Edzard Rohland - "God's Creation: Longing for Liberation" (October 8, 1989)

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	(soft organ music)	0:00
-	Good morning, and welcome to this service	2:12
	of worship here at Duke University Chapel	2:14
	as we celebrate the Lord's Supper.	2:17
	It is our pleasure today to welcome Dr. Edzard Rohland,	2:19
	pastor of the Cross Church in Bonn, West Germany	2:23
	as our guest preacher for this morning.	2:26
	Dr. Edzard Rohland is internationally acclaimed	2:29
	as an outstanding preacher and leader within the church.	2:31
	We are delighted that he can be with us from Bonn today.	2:34
	We also thank Dr. John B. Tate, Jr., class of 1954,	2:38
	and pastor of Oakland United Methodist Church	2:42
	in Chesapeake, Virginia for serving as our lector.	2:45
	I'd like to invite you to a second service	2:49
	of worship to be held at the Chapel today,	2:51
	this afternoon beginning at 1:30 p.m.	2:54
	We will celebrate an interfaith blessing of the animals,	2:56
	which was billed this week by the Chronicle	3:00
	as our first inter-species service to be held here.	3:02
	Please gather in the Divinity School parking lot	3:06
	to join in a procession with animals and their companions	3:09
	to the main quadrangle where the service will be held.	3:12
	Later this afternoon at 5 o'clock p.m.	3:16
	an organ recital will be presented	3:18
	by Dr. Delbert Disselhorst of the University of Iowa.	3:20
	There is no admission charge.	3:24
	Please note that in our celebration	3:26
	of the Eucharist today, thanks to our new hymnals,	3:28
	all are invited to join in the singing	3:31
	of the responses to the prayer of thanksgiving.	3:34
	This includes congregation and choir, and now let us	3:37
	continue our worship as we praise God together.	3:41
	(uplifting organ music)	3:51
	(crowd speaking faintly)	4:09
	(uplifting organ music)	4:11
	♪ I'll praise my Maker while I've breath ♪	4:26
	♪ And when my voice is lost in death ♪	4:31
	♪ Praise shall employ my nobler powers ♪	4:36
	♪ My days of praise shall ne'er be past ♪	4:43
	♪ While life, and thought, and voice shall last ♪	4:48
	♪ Or immortality endures ♪	4:54
	♪ Happy the man whose hopes rely ♪	5:03
	♪ On Israel, God who made the sky ♪	5:08
	♪ And earth, and seas, with all their trains ♪	5:14
	♪ Whose truth for ever stands secure ♪	5:20
	♪ Who saves the oppressed and feeds the poor ♪	5:26
	♪ And none shall find God's promise vain ♪	5:32
	♪ The Lord has eyes to give the blind ♪	5:41
	♪ The Lord supports the sinking mind ♪	5:46
	♪ And sends the laboring conscience peace ♪	5:52
	♪ God helps the stranger in distress ♪	5:59
	♪ The widow, and the fatherless ♪	6:05
	♪ And grants the prisoner sweet release ♪	6:11
	(powerful organ music)	6:18
	♪ I'll praise my God who lends me breath ♪	8:24
	♪ And when my voice is lost in death ♪	8:29
	♪ Praise shall employ my nobler powers ♪	8:35
	♪ My days of praise shall ne'er be past ♪	8:43
	♪ While life, and thought, and being last ♪	8:49
	♪ Or immortality endures ♪	8:55
-	When we gather to praise God,	9:10
	we recognize that we are a people who have preferred	9:12
	our own wills to the Lord's.	9:16
	As we accept God's power to become new persons in Christ,	9:19
	let us confess who we are before God and one another.	9:23
	Please be seated.	9:28
	Merciful God, we confess	9:39
All	That we have not loved you with our whole heart.	9:42
	We have failed to be an obedient church.	9:46
	We have not done Your will.	9:49
	We have broken Your law.	9:51
	We have rebelled against Your love.	9:54
	We have not loved our neighbors,	9:56
	and we have not heard the cry of the needy.	9:59
	Forgive us, we pray.	10:02
	Free us for joyful obedience through Jesus Christ our Lord.	10:05
	Amen.	10:10
-	If we confess our sins,	10:13
	God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins	10:15
	and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.	10:20
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	10:24
-	Let us pray together.	10:35
	Open our hearts and minds, oh God	10:38
	by the power of Your Holy Spirit,	10:41
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed	10:44
	we might hear with joy what You say to us this day.	10:47
	Amen.	10:52
	The first lesson is taken from the book of Genesis,	10:55
	the first chapter, the 26th through the 28th verses.	11:00
	Then God said, let us make man in our own image	11:08
	after our likeness and let them have dominion	11:15
	over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air	11:20
	and over the cattle and over all the earth	11:26
	and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.	11:30
	So God created man in His own image,	11:34
	in the image of God He created him.	11:39
	Male and female, created them.	11:42
	And God blessed them and God said to them,	11:48
	be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it	11:52
	and have dominion over the fish	11:57
	of the sea and over the birds of the air	11:59
	and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.	12:03
	Here ends the first lesson.	12:09
-	Please stand as we read the Psalm responsively.	12:18
All	I will sing of loyalty and of justice,	12:27
	to you, oh God, I will sing.	12:31
	I will give heed to the way that is blameless.	12:34
	Oh, when will you come to me?	12:37
	I will walk with integrity of heart within my house.	12:39
Congregation	I will not set before my eyes	12:45
	anything that is base.	12:47
	I hate the work of those who fall away.	12:49
	It shall not cling to me.	12:52
	Perverseness of heart shall be far from me,	12:55
	I will know nothing of evil.	12:58
All	The one who slanders a neighbor secretly,	13:01
	I will destroy.	13:04
	The one of haughty looks and arrogant heart,	13:05
	I will not endure.	13:08
	I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,	13:11
	that they may dwell with me.	13:13
	One who walks in the way that is blameless	13:16
	shall minister to me.	13:19
Congregation	No one who practices deceit will dwell	13:22
	in my house, no one who utters lies	13:24
	shall continue in my presence.	13:28
	Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked	13:31
	in the land, cutting off all evildoers from the city of God.	13:33
	(uplifting organ music)	13:41
	♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪	13:48
	♪ Praise to our Redeemer, Lord ♪	13:55
	♪ Glory be to our Sustainer ♪	14:02
	♪ Ever three and ever one ♪	14:09
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	14:17
	♪ Now and evermore shall be ♪	14:24
-	The second lesson this morning is taken	14:47
	from Paul's letter to the Romans.	14:50
	In the eighth chapter, beginning at the 18th verse	14:53
	and continuing through the 25th.	14:56
	I consider that the sufferings	15:01
	of this present time are not worth comparing	15:04
	with the glory that is to be revealed to us.	15:08
	For the creation waits with eager longing	15:13
	for the revealing of the sons of God,	15:16
	for the creation was subjected	15:19
	to futility, not of its own will,	15:21
	but of the will of Him who subjected it in hope	15:23
	because the creation itself will be set free	15:27
	from its bondage to decay and obtain	15:31
	the glorious liberty of the children of God.	15:34
	We know that the whole creation has been groaning	15:38
	in travail together until now,	15:40
	and not only the creation,	15:45
	but we ourselves who have the first fruits	15:47
	of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait	15:51
	for adoption as sons and daughters,	15:55
	the redemption of our bodies.	15:59
	For in this hope we were saved,	16:02
	not hope that is seen is not hope,	16:08
	but if we hope for what we do not see.	16:12
	We wait for it with patience, here ends the second lesson.	16:15
	♪ Kindle ♪	16:59
	♪ Kindle ♪	17:06
	♪ Kindle the gift of God ♪	17:15
	♪ Kindle ♪	17:23
	♪ Kindle ♪	17:31
	♪ Kindle the gift of God ♪	17:39
	♪ Which is in me ♪	17:53
	♪ Which is in me ♪	17:57
	♪ Which is in me ♪	18:05
	♪ Which is in me ♪	18:09
	♪ By the laying on ♪	18:14
	♪ By the laying on of my hands ♪	18:20
	♪ For thou did not give us a spirit of fear ♪	18:48
	♪ But of love ♪	18:55
	♪ For thou did not give us ♪	18:59
	♪ A spirit of fear ♪	19:03
	♪ But of love ♪	19:06
	♪ For thou did not give us a spirit ♪	19:10
	♪ Of fear but of love ♪	19:16
	♪ A spirit of love ♪
	♪ For thou did not ♪	19:22
	♪ For thou did not give us a spirit of fear ♪	19:33
	♪ But a spirit of love ♪	19:50
	♪ Of love ♪	20:05
	♪ Kindle ♪	20:41
	♪ Kindle the gift of God ♪	20:45
	♪ Which is in thee ♪	20:51
	♪ Which is in thee ♪	20:55
	♪ By the laying on of my hands ♪	21:01
-	The Gospel lesson is taken from the Gospel	21:45
	according to Saint Luke, the fourth chapter,	21:47
	the 14th through the 22nd verses.	21:54
	And Jesus returned with power of the Spirit	21:59
	unto Galilee and report concerning him went out	22:04
	through all the surrounding country,	22:08
	and he taught in their synagogues,	22:11
	being glorified by all.	22:13
	And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up	22:17
	and he went to the synagogue as was custom	22:22
	on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read,	22:25
	and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah,	22:29
	and he opened to the book and found the place	22:34
	where it was written, the spirit of the Lord is upon me	22:37
	because he has anointed me to preach the good news	22:43
	to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release	22:46
	to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,	22:50
	to set at liberty those who are oppressed,	22:56
	to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.	23:01
	And he closed the book and gave it back	23:08
	to the attendant and sat down,	23:10
	and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon him,	23:14
	and he began to say to them, today,	23:19
	this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,	23:22
	and all spoke well of him and wondered	23:28
	at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth,	23:31
	and they said, is not this Joseph's son?	23:36
	Here ends the Gospel reading, these have been the words	23:46
	of the Lord, thanks be to God.	23:50
-	The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ	24:08
	and the love of God and the communion	24:12
	of the Holy Spirit be with you all.	24:15
	Dear sisters and brothers in the Lord,	24:20
	I want to greet you in the name	24:25
	of the Church of the Cross in Bonn	24:28
	and of the community of Christians in Bonn.	24:31
	And it is a great honor for me	24:36
	to be with you this morning and to preach	24:39
	this sermon this morning, for I am not a church leader	24:43
	of the (speaking in foreign language) in Germany.	24:49
	I am just what we call a field, forest,	24:52
	and meadow preacher in one of the many German cities,	24:56
	and to preach to such a community	25:01
	means very much to me,	25:07
	especially in this year and in this time.	25:09
	When we came to celebrate,	25:14
	or not to celebrate but to commemorate,	25:17
	the beginning of the World War II,	25:21
	which has inflicted so much sufferings	25:23
	on so many nations	25:27
	by the action of our nation	25:31
	and I enjoy it as a sign of reconciliation	25:36
	that I'm allowed to preach here today.	25:41
	As you all have noticed,	25:47
	the lessons which we read were not the same	25:50
	as were announced in the bulletin.	25:54
	The reason why I chose those lessons	25:58
	and also the theme for today,	26:01
	today's sermon is that I wanted you to participate	26:04
	in the conciliar process for justice, peace,	26:10
	and integrity of the creation,	26:15
	which has been a major priority	26:19
	in our European churches	26:23
	and certainly is also in your churches preparing	26:25
	for the world convocation of the World Council of Churches	26:30
	in Seoul next year March.	26:34
	So let us begin.	26:42
	O Lord, open my lips that my mouth	26:46
	shall show forth	26:52
	Thy glory, amen.	26:54
	In today's lesson, taken from the Epistle to the Romans,	27:01
	which will be the basis of my sermon,	27:07
	there are two good news and one bad news.	27:11
	Let us start with the good news,	27:16
	with one of them at least, first,	27:19
	for the good news is already	27:23
	enclosed in the lesson from the Old Testament.	27:28
	Fill the earth and subdue it.	27:32
	This is the first commission given by God to humankind.	27:37
	Have dominion over the fish of the sea	27:43
	and over the birds of the air	27:46
	and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.	27:48
	What a magnificent commission,	27:54
	for it is a sign of the great confidence God has in us.	27:58
	God entrusts us and part of his dominion,	28:04
	and however marginal our little planet may be compared	28:10
	to the vastness of the universe.	28:15
	For us, it is still beyond control.	28:19
	Here, on this spaceship called earth,	28:23
	God has entitled us to rule in His name,	28:28
	to use our superiority over all living beings,	28:32
	but at the same time, what a responsibility	28:38
	on our side,	28:43
	on the side of you and me.	28:45
	Fill the earth and subdue it, as we all know,	28:49
	this commission cannot be separated from the other mandate,	28:53
	given to us in the second chapter of Genesis,	28:57
	the Lord God took the man and put him	29:02
	in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.	29:04
	Dominion, yes, but in order to till,	29:09
	to cultivate, to keep, and to protect,	29:13
	not in order to exploit and to destroy.	29:17
	So God looks at us as His trustees,	29:22
	to whom he has entrusted his earth,	29:27
	and dominion should never be tyranny or autocracy,	29:32
	and it is for this reason that only animals are subdued	29:39
	to man's domination, in the first chapter of Genesis,	29:44
	while we as human beings remain under God's dominion	29:48
	and are not allowed to dominate each other.	29:54
	We are God's trustees once more.	29:59
	What a confidence on God's side.	30:05
	But now there's the bad news.	30:11
	What has humankind made of this trusteeship?	30:14
	The earth trusted to us as a paradise was turned	30:19
	into hell for millions of people	30:23
	by innumerable wars fought for the sake	30:26
	of domination of man over man.	30:28
	Creation, entrusted to us for protection	30:31
	and cultivation was turned	30:34
	into an object of human exploitation.	30:37
	Thousands of specimens of plants	30:42
	and animals have been extirpated,	30:45
	wide areas of the earth formerly covered	30:48
	by woods were converted into deserts,	30:51
	and in our days, humankind does not even refrain	30:55
	from rooting out the rainforests of the Amazon's River,	31:00
	thus unbalancing the whole climate of our globe.	31:06
	No doubt many of those things have happened	31:12
	for thousand of years, but it is our generation	31:16
	which lifts up to the worst devastation ever seen,	31:21
	consuming within 50 years the fossil resources built	31:26
	up in 500 million years,	31:31
	threatening the ozone layer	31:36
	which God has made to protect His creation,	31:38
	also poisoning rivers, lakes,	31:44
	and even the ocean as well as the air.	31:48
	Do we need any further illustration for what	31:53
	the apostle Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Romans?	31:56
	The creation was subjected to futility,	32:00
	not of its own, but because of him who subjected it.	32:05
	Who is the one who subjected it, if not man?	32:12
	Man who wanted to be like God Himself,	32:17
	man who betrayed his trusteeship	32:20
	and became the tyrant of creation,	32:23
	and as we have seen, this has never been more obvious	32:27
	as today, the groaning, the crying	32:31
	of creation has never been louder than today	32:36
	when human ability to dominate nature seems	32:39
	to surpass all limits.	32:43
	Maybe we just have preferred to enjoy the duties	32:47
	of creation, looking at the trees becoming more	32:52
	and more colorful, listening to the birds under the sky,	32:56
	but even though they cannot cry	33:02
	or hear the chestnut trees next to my home	33:05
	in Bonn speak to me, their leaves were turned	33:08
	into brown already early in August because	33:12
	of air and water pollution,	33:16
	and the trunks of the dead trees	33:19
	in our famous Black Forest are crying	33:21
	their accusation against humankind as clearly	33:26
	as the thousands of dead otters and seals,	33:30
	fishes and sea birds of the soles	33:33
	of Alaska after the Exxon Valdez catastrophe.	33:35
	No, we cannot overlook, nor overhear Saint Paul's	33:41
	observation that the whole creation is groaning	33:45
	in travail together until now,	33:49
	together with humankind,	33:53
	for it is in humankind where people again	33:56
	and again try to dominate, to exploit,	33:59
	to enslave each other, as has been the same with creation.	34:03
	This too has been so for thousand of years	34:09
	and we are not even ashamed of it.	34:15
	Recalling my history classes	34:20
	up to the year of 1945,	34:23
	I remember being told to take pride	34:26
	in the wars we waged and the victories we had won.	34:29
	We learned the dates of the battles	34:34
	as the most important events in the history of humankind,	34:38
	and we were told that war is the father of all things.	34:42
	But also touring the United States,	34:49
	during the last three weeks I find reminders,	34:52
	monuments, of wars fought against the original population	34:56
	of this country's, of wars fought by Americans	35:00
	against Americans, of slavery inflicted	35:04
	by white on black people, by Christians upon Christians.	35:08
	But we need not look back into the past,	35:14
	for even though, by God's grace,	35:18
	we can celebrate 44 years with no military conflict	35:21
	in Europe there have been more than 160 wars	35:25
	since 1945 in other countries and continents,	35:30
	and millions of women and men,	35:35
	children and seniors fell victims,	35:37
	not only to those wars, but also to hunger and disease.	35:40
	They could have survived if the northern nations	35:45
	had supplied tractors instead of tanks,	35:48
	factories for fertilizers instead of those	35:51
	for poisonous gas, if we had sent experts	35:55
	for agriculture instead for training the military.	35:58
	The whole creation has been groaning	36:04
	in travail together with humankind until now.	36:06
	It was subjected to futility	36:11
	because of men who subjected it.	36:13
	This seems to be the fatal summary	36:16
	of our analysis of the situation	36:20
	of creation and humankind, the bad news.	36:22
	But there are good news again,	36:27
	for this is not the last word,	36:31
	it is no reason for resignation or despair	36:35
	for Saint Paul says, this has happened in hope.	36:41
	All these sufferings are as He sees it,	36:47
	the labor pains, the travails of a new world	36:50
	to come in which God's glory will be revealed,	36:53
	His creative power, His glorious love,	36:58
	which is the real motive and the agent hidden	37:02
	in all of His works, and leading to a life	37:06
	of wholeness and peace,	37:10
	of shalom,	37:12
	as the Hebrew Bible says it.	37:14
	So if we suffer with creation	37:18
	and have compassion with the groaning of creation,	37:23
	these sufferings will lead to the liberation	37:28
	of creation and to the birth of a new world	37:31
	like labor pains lead to the	37:36
	birth of a new being.	37:39
	There is hope that we, women and men,	37:43
	shall be revealed as daughters and sons of God,	37:47
	there is hope that together with the whole of creation,	37:51
	we shall be set free from the bondage to decay	37:56
	and may obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.	38:02
	To be set free from the bondage to decay,	38:08
	for Saint Paul, this primarily meant to be liberated	38:14
	from the destiny of death, to be set free	38:19
	to live eternal life in God's new world, in God's presence.	38:22
	No doubt for us, too, this is the ultimate goal of our life,	38:29
	to live in a world where there shall be	38:35
	no mourning nor crying nor pain anymore	38:37
	and where death shall be no more,	38:41
	as the revelation of John foresees it.	38:45
	We too are looking forward to this ultimate revelation	38:49
	of God's glory, but this ultimate hope	38:53
	also creates hope for this world, provisional hope,	38:58
	for bondage to decay is not only manifest	39:04
	in our destiny to die, it is also manifest	39:08
	in all those so-called necessities,	39:12
	which cause so much dying on this earth,	39:17
	economic necessities causing the consumption	39:22
	of more and more energy, producing more and more waste,	39:25
	trash, and rubbish, covering more and more	39:30
	of precious soil by contrite and macadam,	39:34
	threatening the ozone layer more and more,	39:37
	military necessities, pretending that we need more	39:41
	and more highly sophisticated technologies for killing,	39:44
	one new arm system after the other,	39:50
	but for those pretended necessities,	39:54
	for those bondage, too, it is true,	39:57
	there is hope that we shall be set free from them,	40:00
	that we shall dominate them	40:04
	by the glorious liberty of the children of God	40:07
	instead of being dominated by them.	40:10
	There is hope that by this liberation	40:13
	the creation will be set free for its original destiny,	40:16
	there is hope that we shall be no longer dominated	40:21
	and misled by advertising and public relation agencies	40:26
	to more and more consumption,	40:32
	there is hope that we shall discover the beauty	40:34
	of a simple lifestyle in harmony with nature,	40:38
	the wonderful, creative chances of crafting things	40:43
	by ourselves instead of buying them in shops,	40:47
	there is hope that we no longer shall be dominated	40:52
	by our anxiety not to get our fair share	40:55
	of happiness and by the pressure to keep	40:58
	up with the Joneses, but that we will take pride	41:01
	in needing and consuming less than the Joneses,	41:04
	there is hope that we shall be set free	41:10
	to dispense with things which destroy God's creation	41:12
	and waste it, like plastic rubbish,	41:18
	like spray and things alike,	41:21
	there is hope that we discover the beauty	41:25
	of God's creation itself again,	41:28
	and there's also hope that we shall be set free	41:32
	for reconciliation and confidence	41:36
	after long decades of confrontation between East and West,	41:38
	there's hope that no longer the old images	41:44
	of enemy shall dominate us,	41:47
	but that we shall be set free	41:50
	for our common task as industrial nations	41:53
	of the northern hemisphere in East and West	41:57
	to foster the well-being of our sisters and brothers	42:01
	of the southern hemisphere as well	42:05
	as the well-being of the whole creation,	42:08
	for if we are freed from our egoism,	42:13
	the whole creation will also be set free	42:17
	from destruction and exploitation imposed	42:20
	on it by us and thus the eager longing	42:23
	of creation for the revelation of the sons and daughters	42:28
	of God will be accomplished, at least provisionally,	42:31
	already in this world.	42:38
	Under our protection, creation again will display	42:41
	its glory and splendor,	42:44
	forgotten and nearly extirpated specimens	42:48
	of plants and animals can be restored and multiplied,	42:51
	as we see it now with the gray whales,	42:55
	which are coming back, and the desert can blossom in you.	42:59
	There's hope, you may ask?	43:05
	How can you justify such utopic images,	43:08
	how can you create illusions of such hopes	43:13
	you have just mentioned?	43:17
	What our eyes can see is just contrary to all hopes,	43:20
	but hope is nothing to be seen, says Paul.	43:26
	He says there is hope because we have the first fruits	43:30
	of the spirit with Jesus Christ	43:34
	and through Him a new spirit has come into the world,	43:37
	God's Holy Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,	43:40
	there is freedom.	43:45
	This spirit of Christ reconciles us to our heavenly Father.	43:47
	This spirit makes us live as His daughters	43:53
	and sons already now, as Jesus Himself has	43:55
	announced in His first sermon at Nazareth,	43:59
	to which we listened just now.	44:02
	It is this spirit which makes us sensitive	44:06
	for the groaning and suffering of creation,	44:09
	and makes us groan in solidarity with all creatures,	44:12
	plants, and animals, it makes of groan	44:16
	because of the many injustices of our world,	44:19
	and more so it makes us groan under the bondage	44:24
	of our selfishness and cowardice,	44:27
	which is contributing so much to the sufferings of creation.	44:30
	This spirit will help us to face and endure the sufferings,	44:36
	the conflicts, the problems of this world instead	44:40
	of running away into an illusionary intact world	44:43
	in the garden of our soul or even	44:48
	into the small garden behind our house.	44:51
	Forgetting about those who gathered yesterday	44:55
	in Washington for fair housing for all,	44:58
	for this means waiting and patience according to Saint Paul,	45:02
	steadfastly and firmly sticking	45:07
	to the great destiny to which God has called us,	45:10
	neither to evade from the conflicts and suffering,	45:14
	nor to resign in front of them,	45:18
	but to live in the power of hope,	45:20
	for this power already today makes us experience	45:23
	the glorious liberty of the children of God.	45:27
	It helps us to set signs of the coming new world	45:30
	in the midst of a decaying and passing world,	45:34
	and the reconciliation and mutual understanding,	45:37
	which we as Germans found here among American Christians,	45:41
	is one of the signs of the coming new world	45:46
	of peace and reconciliation for whole creation,	45:49
	and it has touched me especially just during these days,	45:53
	50 years after the beginning of the war.	45:58
	But also the blessing of the animals this afternoon	46:02
	may serve as such a sign and symbol	46:05
	of our compassion with creation,	46:08
	of our longing with them for a new creation,	46:10
	we are neither animals nor plants,	46:13
	neither women nor men will suffer any longer	46:16
	from domination, but are partners of God's new world.	46:19
	No doubt, trying to accomplish these tasks	46:24
	we shall encounter resistance, obstruction,	46:28
	even hatred on the side of those who are not willing	46:32
	to abandon their lifestyle at the expense of others,	46:35
	at the expense of creation,	46:38
	and we shall experience our own shortcomings and failures.	46:41
	It cannot be but that way if we are real followers	46:46
	of Jesus Christ, for he also had to undergo	46:50
	the cross before opening the way to life eternal,	46:54
	but all these sufferings are no longer worth comparing	46:58
	with the glory that is to be revealed to us, as Paul says.	47:02
	They are indeed the labor pains	47:07
	of the new life to which God has called us together	47:09
	with His whole creation because this is so,	47:13
	we can return full of hope from this service	47:17
	into this suffering stricken world	47:20
	to set already now signs of the glorious liberty	47:24
	of the children of God,	47:27
	which God will reveal to all creation	47:29
	at the consummation of His plans, amen.	47:32
-	The Lord be with you.	47:49
Congregation	And also with you.	47:51
-	Let us pray.	47:52
	Oh, eternal God who has created	47:58
	a world beautiful beyond any singing of it,	48:00
	open our eyes to behold Your gracious and loving hand	48:05
	in all Your work, empower us to rejoice	48:08
	in Your whole creation, that in celebrating Your goodness,	48:12
	we may learn to serve You with gladness	48:16
	and thanksgiving, Lord, in Your mercy,	48:19
All	Hear our prayer.	48:23
-	Almighty and most merciful God,	48:25
	You made the universe with its marvelous order	48:28
	and complexity to live in harmony with itself,	48:31
	teach us the lessons of interdependent living,	48:35
	that as we probe the mysteries of Your creation,	48:38
	we may understand more fully Your purpose	48:42
	for our lives here on earth, Lord, in Your mercy,	48:44
All	Here our prayer.	48:49
-	Gracious God, in giving us dominion over things on earth,	48:51
	you made us fellow creators in Your creation.	48:56
	Give us wisdom and reverence,	49:00
	so to use the resources of nature	49:02
	that no one may suffer from our abuse of them,	49:05
	and that generations yet to come may continue	49:09
	to pray You for Your bounty, Lord, in Your mercy,	49:11
All	Hear our prayer.	49:16
-	Grant, oh God, that Your holy	49:19
	and life-giving spirit may so move every human heart	49:21
	in every land that barriers which divide us may fall,	49:26
	suspicions vanish, and hatred cease,	49:30
	and that our division being healed,	49:34
	all may dwell in peace, Lord, in Your mercy,	49:36
All	Hear our prayer.	49:40
-	Everlasting God, we remember before You	49:42
	all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy	49:46
	for us to forget, the homeless and the destitute,	49:49
	the sick and the dying, refugees throughout the world,	49:54
	and all who have none to care for them.	49:58
	Help us to heal all those who are broken	50:02
	in body or spirit and to lighten their burdens	50:04
	by acts of mercy, Lord, in Your mercy,	50:07
All	Hear our prayer.	50:11
-	Oh God of love, as we face the merciless ambiguities	50:14
	and uncertainties in our lives,	50:19
	grant us the grace to know what You would have us to do.	50:21
	May Your spirit of wisdom save us	50:25
	from foolhardy choices and direct us in the way of truth,	50:27
	Lord, in Your mercy,	50:32
All	Hear our prayer.	50:34
-	These things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ,	50:36
	our liberator and our Lord, amen.	50:39
	Christ invites to His table all who love Him	50:46
	and who desire to live in peace with one another,	50:49
	therefore let us stand as we offer one another signs	50:53
	of reconciliation and love.	50:56
Audience Member	Peace I give to you.	51:02
Audience Member	Praise the Lord.	51:03
Audience Member	Peace I give to you.	51:04
Audience Member	It's good to see you.	51:05
Audience Member	Peace I give to you.	51:06
	(crowd faintly muttering)	51:07
Nancy	As forgiven and reconciled people,	51:24
	let us present with gladness the offerings	51:26
	of our life and labor to the Lord.	51:28
	(light organ music)	51:39
	♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪	52:46
	♪ And His peace ♪	52:57
	♪ His peace be to earth ♪	53:05
	♪ Lord God, heavenly king ♪	53:25
	♪ Almighty God and Father ♪	53:29
	♪ We worship You ♪	53:34
	♪ We give You thanks ♪	53:37
	♪ We worship You ♪	53:40
	♪ We praise You for Your glory ♪	53:47
	♪ We praise You for Your glory ♪	53:52
	♪ Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ ♪	54:00
	♪ Who is Son of the highest ♪	54:11
	♪ Son of the Father ♪	54:16
	♪ Lord God, the lamb of God ♪	54:22
	♪ The lamb of God ♪	54:27
	♪ To take away the sin of the world ♪	54:32
	♪ And took the sin of us ♪	54:38
	♪ You are seated on the right hand ♪	54:43
	♪ Of the Father ♪	54:48
	♪ Receive our prayer ♪	54:52
	♪ For You, the love of the holy One ♪	54:59
	♪ You alone are the Lord, ♪	55:06
	♪ You alone are the most high Jesus Christ ♪	55:09
	♪ With the Holy Spirit ♪	55:20
	♪ And the glory of God the Father ♪	55:27
	♪ Amen ♪	55:41
	(light organ music)	56:02
	♪ Praise God from Whom all blessings flow ♪	57:13
	♪ Praise God all creatures here below ♪	57:19
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	57:26
	♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly host ♪	57:34
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	57:39
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	57:46
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	57:52
-	The Lord be with you.	58:12
Congregation	And also with you.	58:14
-	Lift up your hearts.	58:16
Congregation	We lift them up to the Lord.	58:17
-	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.	58:19
Congregation	It is right to give our thanks and praise.	58:22
-	It is right, and a good and joyful thing,	58:25
	always and everywhere to give thanks to you,	58:28
	Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.	58:30
	You formed us in your image	58:34
	and breathed into us the breath of life.	58:36
	When we turned away, and our love failed,	58:39
	your love remained steadfast.	58:42
	You delivered us from captivity,	58:44
	made covenant to be our sovereign God,	58:46
	and spoke to us through your prophets.	58:48
	And so, with your people on earth	58:51
	and all the company of heaven	58:53
	we praise your name and join their unending hymn.	58:55
	(uplifting organ music)	58:59
	♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord ♪	59:08
	♪ God of power and might ♪	59:13
	♪ Heaven and earth are full of Your glory ♪	59:17
	♪ Hosanna in the highest ♪	59:22
	♪ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord ♪	59:27
	♪ Hosanna in the highest ♪	59:34
-	Holy are You and blessed is Your Son Jesus Christ,	59:46
	Your spirit anointed Him to preach good news to the poor,	59:50
	to proclaim release to the captives,	59:54
	and recovering of sight to the blind,	59:56
	to set at liberty those who are oppressed,	59:59
	and to announce that the time had come	1:00:02
	when You would save Your people.	1:00:03
	He healed the sick, fed the hungry,	1:00:06
	and ate with sinners, by the baptism of His suffering,	1:00:09
	death, and resurrection,	1:00:13
	You gave birth to Your church,	1:00:15
	delivered us from slavery to sin and death,	1:00:17
	and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.	1:00:20
	When the Lord Jesus ascended,	1:00:23
	He promised to be with us always,	1:00:25
	and the power of Your Word and Holy Spirit.	1:00:27
	On the night in which He gave Himself up for us,	1:00:30
	He took bread, gave thanks to You,	1:00:33
	broke the bread, gave it to His disciples,	1:00:35
	and said, take, eat, this is my body	1:00:38
	which is given for you, do this in remembrance of Me.	1:00:41
	When the supper was over, He took the cup,	1:00:46
	gave thanks to You, gave it to His disciples,	1:00:49
	and said, drink for this all of you,	1:00:51
	this is the blood of the new covenant poured out	1:00:55
	for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins,	1:00:57
	do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.	1:01:01
	And so in remembrance of these,	1:01:06
	Your might acts and Jesus Christ,	1:01:08
	we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving	1:01:10
	as a holy and living sacrifice	1:01:13
	in union with Christ offering for us,	1:01:15
	as we proclaim the mystery of faith.	1:01:18
	♪ Christ has come ♪	1:01:25
	♪ Christ is risen ♪	1:01:27
	♪ Christ will come again ♪	1:01:30
-	Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us gathered here	1:01:39
	and on these gifts of bread and wine,	1:01:41
	make them be for us the body and blood of Christ	1:01:44
	that we may be for the world the body	1:01:47
	of Christ redeemed by His blood.	1:01:50
	By Your Spirit, make us one with Christ,	1:01:52
	one with each other and one in ministry	1:01:55
	to all the world until Christ comes	1:01:57
	in final victory and we feast at His heavenly banquet.	1:02:00
	Through Your Son Jesus Christ,	1:02:04
	with the Holy Spirit and Your holy church,	1:02:06
	all honor and glory is Yours almighty Father,	1:02:09
	now and forever.	1:02:12
	♪ Amen, amen, amen ♪	1:02:16
-	And now with a confidence of children of God,	1:02:28
	let us pray together.	1:02:30
-	Our Father,	1:02:31
All	Who art in heaven,	1:02:32
	hallowed be thy Name.	1:02:34
	Thy Kingdom come.	1:02:36
	Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.	1:02:37
	Give us this day our daily bread.	1:02:41
	And forgive us our trespasses,	1:02:43
	as we forgive those that trespass against us.	1:02:46
	And lead us not into temptation,	1:02:49
	but deliver us from evil.	1:02:51
	For thine is the kingdom, the power,	1:02:53
	and the glory, for ever, amen.	1:02:55
Nancy	The gifts of God for the people of God.	1:03:08
	(uplifting organ music)	1:03:16
	(crowd muttering faintly)	1:03:31
	(uplifting organ music)	1:03:39
	♪ For the bread, which You have broken ♪	1:05:02
	♪ For the wine, which You have poured ♪	1:05:08
	♪ For the words, which You have spoken ♪	1:05:14
	♪ Now we give You thanks, oh, Lord ♪	1:05:19
	♪ By this promise that You love us ♪	1:05:29
	♪ By Your gift of peace restored ♪	1:05:34
	♪ By Your call to Heaven above us ♪	1:05:40
	♪ Hallow all our lives, oh, Lord ♪	1:05:46
	♪ With the saints who now adore You ♪	1:05:55
	♪ Seated at the heavenly board ♪	1:06:01
	♪ May the Church that's waiting for You ♪	1:06:07
	♪ Keep love's tie unbroken, Lord ♪	1:06:13
	♪ In Your service, Lord, defend us ♪	1:06:22
	♪ In our hearts keep watch and ward ♪	1:06:28
	♪ In the world where You have sent us ♪	1:06:34
	♪ Let Your kingdom come, oh, Lord ♪	1:06:39
	(uplifting organ music)	1:06:49
	♪ O Thou who this mysterious bread ♪	1:07:34
	♪ Didst in Emmaus break ♪	1:07:40
	♪ Return, herewith our souls to feed ♪	1:07:46
	♪ And to thy followers speak ♪	1:07:53
	♪ Unseal the volume of thy grace ♪	1:08:01
	♪ Apply the gospel word ♪	1:08:07
	♪ Open our eyes to see thy face ♪	1:08:14
	♪ Our hearts to know the Lord ♪	1:08:20
	♪ Of thee communing still, we mourn ♪	1:08:29
	♪ Till thou the veil remove ♪	1:08:35
	♪ Talk with us, and our hearts shall burn ♪	1:08:41
	♪ With flames of fervent love ♪	1:08:48
	♪ Enkindle now the heavenly zeal ♪	1:08:55
	♪ And make thy mercy known ♪	1:09:01
	♪ And give our pardoned souls to feel ♪	1:09:08
	♪ That God and love are one. ♪	1:09:15
	(uplifting organ music)	1:09:23
	(crowd muttering faintly)	1:09:32
	(uplifting organ music)	1:09:39
	♪ Draw us in the Spirit's tether ♪	1:12:44
	♪ For when humbly in Thy name ♪	1:12:52
	♪ Two or three are met together ♪	1:13:00
	♪ Thou art in the midst of them ♪	1:13:08
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:13:16
	♪ Touch we now Thy garment's hem ♪	1:13:24
	♪ As the brethren used to gather ♪	1:13:48
	♪ In the name of Christ to sup ♪	1:13:55
	♪ Then with thanks to God the Father ♪	1:14:03
	♪ Break the bread and bless the cup ♪	1:14:11
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:14:19
	♪ So knit Thou our friendship up ♪	1:14:28
	♪ All our meals and all our living ♪	1:14:51
	♪ Make as sacraments of Thee ♪	1:14:59
	♪ That by caring, helping, giving ♪	1:15:07
	♪ We may true disciples be ♪	1:15:15
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:15:24
	♪ We will serve Thee faithfully ♪	1:15:32
	♪ We will serve Thee faithfully ♪	1:15:42
	(uplifting organ music)	1:16:06
Nancy	Please stand.	1:19:30
	Go in peace to serve God and your neighbor	1:19:36
	in all that you do.	1:19:39
Congregation	We are sent in Christ's name.	1:19:41
Nancy	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ	1:19:43
	and the love of God and the communion	1:19:45
	of the Holy Spirit be with you all.	1:19:47
	♪ Amen, amen ♪	1:19:52
	(uplifting organ music)	1:20:07
	♪ Sing praise to God ♪	1:20:52
	♪ Who reigns above ♪	1:20:55
	♪ The God of all creation, ♪	1:20:58
	♪ The God of power, the God of love ♪	1:21:04
	♪ The God of our salvation ♪	1:21:10
	♪ With healing balm my soul is filled ♪	1:21:17
	♪ And every faithless murmur stilled ♪	1:21:23
	♪ To God all praise and glory ♪	1:21:29
	♪ The Lord is never far away ♪	1:21:38
	♪ But through all grief distressing ♪	1:21:45
	♪ An ever present help and stay ♪	1:21:52
	♪ Our peace and joy and blessing ♪	1:21:58
	♪ As with a mother's tender hand ♪	1:22:04
	♪ God gently leads the chosen band ♪	1:22:10
	♪ To God all praise and glory ♪	1:22:16
	♪ Thus all my toilsome way along ♪	1:22:25
	♪ I sing aloud thy praises ♪	1:22:32
	♪ That earth may hear the grateful song ♪	1:22:39
	♪ My voice unwearied raises ♪	1:22:45
	♪ Be joyful in the Lord, my heart ♪	1:22:52
	♪ Both soul and body bear your part ♪	1:22:58
	♪ To God all praise and glory ♪	1:23:04
	♪ Let all who name Christ's holy name ♪	1:23:14
	♪ Give God all praise and glory ♪	1:23:20
	♪ Let all who own his power proclaim ♪	1:23:26
	♪ Aloud the wondrous story ♪	1:23:33
	♪ Cast each false idol from its throne ♪	1:23:39
	♪ For Christ is Lord, and Christ alone ♪	1:23:45
	♪ To God all praise and glory ♪	1:23:51
	(uplifting organ music)	1:24:05
	(crowd muttering faintly)
	(peaceful organ music)	1:24:42

Item Info

Title:

Edzard Rohland - "God's Creation: Longing for Liberation" (October 8, 1989)

Description:

Though humans were commissioned by God in the Garden of Eden to subdue and cultivate the earth with care, we have abused that authority to exploit the earth and its creatures for our own profit. While this situation is dire, the words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 8 speak a word of hope that if we turn from our exploitation and compassionately groan alongside the suffering creation, these labor pains will lead to a liberating birth of a new creation. This is both a provisional and an eternal hope. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Sermon start time: (Part 1) 24:08. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 47:37.
Key quotation: “So if we suffer with creation and have compassion with the groaning of creation, these sufferings will lead to the liberation of creation and to the birth of a new world like labor pains lead to the birth of a new being.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4pr7n87b

Date:

October 8, 1989

Speaker:

Rohland, Edzard

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0151
ref8681_d8j
uachapelsermaud
duke:321645
dcrmv001147
ark:/87924/r4pr7n87b
63811148-df17-4c22-9996-75897d9edd55

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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