William H. Willimon - "Easter Fear" Easter Service (March 31, 1991)

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	(classical organ music)	0:00
-	Good morning.	3:00
	Had quite a night on our campus	3:01
	and now we are ready to worship.	3:03
	We welcome you to this Easter service.	3:06
	During the service, you will hear,	3:08
	as always, one of the great choirs in America,	3:11
	the Duke Chapel Choir.	3:14
	These singers have sung in seven different services	3:15
	this week and we are continually blessed by their gifts.	3:20
	We welcome them and our guest musicians	3:25
	and we welcome you.	3:28
	Easter music of the 20th Century will be highlighted	3:30
	by our choir, this morning,	3:33
	including an anthem by our own Dr David Arcus,	3:34
	our chapel organist, an anthem entitled, appropriately,	3:39
	The Strife is Over, the Victory is Won.	3:43
	This is the day the Lord has made,	3:49
	let us rejoice and be glad in it.	3:50
	(dramatic orchestral music)	3:55
	♪ This is the day ♪	3:56
	♪ Which the Lord ♪	4:04
	♪ Hath made ♪	4:10
	♪ This is the day ♪	4:18
	♪ Which the Lord ♪	4:25
	♪ Hath made ♪	4:31
	♪ We will rejoice ♪	4:39
	♪ And ♪	4:47
	♪ Be glad ♪	4:50
	♪ In it ♪	4:53
	(moves to Christ the Lord is Risen Today by Charles Wesley)	5:13
	♪ Christ the Lord is risen today ♪	5:57
	♪ Alleluia ♪	6:03
	♪ Earth and heaven in chorus say ♪	6:08
	♪ Alleluia ♪	6:13
	♪ Raise your joys and triumphs high ♪	6:18
	♪ Alleluia ♪	6:24
	♪ Sing ye heavens and earth reply ♪	6:29
	♪ Alleluia ♪	6:35
	♪ Lives again our glorious King ♪	6:42
	♪ Alleluia ♪	6:47
	♪ Where, O death, is now thy sting ♪	6:52
	♪ Alleluia ♪	6:58
	♪ Once he died our souls to save ♪	7:03
	♪ Alleluia ♪	7:09
	♪ Where's thy victory, boasting grave ♪	7:15
	♪ Alleluia ♪	7:20
	♪ Love's redeeming work is done ♪	7:27
	♪ Alleluia ♪	7:32
	♪ Fought the fight, the battle won ♪	7:38
	♪ Alleluia ♪	7:43
	♪ Death in vain forbids him rise ♪	7:48
	♪ Alleluia ♪	7:54
	♪ Christ has opened paradise ♪	7:59
	♪ Alleluia ♪	8:05
	♪ Soar we now where Christ has led ♪	8:12
	♪ Alleluia ♪	8:17
	♪ Following our exalted Head ♪	8:22
	♪ Alleluia ♪	8:27
	♪ Made like him, like him we rise ♪	8:33
	♪ Alleluia ♪	8:38
	♪ Ours the cross, the grave, the skies ♪	8:43
	♪ Alleluia ♪	8:48
	(moves to Thine is the Glory by Judas Maccabeus)	8:59
	♪ Thine is the glory ♪	9:07
	♪ Risen, conquering Son ♪	9:12
	♪ Endless is the victory ♪	9:17
	♪ Thou o'er death has won ♪	9:22
	♪ Angels in bright raiment ♪	9:27
	♪ Rolled the stone away ♪	9:32
	♪ Kept the folded grave-clothes ♪	9:37
	♪ Where thy body lay ♪	9:43
	♪ Thine is the glory ♪	9:48
	♪ Risen, conquering Son ♪	9:53
	♪ Endless is the victory ♪	9:58
	♪ Thou o'er death has won ♪	10:03
	♪ Lo, Jesus meets thee ♪	10:10
	♪ Risen from the tomb ♪	10:15
	♪ Lovingly He greets thee ♪	10:20
	♪ Scatters fear and gloom ♪	10:25
	♪ Let his church with gladness ♪	10:30
	♪ Hymns of triumph sing ♪	10:36
	♪ For our Lord now liveth ♪	10:40
	♪ Death hath lost its sting ♪	10:46
	♪ Thine is the glory ♪	10:51
	♪ Risen, conquering Son ♪	10:57
	♪ Endless is the victory ♪	11:02
	♪ Thou o'er death has won ♪	11:07
	♪ No more we doubt thee ♪	11:21
	♪ Glorious Prince of life ♪	11:26
	♪ Life is naught without thee ♪	11:31
	♪ Aid us in our strife ♪	11:37
	♪ Make us more than conquerors ♪	11:42
	♪ Through thy deathless love ♪	11:48
	♪ Bring us safe through Jordan ♪	11:53
	♪ To thy home above ♪	11:58
	♪ Thine is the glory ♪	12:04
	♪ Risen, conquering Son ♪	12:09
	♪ Endless is the victory ♪	12:14
	♪ Thou o'er death has won ♪	12:20
-	Please be seated.	12:42
	Let us pray.	12:52
All	Oh living God, bring us forth from life to death	12:54
	so that as the scriptures are read	12:59
	and Word is proclaimed,	13:02
	we might be brought to a sure and living faith	13:04
	in your lordship.	13:07
	Amen.	13:09
-	This reading is taken from the book of Isaiah.	13:12
	On this mountain the Lord of Hosts will make	13:17
	for all peoples a feast of rich food,	13:19
	a feast of well-aged wines,	13:22
	of rich food filled with marrow,	13:25
	of well-aged wines strained clear,	13:28
	and He will destroy on this mountain the shroud	13:31
	that is cast over all peoples,	13:33
	the sheet that is spread over all nations.	13:35
	He will swallow up death forever.	13:39
	Then, the Lord God will wipe away the tears	13:42
	from all faces	13:44
	and the disgrace of his people He will take away	13:46
	from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.	13:48
	It will be said on that day,	13:52
	"Lo, this is our God."	13:54
	We have waited for Him	13:56
	so that he might save us.	13:58
	This is the Lord for whom we have waited.	14:00
	Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.	14:03
	This is the Word of the Lord.	14:09
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	14:11
-	You may be seated.	14:14
-	Please stand as we join in singing the psalm,	14:18
	responsively.	14:21
	♪ The Lord is my strength and my power ♪	14:29
	♪ The Lord has become my salvation ♪	14:34
	♪ There are joyous songs of victory ♪	14:38
	♪ In the tents of the righteous ♪	14:42
	♪ The right hand of the Lord does valiantly ♪	14:46
	♪ The right hand of the Lord is exalted ♪	14:51
	♪ The right hand of the Lord does valiantly ♪	14:55
	♪ I shall not die but I shall live ♪	15:01
	♪ And recount the deeds of the Lord ♪	15:05
	♪ The Lord has chastened me sorely ♪	15:10
	♪ But has not given me o'er to death ♪	15:14
	♪ Open to me the gates of righteousness ♪	15:20
	♪ That I may enter through them ♪	15:24
	♪ And give thanks to the Lord ♪	15:26
	♪ This is the gate of the Lord ♪	15:30
	♪ The righteous shall enter through it ♪	15:34
	♪ I thank you that you have answered me ♪	15:39
	♪ And have become my salvation ♪	15:44
	♪ The stone which the builders rejected ♪	15:48
	♪ Has become the cornerstone ♪	15:53
	♪ This is the Lord's doing ♪	15:57
	♪ It is marvelous in our eyes ♪	16:00
	♪ This is the day which the Lord has made ♪	16:05
	♪ Let us rejoice and be glad in it ♪	16:09
	(sacred organ music)	16:17
	♪ Glory be ♪	16:25
	♪ To our creator ♪	16:29
	♪ Praise to ♪	16:33
	♪ Our redeemer Lord ♪	16:35
	♪ Glory be to ♪	16:40
	♪ Grant us favor ♪	16:44
	♪ Ever free ♪	16:48
	♪ And ever more ♪	16:51
	♪ As it was ♪	16:55
	♪ In the beginning ♪	16:59
	♪ Now and ever ♪	17:03
	♪ More shall be ♪	17:06
	(rhythmic Christian music)	17:32
	(Song of Triumph by Dr David Arcus)	17:38
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	17:50
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	17:53
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	17:56
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	17:59
	♪ The strife is over ♪	18:07
	♪ The battle done ♪	18:13
	♪ The victory ♪	18:19
	♪ Of life is won ♪	18:23
	♪ The song of triumph ♪	18:30
	♪ Has begun ♪	18:36
	♪ Alleluia ♪	18:42
	♪ Alleluia ♪	18:44
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	18:47
	♪ The powers of death have done their worst ♪	18:56
	♪ But Christ their legions hath dispersed ♪	19:02
	♪ Let shouts of holy joy outburst ♪	19:07
	♪ Alleluia ♪	19:13
	♪ Alleluia alleluia alleluia ♪	19:24
	♪ Alleluia alleluia alleluia ♪	19:28
	♪ The three sad days ♪	19:32
	♪ Have quickly sped ♪	19:37
	♪ Christ rises glorious ♪	19:45
	♪ From the dead ♪	19:52
	♪ All glory to ♪	19:59
	♪ Our risen Head ♪	20:05
	♪ Alleluia alleluia alleluia ♪	20:13
	♪ Alleluia alleluia alleluia ♪	20:20
	♪ Alleluia ♪	20:26
	♪ Lord ♪	20:29
	♪ By the stripes ♪	20:38
	♪ Which ♪	20:44
	♪ Wounded ♪	20:47
	♪ Thee ♪	20:51
	♪ From death's dread sting ♪	20:58
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:08
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:10
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:11
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:12
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:13
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:14
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:16
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:18
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:19
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:21
	♪ Thy servants free ♪	21:23
	♪ That we may live ♪	21:31
	♪ And sing to thee ♪	21:36
	♪ That we may live ♪	21:43
	♪ And sing to thee ♪	21:48
	♪ Alleluia ♪	21:55
	♪ Alleluia ♪	21:57
	♪ Alleluia alleluia alleluia ♪	22:00
	♪ Alleluia alleluia alleluia ♪	22:06
	♪ Amen ♪	22:20
-	Hear the gospel for this Easter.	23:04
	When the Sabbath was passed,	23:08
	Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James,	23:09
	and Salome brought spices so that they might go	23:11
	and anoint him.	23:15
	And very early on the first day of the week	23:17
	they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.	23:19
	And they were saying to one another,	23:22
	"Who will roll away the stone for us	23:25
	"from the door of the tomb?"	23:27
	And looking up, they saw the stone was rolled back.	23:29
	It was very large.	23:33
	Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting	23:35
	on the right side dressed in a white robe,	23:38
	and they were amazed.	23:41
	And he said to them, "Do not be amazed.	23:44
	"You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.	23:48
	"He is risen.	23:51
	"He is not here.	23:52
	"See, the place where they laid him.	23:54
	"Go, tell his disciples and Peter	23:58
	"that he is going before you into Galilee,	24:02
	"there you will see him as he told you."	24:05
	And they went out, they fled the tomb,	24:10
	trembling and astonishment came upon them.	24:14
	They said nothing to anyone	24:17
	because they were afraid.	24:20
	This is the Word of the Lord.	24:25
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	24:27
-	At the end of this service last Easter,	24:31
	as crowds surged forth,	24:33
	after the glorious music,	24:36
	people came out shaking my hand	24:39
	telling me how beautiful everything was.	24:42
	But there was this young man, surely a student,	24:46
	who filed out and	24:52
	all he could say was,	24:56
	"I just don't know.	24:59
	"I don't know."	25:03
	As we all danced forth into the warm glow of Easter Sunday,	25:06
	our faith having been reconfirmed	25:10
	by the Alleluias and the Hosannas,	25:13
	as I remember he was only able to stumble.	25:18
	To our, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Alleluia!,"	25:22
	he was only able to say,	25:26
	"I just don't know.	25:31
	"I don't know."	25:33
	As I recall, that young man's name was Mark.	25:37
	Now, I know that you have come to this Easter	25:44
	from many different locations.	25:46
	I know that there's some of you	25:48
	who are here because you're always here,	25:50
	you're here out of habit.	25:51
	Others of you have come because someone invited you.	25:54
	Still others of you were out celebrating last night,	25:58
	you heard the bells ringing, it was 6:30.	26:03
	Someone said, "Hey, there's a party over at the Chapel."	26:05
	You came on.	26:07
	(laughter)
	I'm not concerned with any of that, though.	26:12
	I'm not concerned with how you got here,	26:13
	but I'm concerned with how you're going to leave here.	26:16
	Because if you'll notice,	26:20
	there's lots of doors out of this chapel,	26:21
	and there's lots of paths away	26:23
	from the empty tomb.	26:29
	Well Mark is clear that the only people	26:34
	who got to the empty tomb, that first Easter morning,	26:38
	was the women.	26:40
	The disciples were back behind locked doors.	26:42
	It was the women who were the ones who ventured out	26:46
	down dark, deserted Jerusalem streets,	26:48
	now quiet after a weekend orgy of violence	26:51
	and crucifixion.	26:55
	The disciples said to the women,	26:57
	"Now, you go on out to the cemetery	26:58
	"and take these flowers for the grave of Jesus.	27:01
	"We're sure you'll be all right."	27:03
	But even these courageous women	27:08
	were disciples now of a dead master.	27:11
	Jesus was dead.	27:16
	"Well, we couldn't see all that well	27:21
	"from where we were standing at the crucifixion,"	27:23
	said the disciples, "but, yes, yes, from what we could see,	27:25
	"he was dead."	27:28
	So this dark, forlorn morning,	27:32
	the women went out to the cemetery	27:37
	to perform one final act of devotion	27:39
	to dress the now decaying body of Jesus	27:42
	with sweet-smelling spice.	27:45
	And when they got to the cemetery,	27:49
	the stone, the great stone, had been rolled away.	27:53
	There was a young man there in the tomb.	28:00
	Luke says there was two figures there.	28:03
	Matthew says they were met by an angel,	28:07
	but Mark says, "No, there was a young man	28:10
	"dressed in a white robe."	28:11
	And he was the one who gave the women the news,	28:14
	"You seek Jesus?	28:16
	"He's risen.	28:20
	"He's not here.	28:23
	"Go, tell his disciples,	28:25
	"he has gone on before you,"	28:29
	and they fled in fear.	28:33
	Matthew says that the women ran back to town in great joy	28:38
	and they told everything to the disciples.	28:41
	But Mark, I wonder if Mark tells it a bit more truthfully.	28:45
	Mark, the earliest of the gospels,	28:49
	says, they went out,	28:55
	fled the tomb,	28:59
	trembling and astonishment had come upon them.	29:01
	They said nothing to anybody.	29:04
	They were afraid.	29:05
	And then, the Gospel of Mark just ends.	29:09
	It ends right there, abruptly.	29:13
	In fact, in the Greek, it's more abrupt	29:16
	than it is in the English.	29:17
	In the Greek, that last sentence, they were afraid,	29:18
	ends with a little Greek conjunction, gar.	29:22
	Gar, it means "because" or "that".	29:25
	And they were afraid that...	29:30
	They were afraid because...	29:31
	What a letdown.	29:36
	What a way to end such a dramatic story.	29:38
	It makes us ask, "Where did those women go?	29:43
	"Did they ever get up the nerve to tell?	29:48
	"What did they do on Monday?"	29:53
	No wonder that by the 2nd Century helpful preachers	29:56
	added 12 more verses to the ending of Mark's gospel.	30:00
	"We can't have a gospel ending like that," they said.	30:04
	They added 12 more verses.	30:06
	In your Bible, you may have 12 more verses,	30:07
	but scholars agree, "No, the Gospel of Mark originally	30:11
	"ended there."	30:14
	"They were afraid, gar."	30:15
	They were afraid, that,	30:17
	like ending a sentence with a preposition.	30:18
	They went out, they fled the tomb.	30:23
	They were afraid	30:24
	that...	30:26
	Mark tells of no other appearances of the risen Christ.	30:29
	There's no suppers at Emmaus like in Luke.	30:35
	There's no breakfast at the beach as	30:38
	in the Gospel of John.	30:39
	There's just this abrupt, stunned, awkward,	30:42
	stupefied silence,	30:45
	this fearful ending.	30:48
	Mark says they didn't know what to say, words failed.	30:49
	They were scared.	30:53
	Now, how would you write an Easter hymn	30:58
	on the basis of Mark's Easter?	30:59
	Couldn't put these words over the gateway to a cemetery.	31:03
	Couldn't engrave them on a tombstone.	31:07
	And yet, I'm betting that they do touch a cord.	31:11
	I'm betting that these words	31:14
	do say	31:17
	how many of you may feel about Easter.	31:21
	Matthew, Luke, John,	31:30
	they've got these more elaborated endings, not Mark.	31:32
	So if you want the resurrection explained to you,	31:36
	if you want Easter done up in technicolor,	31:40
	or argued scientifically,	31:44
	or evoked poetically with talk	31:45
	about the return of the robin in the spring,	31:47
	the crocus, the butterfly emerging from the cocoon.	31:49
	Forget it.	31:52
	Mark's got none of that.	31:53
	These three women have only to tell,	31:56
	if you can ever get them to tell it,	31:58
	fear, trembling, silence.	32:02
	They had come out to the tomb that day to show some respect	32:09
	for poor, dead Jesus,	32:13
	to put a few cosmetic touches	32:18
	on a now decaying body.	32:21
	Let's all go out to the cemetery	32:26
	and let's pay our respects to poor, dead Jesus.	32:28
	Let's give him a decent burial, it's the least we can do.	32:32
	We had enough trouble following him closely	32:37
	when he was alive.	32:39
	But now, he's dead, it's the least we can do.	32:40
	It's a bit easier to follow Jesus when he's dead, isn't it?	32:47
	Because when he's dead,	32:54
	you can count on him being in one place.	32:57
	If you've read any of Mark's Gospel,	33:01
	you know that he does his gospel with this frenetic pace,	33:02
	this breathless, peripatetic Jesus,	33:06
	going from place to place.	33:09
	And then he went there, and then he went immediately,	33:10
	he said this, and then immediately they went on,	33:11
	and then they went there, and then they went here.	33:14
	With the Jesus of Mark's Gospel,	33:17
	they're always on the move.	33:19
	There's no time to catch your breath	33:20
	and sit back and reflect and ponder	33:22
	and think about it, the way academic people like	33:24
	to handle everything.	33:25
	No, you just had to keep going	33:26
	because you were going from this place to that place	33:28
	and you had all you could do just to keep up.	33:30
	But with him dead,	33:34
	out at the cemetery, well...	33:37
	When you think about it, the Romans sort of did us a favor.	33:41
	We disciples who could never quite keep up with Jesus,	33:47
	never quite could figure him out	33:50
	or know exactly what he was up to.	33:52
	Now we know where he is.	33:57
	He's out at the cemetery, he's in a tomb.	33:59
	He's sealed shut behind this great, big stone.	34:01
	Let's all go out to the cemetery.	34:05
	Now, let's all go down to the church,	34:07
	let's go out to pay our last respects	34:09
	because that's the way we like to deal with life.	34:14
	We like things nailed down, so to speak.	34:20
	Oh life, this life, may not be all that great sometimes,	34:26
	but it's the only life we know	34:30
	and at least	34:34
	we know it.	34:38
	So we are born.	34:40
	We go to school.	34:42
	We get a job.	34:44
	We get married.	34:45
	We grow old, we die.	34:47
	Oh, and there may be moments, fleeting moments,	34:49
	when we may hope for more,	34:52
	something beyond the known and the empirically assured.	34:56
	But we take comfort in knowing	35:03
	at least we know what to expect.	35:04
	At least we've got a certain grasp upon what is	35:08
	and that consoles us from any anxiety we may feel	35:12
	from time to time about what might be.	35:17
	It all ends at the cemetery, every story ends there.	35:21
	And though the cemetery may not be much	35:26
	of a destination for life,	35:29
	at least there is some comfort in knowing where it all ends.	35:33
	And so, we can be as cynical or nihilistic	35:40
	or violent or whatever as we want,	35:43
	because that's where it ends.	35:46
	Let's all go out to the cemetery.	35:52
	Pay our last respects.	35:56
	And entering the tomb, they saw a young man.	36:00
	"You seek Jesus?	36:06
	"He isn't here.	36:10
	"He's risen.	36:12
	"He's already out in Galilee.	36:14
	"Go, tell.	36:17
	"He has gone on before you."	36:20
	But they couldn't obey the directives	36:28
	of the young man to go tell	36:29
	because they were scared,	36:31
	because, once again, Jesus had given them the slip.	36:37
	They'd come out to the cemetery	36:41
	to give Jesus a decent burial,	36:42
	but Jesus would not stay nailed shut,	36:45
	relegated to some sweet memory.	36:48
	As always, he had gone on before them,	36:52
	on, out ahead of them, out into the future,	36:55
	into life, out of death,	36:58
	and it scared us half out of our wits.	37:01
	Have we come here this morning the same way	37:07
	that the women went to the tomb?	37:10
	Have we come here to pay our yearly respects to Jesus?	37:14
	Jesus, a memory, lived a long time ago,	37:20
	said some wonderful things, did some wonderful things,	37:23
	Jesus who is no more.	37:24
	Have we come to nail down our faith?	37:28
	Resurrection, yeah, right.	37:33
	Got that, let's stand the hymn,	37:34
	let's stand, sing the hymn, go home, right.	37:36
	But, that's not the way the risen Christ does business.	37:40
	What he offers us is not certainty	37:45
	but more often wonder, awe, stupefied amazement.	37:48
	So Mark never got around to putting the finishing touches	37:55
	on his gospel,	37:58
	because the point of his empty tomb story	38:02
	is the story isn't finished.	38:04
	Like the women at the tomb,	38:08
	we hear something, we see something,	38:10
	but nothing is explained,	38:12
	and that means that you and I have got to decide.	38:16
	He's going on before us.	38:21
	He's not in a tomb.	38:23
	He's out in Galilee.	38:24
	If we've come to this place wanting proof,	38:27
	proof, we get no proof.	38:30
	Proof, reassuring proof, can be so deadly.	38:32
	What we get is life,	38:38
	and the Lord of Life out ahead of us.	38:43
	And when you think about it,	38:50
	those well-meaning 2nd Century preachers	38:51
	who added a few verses to the end of Mark's gospel	38:53
	weren't all that misguided,	38:58
	because when you think about it,	38:59
	that's what each of us has to do with this story.	39:00
	We've got to finish this story ourselves,	39:05
	in our own lives.	39:09
	We have been told that he is not here,	39:12
	that he will not stay nailed shut, sealed,	39:16
	all tied up and secure here in church.	39:22
	There's nothing left of him but a conjunction,	39:28
	an awkward, unfinished sentence.	39:31
	You have to fill in the blanks,	39:33
	because he will not be held by death.	39:37
	So if we're gonna follow him,	39:41
	we're gonna have to follow him out beyond places	39:42
	of deadly certainty.	39:44
	It's gonna have to be following him forward,	39:47
	into the future, out into whatever Galilee you've got	39:50
	to go to on Monday,	39:54
	that's where he is.	39:58
	That's where he'll meet you,	40:00
	and that good news is more than a little scary.	40:03
	No wonder Mark's story	40:10
	of Easter ends with fear.	40:13
	They were afraid that...	40:17
	What are you supposed to do with such a story?	40:24
	That's your problem.	40:28
	Because, after all, you're the one	40:30
	that's come here looking for Jesus,	40:33
	but he isn't here.	40:35
	You just missed him.	40:37
	By this time in the morning,	40:40
	he's already in Galilee.	40:43
	He's gone before you.	40:46
	Go.	40:49
	Tell.	40:51
	(Easter People, Raise Your Voices by William M James)	40:52
	♪ Easter people, raise your voices ♪	41:23
	♪ Sounds of heaven in earth shall ring ♪	41:28
	♪ Christ has brought us heaven's choices ♪	41:33
	♪ Heavenly music let it ring ♪	41:38
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	41:43
	♪ Easter people, let us sing ♪	41:48
	♪ Fear of death can no more stop us ♪	41:55
	♪ From our pressing here below ♪	41:59
	♪ For our Lord empowered us ♪	42:05
	♪ To triumph over every foe ♪	42:09
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	42:15
	♪ On to victory now we go ♪	42:20
	♪ Every day to us is Easter ♪	42:28
	♪ With its resurrection song ♪	42:32
	♪ When in trouble move the faster ♪	42:37
	♪ To our God who rights the wrong ♪	42:43
	♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪	42:48
	♪ See the power of heavenly throngs ♪	42:53
-	Please be seated.	43:02
	The Lord be with you.	43:11
Congregation	And also with you.	43:12
	♪ In peace, let us pray to the Lord ♪	43:15
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	43:19
-	God of birth, God of joy,	43:25
	God of life.	43:28
	Having heard your saving Word read and proclaimed,	43:30
	we implore you to call us by name	43:33
	as Jesus spoke to Mary in the garden.	43:36
	May the power of this day move us	43:40
	to a deeper relationship with you, O God,	43:41
	enabling us to rise above our deepest fears.	43:45
	Roll away the stones that imprison our hearts and minds	43:49
	so we may know the healing touch of the risen Christ.	43:52
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	43:57
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	43:59
	Enlivened by the truth which the empty tomb has laid bare,	44:05
	we lift our prayers unto thee,	44:09
	fervently praying that the promise of new life may be made	44:11
	manifest throughout the world.	44:15
	Let us pray for all who are alone, forsaken,	44:18
	or stricken with grief.	44:21
	Like Mary Magdalene, may they be restored in their weariness	44:24
	and comforted in their sorrow	44:27
	through an unexpected encounter with thee.	44:30
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	44:33
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	44:36
	For the hungry, the homeless, the sick,	44:41
	and the dying, like the disciples in their time of need,	44:45
	may they be empowered to find hope in the midst of despair.	44:49
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	44:54
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	44:57
	For those who are victims of poverty, oppression,	45:02
	violence, or prejudice,	45:06
	even as Christ was unjustly accused	45:08
	may they find the strength to persevere	45:11
	in the face of injustice.	45:13
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	45:16
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	45:19
	For those who are attentive to the needs of others,	45:24
	yet go unnoticed by the world around them,	45:27
	like the women at the tomb,	45:30
	may they be rewarded for their unassuming acts of love.	45:32
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	45:36
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	45:39
	For those who seek to know thee,	45:45
	yet question the faith,	45:47
	like Thomas who sought proof of thy resurrection,	45:49
	may they be sustained by their times of doubting	45:53
	and may they receive reassuring signs	45:56
	of thy presence in their lives.	45:58
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	46:01
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	46:03
	For all who hunger and thirst for deeper faith,	46:09
	for clearer discernment,	46:12
	for more abiding love,	46:14
	as the disciples recognized thee in the breaking of bread,	46:16
	may we recognize thy face in the faces	46:20
	of all our sisters and brothers	46:23
	and be drawn closer unto thee in true community,	46:25
	one with another.	46:28
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	46:30
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	46:33
	For all who live surrounded by political turmoil,	46:39
	as you showed us the way to strength through weakness,	46:42
	may all humanity make service to God	46:46
	and to others our common goal	46:49
	rather than domination and greed.	46:51
	♪ Let us pray to the Lord ♪	46:54
	♪ Lord have mercy ♪	46:56
	Oh thou who didst rise again,	47:02
	arise and live within each of us now	47:05
	that we may become thy body,	47:08
	that we may be thy feet to walk into the world's pain,	47:10
	that we may be thy hands to heal,	47:14
	thy heart to break, if need be, for love of the world.	47:17
	Thou risen Christ, make Christ of us all.	47:21
	Amen.	47:26
	As a resurrected people, let us offer our gifts	47:29
	and ourselves unto God.	47:32
	(dramatic orchestral music)	47:53
	♪ This is the day ♪	47:54
	♪ Which the Lord ♪	48:01
	♪ Hath made ♪	48:07
	♪ This is the day ♪	48:16
	♪ Which the Lord ♪	48:23
	♪ Hath made ♪	48:28
	♪ We will rejoice ♪	48:37
	♪ And ♪	48:44
	♪ Be glad ♪	48:47
	♪ In it ♪	48:50
	♪ The Lord descended on high ♪	49:10
	♪ The Lord descended on high ♪	49:14
	(muffled singing)	49:18
	♪ Sing unto God ye kingdoms of the earth ♪	49:22
	♪ Sing unto God ye kingdoms of the earth ♪	49:27
	♪ Oh, sing praises unto the Lord ♪	49:32
	♪ Oh, sing praises unto the Lord ♪	49:37
	(muffled singing)	49:42
	♪ Lo, Jesus send out his love ♪	50:12
	♪ That mighty voice ♪	50:16
	(muffled singing)	50:19
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	50:39
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	50:42
	♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪	50:45
	♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪	50:48
	♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪	50:51
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	50:59
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	51:08
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	51:16
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	51:20
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	51:27
	(classical organ music)	51:44
	(moves to sacred organ music)	54:57
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	55:19
	♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪	55:25
	♪ Alleluia ♪	55:31
	♪ Alleluia ♪	55:34
	♪ Praise Him above ye heavenly host ♪	55:39
	♪ Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost ♪	55:45
	♪ Alleluia ♪	55:51
	♪ Alleluia ♪	55:54
	♪ Alleluia ♪	55:57
	♪ Alleluia ♪	56:00
	♪ Alleluia ♪	56:04
-	Oh ever-living God in whom there is no partiality,	56:18
	we rejoice in the good news of Easter	56:23
	that light has triumphed over darkness.	56:26
	There is healing salvation for all the people of the earth.	56:29
	We have received a promise of peace the world cannot give.	56:33
	We thank you, O God, for your unexplained mysteries	56:37
	and unexpected revelations	56:40
	as we celebrate your everlasting goodness	56:42
	singing, "Alleluia, alleluia,	56:45
	"Christ the Lord is risen indeed."	56:47
	This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ	56:50
	who taught us to pray with confidence.	56:52
All	Our Father, who art in heaven,	56:55
	hallowed be thy name.	56:58
	They kingdom come, thy will be done,	57:00
	on earth as it is in heaven.	57:03
	Give us this day our daily bread	57:06
	and forgive us our trespasses	57:08
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	57:10
	And lead us not into temptation,	57:14
	but deliver us from evil,	57:16
	for thine is the kingdom, and the power,	57:18
	and the glory forever, amen.	57:20
-	May the God of peace who raised to life	57:26
	the great Shepard of the sheep	57:28
	make us ready to do his will in every good thing	57:30
	through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever.	57:34
	♪ Amen ♪	57:41
	(All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name by Miles Lane)	58:04
	♪ All hail the power of Jesus' name ♪	58:38
	♪ Let angels prostrate fall ♪	58:43
	♪ Bring forth the royal diadem ♪	58:48
	♪ And crown him ♪	58:53
	♪ Crown him, ♪	58:57
	♪ Crown him ♪	59:00
	♪ Crown him ♪	59:04
	♪ Lord of all ♪	59:07
	♪ Ye chosen seed of Israel's race ♪	59:13
	♪ Ye ransomed from the fall ♪	59:18
	♪ Hail him who saves you by his grace ♪	59:23
	♪ And crown him ♪	59:29
	♪ Crown him ♪	59:32
	♪ Crown him ♪	59:35
	♪ Crown him ♪	59:40
	♪ Lord of all ♪	59:42
	♪ Sinners whose love can ne'er forget ♪	59:49
	♪ The wormwood and the gall ♪	59:54
	♪ Go spread your trophies at his feet ♪	1:00:00
	♪ And crown him ♪	1:00:05
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:00:09
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:00:12
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:00:16
	♪ Lord of all ♪	1:00:19
	♪ Let every kindred every tribe ♪	1:00:25
	♪ On this terrestrial ball ♪	1:00:30
	♪ To him all majesty ascribe ♪	1:00:36
	♪ And crown him ♪	1:00:42
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:00:45
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:00:48
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:00:53
	♪ Lord of all ♪	1:00:56
	♪ O that with yonder sacred throng ♪	1:01:02
	♪ We at his feet may fall ♪	1:01:08
	♪ We'll join the everlasting song ♪	1:01:13
	♪ And crown him, ♪	1:01:18
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:01:22
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:01:25
	♪ Crown him ♪	1:01:30
	♪ Lord of all ♪	1:01:33
Rev Willimon	Hallelujah, hallelujah,	1:01:42
	let us go forth in the name of the risen Christ.	1:01:44
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	1:01:47
	Alleluia, alleluia.	1:01:49
	(Toccata from Symphony No. 5 by Charles-Marie Widor)	1:01:53

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "Easter Fear" Easter Service (March 31, 1991)

Description:

Sermon start time: 24:31. Sermon end time: 40:52.
The resurrection narrative of Mark’s Gospel ends with a group of women afraid of the empty tomb of Jesus. The preacher argues that Jesus doesn’t lead people to places of deadly certainty but to an unimaginable future which marvels all of his disciples. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “If we’ve come to this place wanting proof, we get no proof. Proof, reassuring proof, can be so deadly. What we get is life, and the Lord of life out ahead of us.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4xs5jx7c

Date:

March 31, 1991

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Easter

Biblical Book:

Mark

Chapter and Verse:

Mark 16:1-8

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0228
ref8925_kvz
uachapelsermaud
duke:321421
dcrmv001218
ark:/87924/r4xs5jx7c
a223866c-6dbd-426b-bad6-1ffa4eab38d5

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Related Resources:

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

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

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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William H. Willimon - "Easter Fear" Easter Service (March 31, 1991)

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1. William H. Willimon - "Easter Fear" (March 31, 1991)

Duke University Archives

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Duke University Archives

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