Dennis M. Campbell - Sermon Untitled (October 18, 1992)
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Transcript
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♪ For mine eyes ♪ | 0:01 | |
♪ Have seen thy salvation ♪ | 0:08 | |
♪ Which thou hast prepared ♪ | 0:19 | |
♪ Before the face of all people ♪ | 0:31 | |
♪ All people to give ♪ | 0:41 | |
♪ A light to lighten the Gentiles ♪ | 0:48 | |
♪ And the glory of thy people ♪ | 0:59 | |
♪ Israel ♪ | 1:12 | |
♪ Glory be ♪ | 1:27 | |
♪ To the Father ♪ | 1:38 | |
♪ And to the Son ♪ | 1:49 | |
♪ And to the Holy Ghost ♪ | 1:54 | |
♪ As it was in the beginning ♪ | 2:09 | |
♪ Is now, and ever shall be ♪ | 2:18 | |
♪ World without end ♪ | 2:30 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 2:38 | |
- | I was glad when they said unto me, | 7:58 |
let us go into the house of the Lord and worship. | 7:59 | |
This house always makes my heart glad | 8:03 | |
and I hope it does yours this very beautiful day. | 8:06 | |
Our worship today will be led in preaching | 8:10 | |
by the reverend Dr. Dennis Campbell | 8:12 | |
who is dean of our own Divinity School. | 8:14 | |
It will be led in music by Dr. Rossman at the organ | 8:17 | |
and by the Alamance Chorale whom we have already heard. | 8:20 | |
There are several announcements in your bulletin, | 8:25 | |
to which I call your attention. | 8:27 | |
But let me remind you, that one week from today, | 8:29 | |
at 5:00 pm, there will be a special concert | 8:31 | |
on the university Caroline, by Mr. Sam Penham | 8:35 | |
to celebrate the restoration of the Caroline. | 8:39 | |
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. | 8:46 | |
Congregation | And also with you. | 8:50 |
- | The risen Christ is with us. | 8:51 |
Congregation | Praise the Lord. | 8:53 |
(imposing organ music) | 8:56 | |
♪ Come, Christians, join to sing ♪ | 9:24 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 9:28 | |
♪ Loud praise to Christ our King ♪ | 9:33 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 9:37 | |
♪ Let all, with heart and voice ♪ | 9:42 | |
♪ Before his throne rejoice ♪ | 9:46 | |
♪ Praise is his gracious choice ♪ | 9:51 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 9:55 | |
♪ Come, lift your hearts on high ♪ | 10:02 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 10:07 | |
♪ Let praises fill the sky ♪ | 10:11 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 10:16 | |
♪ He is our Guide and Friend ♪ | 10:20 | |
♪ To us he'll condescend ♪ | 10:25 | |
♪ His love shall never end ♪ | 10:30 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 10:34 | |
♪ Praise yet our Christ again ♪ | 10:41 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 10:46 | |
♪ Life shall not end the strain ♪ | 10:50 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 10:55 | |
♪ On heaven's blissful shore ♪ | 11:00 | |
♪ His goodness we'll adore ♪ | 11:04 | |
♪ Singing forevermore ♪ | 11:09 | |
♪ Alleluia, amen ♪ | 11:14 | |
- | Let us pray. | 11:23 |
Almighty and everlasting God, | 11:25 | |
in Christ You have revealed Your glory among the nations. | 11:27 | |
Preserve the works of Your mercy. | 11:32 | |
That Your church throughout the world | 11:34 | |
may persevere with steadfast faith | 11:36 | |
in the confession of Your name through Jesus Christ | 11:39 | |
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. | 11:42 | |
One God, forever and ever, amen. | 11:46 | |
- | Let us pray together the prayer for illumination. | 12:02 |
All | Open our hearts and minds oh God. | 12:07 |
By the power of Your Holy Spirit. | 12:10 | |
So that as the Word is read and proclaimed, | 12:13 | |
we might hear with joy what You say to us this day. | 12:17 | |
Amen. | 12:21 | |
- | This reading is from the prophet Habakkuk. | 12:24 |
Selected verses from chapters one and two. | 12:27 | |
"The oracle that the prophet, Habakkuk saw. | 12:31 | |
"Oh Lord how long shall I cry out for help | 12:35 | |
"and You will not listen. | 12:38 | |
"Or cry to you violence and You will not save. | 12:40 | |
"Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? | 12:46 | |
"Destruction and violence are before me, | 12:50 | |
"strife and contention arise. | 12:53 | |
"I will stand at my watch post | 12:57 | |
"and station myself on the rampart. | 13:00 | |
"I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, | 13:03 | |
"and what He will answer concerning my complaint. | 13:06 | |
"Then the Lord answered me and said, | 13:10 | |
"Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, | 13:13 | |
"so that a runner may read it. | 13:17 | |
"For there is still a vision for the appointed time. | 13:20 | |
"It speaks of the end and does not lie. | 13:24 | |
"If it seems to tarry, wait for it. | 13:28 | |
"It will surely come, it will not delay. | 13:30 | |
"Look at the proud, their spirit is not right in them. | 13:34 | |
"But the righteous live by their faith." | 13:39 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 13:43 | |
Congregation | Praise be to God. | 13:46 |
- | Our reading from this Psalter is found on page 843, | 13:55 |
a selection from the 119th psalm. | 13:59 | |
Verses 137 to 144. | 14:03 | |
Let us stand for the reading at the Psalter. | 14:06 | |
"Righteous are You, oh Lord, and right are Your judgments." | 14:14 | |
Congregation | "You have appointed your testimonies | 14:18 |
"in righteousness and in all faithfulness." | 14:20 | |
- | "My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words." | 14:23 |
Congregation | "Your promise is well tried, | 14:28 |
"and your servant loves it." | 14:31 | |
- | "I am small and despised, | 14:33 |
"yet I do not forget your precepts." | 14:35 | |
Congregation | "Your righteousness is righteous forever, | 14:38 |
"and your law is true." | 14:41 | |
- | "Trouble and anguish have come upon me, | 14:42 |
"but your commandments are my delight." | 14:45 | |
Congregation | "Your testimonies are righteous forever; | 14:48 |
"give me understanding that I may live." | 14:51 | |
(imposing organ plays) | 14:55 | |
♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪ | 15:01 | |
♪ Praise to our Redeemer Lord ♪ | 15:08 | |
♪ Glory be to our Sustainer ♪ | 15:15 | |
♪ Ever three and ever one ♪ | 15:21 | |
♪ As it was in the beginning ♪ | 15:29 | |
♪ Now and ever more shall be ♪ | 15:36 | |
- | This reading is from the third and fourth chapters | 15:53 |
of Paul's second letter to Timothy. | 15:57 | |
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned | 16:01 | |
"and firmly believe, knowing from whom you learned it, | 16:04 | |
"and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings | 16:08 | |
"that are able to instruct you for salvation, | 16:13 | |
"through faith in Christ Jesus. | 16:16 | |
"All scripture is inspired by God, | 16:19 | |
"and is useful for teaching, for reproof, | 16:22 | |
"for correction, and for training in righteousness. | 16:27 | |
"So that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, | 16:31 | |
"equipped for every good work. | 16:36 | |
"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus | 16:39 | |
"who is to judge the living and the dead. | 16:42 | |
"And in view of His appearing and His kingdom, | 16:45 | |
"I solemnly urge you, proclaim the message. | 16:49 | |
"Be persistent, whether the time | 16:53 | |
"is favorable or unfavorable. | 16:55 | |
"Convince, rebuke and encourage | 16:58 | |
"with the utmost patience in teaching. | 17:02 | |
"For the time is coming | 17:05 | |
"when people will not put up with sound doctrine, | 17:07 | |
"but having itching ears, | 17:10 | |
"they will accumulate for themselves | 17:13 | |
"teachers to suit their own desires. | 17:15 | |
"And will turn away from listening to the truth | 17:18 | |
"and wander away to myths. | 17:20 | |
"As for you, always be sober. | 17:23 | |
"Endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, | 17:26 | |
"carry out your ministry fully." | 17:31 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 17:34 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 17:37 |
(imposing organ plays) | 17:50 | |
♪ Make a joyful noise unto the lord, all ye lands ♪ | 17:57 | |
♪ Serve the Lord with gladness ♪ | 18:05 | |
♪ Serve the Lord with gladness ♪ | 18:08 | |
♪ Come before His presence with singing ♪ | 18:12 | |
♪ Know ye that the Lord, He is God ♪ | 18:16 | |
♪ Know ye that the Lord, He is God ♪ | 18:22 | |
♪ It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves ♪ | 18:28 | |
♪ It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves ♪ | 18:36 | |
♪ We are His people and the sheep of His pasture ♪ | 18:46 | |
♪ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving ♪ | 18:54 | |
♪ And into His courts with praise ♪ | 18:59 | |
♪ Be thankful unto Him and bless His name ♪ | 19:06 | |
♪ For the Lord is good ♪ | 19:16 | |
♪ His mercy is everlasting ♪ | 19:20 | |
♪ And His truth endureth to all generations ♪ | 19:24 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 19:39 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 19:41 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 19:43 | |
- | The gospel lesson for this morning | 20:05 |
is taken from the book of Luke, in the 18th chapter. | 20:08 | |
The first eight verses. | 20:13 | |
"Then Jesus told them a parable | 20:18 | |
"about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. | 20:21 | |
"He said, in a certain city there was a judge | 20:27 | |
"who neither feared God, nor had respect for people. | 20:31 | |
"In that city there was a widow, | 20:36 | |
"who kept coming to him and saying, | 20:40 | |
"grant me justice against my opponent. | 20:43 | |
"For a while he refused, | 20:47 | |
"but later he said to himself, | 20:50 | |
"though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone. | 20:52 | |
"Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, | 20:56 | |
"I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out | 21:01 | |
"by continually coming. | 21:06 | |
"And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. | 21:09 | |
"And will not God grant justice to His chosen ones, | 21:15 | |
"who cry to Him day and night. | 21:19 | |
"Will He delay long in helping them. | 21:23 | |
"I tell you, He will quickly grant justice to them. | 21:27 | |
"And yet when the Son of Man comes, | 21:32 | |
"will He find faith on earth?" | 21:34 | |
This is the Word of God. | 21:39 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 21:42 |
- | Let us pray. | 21:43 |
Oh God, we give thanks for this word from the scriptures. | 21:45 | |
May we rightly hear and understand Your Word, | 21:50 | |
and appropriate it for us in our time. | 21:56 | |
In the name of Christ we pray, amen. | 22:01 | |
This parable that Jesus told is known | 22:09 | |
as the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. | 22:13 | |
It is in fact a rather interesting story. | 22:20 | |
One of the more interesting parables perhaps. | 22:24 | |
But it is complex, and not obvious. | 22:28 | |
Luke was so worried about that fact, | 22:34 | |
that he even provides an introductory sentence | 22:37 | |
to try to steer us, his readers, or hearers, | 22:40 | |
in the right direction. | 22:45 | |
And indeed that would be the title for this sermon. | 22:47 | |
On not losing heart. | 22:51 | |
I read this text to my family | 22:56 | |
at breakfast yesterday morning | 22:59 | |
and we talked about it a little bit | 23:02 | |
and you can imagine that the first idea that came up, | 23:05 | |
was that of persistence. | 23:09 | |
Our son, Trevor, was after me | 23:13 | |
to get him a new pair of shoes. | 23:15 | |
And his mother said, if he keeps at it long enough, | 23:18 | |
you'll go do it, that's a kind of persistence | 23:22 | |
like this widow. | 23:25 | |
Persistence can be good. | 23:27 | |
In fact, it would be possible for me this morning | 23:30 | |
to give a little homily about persevering toward a goal. | 23:33 | |
I've given it many times, around the family table. | 23:38 | |
Perseverance can be good. | 23:45 | |
We all know the story of Bill Clinton, | 23:48 | |
and his visit to the White House | 23:51 | |
while John F. Kennedy was president in the early '60s. | 23:53 | |
He later called it something of a religious experience, | 23:57 | |
and he said decided at that moment that the rest of his life | 24:00 | |
was going to be directed to a persistent goal | 24:04 | |
of coming back to live there. | 24:08 | |
Persistence, I suppose, can be good. | 24:12 | |
And we all tell our children about the importance | 24:15 | |
of persistence and not giving up. | 24:18 | |
But as we also know, there's another side of it. | 24:22 | |
Sometimes this kind of persistence can get irritating. | 24:26 | |
A number of years ago, I had to make a decision | 24:32 | |
about getting rid of a ping pong table room | 24:34 | |
in the Divinity School. | 24:38 | |
We needed it to expand the bookstore. | 24:39 | |
And there was a small group of students | 24:43 | |
who used that ping pong table every day | 24:46 | |
and when I made that decision | 24:49 | |
I though it might be the end of my deanship. | 24:51 | |
They kept coming, and coming, and coming, | 24:54 | |
and wouldn't go away | 24:57 | |
and finally one of them said to my secretary, | 24:59 | |
"The dean doesn't like to be badgered, does he?" | 25:02 | |
And she said back to them, "Nobody likes to be badgered." | 25:05 | |
There is something about persistence | 25:12 | |
that also can become a problem. | 25:16 | |
And I think what we need to understand about this parable, | 25:19 | |
is that it is not simply a little message | 25:23 | |
about how to behave. | 25:27 | |
This widow, let me be clear, this widow is not a good model. | 25:30 | |
Persistence is good, if not overdone or obsessive. | 25:38 | |
The most important thing to be said is that | 25:46 | |
that is not what this parable is about. | 25:48 | |
Now a second idea that came up | 25:52 | |
around our breakfast table yesterday morning, | 25:54 | |
was that this was a story about positive thinking. | 25:57 | |
We ought to be positive, and seize the moment | 26:01 | |
and keep after it. | 26:06 | |
Now there is a great tradition of positive thinking | 26:09 | |
in American Christianity. | 26:12 | |
Henry Ward Beecher, Phillips Brooks, Josiah Strong, | 26:14 | |
Russell Conwell, the list could go on | 26:19 | |
down to our own time and the famous Norman Vincent Peale. | 26:22 | |
It's always popular. | 26:28 | |
A popular sermon out of this text | 26:30 | |
could call us to inspiration, | 26:33 | |
to a kind of self-help mentality | 26:36 | |
that would urge us to the value of being positive | 26:41 | |
and moving along through life, | 26:47 | |
with a certainty and affirmation. | 26:50 | |
But I think as a theologian, that positive thinking | 26:56 | |
probably has more to do with marketing | 26:59 | |
and advertising, and public relations, | 27:03 | |
than with Christianity. | 27:07 | |
I have a very good friend named Al Hagar | 27:09 | |
who is a retired executive of Young and Rubicam Advertising. | 27:11 | |
He headed their operations in France for many years | 27:17 | |
and then in Australia. | 27:21 | |
He is on our board, and he told me the other day | 27:23 | |
about an advertising campaign | 27:26 | |
that he had been once involved in for Oil of Olay. | 27:29 | |
And they were having a difficult time | 27:33 | |
coming up with the proper advertising. | 27:35 | |
The lines weren't right, the models weren't right. | 27:39 | |
One of his assistants said the model's not beautiful enough. | 27:43 | |
And finally out of frustration he said, | 27:47 | |
"Wait a minute, let's go to the bottom line. | 27:49 | |
"What is it we are trying to sell?" | 27:52 | |
He said, "In this commercial for Oil of Olay, | 27:56 | |
"we are not selling beauty, we are selling hope." | 27:59 | |
In fact, that's probably | 28:08 | |
what most cosmetic advertising is about. | 28:10 | |
Same thing with all these perfume and cologne advertisements | 28:14 | |
that now you can smell in your magazine | 28:19 | |
as it comes in the mail. | 28:21 | |
It's about hope. | 28:24 | |
And so when we get to the bottom line, | 28:26 | |
we need to be clear that it is about human hope | 28:29 | |
and the foibles thereof. | 28:34 | |
And so perhaps this text urges us | 28:37 | |
to ask the question if we dare to think about it | 28:40 | |
in terms of positive thinking, | 28:43 | |
wherein is our hope? | 28:45 | |
Wherein is your hope? | 28:49 | |
Positive thinking is popular because it holds up | 28:51 | |
the possibility of our own idea | 28:54 | |
of what we want to hope for | 28:57 | |
and might be able to control. | 28:59 | |
But, in the end, positive thinking itself won't work. | 29:03 | |
Because in our heart of hearts, | 29:09 | |
in the depths of our souls we know | 29:11 | |
that it is too shallow. | 29:14 | |
More significantly, and ultimately, not true. | 29:18 | |
Jesus went to the cross, and that was not an exercise | 29:24 | |
simply in positive thinking. | 29:29 | |
So, both of these ideas, persistence and positive thinking | 29:32 | |
have merit in them. | 29:37 | |
I want to be clear about that, | 29:38 | |
they have some merit. | 29:40 | |
But the merit is chiefly on the human scale. | 29:41 | |
And this parable is not finally about the human scale. | 29:45 | |
It is not simply about us, | 29:52 | |
and what we ought to do. | 29:55 | |
The parable rather directs us to some understanding, | 29:58 | |
and a right understanding, of the nature of God. | 30:03 | |
Just as the widow is not to be taken as an exact model | 30:08 | |
for our human actions, so we are not to think | 30:13 | |
about the judge as a model of God. | 30:17 | |
That would be a mistake. | 30:21 | |
Rather this is a story which seeks to teach us by contrast. | 30:22 | |
Not comparison of likeness, but contrast of difference. | 30:29 | |
This unjust judge was finally moved to act justly. | 30:40 | |
And Jesus suggests, if even he can be moved, | 30:48 | |
imagine how much more a gracious God will be moved. | 30:53 | |
So the model is like earlier examples of Jesus' teaching | 31:02 | |
where He uses this format. | 31:07 | |
You can think just back a few chapters to Luke 11, | 31:09 | |
where Jesus says, "if you then," addressing people like us, | 31:13 | |
"if you, who are evil, | 31:17 | |
"know how to give good gifts to your children, | 31:20 | |
"how much more will the heavenly Father | 31:25 | |
"give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" | 31:29 | |
If even we, who are human beings and therefore sinful, evil, | 31:34 | |
if even we know how to do good and gracious things, | 31:40 | |
how much more will it be the case that God will act? | 31:44 | |
If this cynical judge who had rejected the widow's plea, | 31:50 | |
at last came to her rescue | 31:54 | |
in order to get rid of her nagging, | 31:56 | |
how much more can we expect from God? | 31:58 | |
This, friends, is good news. | 32:03 | |
And this is the real message this morning. | 32:06 | |
This is why we don't lose heart. | 32:09 | |
It's not simply because of persistence or positive thinking, | 32:12 | |
it's because of the nature of God. | 32:16 | |
This message runs contrary to apparent contradictions. | 32:19 | |
And that is so, because there is a tension | 32:25 | |
between appearance and reality in this world. | 32:28 | |
It does not look as though | 32:33 | |
God's action is winning. | 32:38 | |
But what Jesus' message | 32:44 | |
and what the whole Christian affirmation is about | 32:46 | |
is that it is so despite appearances to the contrary. | 32:50 | |
And that's why we do not lose heart. | 32:56 | |
Not because of anything we do, | 33:01 | |
but because of what God has done and is doing. | 33:04 | |
Daniel Bell, a sociologist of Harvard said | 33:08 | |
in a famous lecture, in 1977, | 33:11 | |
at the London School of Economics, | 33:15 | |
and this is a quote from him. | 33:17 | |
"At the end of the 18th | 33:19 | |
"and to the middle of the 19th century | 33:20 | |
"almost every enlightened thinker | 33:23 | |
"expected religion to disappear in the 20th century." | 33:25 | |
Well of course it has not, it has persisted. | 33:31 | |
And that's not because of human action, | 33:36 | |
but because of God's grace. | 33:39 | |
A couple years ago, almost two years ago, | 33:40 | |
I was in Australia for the seventh assembly | 33:44 | |
of the World Council of Churches. | 33:47 | |
And there I met a man with whom I talked a great deal, | 33:48 | |
Archbishop Kirill of Smolensk, | 33:52 | |
who was the chief ecumenical officer | 33:55 | |
for the Russian Orthodox Church. | 33:58 | |
He talked to me a great deal about | 34:01 | |
the resurgence of religion in Russia. | 34:03 | |
At that time the Soviet Union, | 34:07 | |
the Soviet Union since 1917 had been one of the most | 34:09 | |
vociferous foes of all religion, | 34:15 | |
perhaps in the whole history of the world. | 34:18 | |
Sought to eradicate Christianity and all religion | 34:21 | |
from the Soviet Union. | 34:25 | |
And I asked the archbishop, how is it that the church | 34:28 | |
endured and persevered through it all. | 34:32 | |
He said, orthodoxy always takes there long view. | 34:35 | |
That there will be ups, but there will also be downs | 34:42 | |
and the down may be for many generations. | 34:47 | |
But God's promise is sure, and will work itself out. | 34:51 | |
"And that's what's happening," he said, "now. | 34:56 | |
"Oh where our kings and empires now of old, | 34:59 | |
"that went and came, but Lord Thy church is praying yet | 35:03 | |
"a thousand years the same." | 35:08 | |
God's activity is working itself out | 35:12 | |
and therefore we do not lose heart. | 35:18 | |
I'm not a particularly patient person. | 35:24 | |
I remember when I was first asked | 35:28 | |
to become dean of the Divinity School, | 35:30 | |
Bill Bevan, who was then our provost, said to me, | 35:33 | |
"Dennis, you need to cultivate patience." | 35:36 | |
So I remembered that and in my prayers that night, | 35:39 | |
asked the Lord, "Please give me patience | 35:42 | |
"and do it in a hurry." | 35:46 | |
There is a characteristic about all of us | 35:52 | |
that we don't want to wait. | 35:57 | |
We don't want to see God's action take it's time. | 36:00 | |
But we would like to be in control. | 36:06 | |
See that's really what it's all about. | 36:08 | |
We are not patient because we want to be in control. | 36:11 | |
John Henry Newman, who was one of the great figures | 36:14 | |
of Christianity of the 19th century, | 36:19 | |
tells the story in his writings of his own | 36:22 | |
profound conversion, which actually took place on a ship | 36:26 | |
becalmed in the Mediterranean Sea off Italy | 36:30 | |
in June of 1833. | 36:35 | |
And once he had this religious experience, | 36:38 | |
he was already a priest of the church, | 36:42 | |
he was very anxious to get back to England | 36:45 | |
to put these new ideas into action. | 36:49 | |
But there was no wind, | 36:53 | |
and here was this ship becalmed in the sea | 36:55 | |
and he was so anxious. | 36:58 | |
And he said that in the waiting, | 37:01 | |
and they waited almost two weeks until the wind picked up | 37:03 | |
and could move the ship. | 37:06 | |
He said, "In the waiting, I learned about God, | 37:08 | |
"and more importantly I learned about myself. | 37:13 | |
"And I learned that I was not in control.' | 37:16 | |
And he wrote on that ship, the famous poem | 37:20 | |
which has become the hymn, "Lead Kindly Light". | 37:23 | |
And he said in there, | 37:28 | |
"It was not ever thus nor prayed | 37:31 | |
"that thou shouldst lead me on. | 37:33 | |
"I loved to choose and see my path. | 37:36 | |
"But now, thou lead me on." | 37:41 | |
You see he wanted to have control and to move quickly. | 37:46 | |
But he learned through the spiritual experience, | 37:52 | |
that he needed to wait. | 37:55 | |
And that in God's own time | 37:58 | |
his contributions would be significant. | 38:02 | |
And so it is for us. | 38:06 | |
In our time, in a time when the economy is in trouble, | 38:08 | |
when we have significant racial divisiveness | 38:12 | |
and need for genuine and general reconciliation, | 38:16 | |
for a spirit of coming together in this nation, | 38:21 | |
a time when we need renewed efforts at education | 38:25 | |
for little children, and hope for tomorrow, | 38:30 | |
the Christian affirmation is that we want | 38:36 | |
quick response but response will come in God's time. | 38:40 | |
I don't want to be misunderstood, | 38:48 | |
I'm not counseling quietude and not doing anything. | 38:49 | |
Our Christian faith clearly compels us to action, | 38:54 | |
to being busy about the needs of this world. | 38:59 | |
But our faith also reminds us, | 39:05 | |
and indeed this text in particular, | 39:08 | |
reminds us that we alone | 39:10 | |
can't bring about a perfect order in this world. | 39:14 | |
But we know that God is acting, | 39:22 | |
we have this promise, | 39:26 | |
assured because of His action in Christ. | 39:28 | |
And because of this we have perspective | 39:34 | |
and vision beyond contemporary appearance. | 39:38 | |
Appearance and reality. | 39:43 | |
Our prayer this morning therefore, | 39:46 | |
is that God will continue to act. | 39:49 | |
And this sermon is an invitation, | 39:52 | |
an invitation to you, to see reality rightly. | 39:55 | |
That even in times when we are impatient, | 40:02 | |
and not in control, God is in control. | 40:07 | |
And therefore, we do not lose heart, | 40:12 | |
because we know that we can trust. | 40:17 | |
We should be persistent, and we can be positive. | 40:21 | |
But not because of ourselves or anything we do. | 40:27 | |
We can be persistent and positive | 40:32 | |
because of God's never-ending grace toward us. | 40:34 | |
We do not lose heart, | 40:38 | |
because despite all appearance, | 40:40 | |
God's promise is sure and is being worked out. | 40:43 | |
Then Jesus told them a parable | 40:49 | |
about their need to pray always | 40:52 | |
and not to lose heart. | 40:56 | |
Amen. | 40:59 | |
(imposing organ music) | 41:08 | |
♪ O Master, let me walk with Thee ♪ | 41:34 | |
♪ In lowly paths of service free ♪ | 41:41 | |
♪ Tell me Thy secret, help me bear ♪ | 41:47 | |
♪ The strain of toil, the fret of care ♪ | 41:54 | |
♪ Help me the slow of heart to move ♪ | 42:02 | |
♪ By some clear, winning word of love ♪ | 42:09 | |
♪ Teach me the wayward feet to stay ♪ | 42:16 | |
♪ And guide them in the homeward way ♪ | 42:22 | |
♪ Teach me Thy patience, still with Thee ♪ | 42:32 | |
♪ In closer, dearer company ♪ | 42:38 | |
♪ In work that keeps faith sweet and strong ♪ | 42:45 | |
♪ In trust that triumphs over wrong ♪ | 42:52 | |
♪ In hope that sends a shining ray ♪ | 43:01 | |
♪ Far down the future's broad'ning way ♪ | 43:08 | |
♪ In peace that only Thou canst give ♪ | 43:15 | |
♪ With Thee, O Master, let me live ♪ | 43:22 | |
Dennis | The Lord be with you. | 43:33 |
Congregation | And also with you. | 43:34 |
Dennis | Let us pray. | 43:36 |
Oh Lord our Lord, how magnificent is your name | 43:47 | |
in all the universe. | 43:49 | |
The strain of our toil and the thread | 43:52 | |
of our manifold cares cannot obscure | 43:54 | |
Your goodness and justness. | 43:56 | |
You created and continue to create | 43:59 | |
out of the profusion of Your love. | 44:01 | |
When our world lay in darkness you illumined us | 44:04 | |
with the light of Your Son, our savior. | 44:07 | |
And when we thought our hearts would break | 44:10 | |
because of His cross, You raised Him from the dead. | 44:12 | |
And sent us the comfort and consolation | 44:16 | |
and power of Your Holy Spirit. | 44:18 | |
The gift of Yourself to us is Your most precious gift. | 44:21 | |
And it is this gift which moves us | 44:26 | |
to consider Your children around the world and next door. | 44:27 | |
Prince of Peace, we pray for those everywhere | 44:33 | |
who are victims of wanton human violence. | 44:35 | |
Especially for those in Bosnia and Herzegovina. | 44:38 | |
And for those on our streets and in our neighborhoods | 44:42 | |
throughout this land. | 44:44 | |
Lord of time and history we pray for the nations | 44:47 | |
of the world, that justice and peace may prevail. | 44:50 | |
That men and women, boys and girls, | 44:53 | |
may live in hope and safety. | 44:56 | |
Devoting their energies to ennobling | 44:59 | |
and elevating life. | 45:01 | |
Lord in Your mercy. | 45:04 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 45:06 |
Dennis | Ruler of all nature, we pray for those | 45:08 |
who are victims of natural disaster. | 45:11 | |
For those in Egypt, and Florida, and Louisiana | 45:14 | |
and other places throughout the world. | 45:18 | |
In Somalia and other drought-ridden lands. | 45:20 | |
Lord in Your mercy. | 45:24 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 45:27 |
Dennis | Creating and loving God who sets us | 45:29 |
in communities and endows us with the longing | 45:31 | |
for one another, bless our land. | 45:34 | |
Especially in the season when we debate | 45:37 | |
the state of our nation and its future. | 45:40 | |
Inspire our leaders and would-be leaders. | 45:43 | |
Enlighten those who govern, | 45:47 | |
that they may lead with wisdom and generosity. | 45:48 | |
Restrain the greedy, the rapacious, | 45:52 | |
and the hateful among us. | 45:55 | |
Teach us how to love and care for one another. | 45:58 | |
Lord in Your mercy. | 46:02 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 46:05 |
Dennis | Bless our durum in this community. | 46:07 |
That we may find ever more just | 46:09 | |
and compassionate ways to live together. | 46:11 | |
Bless our mayor, the city council, | 46:15 | |
and county commissioners. | 46:17 | |
Bless our president, Brody and those who lead with him | 46:19 | |
in this university. | 46:22 | |
Inspire and guide us all to lift up our common life. | 46:24 | |
To bless and not curse one another. | 46:29 | |
To embrace the common good, | 46:32 | |
and to love our neighbor as ourselves. | 46:35 | |
Lord in Your mercy. | 46:39 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 46:41 |
Dennis | Oh Thou for whom a thousand years | 46:43 |
are but an evening gone | 46:45 | |
help us to trust You, even when our prayers | 46:47 | |
appear to go unanswered. | 46:51 | |
And teach us to pray always, | 46:53 | |
and not to lose heart. | 46:55 | |
In Christ our Lord. | 46:58 | |
Amen. | 47:01 | |
The scriptures tell us that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. | 47:04 | |
Let us therefore continue our worship | 47:07 | |
with our gift of tithes and offerings. | 47:09 | |
(imposing organ music) | 47:19 | |
♪ Like as the hart ♪ | 47:32 | |
♪ Desireth the water-brooks ♪ | 47:37 | |
♪ So longeth my soul after thee ♪ | 47:44 | |
♪ O God ♪ | 47:53 | |
♪ My soul is athirst for God ♪ | 48:02 | |
♪ Yea, even for the living God ♪ | 48:15 | |
♪ When shall I come to appear ♪ | 48:38 | |
♪ Before the presence of God ♪ | 48:51 | |
♪ My tears have been my meat day and night ♪ | 49:15 | |
♪ While they daily say unto me ♪ | 49:25 | |
♪ Where is now thy God ♪ | 49:35 | |
♪ The hart desireth after thee, O God ♪ | 49:53 | |
♪ My tears have been my meat ♪ | 50:06 | |
♪ Day and night ♪ | 50:16 | |
♪ My tears ♪ | 50:23 | |
(sad organ music) | 50:31 | |
♪ Where is thy God ♪ | 50:57 | |
♪ When shall I come to appear ♪ | 51:08 | |
♪ My soul is athirst for God ♪ | 51:22 | |
♪ Yea, even for the living God ♪ | 51:38 | |
♪ When shall I come to appear ♪ | 51:52 | |
♪ Before the presence ♪ | 52:04 | |
♪ The presence of God ♪ | 52:11 | |
(imposing organ music) | 53:00 | |
♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 53:16 | |
♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below ♪ | 53:21 | |
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ | 53:26 | |
♪ Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host ♪ | 53:33 | |
♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ | 53:39 | |
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ | 53:44 | |
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ | 53:50 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 53:56 | |
Dennis | Let us pray. | 54:14 |
Accept oh Lord our thanks and praise | 54:18 | |
for all that You have done for us. | 54:21 | |
We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, | 54:24 | |
for the beauty of this world, | 54:26 | |
for the wonder of life and for the mystery of love. | 54:28 | |
We thank you for the blessing of family and friends. | 54:32 | |
and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side, | 54:35 | |
for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts | 54:39 | |
and for leading us to accomplishments | 54:43 | |
which satisfy and delight us. | 54:45 | |
We thank you also for those disappointments and failures | 54:48 | |
that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on You alone. | 54:51 | |
These gifts we present | 54:56 | |
are betokens of our dependence upon You | 54:57 | |
but also tokens of our delight in You, | 55:01 | |
of our joy that You have blessed us, | 55:05 | |
and of our hope that You will bless the whole world | 55:08 | |
as you have blessed even us. | 55:10 | |
Multiply our gifts and use them to Your glory. | 55:13 | |
Through Christ Our Lord who gave us also | 55:17 | |
the gift of prayer, saying. | 55:19 | |
All | Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. | 55:21 |
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done | 55:26 | |
on earth as it is in heaven. | 55:30 | |
Give us this day our daily bread, | 55:32 | |
and forgive us our trespasses | 55:35 | |
as we forgive those who trespass against us | 55:37 | |
and lead us not into temptation, | 55:41 | |
but deliver us from evil. | 55:43 | |
For Thine is the kingdom, | 55:45 | |
and the power and the glory. | 55:47 | |
Forever, amen. | 55:50 | |
(imposing organ music) | 55:54 | |
♪ Joyful, joyful, we adore You ♪ | 56:28 | |
♪ God of glory, Lord of love ♪ | 56:32 | |
♪ Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You ♪ | 56:36 | |
♪ Op'ning to the sun above ♪ | 56:40 | |
♪ Melt the clouds of sin and sadness ♪ | 56:44 | |
♪ Drive the dark of doubt away ♪ | 56:49 | |
♪ Giver of immortal gladness ♪ | 56:53 | |
♪ Fill us with the light of day ♪ | 56:57 | |
♪ All Your works with joy surround You ♪ | 57:04 | |
♪ Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays ♪ | 57:08 | |
♪ Stars and angels sing around You ♪ | 57:12 | |
♪ Center of unbroken praise ♪ | 57:17 | |
♪ Field and forest, vale and mountain ♪ | 57:21 | |
♪ Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea ♪ | 57:25 | |
♪ Chanting bird and flowing fountain ♪ | 57:30 | |
♪ Praising You eternally ♪ | 57:34 | |
♪ Always giving and forgiving ♪ | 57:41 | |
♪ Ever blessing, ever blest ♪ | 57:45 | |
♪ Well-spring of the joy of living ♪ | 57:49 | |
♪ Ocean-depth of happy rest ♪ | 57:53 | |
♪ Loving Father, Christ our Brother ♪ | 57:58 | |
♪ Let Your light upon us shine ♪ | 58:02 | |
♪ Teach us how to love each other ♪ | 58:06 | |
♪ Lift us to the joy divine ♪ | 58:11 | |
♪ Mortals, join the mighty chorus ♪ | 58:18 | |
♪ Which the morning stars began ♪ | 58:22 | |
♪ God's own love is reigning o'er us ♪ | 58:26 | |
♪ Joining people hand in hand ♪ | 58:31 | |
♪ Ever singing, march we onward ♪ | 58:35 | |
♪ Victors in the midst of strife ♪ | 58:40 | |
♪ Joyful music leads us sunward ♪ | 58:44 | |
♪ In the triumph song of life ♪ | 58:48 | |
Dennis | Now may the love of God, | 58:59 |
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 59:01 | |
and the communion of the Holy Spirit | 59:04 | |
be with us all this day and forevermore. | 59:06 | |
Amen. | 59:09 | |
(imposing organ music) | 59:18 |
Item Info
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