Julian M. Aldridge, Jr. - "Eyeing the Essentials" (July 14, 1991)

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	(organ music)	0:00
	(organ music)	1:40
-	Good morning and welcome	4:03
	to this Service of Worship at Duke Chapel.	4:04
	Our guest preacher for today	4:08
	is the Reverend Julian Aldridge.	4:09
	Mr. Aldridge is a United Methodist pastor	4:12
	currently serving as the District Superintendent	4:15
	of the Lexington District	4:18
	of the Western North Carolina Conference.	4:20
	He is a Duke alumnus and serves as president	4:23
	of the Duke Divinity School National Alumni Association.	4:26
	It is our pleasure to welcome Mr. Aldridge	4:30
	and his son Mack, who is entering	4:33
	his senior year as a Duke student.	4:35
	Mack will serve as the lector today.	4:38
	He is also joined by his wife Becky	4:41
	and their son Burns.	4:44
	Please take a moment to greet them	4:46
	at the back of the chapel after today's worship.	4:47
	Now let us continue our worship together	4:51
	as you stand and read responsively from your bulletin.	4:54
	Who are we God that you have have brought us this far?	5:06
	You have blessed our homes and our church.	5:11
	(congregation responds)	5:14
	You have spoken to us in words of promise	5:22
	and placed a lighted lamp on our way.	5:25
	(congregation responds)	5:29
	Let us explore together what this means	5:35
	for our daily lives and for our church.	5:38
	(congregation responds)	5:41
	(organ music)	5:49
	♪ Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion, ♪	6:29
	♪ Speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent ♪	6:39
	♪ Save us, Thy people, from consuming passion, ♪	6:49
	♪ Who by our own false hopes and aims are spent ♪	6:59
	♪ Hope of the world, God's gift from highest heaven, ♪	7:10
	♪ Bringing to hungry souls the bread of life, ♪	7:22
	♪ Still let Thy Spirit unto us be given ♪	7:31
	♪ To heal Earth's wounds and end our bitter strife ♪	7:41
	♪ Hope of the world, afoot on dusty highways, ♪	7:53
	♪ Showing to wandering souls the path of light; ♪	8:05
	♪ Walk Thou beside us lest the tempting byways ♪	8:15
	♪ Lure us away from Thee to endless night ♪	8:25
	♪ Hope of the world, who by Thy cross didst save us ♪	8:37
	♪ From death and deep despair, from sin and guilt; ♪	8:48
	♪ We render back the love Thy mercy gave us; ♪	8:58
	♪ Take Thou our lives and use them as Thou wilt ♪	9:09
	♪ Hope of the world, O Christ, o'er death victorious, ♪	9:21
	♪ Who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain, ♪	9:33
	♪ We would be faithful to Thy gospel glorious: ♪	9:43
	♪ Thou art our Lord, Thou dost forever reign ♪	9:54
-	Let us pray.	10:13
	Oh God, you have created us for yourself.	10:16
	You have made our minds restless	10:20
	until they embrace your purpose as our own,	10:23
	our hearts aimless, until they adopt your will as our own,	10:27
	and our hands profitless,	10:32
	until they seize your task as our own.	10:34
	We praise you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord,	10:39
	in whom you have revealed the person you created us to be.	10:43
	Let you revelation never cease until our minds	10:48
	and hearts and hands are wholly committed to your service.	10:53
	Amen.	10:59
	You may be seated.	11:00
-	Let us pray.	11:12
All	Prepare our hearts, O God to accept your word.	11:14
	Silence in us any voice but your own	11:19
	that hearing we may also obey your will	11:22
	through Jesus Christ, our lord.	11:25
	Amen.	11:28
-	The first reading is taken from the Second Book of Samuel.	11:31
	Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said,	11:36
	Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house,	11:40
	that you have brought me thus far?	11:43
	And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God.	11:45
	You have spoken also of your servant's house	11:49
	for a great while to come, may this be instruction	11:51
	for the people, O Lord God.	11:54
	And what more can David say to you?	11:57
	For you know your servant, O Lord God.	12:00
	Because of your promise, and according to your own heart,	12:03
	you have wrought all this greatness,	12:06
	so that your servant may know it.	12:09
	Therefore you are great, O Lord God.	12:11
	For there is no one like you	12:13
	and there is no God besides you,	12:15
	according to all that we have heard with our ears.	12:18
	who is like your people, like Israel?	12:21
	Is there another nation on Earth whose God	12:25
	went to redeem it as a people	12:28
	and to make a name for himself,	12:30
	doing great and awesome things for them	12:32
	by driving out before his people nations and their gods?	12:35
	And you established your people Israel for yourself	12:39
	to be your people forever.	12:42
	And you, O Lord, became their God.	12:44
	And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken	12:48
	concerning your servant and concerning his house,	12:51
	confirm it forever, do as you have promised.	12:54
	Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying,	12:58
	The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,	13:01
	and the house of your servant David	13:04
	will be established before you.	13:06
	For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,	13:09
	have made this revelation to your servant, saying,	13:13
	I will build you a house,	13:15
	therefore your servant has found courage	13:18
	to pray this prayer to you.	13:19
	And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true,	13:22
	and you have promised this good thing to your servant.	13:27
	Now therefore may it please you	13:31
	to bless the house of your servant,	13:32
	so that it may continue forever before you.	13:36
	For you, O Lord God, have spoken,	13:39
	and with your blessing shall the house of your servant	13:41
	be blessed for ever.	13:44
	This is the word of the Lord.	13:47
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	13:49
-	Will the congregation please rise	14:02
	for the singing of today's Psalm	14:04
	as found on page 849 of the hymnal, beginning with verse 11.	14:06
	(organ music)	14:12
	♪ The Lord swore to David a sure oath ♪	14:18
	♪ And from it will not turn back ♪	14:22
	♪ One of the sons of your body ♪	14:26
	♪ I will set on the throne ♪	14:30
	♪ If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies ♪	14:35
	♪ which I shall teach them ♪	14:39
	♪ Their sons also forever shall sitteth on the throne ♪	14:42
	♪ For the Lord has chosen Zion, ♪	14:48
	♪ And has desired it for Gods habitation ♪	14:52
	♪ This is my resting place forever ♪	14:57
	♪ Here I will dwell, for I have desired it ♪	15:01
	♪ I will abundantly bless his provisions ♪	15:07
	♪ I will satisfy his poor with bread ♪	15:12
	♪ His priests I will clothe with salvation ♪	15:16
	♪ And his faithful will shout with joy ♪	15:21
	♪ There I will make a horn to sprout for David ♪	15:26
	♪ I have prepared a lamp for my anointed ♪	15:32
	♪ His enemies I will clothe with shame ♪	15:37
	♪ But his crown will shine upon him ♪	15:42
	♪ All glory be to you O God ♪	15:47
	♪ And to Jesus Christ, our savior ♪	15:51
	♪ And to the Holy Spirit, blessed be his name ♪	15:56
	♪ As it was since time began ♪	16:02
	♪ Is now and will be forever more ♪	16:07
-	This reading is from Paul's letter to the Ephesians.	16:28
	Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,	16:31
	to the saints who are in Ephesus,	16:35
	and faithful in Christ Jesus:	16:37
	Grace to you and peace from God our Father	16:40
	and the Lord Jesus Christ.	16:43
	Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,	16:45
	who has blessed us in Christ	16:49
	with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,	16:51
	just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation	16:55
	of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love.	16:58
	He destined us for adoption as his children	17:03
	through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure	17:06
	of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace	17:09
	that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.	17:12
	In him we have redemption through his blood,	17:15
	the forgiveness of our trespasses,	17:18
	according to the riches of his grace	17:20
	that he lavished on us, with all wisdom and insight	17:23
	he has made known to us the mystery of his will,	17:27
	according to his good pleasure	17:30
	that he set forth in Christ as a plan	17:32
	for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him,	17:34
	things in heaven and things on earth.	17:39
	This is the word of the Lord.	17:42
All	Thanks be to God.	17:45
	(organ music)	17:48
	♪ Why should I feel discouraged, ♪	18:12
	♪ And why should the shadows come, ♪	18:21
	♪ Why should my heart be lonely, ♪	18:31
	♪ And long for heaven and home, ♪	18:39
	♪ For Jesus is my portion ♪	18:49
	♪ A constant friend is He ♪	18:58
	♪ His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	19:07
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	19:16
	♪ For His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	19:25
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	19:36
	♪ O I sing because I'm happy, ♪	19:44
	♪ O I sing because I'm free, ♪	19:52
	♪ O His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	20:01
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	20:10
	♪ So, let not your heart be troubled, ♪	20:19
	♪ His tender words I hear, ♪	20:28
	♪ And resting on His goodness, ♪	20:36
	♪ I lose my doubts and my fears; ♪	20:44
	♪ Though by the path He leadeth, ♪	20:53
	♪ And one step I may see; ♪	21:01
	♪ O His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	21:09
	♪ And I know He watches me; ♪	21:18
	♪ For His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	21:26
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	21:36
	♪ Yes, I sing because I'm happy, ♪	21:45
	♪ I sing because I'm free, ♪	21:54
	♪ O His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	22:02
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	22:11
	♪ Whenever I am tempted, ♪	22:27
	♪ Whenever clouds arise, ♪	22:35
	♪ When songs give place to sighing, ♪	22:44
	♪ And the hope within me dies, ♪	22:52
	♪ I draw the closer to Him, ♪	23:00
	♪ From cares He sets me free; ♪	23:09
	♪ O His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	23:17
	♪ And I know He watches me; ♪	23:26
	♪ For His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	23:35
	♪ O I know He watches you ♪	23:44
	♪ O I sing because I'm happy, ♪	23:52
	♪ I sing because I'm free, ♪	24:01
	♪ O His eye is on the sparrow, ♪	24:10
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	24:20
	♪ And I know He watches me ♪	24:31
-	Our Gospel lesson for the day, taken from Mark	24:59
	the sixth chapter, verses seven through 13.	25:05
	Is found in this Gospel between two accounts of rejection.	25:09
	The first is the experience of Jesus	25:15
	in his hometown of Nazareth.	25:18
	Where, among his own kin and fellow citizens,	25:21
	his authority is questioned	25:25
	and consequently his power limited.	25:29
	The second account is that of John the Baptist	25:32
	and the order of his death by Herod.	25:37
	The hostility and the rejection placed against John	25:41
	is a foreshadowing of that which is to come to Jesus.	25:47
	The reality of this suffering and hostility and rejection	25:53
	did not sap Jesus's strength nor weaken his resolve.	25:58
	His response was simply to intensify his ministry	26:02
	as he preached good news to the poor,	26:07
	proclaimed release to the captives,	26:10
	recovery of sight to the blind,	26:13
	and freedom for the oppressed.	26:15
	He expanded the impact of his ministry	26:18
	as he called together the disciples and sent them forth.	26:22
	Let us hear the lesson.	26:27
	He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two,	26:32
	and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.	26:37
	He ordered them to take nothing for their journey	26:42
	except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts,	26:46
	but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.	26:52
	He said to them, wherever you enter a house,	26:57
	stay there until you leave the place.	27:01
	If any place will not welcome you	27:04
	and they refuse to hear you,	27:07
	as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet	27:10
	as a testimony against them.	27:14
	So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.	27:17
	They cast out many demons and anointed with oil	27:22
	many who were sick and cured them.	27:27
	This is the word of the Lord.	27:33
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	27:36
-	Let us pray.	27:39
	Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations	27:43
	that are in our hearts and minds be acceptable in thy sight	27:45
	for thou art our strength and our redeemer.	27:51
	Amen.	27:56
-	When it comes to family vacations,	28:02
	Jesus is talking my line.	28:06
	Can you imagine how easy it would be	28:10
	to pack for a holiday trip,	28:12
	if we could just abide in the family by his instructions?	28:15
	Keep it simple?	28:20
	Take nothing but a staff, sandals,	28:22
	and one change of clothing?	28:25
	I don't know about in your family,	28:30
	but I know how it is in mine, it's just the opposite.	28:32
	I remember yelling to a neighbor as we pulled	28:36
	out of the driveway on one holiday trip,	28:39
	if the house catches on fire, let it burn,	28:45
	we've got everything with us.	28:49
	(congregation laughs)	28:51
	It would never fail, I'd get the car all packed,	28:53
	everything securely in its place	28:58
	with just enough room left for each of us to sit	29:00
	and here would come one of the children	29:05
	with an armload of stuff that just had to go,	29:06
	a basketball, cassette tapes, a jam box.	29:11
	Trips would stimulate nervous frustration	29:15
	before we ever left the driveway.	29:18
	I like the instructions of the guide	29:22
	for a wilderness canoe trip,	29:24
	who said to all the participants to gather together	29:26
	their possessions and to put them in three piles.	29:30
	In the first pile put everything you want to take.	29:35
	In the second pile everything	29:39
	you think you're going to need.	29:41
	And in the third pile, only the absolutely essential.	29:43
	Then he said, "Discard the first two piles	29:49
	"and take the third."	29:53
	In essence, this is what Jesus is saying	29:57
	to these disciples as he sends them forth,	30:02
	we're going to deal only with the essentials,	30:06
	only with the majors and not carry	30:09
	on the journey any excess baggage.	30:12
	Yet as we delve into this text, it is at this point	30:17
	that we modern men and women	30:21
	become rather puzzled.	30:24
	For at first glance it seems to be representative	30:27
	of a day far less sophisticated than our own.	30:30
	There is the mention of authority	30:35
	over unclean spirits,	30:37
	shaking the dust off one's feet,	30:42
	living off of those that they are sent to serve,	30:47
	the exorcising of demons.	30:51
	None of which really, initially makes sense	30:55
	to our modern minds.	30:58
	Unclean spirits are really out of place	31:00
	in our antiseptic age where cellophane wrapped meats	31:03
	in the supermarket hide the reality of dirt,	31:07
	of blood, of suffering, and death.	31:12
	Sparse provisions seem so unnecessary to us	31:18
	in our affluent age.	31:21
	And living off the good graces of another	31:24
	bears the imprint welfare we had just as soon shun.	31:27
	Demon possession and exorcism	31:33
	may be the occasion for a 20/20 broadcast	31:37
	or lay claim to the minds and experience of a very few,	31:41
	but for most of us, we just don't connect	31:45
	with our own tradition,	31:49
	our own reason or experience.	31:51
	Until, that is, we begin to move	31:56
	from the surface of another day and come to our own day	32:01
	with an insight that is by the grace of God eternal.	32:05
	Then suddenly, the text begins to live.	32:10
	Unclean spirits	32:15
	come to life when we understand them	32:18
	in the shape of those things,	32:22
	which have their grip upon us	32:25
	and over which we seemingly have little or no control.	32:28
	In the words of William Butler Yeats,	32:34
	"It is when things fall apart,	32:37
	"and the center cannot hold."	32:39
	Ah, the list is long,	32:43
	diseases of the body:	32:46
	AIDS, cancer, birth defects.	32:49
	Diseases of the mind:	32:54
	drug addiction, nervous disorder, insanity.	32:58
	Diseases of the spirit:	33:02
	fear, greed, doubt,	33:05
	sexual perversion, crime, abuse of child or spouse.	33:08
	Diseases of the natural order:	33:14
	blight from acid rain and ecological imbalance.	33:17
	The sending forth of those disciples two by two	33:22
	calls to our attention the call for community,	33:26
	rather than an introverted individualism.	33:29
	The shaking off of the dust from our feet	33:33
	a call for victory, rather than defeat.	33:35
	Exorcism and healing begin to relate	33:39
	to the wholeness of life.	33:41
	And the meager possessions for the journey	33:44
	focus our eye	33:47
	on those things that are essential	33:49
	that put us in touch with what T. S. Eliot called,	33:53
	"the still point of a turning world."	33:57
	The text speaks and we begin to hear a word	34:04
	somewhat resembling Paul's trilogy	34:09
	in his letter to the Corinthians, there is a word of faith,	34:12
	there is a word of hope,	34:16
	and there is a word of love.	34:19
	As for faith, Jesus sent out the disciples	34:22
	only after he had given them authority	34:27
	over the unclean spirits.	34:31
	This authority comes from God,	34:35
	and not from ourselves.	34:38
	It is God who has the final word,	34:41
	when adverse forces,	34:46
	over which we seemly have no power or control,	34:47
	have us in their grip.	34:51
	It is essential that we claim our faith in God's authority	34:53
	over all that would undo us.	34:58
	This was so marvelously exemplified	35:02
	in February of this year	35:07
	when Isaac Stern was the solo violinist	35:10
	in the city of Jerusalem, performing with the orchestra	35:14
	under the baton of Zubin Mehta.	35:19
	Right in the middle of the concert	35:23
	there suddenly came a Scud missile alert.	35:26
	Panic waved through the audience	35:31
	as they began to don their gas masks and shuffle about,	35:35
	the orchestra left the stage,	35:39
	all but Isaac Stern,	35:44
	who remained there alone,	35:47
	and suddenly, powerfully	35:50
	commenced to play "Sarabande"	35:54
	for solo violin.	35:58
	It was a powerful statement that there is that	36:02
	in the midst of life that is far above all of the adversity	36:05
	and all of that which would threaten to undo us.	36:09
	It exemplifies faith in the authority of God	36:14
	over the unclean spirit.	36:18
	Let me tell you about Alice Elizabeth Hancock,	36:22
	whose life and death give rise to this kind of faith.	36:26
	Her conception was acknowledged with ecstasy.	36:31
	Her parents, both ordained ministers, one an Episcopalian,	36:35
	the other a United Methodist, awaited her birth	36:38
	with all of the excitement that characterizes a young couple	36:42
	awaiting the birth of their first child.	36:47
	Six months into the pregnancy,	36:51
	came the crushing news	36:55
	that the child was afflicted	36:58
	with a terminal fetal illness.	37:00
	The child would either die in the womb	37:04
	or die very soon after birth.	37:07
	Doctors gave these young parents a choice.	37:11
	They could induce labor and take the child	37:13
	or they could let nature take its course.	37:16
	They chose the latter.	37:20
	It was their faith in God's authority	37:23
	over the unclean spirit, over that which has us in its grip,	37:25
	and over which we seemingly have no control	37:30
	that kept them going.	37:33
	The day of the child's birth arrived,	37:36
	the child having survived the nine months of pregnancy.	37:39
	She lived four hours.	37:44
	In that short time she was loved	37:47
	by all of those whose hands held her,	37:50
	her parents, grandparents,	37:52
	aunt, uncle, and friends.	37:57
	The faith of the parents held fast.	38:01
	The mother writes of those hours and I quote her,	38:05
	"Things went so well on September fifth.	38:10
	"My delivery went better than I could have imagined.	38:14
	"Alice Elizabeth was a beautiful baby.	38:19
	" We lived more intensely in the four hours	38:22
	"of her life than ever before.	38:25
	"The love in that room and God's presence	38:28
	"and our joy and grief made it a beautiful experience.	38:31
	"We were truly blessed."	38:36
	And then she signed it, "In Christ."	38:38
	The homily at the child's funeral focused on the experience	38:43
	of holding her in their hands those brief four hours	38:46
	and then finally giving her up	38:51
	into the arms and hands of Christ.	38:54
	This is eyeing the essential.	38:59
	It is the integrity of faith in the authority of God	39:03
	over all of the unclean spirits	39:06
	that would threaten to undo us.	39:09
	Secondly, we move beyond faith	39:15
	to hear a word of hope.	39:18
	Jesus sent his disciples out	39:22
	with this very significant word,	39:24
	it is essential,	39:28
	that you not be defeated	39:30
	by defeat.	39:34
	If you're rejected, if you sense failure,	39:36
	rise up, shake the dust off your feet,	39:41
	and move on, recognize that your life	39:45
	is far broader than the moment,	39:49
	make the most of what life brings	39:53
	in the confidence of that hope.	39:56
	Most of us know that	40:00
	life never comes exactly as we expect.	40:02
	We often must deal with those things that come to us	40:07
	that we would never choose.	40:10
	We can identify with the young woman	40:13
	who was visited by her pastor.	40:15
	The pastor had been in her home and visited with her	40:19
	in the same place four years earlier.	40:22
	At that time the woman was newly married, in her new home,	40:26
	where everything was very tidy and in order.	40:31
	And during that visit four years earlier,	40:34
	she had made the comment in conversation	40:37
	that when she had children she was going to be sure	40:40
	that they were more well behaved and tidier	40:44
	than the children of her neighbor	40:49
	from whose home the pastor had just come.	40:50
	The young woman was confident that the pastor had found	40:54
	that woman's home as it usually was,	40:57
	all a disarray, toys everywhere.	40:59
	Now four years later, the pastor was sitting there	41:04
	with her and two children had been added to the home.	41:07
	And as he sat there he couldn't but notice	41:11
	that her house now was all in disarray.	41:14
	Toys were everywhere and fingerprints	41:16
	were bountiful, plentiful.	41:19
	And so, in love for her and smiled	41:21
	and he said to her, "I wanna ask just one thing,	41:24
	"whatever happened to those wonderful, well-behaved,	41:27
	"and tidy children you were going to have?"	41:30
	And can imagine her response, she said very quickly,	41:33
	"Oh sir, these are not the children I was going to have,	41:36
	"these are the children I've got."	41:41
	(congregation laughs)	41:43
	Isn't life like this?	41:47
	We're all confronted with the unexpected.	41:50
	And to this the word says,	41:54
	shake off the dust from your feet,	41:55
	and move on	41:59
	in the hope of making the most of what life brings.	42:01
	Hal Rogers was a successful journalist,	42:05
	at one time the editor of Sports Afield.	42:10
	He later came to work on the general board of discipleship	42:13
	of the United Methodist Church.	42:16
	He was a very active, healthy man,	42:19
	he loved life.	42:22
	He lived with tremendous zest and enthusiasm	42:25
	until one day, in his early 50s,	42:27
	he was stricken	42:31
	with a serious disease.	42:34
	He fell into despair,	42:37
	he felt threatened,	42:39
	he became depressed,	42:42
	he felt that life was all over,	42:44
	until one day in the hospital,	42:48
	in the experience of prayer	42:51
	suddenly his attitude became transformed	42:53
	and he moved from defeat to victory,	42:58
	from despair to hope.	43:00
	Listen to his words.	43:03
	"Lord," he said, "I'm sick.	43:07
	"I hurt in both body and soul.	43:11
	"I'm also anxious, anxious about the outcome,	43:15
	"the problems this disease is causing for my loved ones	43:20
	"and causing for me.	43:24
	"I don't particularly enjoy being shunted away from life.	43:27
	"I want to be out where things are happening."	43:30
	And then, as Hal Rogers said that suddenly it dawned on him,	43:35
	he had a change of mind.	43:40
	He said, "That's an interesting thought,	43:43
	"where things are happening.	43:48
	"Why things are happening right here.	43:52
	"In the first place, I have time to think,	43:56
	"time to put my thoughts in order	43:59
	"and while I'm thinking my body is resting."	44:03
	He remembered the words of the prophet,	44:08
	"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,	44:11
	"they shall mount up with wings as eagles,	44:15
	"they shall walk and not be weary,	44:16
	"they shall run and not faint."	44:18
	So, he began	44:22
	by waiting patiently.	44:25
	And while he waited he became aware	44:28
	of the doctors and the nurses and the hospital.	44:31
	His focus went from himself to them.	44:34
	"Theirs," he said, "is a busy world.	44:37
	"Perhaps they don't have time to pray."	44:41
	And so, he began to pray for them.	44:44
	He smiled at them, he said a cheery word to them,	44:47
	he tried to be cooperative with them,	44:51
	he became excited about the marvels of medicine,	44:53
	and the instruments used in the restoration of his body.	44:57
	And suddenly he discovered that rather than being defeated	45:01
	and on the sidetrack of life,	45:06
	he was becoming victorious and on the mainline.	45:08
	He was where things were happening.	45:12
	He waited, he watched,	45:16
	he prayed, he gave thanks,	45:19
	he had faith,	45:21
	and rather than being too busy	45:24
	thinking about himself, he became to busy to worry,	45:28
	he was busy getting well.	45:33
	This brings us to the third essential embedded in this text,	45:38
	the essential of love.	45:42
	Faith, hope, and love.	45:45
	Jesus sent the disciples out two by two.	45:50
	Love creatively involves us with others.	45:55
	This was not of happenstance,	46:00
	but is very significant.	46:03
	The very first word in the Bible	46:06
	is the Hebrew word bereishit,	46:08
	which means not only end,	46:10
	but also can be used to image two.	46:14
	This is significant, because in the Bible	46:20
	there is no individual creation.	46:23
	There is always creation in twos,	46:26
	twos are basic.	46:30
	This stands in contradiction to so much of the thinking	46:33
	that we encounter in our day,	46:36
	where the emphasis seems to be more on the individual,	46:39
	becoming self made, independent,	46:43
	successful all on our own.	46:46
	Religion is so often reduced to a private,	46:50
	internalized affair with the consequence	46:53
	of a growing indifference to other people.	46:57
	This indifference can be seen	47:02
	in lower voter turnouts today	47:06
	than ever before in the last presidential election,	47:08
	the lowest turnout since 1924.	47:11
	A decline in interest in the evening news,	47:15
	in the reading of newspapers, and in a diminishing concern	47:17
	for those whose economic stress	47:21
	encases them in poverty.	47:24
	According to U.S. News and World Report,	47:27
	Atlanta has swept its homeless away	47:30
	from its downtown, posh convention hotel area.	47:33
	New York has banned subway beggars.	47:37
	Washington has reduced its budget for the homeless.	47:41
	They suggest that while the '80s were an age of greed,	47:46
	the '90s, in which we now live,	47:51
	may well become an age of indifference.	47:52
	Now, we recognize in our Christian faith	47:57
	that the Word	48:01
	contradicts any attitude	48:04
	that would turn us away from creative involvement	48:07
	in the lives of others.	48:10
	God's word turns us in this direction,	48:13
	we are sent out together.	48:17
	Some years ago Doctor Charles Allen	48:20
	wrote a book entitled, "12 Rules for Good Living."	48:22
	Two of those rules were be interested in others	48:26
	and be sympathetic,	48:30
	involve yourself with others and care.	48:33
	One of the heroes of the '80s was a woman	48:38
	by the name of Jan Kemp, a professor	48:41
	at one of our southern universities	48:43
	where academics	48:46
	are subordinate to athletics.	48:49
	She had observed over a few years	48:53
	the abuse of athletes,	48:56
	bringing in young men to play ball, or young women,	48:58
	with no real academic requirements	49:03
	and little expectation that they would learn,	49:06
	learn anything that would help them once they graduated.	49:09
	They were in the limelight during the athletic season,	49:13
	but after that they were left with nothing.	49:16
	She raised questions,	49:21
	she refused to give higher grades in class	49:23
	than those students had earned,	49:26
	all of which resulted in her dismissal,	49:28
	she was fired.	49:32
	She sued the university for injustice,	49:35
	and won.	49:40
	She had eyed the essential,	49:42
	love, creative involvement with others, caring,	49:46
	we are meant for each other,	49:51
	with responsibility for each other.	49:54
	Our destiny is together.	49:56
	Or lest we be too simplistic,	50:00
	there are questions that still remain.	50:01
	How do we deal with the difficulty	50:03
	of living together cooperatively?	50:05
	What do we do about the fact that is real	50:08
	that some Christian thinkers under score	50:11
	that when we deal in a group,	50:14
	we do detrimental and destructive things	50:17
	that we would never think of doing as an individual?	50:20
	Nevertheless, the focus remains,	50:24
	we are set two by two,	50:29
	we are meant for each other.	50:33
	We find each other in the home, in the community,	50:37
	in the university,	50:42
	and always the church.	50:45
	In summary, let God's word impress on us	50:48
	three essentials, faith in God's authority	50:52
	over all that would undo us,	50:57
	hope in rising above defeat,	51:00
	and love in the sharing of life with others.	51:04
	God of grace and God of glory on thy people	51:09
	pour thy power, crown thine ancient church's story,	51:14
	bring her bud to glorious flower,	51:18
	grant us wisdom,	51:21
	grant us courage, for the facing of this hour.	51:24
	Lo, the hosts of evil round us	51:29
	scorn the Christ, assail his ways.	51:31
	Fears and doubts too long have bound us	51:34
	free our hearts	51:38
	to work and praise.	51:39
	Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,	51:42
	for the living of these days.	51:46
	Cure thy children's warring madness,	51:49
	bend our pride to your control,	51:51
	shame our wanton, selfish gladness,	51:54
	rich in things and poor in soul.	51:57
	Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,	52:01
	lest we miss your kingdom's goal.	52:04
	Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore,	52:08
	let the search for thy salvation	52:13
	be our glory evermore,	52:16
	serving thee,	52:21
	whom we adore.	52:24
	Amen.	52:28
	(organ music)	52:33
	♪ Dear Jesus, in whose life I see ♪	53:04
	♪ All that I would, but fail to be, ♪	53:11
	♪ Let Thy clear light forever shine, ♪	53:19
	♪ To shame and guide this life of mine ♪	53:26
	♪ Though what I dream and what I do ♪	53:36
	♪ In my weak days are always two, ♪	53:44
	♪ Help me, oppressed by things undone, ♪	53:52
	♪ O Thou whose deeds and dreams were one ♪	54:00
Debra	The Lord be with you.	54:15
Congregation	And also with you.	54:17
-	Let us pray.	54:19
	Oh God, you have created us for yourself and for one another	54:31
	in a world of your own making.	54:38
	You are Lord above all Lords and God above all Gods.	54:41
	And you are our Lord and our God.	54:46
	You are the light unto our path,	54:50
	were it not for you, we would dwell in deep darkness.	54:53
	You are the strength of our life,	54:58
	were it not for you we could not resist the powers of evil.	55:01
	You are the hope of our tomorrows,	55:06
	were it not for you we would break	55:09
	under the load of our yesterdays.	55:11
	As we bow before you, dear Lord,	55:15
	refresh our memories and renew our faith.	55:18
	Let us not forget where we are or whose we are.	55:22
	Lord, in your mercy.	55:28
All	Hear our prayer.	55:30
-	Remind us that the land in which we dwell,	55:33
	wherever it may be is your land.	55:36
	That the people among whom we dwell,	55:39
	whoever they be are your people.	55:41
	And that the gifts with which we are endowed,	55:45
	whatever they may be are bestowed to make us	55:47
	one in our worship of you and our service to one another.	55:51
	Lord, in your mercy.	55:56
All	Hear our prayer.	55:58
-	We have repeatedly affirmed these elementary truths	56:01
	of our faith, yet we confess, oh Lord,	56:05
	that only rarely have we made them the truths of our lives.	56:08
	We have treated the land as if we were not its steward,	56:13
	but its owners.	56:17
	We have dealt with other people as if our relationships	56:19
	were of no concern to you.	56:22
	And we have handled our gifts as if they were	56:25
	intended to set people apart,	56:28
	rather than bring them together.	56:31
	Oh God, forgive us for our selfishness,	56:33
	our pride, our greed, and our competitive spirits.	56:38
	Lord, in your mercy.	56:44
All	Hear our prayer.	56:46
Debra	Merciful God, we have too often forgotten	56:49
	the essentials of life.	56:52
	We try to secure our lives by acquiring more food,	56:55
	more money, more possessions, more insurance,	57:00
	more degrees, more, more, more.	57:04
	But more is never enough and there can be no security	57:12
	when we trust in things of the flesh.	57:16
	Help us to remember that only three things	57:19
	are essential for life,	57:22
	faith, hope, and love,	57:25
	and the greatest of these is love.	57:30
	Lord, in your mercy.	57:33
All	Hear our prayer.	57:35
-	Because you have loved us, we have faith	57:38
	that life is worth living.	57:41
	Because you have loved us, we have hope	57:44
	that our lives make sense and that you are with us	57:48
	whatever the circumstances of our lives.	57:53
	Because you have loved us, we are enabled to love you,	57:56
	to love ourselves, and to love one another.	58:02
	Gracious God, we thank you	58:07
	for giving us the essentials of life.	58:09
	Teach us to rely upon you with faith, hope, and love	58:13
	as you send each of us forth	58:19
	into our God given missions in life.	58:21
	We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ.	58:25
	Amen.	58:29
	We have been richly blessed by a God who loves us eternally.	58:34
	Let us respond to God's generosity in our service	58:40
	though the church and in the offerings we bring	58:44
	to proclaim the good news.	58:47
	May our deeds and our dollars reach out	58:50
	into our community and wherever our brothers	58:53
	and sisters are in need.	58:56
	(organ music)	59:00
	♪ Lord, I keep so busy praisin' my Jesus, ♪	1:00:05
	♪ Keep so busy praisin' my Jesus, ♪	1:00:16
	♪ Keep so busy praisin' my Jesus, ♪	1:00:20
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:00:24
	♪ 'Cause when ♪	1:00:26
	♪ I'm healin' the sick, ♪	1:00:27
	♪ I'm praisin' my Jesus, ♪
	♪ When I'm healin' the sick, ♪	1:00:30
	♪ I'm praisin' my Jesus, ♪
	♪ When I'm healin' de sick, ♪	1:00:33
	♪ I'm praisin' my Jesus, ♪
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:00:38
	♪ 'Cause it takes all of my time ♪	1:00:40
	♪ To praise my Jesus, ♪	1:00:43
	♪ All of my time ♪	1:00:45
	♪ To praise my Lord. ♪	1:00:46
	♪ If I don't praise Him ♪	1:00:48
	♪ The rocks gonna cry out, ♪	1:00:50
	♪ Glory an' honor, ♪	1:00:52
	♪ Glory an' honor ♪	1:00:54
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:00:55
	♪ Lord, I keep so busy workin' for the Kingdom, ♪	1:00:58
	♪ Keep so busy workin' for the Kingdom, ♪	1:01:03
	♪ Keep so busy workin' for the Kingdom, ♪	1:01:06
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:01:10
	♪ 'Cause when ♪	1:01:12
	♪ I'm feedin' the poor, ♪	1:01:13
	♪ I'm workin' for the Kingdom, ♪
	♪ When I'm feedin' the poor, ♪	1:01:16
	♪ I'm workin' for the Kingdom, ♪
	♪ When I'm feedin' the poor, ♪	1:01:19
	♪ I'm workin' for the Kingdom, ♪
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:01:23
	♪ 'Cause it takes all of my time ♪	1:01:25
	♪ To praise my Jesus, ♪	1:01:28
	♪ All of my time ♪	1:01:30
	♪ To praise my Lord. ♪	1:01:32
	♪ If I don't praise Him ♪	1:01:34
	♪ The rocks gonna cry out, ♪	1:01:35
	♪ Glory an' honor, ♪	1:01:37
	♪ Glory an' honor ♪	1:01:39
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:01:41
	♪ Lord, I keep so busy servin' my Master, ♪	1:01:43
	♪ Keep so busy servin' my Master, ♪	1:01:48
	♪ Keep so busy servin' my Master, ♪	1:01:51
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:01:54
	♪ 'Cause when ♪	1:01:57
	♪ I'm givin' my all, ♪	1:01:57
	♪ I'm servin' my Master, ♪
	♪ When I'm givin' my all, ♪	1:02:01
	♪ I'm servin' my Master, ♪
	♪ When I'm givin' my all, ♪	1:02:04
	♪ I'm servin' my Master, ♪
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:02:08
	♪ 'Cause it takes all of my time ♪	1:02:10
	♪ To praise my Jesus, ♪	1:02:13
	♪ All of my time ♪	1:02:15
	♪ To praise my Lord. ♪	1:02:17
	♪ If I don't praise Him ♪	1:02:19
	♪ The rocks gonna cry out, ♪	1:02:20
	♪ Glory an' honor, ♪	1:02:22
	♪ Glory an' honor ♪	1:02:24
	♪ Ain't got time to die. ♪	1:02:25
	♪ Now, won't you get out of my way, ♪	1:02:28
	♪ Let me praise my Jesus? ♪	1:02:30
	♪ Get out of my way, ♪	1:02:32
	♪ Let me praise my Lord. ♪	1:02:34
	♪ If I don't praise Him ♪	1:02:36
	♪ The rocks gonna cry out, ♪	1:02:37
	♪ Glory an' honor, ♪	1:02:39
	♪ Glory an' honor ♪	1:02:41
	♪ Ain't got time to die ♪	1:02:43
	(organ music)	1:02:52
	♪ Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; ♪	1:03:14
	♪ Praise God, all creatures here below; ♪	1:03:20
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:03:27
	♪ Praise God above ye heavenly host ♪	1:03:35
	Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost	1:03:42
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:03:48
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, ♪	1:03:55
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:04:02
-	Let us pray.	1:04:15
	Thank you God, for the joy of loving and giving,	1:04:18
	for the friendship of Christ,	1:04:22
	and the opportunities you give us to serve.	1:04:24
	Unite us in faith that together our gifts	1:04:28
	may offer hope to a suffering world.	1:04:33
	Send us forth in love that our lives may be used	1:04:37
	in service to you and one another.	1:04:42
	And now, we pray with the confidence of the children of God.	1:04:46
	As Jesus taught us to pray.	1:04:50
All	Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.	1:04:53
	Thy kingdom come.	1:04:59
	Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.	1:05:01
	Give us this day our daily bread	1:05:05
	and forgive us our trespasses,	1:05:08
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:05:11
	And lead us not into temptation,	1:05:15
	but deliver us from evil.	1:05:18
	For thine is the kingdom and the power	1:05:21
	and the glory forever and ever.	1:05:24
	Amen.	1:05:27
-	We have been called as the people of God.	1:05:30
	We have been offered all the essentials for life,	1:05:34
	faith, hope, and love.	1:05:39
	Accept these gifts and know that you are equipped	1:05:43
	for the mission to which God calls you.	1:05:46
	Let all that you do be done in love.	1:05:50
	And now, may the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,	1:05:54
	and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit	1:05:59
	be with you all.	1:06:03
	♪ Alleluia, alle, alle ♪	1:06:09
	(organ music)	1:06:20
	♪ God of grace and God of glory, ♪	1:06:59
	♪ On your people pour thy power; ♪	1:07:04
	♪ Crown thine ancient church's story, ♪	1:07:09
	♪ Bring her bud to glorious flower. ♪	1:07:15
	♪ Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, ♪	1:07:20
	♪ For the facing of this hour, ♪	1:07:26
	♪ For the facing of this hour. ♪	1:07:32
	♪ Lo, the hosts of evil round us ♪	1:07:39
	♪ Scorn thy Christ, assail his ways ♪	1:07:45
	♪ Fears and doubts too long have bound us ♪	1:07:51
	♪ Free our hearts to work and praise ♪	1:07:56
	♪ Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, ♪	1:08:02
	♪ For the living of these days, ♪	1:08:07
	♪ For the living of these days ♪	1:08:13
	♪ Cure thy children's warring madness; ♪	1:08:21
	♪ Bend our pride to thy control; ♪	1:08:27
	♪ Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, ♪	1:08:32
	♪ Rich in things and poor in soul ♪	1:08:38
	♪ Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, ♪	1:08:43
	♪ Lest we miss thy kingdom's goal, ♪	1:08:49
	♪ Lest we miss thy kingdom's goal ♪	1:08:55
	♪ Save us from weak resignation ♪	1:09:03
	♪ To the evils we deplore; ♪	1:09:08
	♪ Let the gift of thy salvation ♪	1:09:14
	♪ Be our glory evermore ♪	1:09:20
	♪ Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, ♪	1:09:26
	♪ Serving thee whom we adore, ♪	1:09:32
	♪ Serving thee whom we adore ♪	1:09:37
	(organ music)	1:09:51

Item Info

Title:

Julian M. Aldridge, Jr. - "Eyeing the Essentials" (July 14, 1991)

Description:

Sermon start time: 27:39. Sermon end time: 52:33.
In going through life, we will face many challenges and unexpected obstacles. We cannot have the ideal life we envision for ourself, but as long as we maintain the essentials of living with faith, hope, and love, we can make the most of our lives. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: "In summary let God's word impress on us three essentials: faith in God's authority over all that would undo us, hope in rising above defeat, and love in the sharing of light with others."

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https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r44747638

Date:

July 14, 1991

Speaker:

Aldridge, Julian M., Jr.

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Duke University. Chapel

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UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0240
ref8967_hhu
uachapelsermaud
duke:321618
dcrmv001230
ark:/87924/r44747638
a48a1a09-6853-4c0c-aefe-9c3133f130d3

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Duke Chapel Recordings

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Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

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

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CC BY-NC 4.0

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Julian M. Aldridge, Jr. - "Eyeing the Essentials" (July 14, 1991)

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