Robert T. Young - "Just a Simple Story" (December 21, 1980)

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	("For Us a Child is Born")	0:06
	("Laud We Thy Name")	2:26
	♪ Alleluia ♪	4:07
	♪ Alleluia ♪	4:13
	♪ O praised be God ♪	4:21
	♪ All raise your voices ♪	4:27
	♪ Sing with thankful voices ♪	4:31
	♪ Thou, God, today ♪	4:42
	♪ Hast given us joy ♪	4:50
	♪ Hold fast to Him ♪	4:56
	♪ And praise His name eternal ♪	5:00
	(German Christmas hymn)	5:53
	♪ O holy night ♪	7:50
	♪ The stars are brightly shining ♪	7:53
	♪ It is the night of the dear Savior's birth ♪	7:58
	♪ Long lay the world ♪	8:07
	♪ In sin and error pining ♪	8:11
	♪ Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth ♪	8:15
	♪ A thrill of hope ♪	8:22
	♪ A weary world rejoices ♪	8:25
	♪ For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn ♪	8:29
	♪ Fall on your knees ♪	8:35
	♪ O hear the angel voices ♪	8:42
	♪ O night, divine ♪	8:49
	♪ O night, when Christ was born ♪	8:54
	♪ O night, divine ♪	9:02
	♪ O night, O night divine ♪	9:08
	♪ Silent night, holy night ♪	9:31
	♪ Wondrous star from afar ♪	9:40
	♪ Guide the wise men as they bring ♪	9:48
	♪ Gifts of homage to our king ♪	9:56
	♪ Jesus Christ, our Lord ♪	10:03
	♪ Jesus Christ, our Lord ♪	10:11
	♪ Silent night, holy night ♪	10:23
	♪ Though we wake ♪	10:31
	♪ With the angels voice we sing ♪	10:38
	♪ Alleluias for our king ♪	10:45
	♪ Christ our Savior is born ♪	10:52
	♪ Jesus our Savior is born ♪	11:02
	♪ O come all ye faithful ♪	11:29
	♪ Joyful and triumphant ♪	11:33
	♪ O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem ♪	11:37
	♪ Come and behold Him ♪	11:46
	♪ Born the King of angels ♪	11:51
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	11:55
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	11:59
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	12:03
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	12:08
	♪ Sing, choirs of angels ♪	12:13
	♪ Sing in exultation ♪	12:18
	♪ Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above ♪	12:22
	♪ Glory to God ♪	12:30
	♪ Glory in the highest ♪	12:34
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	12:38
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	12:43
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	12:47
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	12:51
	♪ Yea, Lord, we greet Thee ♪	12:57
	♪ Born this happy morning ♪	13:01
	♪ Jesu, to Thee be glory given ♪	13:05
	♪ Word of the Father ♪	13:14
	♪ Now in flesh appearing ♪	13:17
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	13:21
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	13:26
	♪ O come let us adore Him ♪	13:30
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	13:34
	♪ The heavens are declaring ♪	13:51
	♪ The Lord's endless glory ♪	13:54
	♪ Through all the earth ♪	14:00
	♪ His praise is found ♪	14:04
	♪ The seas re-echo the marvelous story ♪	14:09
	♪ O man, repeat that glorious sound ♪	14:16
	♪ The starry host He orders and measures ♪	14:23
	♪ He fills the morning's golden springs ♪	14:34
	♪ He wakes the sun ♪	14:40
	♪ From his night-cortain'd slumbers ♪	14:43
	♪ O man, adore the King of Kings ♪	14:49
	♪ O man, adore the King of Kings ♪	14:55
	♪ Hodie Christus natus est ♪	17:26
	♪ Hodie salvator apparuit ♪	17:37
	♪ Hodie in terra canunt angeli ♪	17:44
	♪ Laetentur archangeli ♪	17:55
	♪ Hodie exultent iusti ♪	18:01
	♪ Dicentes gloria in excelsis Deo ♪	18:11
	♪ Alleluia ♪	18:17
	♪ Alleluia ♪	18:22
	♪ Alleluia ♪	18:27
	("O Come, O Come Emmanuel")	18:40
	♪ Amen ♪	22:28
-	For it is the God who said,	23:02
	"Let light shine out of darkness,"	23:04
	who has shown in our hearts	23:06
	to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God	23:08
	in the face of Christ.	23:11
	To this God, who shines in our hearts today,	23:13
	let us confess our sins and evil ways	23:17
	to the end that we may obtain forgiveness	23:20
	by the Lord's infinite goodness and mercy.	23:22
	With great joy, we lift our hearts in praise, O God,	23:28
	for the gift of your Son.	23:33
	We join the throngs who hail your Son	23:36
	as the Savior of the world.	23:38
	But our praise is too hollow and too brief.	23:40
	Soon we will be weary	23:44
	and our joy will fall like the needles	23:47
	of a pine tree cut from its roots	23:49
	forgive us for whatever is superficial in our celebration	23:53
	of your Son's birth.	23:57
	Remove the disguises we wear this time of year	23:59
	and let your good news of salvation	24:03
	get through to our hearts.	24:06
	We pray in the name of Christ, amen.	24:08
	Hear these words of comfort and hope.	24:24
	This is the message we have heard from Him,	24:27
	and proclaim to you,	24:30
	that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.	24:32
	If we walk in the light, as He is in the light,	24:37
	we have fellowship with one another,	24:41
	and the blood of Jesus, His Son,	24:43
	cleanses us from all our sin.	24:46
	Let me welcome each of you to this service of worship.	24:53
	We are pleased that you are able to be with us this morning	24:57
	and we pray that this service	24:59
	will be a special blessing to you in this advent season.	25:01
	I would like to thank the Durham Boys Choir,	25:09
	who is with us this morning,	25:12
	and who will be leading us in our music of today.	25:13
	There is one announcement	25:19
	which perhaps you should be aware of	25:20
	and this is the annual Christmas Eve service	25:22
	that will be taking place this week.	25:24
	The service begins at 11 o'clock.	25:27
	But since we are usually filled somewhat before then,	25:29
	you may want to plan to arrive a bit early to find a seat.	25:32
	If you are unable to be with us that evening at that time,	25:37
	the service will be broadcast over the radio	25:40
	and also on channel 11 on television.	25:42
	Let us pray.	25:49
	O Lord and lover of us all,	25:53
	cause the pure light of your divine knowledge	25:56
	to shine forth in our hearts	25:58
	and open the eyes of our understanding,	26:01
	that we may comprehend the ways of your gospel,	26:04
	through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	26:07
	The Old Testament lesson	26:13
	is taken from Isaiah, chapter seven, verses 10 through 17.	26:14
	"Again, the Lord spoke to Ahaz.	26:22
	"Ask a sign of the Lord your God.	26:25
	"Let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.	26:28
	"But Ahaz said	26:32
	"I will not ask and I will not put the Lord to the test.	26:34
	"And he said, hear then, O House of David,	26:40
	"is it too little for you to weary men	26:44
	"that you weary my God also.	26:47
	"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign.	26:50
	"Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son	26:54
	"And shall call his name Emmanuel.	26:58
	"He shall eat curds and honey	27:01
	"when he knows how to refuse the evil	27:04
	"and to choose the good.	27:06
	"For before the child knows	27:09
	"how to refuse the evil and choose the good	27:10
	"The land, before whose two kings you are in dread	27:13
	"will be deserted.	27:17
	"The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people	27:19
	"and upon your father's house	27:22
	"such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim	27:24
	"departed from Judah, the king of Assyria."	27:28
	Here ends the reading from the Old Testament, amen.	27:33
	The epistle lesson is taken	27:40
	from Romans, chapter one, verses one through seven.	27:41
	"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,	27:48
	"set apart for the gospel of God	27:53
	"which He promised beforehand through His prophets	27:55
	"in the holy scriptures,	27:58
	"the gospel concerning His Son,	28:00
	"who was descended from David, according to the flesh	28:03
	"and designated Son of God in power,	28:07
	"according to the spirit of holiness	28:09
	"by His resurrection from the dead.	28:11
	"Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom	28:14
	"we have received grace and apostleship	28:17
	"to bring about the obedience of faith,	28:20
	"for the sake of His name among all the nations,	28:22
	"including yourselves who are called	28:26
	"to belong to Jesus Christ.	28:28
	"To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints,	28:32
	"grace to you and peace from God our Father	28:38
	"and the Lord Jesus Christ."	28:41
	Here ends the reading from the epistle lesson.	28:45
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:12
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:16
	♪ Unto the Lord ♪	29:20
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:24
	♪ Unto the Lord ♪	29:27
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:30
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:32
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:36
	♪ I will always give thanks ♪	29:39
	♪ Unto the Lord ♪	29:42
	♪ His praise shall be ever in my mouth ♪	29:45
	♪ His praise shall be ever ♪	29:51
	♪ His praise shall be ever ♪	29:55
	♪ In my mouth ♪	30:02
	♪ His praise shall be ever ♪	30:04
	♪ His praise shall be ever ♪	30:08
	♪ In my mouth ♪	30:14
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:31
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:34
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:37
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:39
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:42
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:46
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:51
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:55
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	30:59
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	31:06
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	31:10
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	31:16
-	Will the congregation please stand	31:31
	for the reading of the Gospel lesson?	31:33
	The Gospel lesson is from Matthew,	31:41
	chapter one, verses 18 through 25.	31:43
	"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.	31:49
	"When His mother had been betrothed to Joseph,	31:54
	"before they came together, she was found to be with child	31:57
	"of the Holy Spirit, and her husband Joseph,	32:02
	"being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame	32:05
	"resolved to divorce her quietly.	32:08
	"But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord	32:12
	"appeared to him in a dream saying,	32:15
	"Joseph, son of David, do not fear	32:18
	"to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her	32:22
	"is conceived of the Holy Spirit.	32:26
	"She will bear a son and you shall call His name Jesus,	32:29
	"for He will save His people from their sins.	32:34
	"All this took place to fulfill	32:38
	"what the Lord has spoken by the prophet.	32:40
	"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son	32:43
	"and his name shall be called Emmanuel,	32:47
	"which means God with us.	32:50
	"When Joseph woke from sleep,	32:54
	"he did as ten Angel of the Lord commanded him.	32:55
	"He took his wife, but knew her not	32:58
	"until she had borne a son.	33:01
	"And he called his name Jesus."	33:04
	Here ends the reading from the Gospel lesson, amen.	33:09
	(organ music, congregation singing)	33:17
-	To all God's beloved in this place	34:14
	who are called to be saints, grace to you and peace	34:17
	from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.	34:23
	"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.	34:31
	"And when Joseph woke from sleep,	34:42
	"he did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him.	34:46
	"He took his wife, but knew her not	34:52
	"until she had borne a son	34:57
	"and he called his name Jesus."	35:02
	A beautiful story,	35:09
	an unforgettable story,	35:13
	the story most oft told in all of literature,	35:18
	indeed in all of time.	35:26
	A memorable story, just a simple story.	35:31
	A story of few words, a story of a few characters.	35:38
	A story of few lines.	35:44
	But a story full of images, full of messages,	35:49
	full of symbols, full of promises, full of hope.	35:53
	Indeed, the hopes and fears of all the years	36:00
	are, O Jesus,	36:06
	met in Thee tonight.	36:09
	Surely it is as Hugh Prather puts it:	36:15
	"It is many, many long moments before dawn.	36:19
	"But a soft light	36:25
	"is even now spreading over the earth."	36:29
	Just a simple story.	36:35
	As Christopher Fry reminds us in his "Christmas Faith,"	36:39
	"The darkest time of the year,	36:46
	"the poorest place in town,	36:51
	"cold and a taste of fear,	36:56
	"man and woman alone.	36:59
	"What can we hope for here?	37:03
	"More light than we can learn.	37:08
	"More wealth than we can treasure.	37:12
	"More love than we can earn.	37:15
	"More peace than we can measure	37:19
	"because one child was born."	37:23
	Just a simple story.	37:28
	A simple story when, as W.H. Auden puts it,	37:32
	"Everything became a you and nothing was an it."	37:36
	John Milton reminds us in his beautiful lines,	37:48
	"On the morning of Christ's nativity,	37:52
	"this is the month and this is the happy morn	37:58
	"wherein the Son of heaven's eternal King,	38:05
	"of wedded maid and virgin mother born	38:09
	"our great redemption from above did bring	38:14
	"no war or battle sound was heard the world around.	38:20
	"But peaceful was the night where in the Prince of Light,	38:26
	"His reign of peace upon the earth began.	38:31
	"The stars with deep amaze stand fixed	38:35
	"in steadfast gaze,	38:39
	"such music as 'tis said before was never made."	38:41
	Well, such are the dramatic poetic interpretations	38:51
	of that day, the day when Jesus Christ was born.	38:54
	But on that day,	38:59
	at that hour, at that moment, I cannot help but believe	39:04
	that it was such a simple moment.	39:09
	Just a simple time, a very simple experience.	39:13
	A mother,	39:21
	her husband,	39:25
	a warm place to rest	39:29
	and to be comfortable, or at least to be as comfortable	39:31
	as nature would allow a mother-to-be to be.	39:34
	And a birth, a simple birth	39:41
	filled with ultimate eternal meanings.	39:45
	Matthew writes about it.	39:52
	But Matthew, we must remember,	39:53
	writes about it in retrospect.	39:55
	He could write not just about Jesus the babe,	40:00
	but about Jesus the Christ.	40:05
	And he could write, "You shall call His name Jesus,	40:08
	"for He will save His people from their sins,"	40:11
	because he knew that this man,	40:15
	who was born on this night, did indeed save his people	40:18
	from their sins.	40:23
	He had known. He had heard. He had been there.	40:24
	He had experienced himself.	40:26
	He knew that Jesus would indeed	40:29
	save His people from their sin.	40:32
	What a moment.	40:39
	T.S. Eliot, in "Choruses from the Rock,"	40:45
	writes about that moment.	40:49
	He says, "Then came, at a predetermined moment,	40:52
	"a moment in time and of time,	40:57
	"a moment not of time, but in time	41:00
	"in what we call history,	41:03
	"transcending, bisecting the world of time	41:05
	"a moment in time, but not like a moment of time.	41:09
	"A moment in time,	41:14
	"but time was made through that moment.	41:17
	"For without the meaning, there is no time.	41:22
	"And that moment, that moment, that moment of time	41:25
	"was the meaning."	41:30
	And life surely has not been the same since that moment.	41:44
	This world has not been the same since that moment.	41:47
	You and I have not been the same since that moment.	41:50
	God Himself has not been the same since that moment.	41:53
	Christmas is just a simple story.	42:05
	To let us know that this Jesus Christ,	42:15
	this Emmanuel, this God with us is with us even now.	42:18
	I believe that most of us	42:29
	lead fairly simple lives most of the time.	42:30
	All of us lead simple times some of the time.	42:34
	Most of us probably lead simple lives	42:39
	more of the time than we think we do.	42:42
	All of us have simple needs all of the time.	42:46
	Therefore a simple story of simple folk	42:52
	to speak to simple people like you and me.	42:54
	I think this story is somewhat like	43:02
	the playwright Ugo Betti says,	43:03
	"To believe in God	43:07
	"is to know that all of the rules will be fair	43:09
	"and that there will be wonderful surprises."	43:14
	Christmas is about a God who is fair	43:22
	and a God who fills life with wonderful surprises.	43:24
	So as I've reflected on this passage and on Christmas	43:31
	this Christmas, may I share with you four simple things	43:36
	that I believe Christmas and this message mean to us?	43:40
	First of all, this story means	43:46
	that God knows how to get through to us.	43:48
	Second, I believe it tells us that God knows our situation.	43:52
	Third, I believe that it tells us	43:58
	that God knows how much I need His presence.	44:00
	And fourth, I believe it says God loves.	44:04
	God knows how to get through to us.	44:09
	God had been trying to get through to His children	44:13
	for a long, long time.	44:16
	It had been centuries since God's dramatic	44:18
	and unforgettable encounter with His children	44:21
	through Moses at Mount Sinai.	44:25
	I remember hearing Dr. Bernard Boyd at Chapel Hill	44:29
	say to one of our classes over there years ago,	44:32
	"If you can believe that God was present	44:37
	"with Moses at Mount Sinai and if you can believe	44:41
	"that the tomb was empty on Easter morn,	44:46
	"then you can believe the ultimates about	44:49
	"the Judeo-Christian tradition."	44:51
	One of those ultimates was when God spoke	44:57
	with His people at Mount Sinai.	44:59
	But that had been a long time ago.	45:01
	And God had been trying ever since	45:04
	to get through to His people	45:06
	in beautiful and meaningful ways.	45:07
	As someone said God's great desire has been	45:12
	and is to be with people.	45:15
	God is the lover of persons, always eager to dwell	45:17
	in the dwelling places of His people;	45:21
	that is, always eager to dwell in our hearts.	45:23
	God is the lover of people, persons, you, me.	45:30
	So then how could a personal God	45:33
	get through to persons like you and me?	45:35
	I believe God tried all kinds of ways,	45:40
	through the law, through the prophets,	45:44
	through any way that He possibly could.	45:47
	But the blindness, the toughness,	45:51
	the callousness, the coldness,	45:54
	the rebellious of God's people,	45:56
	people like you and me, continued.	45:59
	At the same time, the hurts and the needs	46:03
	and the longings and the yearnings	46:05
	and the cries and the desires of God's people	46:06
	continued also, just like they do for you and me.	46:08
	So how was God to get through?	46:13
	Let me share with you Louis Cassel's "Parable of the Birds."	46:19
	Many of you know it.	46:23
	He writes, "Once upon a time, there was a man	46:25
	"who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug.	46:28
	"He wasn't a scrooge.	46:32
	"He was a very kind and decent person.	46:35
	"But he didn't believe all that stuff	46:38
	"about an incarnation	46:40
	"which churches proclaim at Christmastime.	46:42
	"And he was too honest to pretend that he did.	46:45
	"He simply could not understand the claim	46:47
	"that God became a human being.	46:49
	"It just didn't make any sense to him at all.	46:51
	"On Christmas Eve, his wife and his children	46:58
	"went to church for the midnight service there.	47:02
	"But he stayed at home.	47:07
	"It began to snow, and it snowed	47:11
	"and it snowed and it snowed.	47:13
	"He said, if we must have Christmas,	47:17
	"it's nice at least	47:21
	"that we have a white Christmas.	47:23
	"So he sat down by the fire to read the evening newspaper.	47:26
	"A few minutes later, he heard a thudding sound	47:31
	"followed by another thud and another thud and another thud,	47:33
	"birds that had been caught in the storm	47:37
	"and in a desperate search for some shelter from the storm	47:39
	"had tried to fly through his window,	47:43
	"his big bay window at his house.	47:45
	"And now, birds, many of them,	47:50
	"lay huddled miserably in the snow.	47:52
	"I can't let the poor creatures lie there in the snow	47:56
	"and freeze, he thought.	48:00
	"But how can I help them?	48:02
	"How can I help the birds?	48:06
	"So he thought of his barn.	48:09
	"In the barn was a warm shelter.	48:12
	"So he put on his coat and his overshoes	48:14
	"and he tramped out through the deepening snow to the barn.	48:16
	"He opened the doors of the barn wide	48:22
	"and he put on all the lights that there were in the barn.	48:24
	"But the birds didn't come in.	48:30
	"And then, he thought, food will bring the birds in.	48:34
	"So he sprinkled a trail of breadcrumbs	48:39
	"from the birds to the shelter of the barn.	48:42
	"But then, to his dismay, the birds ignored the crumbs	48:48
	"and they continued to flop around helplessly	48:52
	"and hopelessly in the snow.	48:55
	"He tried shooing them into the barn.	48:57
	"And as he shooed, the more he shooed,	49:00
	"the more they scattered.	49:02
	"And they scattered in every direction possible	49:03
	"except into the safety and the shelter of the barn.	49:05
	"They find me a strange and terrifying creature,	49:13
	"he said to himself, and I can't seem to think of any way	49:17
	"to let them know that they really can trust me.	49:21
	"If only I could be a bird myself for just a few minutes,	49:25
	"then perhaps I could lead them safely into the barn.	49:30
	"Just at that moment, the church bells rang.	49:39
	"Old scrooge stood silently for a moment,	49:45
	"listening to the bells,	49:52
	"telling the glad tidings that God has come in Christ.	49:55
	"And he fell to his knees and said,	50:03
	"Now, I understand.	50:07
	"You had to do it this way."	50:12
	God knows how to get through to us, folks.	50:20
	It is to become one of us,	50:24
	to become one in us,	50:28
	to become one with us,	50:31
	as God did in Jesus.	50:34
	But then, God also knows our situation.	50:39
	Because Christ was born,	50:45
	because He lived and loved and served among us.	50:47
	Because He and the Father were one,	50:51
	God knows our situation.	50:54
	Let me ask just two or three questions about life for you	50:57
	and see if I can help you and me this morning	51:01
	to understand how, as we live our lives,	51:03
	God also knows what those lives are like.	51:06
	Do you ever feel understood, misunderstood?	51:08
	Do you ever particularly feel that those closest to you,	51:16
	your family and your friends and your neighbors	51:20
	are the ones who most misunderstand you?	51:22
	Then let us be reminded again that it was Jesus who said,	51:27
	"A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country."	51:29
	When His own family came to greet Him,	51:34
	when His mother came asking for Him,	51:35
	He said, "Who are my family?	51:37
	"Who is my mother?	51:39
	"Who are my brothers and my sisters?"	51:40
	Those closest and nearest and dearest to our Lord	51:44
	did not understand Him.	51:49
	So when you and I feel misunderstood,	51:52
	God knows in Christ what it is to be misunderstood.	51:56
	Have you ever felt lonely?	52:04
	That's almost a redundant question, isn't it?	52:10
	Because all of us have felt lonely.	52:13
	You have, I have, all of us have.	52:18
	There have been many long moments	52:23
	that have stretched into long hours and days and nights	52:25
	when we have felt all alone.	52:29
	But my friends, God in Christ has been there.	52:35
	Jesus knows.	52:39
	The babe born in Bethlehem	52:41
	has walked many lonesome roads and valleys.	52:42
	When Jesus asked, "Who do men say that I am,"	52:48
	do you think He really was just wanting to know	52:50
	what other people thought about Him?	52:52
	I think He was really wanting to know	52:54
	if there was anybody who understood,	52:56
	anybody who would identify,	52:57
	anybody who would stand with Him.	52:59
	When He went to pray in the garden	53:03
	and He asked three of His disciples to stay awake,	53:05
	while He went just a little ways yonder to pray,	53:11
	was it just so that He would have somebody listen	53:14
	to His prayer, know that He was praying,	53:17
	be aware that He was praying?	53:19
	No, was it not that He too	53:21
	wanted not to be alone?	53:25
	Was Jesus not alone when He stood before Pilate,	53:28
	when He carried His cross,	53:32
	when He died?	53:35
	When you and I feel alone,	53:38
	God in Christ knows what that loneliness really is.	53:41
	Have you ever felt that life was a struggle?	53:49
	Ever wondered if you really were doing God's will?	53:55
	Ever tried to pray and felt like	53:58
	you really weren't getting through?	54:00
	Ever tried to be faithful	54:01
	and felt like the more you tried to be faithful,	54:03
	the more that was demanded of you?	54:05
	I guess one of the experiences,	54:14
	and perhaps the experience of Jesus	54:17
	that is most reassuring to me in my own personal life	54:20
	is Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane,	54:23
	for there He did struggle.	54:27
	He struggled with whether or not	54:29
	He was going to be obedient to God.	54:30
	He struggled with whether or not	54:32
	His prayers were getting through.	54:33
	He struggled with whether or not	54:35
	He would be faithful to God,	54:36
	whether His will or God's will would be done.	54:38
	And finally, He was able to say, "Not my will, O God,	54:40
	"but Thine be done."	54:44
	So when I struggle or when you struggle,	54:46
	God in Christ knows also what it is to struggle, my friends.	54:48
	I believe there is no condition in which you or I	54:52
	may ever find ourselves, where we can ever believe	54:56
	that we are there without God's presence	55:02
	also having been there	55:05
	and without God's presence also being there.	55:07
	God in Christ knows, Jesus knows.	55:16
	Then, my friends, God knows	55:22
	how very much I need	55:27
	that God alone can provide.	55:33
	The grace, the strength, the support, the guidance,	55:37
	the affirmation, the hope, the promise,	55:41
	the assurance that God and God only can give to us.	55:44
	All of us have happy moments.	55:52
	All of us, if we live long enough, have tragic moments.	55:53
	And it is in moments of celebration,	56:03
	as well as in moments of desperation that we need God.	56:05
	Ralph Sockman, who preached in this chapel many times,	56:13
	who graced the pulpit of Christ Church in New York City	56:18
	for many, many years, tells in one of his lines	56:23
	about what it is to know God	56:28
	in the peaks and in the valleys.	56:31
	The Sockman's only son died	56:34
	by falling off the roof	56:39
	of their apartment in New York City.	56:41
	No explanation was ever found	56:51
	to determine why or how	56:55
	the Sockman's son had died.	56:58
	But a number of years after this shocking loss,	57:04
	Dr. Sockman shared these words.	57:07
	"Speaking personally," he said, "May I say	57:14
	"that during the last decade of my life,	57:18
	"things have happened to me which I cannot explain,	57:22
	"nor can I say that they were all sent from God.	57:26
	"When I read all things work together for good	57:31
	"for them that love God, the only way I can understand	57:34
	"these words in my own case	57:38
	"is with the analogy of a ship.	57:43
	"There are parts of a ship which,	57:49
	"taken by themselves, would sink.	57:52
	"The engine would sink.	57:56
	"The propeller would sink.	57:58
	"But when the parts of the ship are all built together,	58:02
	"the whole ship floats.	58:06
	"So it is with the moments of my life.	58:10
	"Some have been tragic.	58:14
	"Some have been happy.	58:17
	"But when they are all built together,	58:19
	"they form a craft that floats.	58:21
	"I," he says, "more than that, I believe	58:23
	"they form a craft that is going someplace.	58:27
	And I am comforted."	58:33
	In the tragic moments and in the happy moments,	58:38
	God knits them all together into a craft	58:42
	that not only floats, but is going someplace.	58:46
	And, pray God, may we be comforted with that.	58:51
	But then, this word, and that is simply	59:00
	that Christmas tells me that God loves.	59:04
	That is the story.	59:10
	And it is just that simple.	59:13
	That is the simple story.	59:17
	God loves.	59:20
	As I reflected on the meaning of Christmas	59:23
	and as I tried to think about words	59:25
	to put into words for this morning,	59:27
	I thought about saying something like this,	59:31
	that God loves all that He has made.	59:33
	Then I said, no, that's not true.	59:38
	Or at least, yes, maybe that is true,	59:41
	but that's only part of the truth.	59:44
	Surely God loves all that He has made.	59:46
	And then, I said God loves the world, sure, yes.	59:50
	And then I said, no, it isn't that God loves the world.	59:54
	Well, yes it is.	59:59
	God does love the world.	1:00:00
	But to say that God loves the world may be true,	1:00:02
	but it is only part of the truth.	1:00:04
	And then, I said Christmas then means	1:00:09
	that God loves everybody.	1:00:11
	God loves all of His children.	1:00:14
	God loves every child who has ever been, is or ever will be.	1:00:16
	God loves every person, every being, every human being.	1:00:20
	And then, I said no, that's not true.	1:00:25
	Or yes, that is true.	1:00:27
	But that's only part of the truth.	1:00:29
	And then it occurred to me, my friends,	1:00:30
	the real message of Christmas	1:00:33
	is simply to say that God loves,	1:00:35
	without any limits, without any barriers,	1:00:39
	without any conditions,	1:00:41
	without any qualifications whatsoever,	1:00:42
	just simply to say God loves.	1:00:45
	It's just that simple.	1:00:51
	No boundaries, no barriers,	1:00:56
	no qualifications, no conditions.	1:00:58
	It isn't that God loves His world or all the people	1:01:01
	or everybody.	1:01:04
	Yes, it is that.	1:01:06
	But it is even more beautiful than that.	1:01:08
	That is that God loves.	1:01:12
	Just a simple story.	1:01:17
	But then one more word.	1:01:20
	God doesn't love just to make us feel good.	1:01:28
	Well, God wants us to feel good.	1:01:33
	But that isn't the only reason.	1:01:36
	God loves so that we, in turn, might love.	1:01:39
	It occurred to me in reflecting on this passage of scripture	1:01:50
	and this sermon, to say to myself and to say to you	1:01:55
	God has already done all that God	1:02:01
	can possibly do for you and me	1:02:06
	in that He has come in His fullness in Jesus the Christ.	1:02:13
	The rest now then is up to you and me.	1:02:17
	God loves so that we, in turn, might love.	1:02:25
	There's the story about the young boy	1:02:32
	begging on the street corner.	1:02:35
	And a cruel-hearted woman comes by and says to him,	1:02:50
	"If God loved you,	1:02:59
	wouldn't He send you some shoes	1:03:04
	and some food?"	1:03:08
	And the little boy looked up smilingly and replied,	1:03:13
	"God told somebody,	1:03:19
	but that somebody just forgot."	1:03:25
	This Christmas,	1:03:49
	let's not forget.	1:03:56
	Amen.	1:04:03
	♪ Born to evil free ♪	1:07:04
	♪ Amen ♪	1:07:05
-	Let us affirm what we believe.	1:07:10
	We believe in God, who has created and is creating,	1:07:13
	who has come in the truly human Jesus	1:07:18
	to reconcile and make new,	1:07:22
	who works in us and others by the spirit.	1:07:25
	We trust God who calls us to be the church,	1:07:29
	to celebrate life and its fullness,	1:07:33
	to love and serve others,	1:07:36
	to seek justice and resist evil,	1:07:39
	to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,	1:07:42
	our judge and our hope.	1:07:46
	In life, in death, in life beyond death,	1:07:49
	God is with us.	1:07:53
	We are not alone.	1:07:55
	Thanks be to God.	1:07:57
	Be seated.	1:08:00
	The Lord be with you.	1:08:08
-	And also with you.	1:08:11
-	Let us pray.	1:08:12
	God of eternal and unending light,	1:08:16
	we thank you for the many ways	1:08:20
	in which your light shines upon us,	1:08:21
	for the sun which warms us and makes the crops to grow,	1:08:25
	for the moon and stars whose brilliance	1:08:29
	pierce the deep darkness of the night,	1:08:31
	for your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,	1:08:34
	whose life is the lantern by which we guide our steps	1:08:37
	and make our way to you.	1:08:40
	For your Holy Spirit, whose unquenchable flame	1:08:43
	descends upon us and surrounds us with power	1:08:46
	beyond our imagination.	1:08:49
	For this many-faceted light of yours,	1:08:51
	which speaks to us of creation and redemption	1:08:55
	and sanctification every moment of our lives,	1:08:58
	we praise you and glorify your Name.	1:09:01
	Lord, as we sit in this house of yours	1:09:06
	and experience your majesty and your immense love,	1:09:09
	we know in our hearts that our fire for you	1:09:13
	has burned low at times this week.	1:09:15
	We have scurried about, rushing from one thing to another,	1:09:19
	and have failed to look with wandering eyes	1:09:23
	upon this marvelous world.	1:09:25
	We have strayed from the lighted path of Christ	1:09:28
	and have become lost in the darkness	1:09:31
	of our own egotism and jealousy and anger and prejudice.	1:09:33
	We have sought to put out the flame of your spirit	1:09:40
	in the sealed rooms of our lives,	1:09:42
	not allowing it to reach out and warm the lives	1:09:45
	of other persons.	1:09:47
	Lord, forgive us when we abuse your light in these ways.	1:09:49
	But help us to catch sight of the Star of Bethlehem	1:09:54
	and be guided by its rays	1:09:57
	in all that we do and say and think.	1:09:59
	Father, we remember the persons	1:10:05
	who especially need your light this morning,	1:10:07
	those who are confined to their homes and to nursing homes.	1:10:09
	Those who are ill and anxious about their illness,	1:10:13
	those who are lonely and frightened by their aloneness.	1:10:17
	Hear their names as we lift them up to you	1:10:22
	in our hearts in this moment.	1:10:24
	Grant then, O Lord, your unfolding comforting light	1:10:29
	of mercy and love.	1:10:32
	Help us to be your acolytes and torchbearers to them,	1:10:35
	illuminating their lives	1:10:39
	with our concern and compassion and physical presence.	1:10:40
	We pray this morning, Father, for this nation of ours,	1:10:46
	that it be a carrier of light to the hungry	1:10:49
	and the oppressed of this world,	1:10:51
	that it bear the torch of peace and human rights	1:10:54
	to every land.	1:10:57
	We pray for this congregation,	1:11:00
	that it may be a radiant ray of active love	1:11:02
	in the lives of those in this community,	1:11:04
	that it may shine in acts of witness to Your presence	1:11:07
	to those who do not know You,	1:11:10
	and in acts of caring to those who will know no care	1:11:12
	but that which we give.	1:11:16
	Finally, we would pray for ourselves.	1:11:19
	Take the sparks in our hearts which have been lighted by You	1:11:23
	and make them fires which have no end,	1:11:26
	but which produce new fires	1:11:29
	in the lives of the people we go to school with	1:11:31
	and work with and live with.	1:11:34
	We ask these things in the name of your Son,	1:11:37
	who by His life brought us to the true and only light,	1:11:40
	and who taught us to pray saying,	1:11:44
	"Our Father, who art in heaven,	1:11:47
	"hallowed be Thy name.	1:11:50
	"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done	1:11:53
	"on earth, as it is in heaven.	1:11:56
	"Give us this day our daily bread	1:11:59
	"and forgive us our trespasses,	1:12:02
	"as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:12:04
	"And lead us not into temptation,	1:12:09
	"but deliver us from evil.	1:12:11
	"For Thine is the kingdom	1:12:14
	"and the power and the glory forever, amen."	1:12:15
	♪ Sanctus, sanctus ♪	1:12:40
	♪ Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth ♪	1:12:48
	♪ Pleni sunt caeli et terra ♪	1:12:55
	♪ Gloria tua ♪	1:13:01
	♪ Pleni sunt caeli et terra ♪	1:13:05
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:13
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:17
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:20
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:24
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:27
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:31
	♪ Hosanna, hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:35
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:42
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:45
	♪ Hosanna, hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:49
	♪ Hosanna in excelsis ♪	1:13:54
	♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪	1:14:16
	♪ Et in terra pax ♪	1:14:24
	♪ Homninibus bonae voluntatis ♪	1:14:27
	♪ Laudamus te ♪	1:14:34
	♪ Benedicimus te ♪	1:14:38
	♪ Adoramus te ♪	1:14:43
	♪ Glorificamus te ♪	1:14:45
	♪ Adoramus te ♪	1:14:50
	♪ Adoramus te ♪	1:14:52
	♪ Gratias agimus tibi ♪	1:14:55
	♪ Propter magnam gloriam tuam ♪	1:14:59
	♪ Domine Deus ♪	1:15:03
	♪ Rex caelestis ♪	1:15:06
	♪ Deus Pater omnipotens ♪	1:15:10
	♪ Domini Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe ♪	1:15:17
	♪ Domine Deus ♪	1:15:26
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:15:29
	♪ Domine Deus ♪	1:15:31
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:15:33
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:15:34
	♪ Domine Deus ♪	1:15:39
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:15:41
	♪ Domine Deus ♪	1:15:44
	♪ Miseree nobis ♪	1:15:46
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:15:48
	♪ Domine Deus ♪	1:15:51
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:15:54
	♪ Miserere nobis ♪	1:16:00
	♪ Quoniam tu solus Sanctus ♪	1:16:15
	♪ Quoniam tu solus Sanctus ♪	1:16:21
	♪ Quoniam tu solus Sanctus ♪	1:16:25
	♪ Tu solus Dominus ♪	1:16:29
	♪ To solus Dominus ♪	1:16:29
	♪ Tu solus Altimissi ♪	1:16:38
	♪ To solus Dominus ♪	1:16:41
	♪ Cum Sancto Spiritu ♪	1:16:46
	♪ In gloria Dei Patris ♪	1:16:48
	♪ Amen ♪	1:16:51
	(organ music)	1:17:01
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:20:54
	♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪	1:20:59
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:21:04
	♪ Praise Him above, ye heavenly host ♪	1:21:11
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ♪	1:21:16
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:21:22
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:21:24
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:21:27
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:21:32
	♪ Amen ♪	1:21:40
-	O God, most merciful and gracious,	1:21:51
	of whose bounty we have all received,	1:21:53
	accept this offering of your people.	1:21:56
	Remember in your love those who have brought it	1:21:59
	and those for whom it is given.	1:22:01
	And so, follow it with your blessing,	1:22:04
	that it may promote peace and goodwill	1:22:06
	among men and women,	1:22:08
	and advance the kingdom of our Lord and Savior,	1:22:10
	Jesus Christ, amen.	1:22:12
	(organ music)	1:22:19
	(choir and congregation singing)	1:22:46
-	Grant, O Lord, that the ears	1:25:32
	which have heard the voice of your songs	1:25:34
	may be closed to the voice of clamor and dispute,	1:25:36
	that the eyes which have seen your great love	1:25:40
	may also behold your blessed hope,	1:25:42
	that the tongues which have sung your praise	1:25:45
	may speak the truth	1:25:47
	and that the feet which have walked your courts this day	1:25:48
	may walk forever in the light.	1:25:52
	Glory be to you, for your unspeakable gift.	1:25:54
	The peace of God which passes all understanding	1:25:58
	keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God	1:26:01
	and of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord,	1:26:04
	and the blessing of God Almighty,	1:26:07
	the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit	1:26:09
	be with you and remain with you always, amen.	1:26:12
	♪ O holy Jesus ♪	1:26:29
	♪ Most merciful Redeemer ♪	1:26:37
	♪ Friend and Father ♪	1:26:44
	♪ May I know Thee more clearly ♪	1:26:49
	♪ Love Thee more dearly ♪	1:26:56
	♪ And follow Thee more nearly ♪	1:27:01
	♪ And follow Thee more nearly ♪	1:27:18
	♪ O holy Jesus ♪	1:27:28
	♪ O holy Jesus ♪	1:27:33
	♪ Most merciful Redeemer ♪	1:27:36
	♪ Friend and Father ♪	1:27:42
	♪ May I know Thee more clearly ♪	1:27:47
	♪ Love Thee more dearly ♪	1:27:54
	♪ Follow Thee more nearly ♪	1:27:58
	♪ And follow Thee more nearly ♪	1:28:15
	♪ Amen ♪	1:28:30
	(organ music)	1:28:49

Item Info

Title:

Robert T. Young - "Just a Simple Story" (December 21, 1980)

Description:

Sermon start time: 34:14. Sermon end time: 01:04:06.
In the days before Christmas, Robert T. Young summarizes the message of Jesus’ birth with 4 statements: God knows how to get through to us, God knows our situation, God knows how much we need His presence, and God loves. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “The real message of Christmas is simply to say that God loves. Without any limits, without any barriers, without any conditions, without any qualifications whatsoever…it’s just that simple. (1:00:33)

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4bg2hr76

Date:

December 21, 1980

Speaker:

Young, Robert T., 1935-2009

Liturgical Calendar:

Advent

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1127
ref7466_qbz
uachapelsermaud
duke:320268
dcrau002004
ark:/87924/r4bg2hr76
9b7ad6fd-976a-43f8-a73f-cfa005150756

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

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Provenance:

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

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

Educational Use Permitted

Rights Note:

This material is made available for educational and non-commercial use. This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the license indicated here. Copyright in this material has not been transferred to Duke University. For other 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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Robert T. Young - "Just a Simple Story" (December 21, 1980)

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1. Robert T. Young - "Just a Simple Story" (December 21, 1980)

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