the human condition,	1:04:03
	for the consecration of the discontent of the young,	1:04:06
	for wisdom in the conservatism of the middle-aged,	1:04:09
	for resiliency in the obstinancy of the old,	1:04:14
	for understanding and cooperation	1:04:17
	and a sense of humor within our community.	1:04:20
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	1:04:23
-	Unto you we shall ascribe as is most due,	1:04:26
	all praise and glory, world without end.	1:04:30
	O holy child of Bethlehem,	1:04:37
	descend to us we pray.	1:04:40
	Cast out our sin and enter in,	1:04:43
	be born in us today.	1:04:46
	We hear the Christmas angels,	1:04:50
	the great glad tidings tell,	1:04:51
	O come to us, abide with us,	1:04:54
	our Lord, Emmanuel.	1:05:00
	Our heavenly Father, we lift our prayer	1:05:04
	and our gratitude, our hope and our gratitude to thee	1:05:06
	through Jesus Christ our Lord	1:05:09
	as we gather together here in this holy place	1:05:12
	on Founders' Weekend.	1:05:16
	We remember with unusual gratitude the past	1:05:19
	and all that is gone before us.	1:05:22
	Every now and again, remind us that other peoples	1:05:27
	have builded and we have builded on their building.	1:05:30
	When we look back over our shoulder	1:05:37
	and see the gallant men and women	1:05:39
	who have helped establish Duke University,	1:05:40
	we call their names in our minds and in our hearts.	1:05:43
	And we would begin, even with that that we have not seen,	1:05:49
	one room schoolhouse, an itinerant preacher	1:05:53
	who believed in the deep of education.	1:05:59
	And for all these years after him,	1:06:05
	there have come those noble human beings	1:06:08
	who remembering the past have helped to create the present.	1:06:12
	We remember the past with gratitude.	1:06:18
	We celebrate the present	1:06:22
	with an unusual commitment to it out of the past.	1:06:25
	We celebrate the reality of Duke University	1:06:31
	in the life of our land.	1:06:34
	Here it is established on these sloping hills	1:06:39
	of the Piedmont,	1:06:43
	with the fingers of its ministry	1:06:46
	stretching out across the earth.	1:06:48
	We celebrate the reality of Duke,	1:06:53
	the bringing together of dreams,	1:06:58
	the cementing of ideals.	1:07:03
	We celebrate the present age.	1:07:09
	Who knows but that thou hast called us	1:07:13
	to the kingdom for such a time as this.	1:07:16
	And in celebrating the present and in remembering the past,	1:07:22
	we consider the future.	1:07:27
	We know not what the future has,	1:07:30
	what marvelous surprise,	1:07:33
	but assured along that life and death his mercy underlie.	1:07:36
	Make us the kind of custodians for tomorrow	1:07:45
	that our parents were for today.	1:07:49
	Give to thy servant who administers	1:07:56
	the life of this university	1:07:58
	and to that unusually competent group of colleagues	1:08:01
	who surround him in central administration	1:08:04
	the wisdom that is needed for the guiding	1:08:08
	of a great enterprise.	1:08:11
	Give them vision and understanding	1:08:15
	and deep commitment and dedication.	1:08:19
	Bless, we pray thee, these distinguished members	1:08:23
	of our faculty out of whose experience	1:08:25
	and across whose mind the great truths of life	1:08:28
	come seeking and harking to a generation	1:08:34
	receptive to truth.	1:08:39
	To the members of our faculty and to our student body,	1:08:44
	we seek your blessings.	1:08:47
	Look upon this community as if it were yours,	1:08:51
	because it is.	1:08:57
	And evermore reminding us who the sower is,	1:09:01
	and what the seed is,	1:09:05
	and what the stakes are.	1:09:10
	So we pray for ourselves,	1:09:14
	and we pray for our university,	1:09:17
	and we pray for them in whose hands	1:09:21
	our university is committed.	1:09:24
	Hear us as we pray together the prayer	1:09:28
	that we have been taught to pray in your name.	1:09:30
	Our Father, who art in heaven,	1:09:34
	hallowed be thy name.	1:09:37
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,	1:09:40
	on earth as it is in heaven.	1:09:43
	Give us this day our daily bread	1:09:46
	and forgive us our trespasses	1:09:49
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:09:51
	And lead us not into temptation,	1:09:55
	but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom	1:09:58
	and the power and the glory forever, amen.	1:10:02
	(gentle organ music)	1:10:20
	♪ Many waters cannot quench love ♪	1:10:27
	♪ Neither can the flood drown it ♪	1:10:35
	♪ Many waters cannot quench love ♪	1:10:43
	♪ Neither can the flood ♪	1:10:50
	♪ Neither can the flood ♪	1:10:53
	♪ Drown it ♪	1:10:56
	♪ Love is strong as death ♪	1:11:03
	♪ Love is strong as death ♪	1:11:10
	♪ Many waters cannot quench love ♪	1:11:18
	♪ Greater love hath no man than this ♪	1:11:29
	♪ That a man ♪	1:11:40
	♪ That a man ♪	1:11:45
	♪ Lay down his life ♪	1:11:49
	♪ Lay down his life ♪	1:11:56
	♪ For his friends ♪	1:12:01
	♪ Who his own self bare our sins ♪	1:12:12
	♪ In his own body on the tree ♪	1:12:18
	♪ That we, being dead to sin ♪	1:12:30
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:12:38
	♪ That we, being dead to sin ♪	1:12:48
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:12:56
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:13:04
	♪ That we ♪	1:13:10
	♪ That we ♪	1:13:13
	♪ Being dead to sin ♪	1:13:15
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:13:18
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:13:22
	♪ Ye are washed ♪	1:13:28
	♪ Ye are sanctified ♪	1:13:32
	♪ Ye are justified ♪	1:13:36
	♪ In the name of the Lord Jesus ♪	1:13:39
	♪ Ye are a chosen generation ♪	1:13:47
	♪ A royal priesthood ♪	1:13:52
	♪ A holy nation ♪	1:13:55
	♪ That ye should show forth the praises of him ♪	1:14:05
	♪ Who hath called you out of darkness ♪	1:14:11
	♪ Out of darkness ♪	1:14:18
	♪ Into his marvelous light ♪	1:14:23
	♪ I beseech you, brethren ♪	1:14:47
	♪ By the mercies of God ♪	1:14:54
	♪ That ye present your bodies ♪	1:15:01
	♪ A living sacrifice ♪	1:15:10
	♪ Holy ♪	1:15:19
	♪ Holy ♪	1:15:23
	♪ Holy ♪	1:15:28
	♪ Acceptable unto God ♪	1:15:35
	♪ Which is your reasonable service ♪	1:15:53
	(gentle organ music)	1:16:13
	(lofty organ music)	1:16:40
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:17:22
	♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪	1:17:27
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:17:32
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:17:35
	♪ Praise him above, ye heavenly host ♪	1:17:39
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	1:17:44
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:17:49
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:17:52
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:17:55
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:17:57
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:18:00
	♪ Amen ♪	1:18:08
-	Gracious Lord, our God,	1:18:19
	at this holy Advent Christmas season,	1:18:22
	we are reminded again of that precious, priceless gift	1:18:26
	which you have given to all of us,	1:18:30
	indeed to all your children, even Jesus, the Christ.	1:18:33
	Accept now these tokens which we give to you	1:18:39
	as a reasonable, holy, lively sacrifice unto you,	1:18:43
	that we might obey your will,	1:18:50
	loving you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength,	1:18:52
	and loving our neighbors as ourselves,	1:18:56
	through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	1:19:00
	(footsteps tapping)	1:19:05
	("Sing Praise to God who Reigns Above")	1:19:10
	(organ drowns out singing)	1:19:49
-	And now, without bowing heads or closing eyes,	1:22:55
	may I, in the name of Christ,	1:22:58
	offer you this blessing from our Lord.	1:23:00
	The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,	1:23:05
	the love of God, the communion and fellowship	1:23:09
	of the Holy Spirit be with you	1:23:13
	and with those whom you love this day and forevermore.	1:23:17
	♪ Amen ♪	1:23:25
	♪ Amen ♪	1:23:33
	♪ Amen ♪	1:23:44
	♪ Amen ♪	1:23:49
	♪ Amen ♪	1:23:59
	♪ Amen ♪	1:24:13
	♪ Amen ♪	1:24:24
	(stately organ music)	1:24:43
	(congregation shuffling)

Item Info

Title:

Joel D. McDavid - "Never Off Duty" (December 14, 1980)

Description:

Sermon start time: 41:04. Sermon end time: 59:31.
McDavid emphasizes the integral importance of personal discipline, responsibility and duty that each Christian has as they live out their faith. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: if the church is to be the church, it must move out into life…and magnify moral and spiritual values all over again. We must concerned about the conversion of persons: for systems and plans may be ever so delicate and effective but they can no more effective than those persons who manage those plans and systems …Christians are never off-duty in their beliefs.

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r49k46777

Date:

December 14, 1980

Speaker:

McDavid, Joel D.

Liturgical Calendar:

Advent

Biblical Book:

John

Chapter and Verse:

John 4:31-38

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1126
ref7464_hgl
uachapelsermaud
duke:320783
dcrau002003
ark:/87924/r49k46777
a10a39d5-591c-459e-9d45-014785f91fca

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

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:

No Re-Use

In Copyright

Rights Note:

This material is made available for research, scholarship, and private study. Copyright in this material has not been transferred to Duke University. For reuses of this material beyond those permitted by fair use or otherwise allowed under the Copyright Act, please see our page on copyright and citations: https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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