William H. Willimon - "Valued Families" (November 7, 1993)

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	(male voice speaking faintly, off-mike)	0:00
	(dramatic organ music)	0:04
-	Good morning,	0:13
	welcome to this All Saints celebration and our observance	0:14
	of Parents Weekend here in the university.	0:18
	Our lector is the Executive Vice President	0:22
	of Duke University, Dr Charles Putman,	0:24
	and leading in the service today	0:26
	is the Reverend Oli Jenkins,	0:28
	the Director of the Wesley Foundation here at Duke.	0:30
	Let us stand for the greeting.	0:36
	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.	0:40
Congregation	And also with you.	0:44
-	The risen Christ is with us.	0:45
Congregation	Praise the Lord.	0:48
	(organ overture to "For All the Saints")	0:51
	♪ For all the saints, who from their labors rest ♪	1:31
	♪ Who thee by faith before the world confessed ♪	1:40
	♪ Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest ♪	1:50
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:59
	♪ Alleluia ♪	2:04
	♪ Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might ♪	2:11
	♪ Thou Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight ♪	2:20
	♪ Thou in the darkness drear, their one true light ♪	2:31
	♪ Alleluia ♪	2:39
	♪ Alleluia ♪	2:45
	♪ O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold ♪	2:52
	♪ Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old ♪	3:01
	♪ And win with them the victor's crown of gold ♪	3:11
	♪ Alleluia ♪	3:20
	♪ Alleluia ♪	3:26
	♪ O blest communion, fellowship divine ♪	3:33
	♪ We feebly struggle, they in glory shine ♪	3:42
	♪ Yet all are one in thee, for all are thine ♪	3:52
	♪ Alleluia ♪	4:02
	♪ Alleluia ♪	4:07
	♪ And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long ♪	4:14
	♪ Steals on the ear the distant triumph song ♪	4:23
	♪ And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong ♪	4:33
	♪ Alleluia ♪	4:42
	♪ Alleluia ♪	4:48
	(organ solo interlude)	4:54
	♪ From earth's wide bounds ♪	5:18
	♪ From ocean's farthest coast ♪	5:22
	♪ Through gates of pearl streams ♪	5:27
	♪ In the countless host ♪	5:33
	♪ Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	5:37
	♪ Alleluia ♪	5:46
	♪ Alleluia ♪	5:52
-	Eternal God, we praise you for the great company	6:03
	of all those who have finished their course in faith,	6:07
	and now rests from their labors.	6:11
Chorus	We praise you for those dear to us	6:14
	whom we now name before you.	6:17
-	To all of these, grant your peace.	6:43
All In Unison	Let perpetual light shine upon them	6:46
	and help us so to believe where we have not seen	6:49
	that your presence may lead us through our years.	6:54
Oli	And bring us at last with them	6:58
	into the joy of your home,	7:01
	not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens.	7:03
All In Unison	Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.	7:08
-	You may be seated.	7:12
-	Let us pray together the prayer for illumination.	7:26
All In Unison	Open our hearts and minds, O God.	7:32
	By the power of your Holy Spirit,	7:36
	so that as your Word is read and proclaimed,	7:38
	we may hear with joy what you would say to us today, Amen.	7:42
-	The first reading is taken from the seventh Chapter	7:49
	of the Revelation to John starting with verse nine.	7:54
	"After this, I looked and there was a great multitude	7:59
	"that no one could count,	8:04
	"from every nation,	8:06
	"from all tribes and peoples and languages,	8:07
	"standing before the throne and before the lamb,	8:11
	"robed in white with palm branches in their hands.	8:15
	"They cried out in a loud voice saying,	8:20
	"salvation belongs to our God	8:24
	"who is seated on the throne, and to the lamb.	8:27
	"And all the angels stood around the throne	8:32
	"and around the elders and the four living creatures.	8:35
	"And they fell on their faces before the throne	8:39
	"and worshiped God singing,	8:43
	"Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom	8:46
	"and thanksgiving and honor and power and might	8:50
	"be to our God for ever and ever, amen.	8:56
	"Then one of the elders addressed me saying,	9:02
	"who are these robed in white and where have they come from?	9:05
	"I said to him, sir you are the one that knows.	9:11
	"Then he said to me,	9:16
	"these are they who have come out of the great ordeal.	9:18
	"They have washed their robes and made them white	9:23
	"in the blood of the lamb.	9:27
	"For this reason they are before the throne of God	9:29
	"and worship him day and night within his temple.	9:33
	"And the one who's seated on the throne will shelter them.	9:37
	"They will hunger no more, and thirst no more.	9:42
	"The sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat.	9:46
	"For the lamb at the center of the throne	9:52
	"will be their shepherd	9:55
	"and he will guide them to springs at the water of life	9:57
	"and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."	10:01
	This is the word of the Lord.	10:06
All In Unison	Thanks be to God.	10:10
-	This reading is from the first letter of John,	10:13
	versus one to three of Chapter three.	10:17
	"See what love the father has given us,	10:22
	"that we should be called children of God,	10:25
	"and that is what we are.	10:28
	"The reason the world does not know us,	10:31
	"is that it did not know him.	10:34
	"Beloved, we are God's children now.	10:37
	"What we will be has not yet been revealed.	10:42
	"What we do know is this,	10:46
	"when he is revealed, we will be like him.	10:49
	"For we will see him as he is,	10:54
	"and all who have this hope in him,	10:57
	"purify themselves just as he is pure."	11:00
	This is the word of the Lord.	11:05
All In Unison	Thanks be to God.	11:08
-	The final reading is the Beatitudes	11:11
	from the Gospel according to St Matthew	11:15
	in the fifth chapter.	11:18
	"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain.	11:21
	"And after he sat down, his disciples came to him,	11:26
	"then he began to speak and taught them saying,	11:31
	"blessed are the poor in spirit,	11:36
	"for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.	11:39
	"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.	11:42
	"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.	11:48
	"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,	11:54
	"for they will be filled.	11:59
	"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.	12:02
	"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.	12:07
	"Blessed are the peacemakers,	12:13
	"for they will be called children of God.	12:16
	"Blessed are those who are persecuted	12:20
	"for righteousness' sake,	12:23
	"for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.	12:25
	"Blessed are you, when people revile you, and persecute you	12:29
	"and utter all kinds of evil against you	12:34
	"falsely on my account.	12:36
	"Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in Heaven.	12:39
	"For in the same way they persecuted the prophets	12:45
	"who were before you."	12:48
	This is the word of the Lord.	12:50
All In Unison	Thanks be to God.	12:53
	(organ music leading the choral singing of the Beatitudes)	12:57
	(stirrings of choir sitting down)	16:39
-	See what love the Father has given us	16:48
	that we should be called children of God.	16:51
	And so we are.	16:56
	When the mayor of Minneapolis explained why	17:02
	he would not be running this year for another term.	17:06
	He did not cite rising crime statistics,	17:10
	ethnic strife, trouble with the police.	17:14
	He replied,	17:19
	the root of all our city's problems	17:21
	is the breakdown of the family.	17:26
	What's happening between parents and kids	17:30
	in this country is killing us.	17:33
	It's All Saints here in the Chapel	17:39
	and it's Parents Weekend here in the university.	17:40
	And All Saints is that time when we pause,	17:45
	as a church,	17:49
	to acknowledge the saints.	17:51
	I am not here as a Christian on my own.	17:55
	Somebody had to tell us this story	17:59
	and live it before us or we wouldn't be here.	18:02
	And so today we give thanks for the saints,	18:06
	our parents in the faith.	18:09
	And I remember a few years ago,	18:12
	a student noting that she had been in the church	18:13
	all her life and she had never even heard of All Saints.	18:17
	And she said I get the impression, it's like a big deal,	18:20
	here in the Chapel.	18:23
	And I said, yeah.	18:26
	And she said, but that makes sense.	18:28
	And I said, why does that make sense?	18:32
	And she said, well I mean we're all young adults,	18:34
	we're all looking for models,	18:37
	we've all been sent here because of somebody else's gift.	18:39
	And I said well you can skip next All Saints	18:45
	"cause you've kinda got the point, that's what we're doing.	18:48
	And it's Parents Weekend here in the Chapel	18:52
	and that's when we acknowledge	18:54
	our debt to our parents.	18:58
	We wouldn't be here at Duke,	18:59
	we wouldn't be anywhere actually, without our parents.	19:01
	And it's interesting that John uses	19:06
	a parental analogy	19:09
	in talking about what has happened to us in Jesus Christ.	19:12
	See what love the Father has given us,	19:17
	to call us children.	19:22
	And you think about,	19:24
	the scripture often resorts to familial analogies	19:25
	in speaking about the divine human relationship	19:29
	through what is for us human beings	19:33
	the most intimate human relationship we know, the family.	19:35
	Now I'll admit	19:41
	that the New Testament is ambivalent	19:42
	about the family.	19:46
	As far as we know, Jesus was not married.	19:47
	Jesus begat no children that we know of.	19:51
	Paul had decidedly, at best,	19:56
	ambivalent opinions of these matters.	20:00
	And yet this verse,	20:05
	naming God as parent and us as God's children,	20:09
	read in this context 1993 North America,	20:12
	it's fraught with irony.	20:17
	When a Houston Oiler's player took time off	20:21
	for the birth of his first child,	20:25
	Coach Bob Young fined him for missing the game.	20:28
	And it's interesting how we fasten on that episode	20:33
	because I think, in our heart of hearts,	20:36
	we know that that episode	20:39
	characterizes our ambivalence towards family	20:42
	and parenting in this society.	20:46
	Last April, in the Atlantic, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead,	20:51
	published a bombshell of an article	20:55
	in which she argued that the two parent family	20:58
	is better for child rearing	21:01
	than our single parents and step families.	21:03
	And I think all she did was courageously report	21:07
	what a lot of us have expected but lack the guts to admit.	21:10
	Three out of four teenage suicides occur in households	21:15
	where there's an absent parent.	21:19
	80% of adolescents in psychiatric hospitals	21:21
	come from broken homes.	21:25
	Five out of six adolescents caught in the criminal	21:28
	justice system were raised by one parent.	21:30
	This article was followed by another one,	21:35
	by a Vanderbilt political science professor,	21:37
	Jean Bethke Elshtain,	21:39
	who wrote that when one considers all the factors	21:42
	in the current assault upon children and the family,	21:45
	quote, "father absence is the single most	21:49
	"important risk factor for children."	21:52
	Let me repeat, the most important indicator	21:56
	of childhood problems, from poor health to poverty,	21:58
	to behavioral problems, is whether a child grows up	22:02
	in a two parent or a single parent or a no parent household.	22:05
	The strongest predictor of domestic violence	22:09
	and violence against women, are single parent households.	22:12
	A stable two parent household is the best protection,	22:17
	not only against abuse but against the possibility	22:21
	that a child himself or herself will grow up abusive.	22:25
	While we admire those single parents,	22:30
	the vast majority of whom are mothers, who persevere,	22:34
	it's essential that our society take an honest look	22:39
	at what we're doing to our children	22:42
	when the one parent family becomes the norm	22:44
	in the American family.	22:46
	In our support of single parents,	22:49
	if we move to a public philosophy,	22:51
	which acts as if nothing is at stake	22:54
	ethically, psychologically, spiritually,	22:56
	and the rise of fatherless homes,	23:00
	we're ignoring the facts.	23:02
	By the year 2000, if present trends continue,	23:05
	60% of all American children	23:09
	will spend their childhood in a home with no father.	23:11
	No government program that anybody can devise	23:16
	can deflect the rage of a child who feels abandoned,	23:19
	bereft of the most reliable trustworthy love	23:23
	any of us can hope to have,	23:27
	the love of two parents.	23:29
	And in this context, what's interesting is the silence	23:32
	of the intellectual establishment,	23:35
	and is our liberal stress upon	23:39
	do-your-own-thing individualism.	23:42
	And liberation from responsibility	23:44
	to anybody other than myself.	23:46
	The source of the problem rather than its solution.	23:49
	Glamorous TV portrayals of life without father	23:53
	have little to do with reality.	23:56
	The Murphy Browns of the 90s,	23:58
	single mothers by choice with incomes	24:00
	of over 50,0000 a year, are less than one tenth of 1%	24:02
	of the unwed mothers in this country.	24:06
	And to speak nostrums about freedom and choice	24:08
	to a 14 year old under-educated pregnant woman	24:12
	is the height of upper class conceit.	24:15
	We live in a society unfriendly to parenting.	24:19
	20 years ago, 15% of our children grew up in poverty.	24:23
	During the Reagan years, that percentage doubled	24:28
	all the while talking about how much we love family values.	24:31
	And most of that poverty is produced not by the government	24:35
	but by divorce and out-of-wedlock births.	24:39
	And yet the government also has a responsibility.	24:43
	Back in 1948, the government allowed	24:46
	a tax exemption of $600 per child.	24:48
	And today's exemption adjusted for inflation	24:51
	is considerably less.	24:54
	In 1948, a family of four at the median income	24:57
	paid .3% of its income in taxes.	25:00
	By 1989, that same family	25:05
	was paying 9.1%.	25:08
	The proportion of children born to unmarried women	25:12
	has doubled in the lifetime of a Duke sophomore.	25:16
	Most women after divorce find themselves in considerably	25:21
	worse financial circumstances.	25:25
	And for the children, it's not only the national disgrace	25:28
	of fathers who refuse to pay child support,	25:31
	but the problem of the psychological scars	25:34
	of absentee fatherhood.	25:37
	In a 1991 book, Furstenberg and Cherlin report	25:39
	that after divorce, half the children surveyed	25:44
	had seen their fathers in the entire 12 months	25:47
	preceding this survey.	25:50
	Fathers of children born out-of-wedlock	25:52
	visit and pay even less.	25:55
	Conservative Christians have got to overcome	25:58
	their aversion to government aid	26:01
	if poor families are going to receive	26:04
	the economic encouragement they need to survive.	26:05
	And liberal Christians have got to quit neglecting	26:09
	the family and children's issues	26:13
	in a misguided emphasis upon individual liberation	26:16
	and personal autonomy and freedom.	26:19
	Here at Duke, for instance, we need more flex time.	26:23
	And we need more work-home arrangements	26:27
	for parents with young children.	26:29
	Working parents have got to have more time with infants.	26:31
	And yet above all, what's happening to parents and children	26:35
	is not just a public policy, governmental, economic issue.	26:39
	For Christians, there is something deeply ethical,	26:44
	definitely spiritual going on here.	26:48
	Because for Christians,	26:53
	being a parent is not just something we decide to do,	26:54
	a lifestyle choice, for as long as we find it interesting.	26:58
	Parenthood is a Christian vocation	27:03
	which requires everything you've got, your whole life.	27:06
	Parenthood is something you give back to God	27:09
	in gratitude for your life.	27:12
	It's important to say you don't have to be married	27:16
	and you don't have to have children to be a Christian.	27:18
	However, for those Christians who are called	27:22
	to the vocation of marriage and parenthood,	27:25
	being the best husband or the best wife, the best parent,	27:29
	is something we do for God.	27:32
	A witness that my life is not my own.	27:35
	The practice of Christian hospitality	27:39
	toward the most vulnerable in our world.	27:43
	Unfortunately, I hate to report	27:48
	this is a bad neighborhood for such commitments.	27:50
	As far as I know, Duke University only has maybe two courses	27:53
	in our entire curriculum on marriage.	27:57
	And next to nothing on parenting.	28:00
	It's as if we presume that everybody who comes through here	28:02
	is gonna leave here and then be a full time stockbroker	28:05
	or a lawyer and just take time off occasionally	28:07
	from the office for basketball.	28:09
	It's as if we faculty believe that it takes brains	28:12
	to write a term paper but any fool can bear children.	28:15
	And if you look at some of our faculty marriages	28:19
	and our families, that ought to put that thought to rest.	28:21
	(congregation chuckling)	28:24
	Our neglect of the family is part of this culture's	28:26
	general overall devaluation of those tasks	28:30
	performed primarily by women.	28:34
	What is the goal of a university education?	28:39
	Where are we all moving here?	28:43
	Shortly after she came here,	28:46
	Vice President Janet Dickerson was asked that question	28:48
	in a meeting with the members of The Religious Life staff.	28:50
	And Vice President Dickerson replied to the question	28:54
	what would you like Duke students to get here,	28:59
	she said, well I'd hope that many of them would gain	29:04
	the information, the skills, the insights they need	29:07
	to be good husbands and good wives and good parents.	29:10
	And I can remember that because it came as a shock	29:14
	to members of The Religious Life staff	29:17
	that any of these little devils reproduce themselves	29:19
	(congregation laughing)	29:22
	and go out from here.
	And we felt judged by that.	29:25
	What does it mean to struggle intelligently	29:28
	with the task before us?	29:31
	And I'm saying as a Christian.	29:32
	It means what does it mean to struggle and ask God	29:35
	for the gifts you need for the vocation	29:38
	that you're doing for God.	29:40
	At Duke Chapel, we now have Engaged Encounter Weekend	29:44
	in the Spring to prepare people for marriage.	29:46
	We've got now a Christian Marriage and Family Endowment	29:49
	to prepare students for this vocation.	29:52
	Each year we've got a seminar	29:54
	on interfaith dating and marriage.	29:56
	When we asked a group of students recently,	30:00
	what would you like to see more programming on	30:02
	that would help you as a Christian,	30:05
	the number one thing we heard from them	30:07
	is we'd like to see more programming	30:09
	on how to be in a two-career marriage	30:10
	and be Christian and be faithful.	30:14
	They know.	30:16
	Churches have got to do more to support	30:20
	heroic single parents,	30:22
	who against all odds are attempting	30:25
	to be faithful to their children.	30:27
	And just the phrase, their children,	30:31
	raises questionable Christian insights.	30:33
	When, in my last church, a single parent mother of two	30:39
	appeared on Sunday morning,	30:44
	having dressed and then re-dressed and then dressed again	30:45
	these two little toddlers, and she said, there.	30:48
	And then some of these surplus grandparents	30:51
	moved out there and said,	30:54
	you go on to your class, we'll take them to Sunday school,	30:55
	they can sit with us during church, at the church.	30:57
	Let's all go out to lunch together,	31:00
	then we'll take them to the zoo.	31:01
	I needed to say,	31:03
	look this is the church's response	31:05
	to single parent families.	31:08
	We don't believe in single parent families as Christians.	31:10
	Of course the nice thing is	31:14
	we've never believed in two parent families.	31:15
	We've got something called baptism,	31:17
	where you bring your children forward	31:19
	for adoption at baptism and say,	31:21
	we can't make them a Christian,	31:23
	all the rest of you have to do it with us.	31:24
	That's why we need the Saints.	31:26
	Who told older people in our churches	31:29
	that the goal of life is to get enough	31:31
	to move to Florida where you can be irresponsible	31:34
	and you can say things like,	31:38
	I've already raised my children,	31:40
	now it's somebody else's problem.	31:41
	No, irresponsibility is ugly,	31:42
	whether it's in a 17 year old or a 70 year old.	31:45
	The church needs to be the place to say,	31:48
	look things are too bad for a bunch of senior citizens	31:49
	to be running around irresponsibly.	31:53
	You get over here and help us care for your children.	31:55
	As you come to this table today,	32:01
	would you please remember,	32:03
	would you give thanks for the Saints	32:06
	that brought you into this world	32:08
	and who lead you through it	32:11
	and some day will help you out of it?	32:13
	See what love.	32:16
	And as you come would you pray to God	32:21
	to grant us the wisdom in our day,	32:23
	to live our lives in such a fashion that others,	32:27
	particularly the little ones,	32:30
	might see the love of God	32:35
	reflected in our love for them.	32:38
	If you're married or you one day think that you might be	32:43
	called to be married and have children,	32:47
	ask God to give you the gifts you need,	32:50
	and they are many.	32:52
	To be a witness.	32:54
	To be a protest	32:57
	in a world which devalues the little ones.	33:00
	And if you're single,	33:05
	come and ask God for ways	33:09
	to show your loving support,	33:11
	as a witness,	33:15
	as a protest in a world that devalues the task	33:17
	of parenting and childbearing.	33:21
	Let's give thanks for the Saints	33:25
	and ask God for the gift in our day,	33:29
	that a future generation might look at us	33:33
	and give thanks for our saintly witness.	33:36
	Amen.	33:41
Oli	The Lord be with you.	33:52
Congregation	And also with you.	33:54
-	Let us pray.	33:55
	O God like a mother,	34:02
	you knit us together in our mother's womb.	34:04
	As your children hungering and thirsting for you,	34:08
	we have come here today to feed on your body and blood.	34:12
	We have come here this hour to be loved by you.	34:19
	And through your perfect love,	34:24
	transformed into children again,	34:26
	born again into the communion of Saints.	34:29
	You have given us life	34:34
	and that life we offer back to you now	34:37
	in praise, in trust, in thanksgiving.	34:40
	Like children, we have come to ask for your forgiveness.	34:48
	We have come to be held near to your heart,	34:53
	near enough to hear your still small voice,	34:57
	as it comforts us and speaks good news to us.	35:01
	O Jesus who came to us as a child,	35:08
	we pray for the children of the world,	35:12
	for the children who will sleep in cars	35:15
	and under bridges tonight,	35:18
	for the children who live in fear even at home,	35:22
	for the children who search for food this hour,	35:27
	for the children who have been martyred	35:32
	for their faith and the faith of their parents,	35:34
	for the children who like you are refugees,	35:39
	for the children growing up in places of violence and war.	35:45
	Give us eyes to see you, as you come to us again and again,	35:51
	in the disguise of a child in need.	35:58
	We pray too for all the sons and daughters	36:05
	gathered here at Duke.	36:08
	We pray that their parents will raise them in such a way	36:10
	that with your grace they will become poor in spirit,	36:16
	gentle and merciful.	36:21
	Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.	36:24
	Women and men who will be pure in heart.	36:29
	Who will be peacemakers.	36:32
	O God of our mothers and fathers,	36:38
	we pray for all parents	36:41
	who have been entrusted with your children.	36:43
	We pray for all parents searching for food,	36:47
	clothing and shelter for their children.	36:50
	We ask your blessing on all parents courageous enough	36:55
	to baptize their children into this faith,	36:57
	that they will be true to their baptismal vows	37:02
	and true to living Gospel lives with their children.	37:06
	We pray for all Christian homes	37:12
	that you would make sanctuaries of them,	37:16
	places of prayer and hospitality.	37:18
	Places where you will be welcome	37:22
	when you stand at the door and knock.	37:25
	We pray for all broken families.	37:31
	You have given us the ministry of reconciliation.	37:35
	So enable us Lord to offer forgiveness and healing,	37:39
	love and comfort within our own families,	37:43
	and then to our enemies and to the world.	37:48
	Forgive the church for its brokenness,	37:54
	and restore it to a unified family.	37:56
	Enable us to live as brothers and sisters with one another.	38:01
	We pray these prayers in the name of the blessed trinity,	38:07
	world without end, amen.	38:12
	Jesus Christ is our peace,	38:18
	therefore we can live at peace with one another.	38:21
	Let us stand and exchange	38:24
	that sign of peace with our neighbors.	38:26
	(exchange of peace stirrings and murmurings)	38:31
	God has given us all good things.	38:57
	Let us bring to the Lord	38:59
	our gifts and offerings in thanksgiving.	39:01
	You may be seated.	39:03
	(jazzy saxophone solo improvisation)	39:16
	(organ overture "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow")	46:24
	♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪	47:12
	♪ Praise God, all creatures here below ♪	47:18
	♪ Alleluia ♪	47:25
	♪ Alleluia ♪	47:28
	♪ Praise God above, ye heav'nly host ♪	47:33
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ♪	47:40
	♪ Alleluia ♪	47:47
	♪ Alleluia ♪	47:50
	♪ Alleluia ♪	47:53
	♪ Alleluia ♪	47:57
	♪ Alleluia ♪	48:01
-	Let us pray.	48:13
	The Lord be with you.	48:15
Congregation	And also with you.	48:17
-	Lift up your hearts.	48:18
Congregation	We lift them up to the Lord.	48:20
-	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.	48:21
Congregation	It is right to give our thanks and praise.	48:23
-	It is right, a good and joyful thing always and everywhere	48:26
	to give thanks to you, Father Almighty,	48:29
	creator of Heaven and Earth.	48:32
	Blessed are you, God of Abraham and Sarah,	48:34
	God of Miriam and Moses, God of Joshua and Deborah,	48:37
	God of Ruth and David, God of priests and prophets,	48:41
	God of Mary and Joseph, of the apostles and martyrs,	48:45
	and God of our mothers and our fathers,	48:51
	God of our children to all generations.	48:53
	So with your people on Earth, all the company of Heaven,	48:57
	we praise your name and enjoin in their unending hymn.	49:00
	(organ overture "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord - Sanctus")	49:04
	♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord, ♪	49:13
	♪ God of power and might, ♪	49:17
	♪ Heaven and earth are filled with your glory ♪	49:22
	♪ Hosanna in the highest ♪	49:26
	♪ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord ♪	49:31
	♪ Hosanna in the highest ♪	49:38
	Holy are you and blessed is your son, Jesus Christ.	49:49
	On the night in which he gave himself up for us,	49:53
	he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,	49:56
	gave it to his disciples and said,	49:59
	take, eat, this is my body given for you.	50:02
	Do this in remembrances of me.	50:05
	And when the supper was over, he took the cup,	50:08
	gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples and said,	50:11
	drink from this all of you,	50:14
	this is the blood of the new covenant,	50:15
	poured out for you and many for the forgiveness of sins.	50:17
	Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.	50:21
	And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts,	50:25
	in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves,	50:28
	in praise and thanksgiving, a holy and living sacrifice,	50:30
	in union with Christ offering for us,	50:35
	as we proclaim the mystery of faith.	50:37
	(organ overture to Memorial Acclamation)	50:41
	♪ Christ has died ♪	50:49
	♪ Christ is risen ♪	50:52
	♪ Christ will come again ♪	50:54
	Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here	51:00
	and on these gifts of bread and wine.	51:03
	Make them be for us, the body and blood of Christ,	51:05
	that we may be for the world, the body of Christ.	51:09
	Renew our communion with all the saints,	51:13
	especially those whom we now name before you.	51:16
	Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,	51:23
	strengthen us to run with perseverance,	51:26
	the race set before us.	51:28
	By your spirit, make us one with Christ	51:30
	and one with one another.	51:32
	And one in ministry to all the world	51:36
	until Christ comes in final victory,	51:38
	and we shall feast at that heavenly banquet.	51:40
	Through your son, Jesus Christ,	51:43
	with the Holy Spirit, and your Holy Church,	51:44
	honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever.	51:47
	(organ overture to choral "Amen")	51:52
	♪ Amen ♪	51:56
	♪ Amen ♪	51:58
	♪ Amen ♪	52:01
	Let us pray with the confidence of children	52:09
	as our Lord has taught us.	52:11
All In Unison	Our Father, who art in Heaven,	52:13
	hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come,	52:16
	thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.	52:19
	Give us this day, our daily bread,	52:22
	and forgive us our trespasses,	52:25
	as we forgive those who trespass against us,	52:27
	and lead us not into temptation,	52:31
	but deliver us from evil.	52:33
	For thine is the kingdom,	52:35
	and the power,	52:36
	and the glory,	52:38
	for ever, amen.	52:39
-	When we break the bread,	52:43
	is it not a means of sharing in the body of Christ?	52:44
	When we give thanks over the cup,	52:50
	is it not a means of sharing in the blood of Christ?	52:52
	Come to the Lord's table.	52:57
	(organ overture to "Let Us Break Bread Together")	53:00
	♪ Let us break bread together on our knees ♪	53:41
	♪ Let us break bread together on our knees ♪	53:52
	♪ When I fall on my knees ♪	54:03
	♪ With my face to the rising sun ♪	54:08
	♪ O Lord, have mercy on me ♪	54:14
	♪ Let us drink wine together on our knees ♪	54:27
	♪ Let us drink wine together on our knees ♪	54:38
	♪ When I fall on my knees ♪	54:50
	♪ With my face to the rising sun ♪	54:56
	♪ O Lord, have mercy on me ♪	55:02
	♪ Let us praise God together on our knees ♪	55:15
	♪ Let us praise God together on our knees ♪	55:26
	♪ When I fall on my knees ♪	55:37
	♪ With my face to the rising sun ♪	55:43
	♪ O Lord, have mercy on me ♪	55:49
	♪ Let us praise God together on our knees ♪	56:02
	♪ Let us praise God together on our knees ♪	56:14
	♪ When I fall on my knees ♪	56:27
	♪ With my face to the rising sun ♪	56:33
	♪ O Lord, have mercy on me ♪	56:39
	(organ solo music)	56:53
	(organ music changes to "Shall We Gather at the River")	58:14
	♪ Shall we gather at the river ♪	58:42
	♪ Where bright angel feet have trod ♪	58:49
	♪ With its crystal tide forever ♪	58:56
	♪ Flowing by the throne of God ♪	59:03
	♪ Yes, we'll gather at the river ♪	59:11
	♪ The beautiful, the beautiful river ♪	59:18
	♪ Gather with the saints at the river ♪	59:26
	♪ That flows by the throne of God ♪	59:32
	♪ On the bosom of the river ♪	59:47
	♪ Where the Savior-King we own ♪	59:54
	♪ We shall meet and sorrow never ♪	1:00:01
	♪ 'Neath the glory of the throne ♪	1:00:08
	♪ Yes, we'll gather at the river, ♪	1:00:16
	♪ The beautiful, the beautiful river ♪	1:00:23
	♪ Gather with the saints at the river ♪	1:00:30
	♪ That flows by the throne of God ♪	1:00:37
	♪ Ere we reach the shining river ♪	1:00:52
	♪ Lay we every burden down ♪	1:01:00
	♪ Grace our spirits will deliver ♪	1:01:07
	♪ And provide a robe and crown ♪	1:01:13
	♪ Yes, we'll gather at the river ♪	1:01:21
	♪ The beautiful, the beautiful river ♪	1:01:28
	♪ Gather with the saints at the river ♪	1:01:36
	♪ That flows by the throne of God ♪	1:01:42
	♪ Soon we'll reach the shining river, ♪	1:02:02
	♪ Soon our pilgrimage will cease ♪	1:02:09
	♪ Soon our happy hearts will quiver ♪	1:02:16
	♪ With the melody of peace ♪	1:02:22
	♪ Yes, we'll gather at the river ♪	1:02:31
	♪ The beautiful, the beautiful river ♪	1:02:38
	♪ Gather with the saints at the river ♪	1:02:45
	♪ That flows by the throne of God ♪	1:02:51
	♪ Amen ♪	1:03:04
	(general congregational stirrings)	1:03:23
	(saxophone postlude "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square")	1:03:37
	(jazzy piano accompanies saxophone solo)	1:04:04
-	God's thankful and prepared people,	1:08:49
	let us stand and sing the final hymn.	1:08:54
	(organ overture to "Sing with All the Saints in Glory"	1:09:01
	♪ Sing with all the saints in glory ♪	1:09:40
	♪ Sing the resurrection song ♪	1:09:45
	♪ Death and sorrow, Earth's dark story ♪	1:09:50
	♪ To the former days belong ♪	1:09:55
	♪ All around the clouds are breaking ♪	1:10:00
	♪ Soon the storms of time shall cease ♪	1:10:05
	♪ In God's likeness we, awaking ♪	1:10:09
	♪ Know the everlasting peace ♪	1:10:15
	♪ O what glory, far exceeding ♪	1:10:22
	♪ All that eye has yet perceived ♪	1:10:27
	♪ Holiest hearts, for ages pleading ♪	1:10:32
	♪ Never that full joy conceived ♪	1:10:37
	♪ God has promised, Christ prepares it ♪	1:10:42
	♪ There on high our welcome waits ♪	1:10:47
	♪ Every humble spirit shares it ♪	1:10:51
	♪ Christ has passed the eternal gates ♪	1:10:56
	♪ Life eternal, heaven rejoices ♪	1:11:04
	♪ Jesus lives, who once was dead ♪	1:11:09
	♪ Join we now the deathless voices ♪	1:11:14
	♪ Child of God, lift up your head ♪	1:11:18
	♪ Patriarchs from the distant ages ♪	1:11:23
	♪ Saints all longing for their heaven ♪	1:11:28
	♪ Prophets, psalmists, seers and sages ♪	1:11:32
	♪ All await the glory given ♪	1:11:38
	♪ Life eternal oh what wonders ♪	1:11:45
	♪ Crowd on faith, what joy ♪	1:11:50
	(static noise cutting off choral singing)	1:11:54

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "Valued Families" (November 7, 1993)

Description:

Sermon start time: 16:48. Sermon end time: 33:42.
This sermon speaks to family issues and argues that family disruptions are spiritual, rather than economic, issue. The preacher argues that parenthood is a Christian vocation by which we give back to God in gratitude for our life. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4vq2sr5m

Date:

November 7, 1993

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Biblical Book:

1 John

Chapter and Verse:

1 John 3:1-3

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0344
ref9328_882
uachapelsermaud
duke:321656
dcrmv001329
ark:/87924/r4vq2sr5m
e0ac785a-daee-4218-8004-28ef9e4ece78

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

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 - "Valued Families" (November 7, 1993)

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Duke University Archives