John K. Bergland - "In This Is Love - 1 John 4:10" (May 20, 1979)

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	(powerful organ music)	0:03
-	Duke University Chapel,	0:04
	Sunday service, May 20, 1979.	0:05
	(uplifting organ music)	0:13
	(people scuffling)	6:10
	(people talking)	6:15
	(light uplifting music)	6:18
	(choir humming)	11:12
	♪ Lord Jesus Christ ♪	11:14
	♪ Be present now ♪	11:17
	♪ Our hearts in true devotion bow ♪	11:19
	♪ Thy Spirit send with grace divine ♪	11:24
	♪ And let Thy truth within us shine ♪	11:29
	♪ Unseal our lips to sing Thy praise ♪	11:35
	♪ Our souls to Thee in worship raise ♪	11:40
	♪ Make strong our faith increase our light ♪	11:45
	♪ That we may know Thy name aright ♪	11:50
	[Congregation Rustling]	15:14
-	We begin our worship in the name of God.	15:21
	Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.	15:24
	Amen.	15:28
	Since we are assembled here to	15:30
	hear God's Word,	15:32
	and to call upon our Lord in prayer,	15:33
	let us think of our unworthiness,	15:37
	confess before God that we have	15:39
	sinned in thought,	15:41
	word, and deed.	15:43
	And realize, also, that by our own strength	15:44
	we cannot free ourselves from our sinful nature.	15:48
	Therefore we take refuge in our Lord's	15:53
	infinite mercy,	15:55
	seeking and imploring His grace for the sake	15:57
	of our Lord Jesus Christ.	16:00
	And we say,	16:02
	almighty and merciful Lord our God,	16:04
	we have erred and strayed from Thy ways	16:08
	like lost sheep.	16:11
	We have followed too much the devices	16:13
	and desires of our own hearts.	16:16
	We have offended against Thy holy laws.	16:19
	We have left undone those things we	16:23
	ought to have done,	16:26
	and we have done those things which we ought	16:28
	not to have done.	16:31
	But Thou, oh Lord, have mercy upon us.	16:33
	Spare Thou those, oh God,	16:37
	who confess their faults.	16:39
	Restore Thou those who are penitent,	16:42
	according to Thy promises	16:46
	declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.	16:48
	And grant, oh most merciful God,	16:54
	for his sake,	16:56
	that we may hereafter live a godly,	16:58
	righteous, and sober life,	17:01
	to the glory of Thy holy name.	17:05
	[Congregation Rustling]	17:20
	Almighty God, our Heavenly Creator,	17:24
	has had mercy upon us.	17:26
	And has given His only Son to die for us.	17:28
	And, for his sake, forgives us all our sins.	17:32
	To them that believe on His name,	17:36
	our Lord gives power to become	17:39
	the children of God,	17:41
	and has promised them His Holy Spirit.	17:43
	Every one that believes and is baptized,	17:47
	shall be saved.	17:49
	As it is said, so shall it also be to us.	17:52
	Amen.	17:57
	[Pages Rustling]	18:00
	Let us pray.	18:02
	Blessed Lord, You speak to us through	18:06
	the Holy Scriptures,	18:09
	grant that we may hear, read, respect,	18:11
	learn, and make them our own,	18:16
	in such a way that the enduring	18:17
	benefit and comfort of The Word	18:19
	will help us grasp and hold	18:22
	the blessed hope of everlasting life.	18:24
	Given us through our Savior, Jesus Christ.	18:27
	Amen.	18:31
	The New Testament lesson is recorded	18:34
	in the 11th chapter of the book of Acts,	18:37
	beginning at the fifth verse.	18:40
	"I was in the city of Joppa praying,	18:44
	"and in a trance I saw a vision.	18:46
	"Something descending like a great sheet	18:49
	"down from heaven by four corners.	18:52
	"And at that very moment three men arrived	18:56
	"at the house in which we were,	18:59
	"sent to me from Cesarea.	19:00
	"And the Spirit told me to go with them	19:04
	"without hesitation.	19:06
	"These six brethren also accompanied me	19:09
	"and we entered the man's house.	19:11
	"And he told us how he had seen the angel	19:15
	"standing in his house and saying,	19:17
	"Send to Jappa, and bring Simon called Peter.	19:20
	"He will declare to you a message by which	19:24
	"you will be saved,	19:26
	"You and all your household.	19:28
	"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell	19:31
	"on them, just as on us at the beginning.	19:34
	"And I remembered The Word of The Lord,	19:39
	"how he had said,	19:41
	"John baptized with water, but you shall be	19:43
	"baptized with the Holy Spirit.	19:46
	"If then God gave the same gift to them	19:50
	"as he gave to us when we believed	19:53
	"in The Lord Jesus Christ,	19:55
	"who was I, that I could not withstand God?	19:58
	"And when they heard this,	20:02
	"they were silenced.	20:04
	"And they glorified God saying,	20:07
	"Then to the Gentiles also, God has granted	20:10
	"repentance unto life.".	20:13
	Here ends the reading of the	20:16
	New Testament lesson.	20:17
	(light organ music)	20:30
	♪ Oh taste and see ♪	20:40
	♪ How gracious the Lord is ♪	20:45
	♪ Blessed is the man ♪	20:50
	♪ That trusteth in Him ♪	20:57
	♪ Oh taste and see ♪	21:04
	♪ Oh taste and see ♪	21:07
	[Choir Angelically Singing]	21:10
	♪ Blessed is the man ♪	21:31
	♪ That trusteth in Him ♪	21:38
	[Choir Angelically Singing]	21:42
	[People Rustling]	22:15
-	The Epistle lesson is recorded in the fourth	22:17
	chapter of John's first letter.	22:20
	"Beloved, do not believe every spirit,	22:25
	"but test the spirits to see whether they	22:29
	"are of God.	22:31
	"For many false prophets have gone out	22:33
	"into the world.	22:36
	"By this you will know the Spirit of God:	22:39
	"Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ	22:43
	"has come in the flesh	22:46
	"is of God.	22:48
	"And every spirit which does not confess Jesus	22:50
	"is not of God.	22:54
	"This is the spirit of the antichrist	22:57
	"of which you heard that it was coming,	22:59
	"and now it is in the world already.	23:02
	"Little children, you are of God.	23:06
	"And you, who are of God, have overcome them.	23:09
	"For He who is in you	23:13
	"is greater than he who is in the world.	23:15
	"They are of the world,	23:19
	"therefore what they say is of the world,	23:21
	"and the world listens to them.	23:24
	"We are of God.	23:27
	"Whoever knows God listens to us,	23:29
	"and he who is not of God does	23:33
	"not listen to us.	23:35
	"By this we know the spirit of truth,	23:38
	"and the spirit of error.	23:41
	"Beloved, let us love one another:	23:45
	"for love is of God;	23:48
	"and every one who loves is born of God	23:50
	"and knows God.	23:53
	"Whoever does not love does not know God,	23:55
	"for God is love.	23:58
	"In this, the love of God was made manifest	24:02
	"among us.	24:04
	"That God sent his only son into the world,	24:06
	"that we might live through him.	24:10
	"In this is love:	24:14
	"not that we loved God,	24:16
	"but that he loved us,	24:17
	"and sent his son to be the expiation	24:19
	"for our sins.	24:22
	"Beloved, if God loved us,	24:25
	"we also ought to love one another.".	24:29
	Here ends the reading of The Epistle Lesson.	24:33
	(powerful organ music)	24:38
	(choir singing)	24:50
	[Congregation Rustles]	25:40
-	Let us pray.	25:47
	Let the words of my mouth,	25:51
	and the meditation of our hearts,	25:52
	be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord...	25:54
	our strength and our redeemer.	25:59
	Amen.	26:02
	There are an estimated 300,000	26:08
	church houses in America.	26:11
	They're in every city, every village,	26:14
	every hamlet.	26:16
	Their steeples, their spires,	26:18
	their roof lines,	26:20
	make sharp the horizon	26:21
	of our whole countryside today.	26:23
	And people gather there at the 11 o'clock hour.	26:26
	They come like we have come.	26:30
	For a meeting.	26:32
	A meeting between creature and Creator.	26:34
	A hearing.	26:37
	A hearing of any word from God.	26:39
	For all of those churches that take their lessons	26:46
	from the propers, the lectionary that	26:50
	establishes the lessons for this sixth	26:53
	Sunday in Eastertide.	26:55
	The word that has been read here in our hearing	26:58
	will be read in their hearing.	27:00
	A story from the book of Acts,	27:04
	about the first Gentile Christian.	27:06
	About the conversion of Peter,	27:10
	who knew himself to be a Jew,	27:13
	and wanted his life to be kosher.	27:15
	But, then, eating of everything in that sheet.	27:18
	And in his dream,	27:24
	coming to know that there was not any favorite	27:26
	before God.	27:30
	But that he was for all people.	27:36
	Jew and Gentile.	27:38
	Bond and slave.	27:42
	Male and female.	27:43
	Black and white.	27:45
	And another lesson read.	27:48
	A lesson that comes from the book of John.	27:51
	Wanting us to know how indeed we are having	27:54
	to do with the true God.	27:56
	Wanting to know if we have it right,	28:00
	and what are the tests	28:02
	by which you test the spirit?	28:03
	The first is this:	28:05
	that you have to deal with a God who has come,	28:08
	in flesh.	28:11
	So that He may be heard, and seen,	28:13
	and handled.	28:16
	And having to do with that Christ,	28:18
	you then have to do with neighbor,	28:21
	in love.	28:23
	Yes.	28:25
	Neighbors who may be heard,	28:26
	and seen, and handled.	28:29
	And there is a Gospel lesson that will be	28:33
	read today.	28:35
	It is this:	28:37
	The Gospel of Saint John in the	28:40
	15th chapter.	28:41
	Verse nine and following.	28:44
	"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.	28:47
	"Abide in my love.	28:50
	"If you keep my commandments you will	28:53
	"abide in my love,	28:54
	"just as I have kept my Father's commandments,	28:55
	"and abide in his love.	28:58
	"These things have I spoken to you	29:01
	"that my joy may be in you,	29:04
	"and that your joy may be full.	29:07
	"This is my commandment,	29:11
	"that you love one another as I have loved you.	29:14
	"Greater man hath no man than this	29:18
	"that a man lay down his life for his friends.	29:20
	"You are my friends	29:24
	"if you do what I command you."	29:26
	In your imagination, will you take	29:32
	a trip across campus with me?	29:33
	Imagine that we have a stranger with us,	29:36
	strange not only to Duke University,	29:38
	but strange to all universities	29:40
	and to all our ways.	29:43
	First thing you show them is the medical school.	29:45
	And the new hospital.	29:48
	Strangers that they are say, "What is it?".	29:50
	"It's the hospital."	29:53
	"What's it for?"	29:55
	That's easy enough.	29:58
	"Well, it's for surgery.	30:00
	"Surgery that will give you life.	30:02
	"Broken bones may be mended here.	30:05
	"Disease diagnosed and cured, hopefully.	30:08
	"That's what it's for.	30:11
	And you come down Research Drive...	30:17
	"What's that building for?"	30:19
	"We're trying to unlock some of the secrets	30:22
	"of our world and of our life.	30:24
	"Hopefully there, they'll find the cure	30:26
	"for cancer."	30:28
	You turn the corner,	30:30
	there's the School of Engineering.	30:32
	"What's that for?"	30:34
	"Oh it's a place where we design those	30:36
	"things that will stand,	30:38
	"like buildings and bridges.	30:40
	"We plan highways and cities."	30:43
	And you come to the Law School.	30:47
	"What's that?"	30:49
	"School of Law."	30:50
	"And what's it for?"	30:52
	"Well, it's for justice,	30:55
	"that there may be order and law among us,	30:57
	"not confusion."	31:00
	And then, finally, you're turning in the long	31:03
	drive towards this chapel,	31:05
	and someone, stranger, says "What's that?"	31:08
	"It's the Chapel.	31:15
	"Cathedral.	31:17
	"Built to the glory of God	31:19
	and to the honor of Christ."	31:20
	"What's it for?"	31:23
	"Well, you see,	31:28
	"we think that all of our life is a	31:30
	"gift from God.	31:32
	"And this God, who made the world and	31:34
	"all that is in it, was in that world.	31:37
	"Heard, and seen, and handled.	31:44
	"The world killed him.	31:50
	"He loved it, lived in it.	31:53
	"The world killed him.	31:57
	"And the proof of it	32:03
	"is that he rose from the dead.	32:05
	"And now it stands there,	32:09
	"dominant building in the whole	32:13
	"of this university.	32:15
	"Preaching twenty-four hours a day	32:17
	"for all who will pass by, this story:	32:19
	"God loved the world so much,	32:24
	"that he gave his only son.	32:26
	"And if you would have to do with him,	32:30
	"it will be in faith and love."	32:33
	That's why it's here!	32:36
	That there may be an increase for us today	32:38
	brothers and sisters,	32:41
	an increase of faith,	32:42
	and an increase of love.	32:45
	And so the text comes to me as marching orders.	32:48
	For this church, and all 300,000 or more	32:52
	churches across this land.	32:55
	"If you would have my joy in you,	32:59
	keep my commandments."	33:02
	The sum of all of them is this: Love.	33:04
	Love God with heart and mind and soul	33:07
	and strength,	33:09
	and love your neighbor as yourself.	33:10
	And, brothers and sisters,	33:16
	that text reaches my half-believing heart today,	33:19
	leaving me, mostly,	33:24
	with prayer and penance.	33:29
	You see,	33:36
	when I read in the book of Acts	33:39
	about the conversion of Peter,	33:42
	and about how the church is not in	33:45
	any way exclusive,	33:46
	but how the circle of love is drawn so wide	33:48
	that all are taken in.	33:51
	Read in the book of Acts that the Spirit of God	33:55
	will not simply visit some people who do it in a	33:58
	prescribed, right way of	34:01
	doctrinal belief.	34:03
	The Spirit of God will visit them all.	34:07
	Then I stop and think	34:14
	about the exclusive church.	34:16
	And then I hear the word from the book of John.	34:19
	"If you say you love God	34:23
	"and you hate your brother or sister,	34:27
	"you're a liar.	34:31
	"If you don't love your neighbor, who you see,	34:35
	"how do you say you will love God whom you	34:38
	"have not seen?"	34:40
	I read it in four translations.	34:43
	Every way it came out just as plain.	34:45
	If you don't love your neighbor,	34:50
	and say you love God,	34:53
	you're a liar.	34:55
	And that's where I'm caught up with only penance.	34:57
	Move away from this place if you will	35:02
	to another gothic cathedral built in stone.	35:05
	It's one of the cathedral churches of the	35:09
	United Methodist Church in a Northern city.	35:11
	I was invited to preach there for a while	35:14
	as an interim pastor.	35:16
	And I remember how we came...	35:19
	oh, a few of us from the neighborhood.	35:23
	But most of us from all across the county.	35:26
	Filled those parking lots	35:29
	and then filled the church at 11 o'clock.	35:30
	And there we were.	35:33
	Offering up our worship and praise.	35:36
	Making some new commitment of our love to God	35:39
	and love to neighbor.	35:41
	But in separated style.	35:44
	Well, the pews had us separated.	35:47
	And the organ music had us insulated.	35:50
	And the Word was just trying to get us in line.	35:53
	And I wondered,	35:59
	did it in fact represent body of Christ	36:02
	in the world,	36:05
	speaking of some increase of love?	36:06
	By 12 o'clock, the service was over.	36:14
	By 12:30, the parking lots were empty.	36:17
	And then there was just that great,	36:21
	gray cathedral.	36:23
	With cold stone, standing there,	36:25
	saying to all who passed by, "There are many	36:28
	"people here who love God very much.	36:31
	"Look at this great building they've built	36:36
	"for Him.	36:38
	"And for an increase of love for neighbor."	36:42
	Then the children come from the community.	36:47
	Not many of them were there	36:49
	for the (laughs) service.	36:50
	They come because they need a place to play.	36:53
	It's a changing kind of community.	36:55
	They play on the lawn until the custodian,	36:58
	afraid for the shrubbery, asks them to move away.	37:00
	They move on to the parking lot	37:04
	and bounce their balls against the door	37:06
	and against the gray stone.	37:08
	And then a custodian,	37:10
	afraid for the stain glass window,	37:12
	and, forgetting,	37:15
	that even stained glass windows are	37:16
	cheaper than boys and girls,	37:18
	asks them to move away.	37:21
	And they do.	37:23
	Finally move far away from the church,	37:25
	the cathedral,	37:29
	the place of love.	37:33
	Down the street just a block and a half	37:35
	is another ordinary kind of building	37:37
	storefront.	37:39
	There's a neon sign that hangs out	37:42
	over the sidewalk, blue and red.	37:44
	It says Sully's Tavern, Budweiser.	37:47
	On a warm May evening, the children	37:52
	go there to play.	37:54
	Bounce their balls,	37:56
	pitch their pennies to cracks in the sidewalk.	37:58
	No one asks them to move.	38:01
	I wonder,	38:04
	do they find more compassion,	38:06
	more love,	38:08
	in that little blue pool of neon light	38:09
	then they do beneath the shadow of	38:13
	the gray cathedral?	38:14
	You've been in the cathedral.	38:19
	Come into the neighborhood tavern.	38:22
	The first thing that strikes you is	38:25
	the smell of stale beer.	38:26
	And then, the littered floor.	38:29
	And then the customers,	38:31
	all lined up at the bar,	38:32
	sitting on bar stools.	38:34
	Back of the bar is an inn keeper.	38:38
	Tavern keeper.	38:41
	In a dirty apron.	38:44
	He goes from his wares of liquor and wine	38:46
	stacked against a mirror,	38:49
	to the appetites of his clientele.	38:50
	But, note the clientele.	38:52
	Almost all of them have come	38:54
	from the neighborhood.	38:56
	And some of them are there in business suits,	38:58
	but some are there in aprons,	39:00
	and some, overalls.	39:01
	And some of them are white,	39:03
	and clearly middle class,	39:05
	and some are black, and tan,	39:08
	and poor.	39:11
	And there seems to be a kind of collegiality.	39:15
	A kind of joy in them.	39:19
	And, as priest, I began to look at it and say	39:24
	"What is this?	39:28
	"Some kind of expression of love	39:31
	"and brotherhood?"	39:33
	Can it be that that barkeeper in the dirty apron	39:36
	can do a better job at fulfilling	39:40
	the commandment of our Lord	39:42
	then I can do in all the ecclesiastical	39:44
	premise of a Geneva gown on a Sabbath morning	39:46
	in a grey cathedral?	39:48
	I look closer.	39:53
	They're sharing a cup!	39:55
	A cup of wine.	39:57
	That's a mockery of the Communion of Saints!	40:00
	But it gives me no comfort.	40:07
	Because I have it on good authority,	40:10
	the Gospel of Matthew, no less,	40:12
	that drunks and whores will have a better	40:15
	time of it at the judgment seat of God	40:18
	then will those who name	40:21
	the name of Jesus Christ,	40:22
	but do not love their neighbor.	40:25
	I come to the text in penance today.	40:28
	We are a separated people.	40:32
	Distant.	40:37
	Self-serving.	40:38
	Unseeing.	40:41
	Unhearing.	40:43
	Unbelieving.	40:45
	Now any emphasis made, like Peter,	40:53
	where he says,	40:55
	"The Spirit comes to all the people!"	40:57
	Not just to Jews who keep the law,	40:59
	but to Gentiles and pagans.	41:02
	Yes, God visits all the people.	41:04
	Don't you see the danger of it?	41:08
	Every wind of doctrine can't be true.	41:11
	Not every thing is right.	41:15
	Some things, surely, are wrong.	41:16
	How then, how then,	41:20
	will you know that truth	41:24
	that belongs to your joy,	41:27
	because it allows you to dwell in God,	41:29
	and Christ to dwell in you.	41:34
	The lesson says "Well, test the spirit."	41:38
	There are two tests.	41:42
	The first, you know deep in your heart	41:44
	that the God who made the world	41:49
	came into the world in flesh.	41:51
	Our flesh.	41:54
	And the world killed him.	41:56
	And he lives.	42:00
	And still loves the world.	42:02
	And, knowing that,	42:06
	knowing all that has been done for you.	42:10
	Named by it.	42:13
	You are then called by it	42:15
	and sent into the world	42:17
	to love it in Christ's name.	42:19
	The Gospel Lesson says it so plainly.	42:24
	"And greater love hath no man than this:	42:26
	"That a man lay down his life for his friend.".	42:30
	One thing I am plain about,	42:38
	some kinds of religion are absolutely primitive.	42:40
	They just like some kind of ectasy.	42:45
	Some kind of tremendous	42:49
	group ectasy.	42:53
	Like you get when you share a cup of blood,	42:57
	or a cup of wine.	43:00
	And some places,	43:04
	would see it all,	43:06
	in high moral principle.	43:08
	You'll surely have to do with God	43:10
	when you have the hightest ethic of all.	43:13
	And that, surely,	43:19
	is to lay down your life for a friend.	43:21
	Remember Ernest Gordon's story	43:25
	that he tells from the Valley of the Kwai?	43:28
	He was a captain when that regiment	43:32
	was captured by the Japanese.	43:34
	And then, in that forest march where	43:39
	half of their number died,	43:41
	there was only one agenda,	43:43
	that was to survive.	43:45
	You know how you survive, don't you?	43:48
	Well, you have to save yourself first.	43:51
	By all the law of the jungle,	43:55
	tooth and claw,	43:58
	take whatever you can.	43:59
	In every scheming way,	44:02
	make sure that you take care of yourself.	44:04
	It's everybody for themself.	44:08
	The devil gets the hindmost.	44:10
	It was an expression of self-love at its worst.	44:17
	Until one day,	44:24
	there was a shovel missing.	44:27
	The work detail had come back	44:30
	and the guards had counted the shovels	44:32
	and there was one missing.	44:34
	Fearing that there may be some escape plot	44:36
	they set out to find it.	44:39
	Lined up all the prisoners with this order:	44:41
	"We will begin to shoot you one-by-one	44:45
	"until the one who took the shovel confesses."	44:48
	Before the first shot was fired,	44:53
	an officer stepped forward.	44:55
	Confessed he took the shovel.	44:58
	He was shot and killed.	45:00
	Next morning, they counted the shovels.	45:04
	And they were all there, all there.	45:08
	That's it, isn't it?	45:14
	If there is not love in gray buildings,	45:18
	and gathered congregations	45:20
	with all their appointments for worship,	45:22
	and all their mighty confessions...	45:25
	If there is not love in our corporate life,	45:28
	surely, then, there is love in this:	45:31
	That a man lay down his life for his friends.	45:34
	Well, that camp was changed	45:42
	because of that witness.	45:44
	And people who have been loving only themselves	45:48
	soon began to find ways to care for the weak,	45:51
	and to feed the hungry,	45:55
	and to be with those who were sick,	45:58
	and stay with those who were dying.	46:00
	Yes, there was an increase of love.	46:04
	But that is not love,	46:08
	not by this lesson, no,	46:10
	"In this is love",	46:13
	says the text,	46:16
	"That God loved us."	46:18
	Not that we loved God,	46:22
	not that we loved neighbor.	46:24
	In this is love: That God loved us.	46:26
	Sent his son to be the expiation for our sins.	46:30
	Once I was with parents	46:39
	who had an only son.	46:42
	He was dying.	46:45
	A malignant tumor was claiming his life.	46:48
	There had been another surgery that day,	46:52
	and the prognosis from the medical people	46:55
	was not good.	46:57
	They were without very much hope.	46:59
	Looking down at the still form of their	47:03
	10-year-old son,	47:05
	in a recovery room,	47:07
	we shared a Psalm and a prayer.	47:09
	Then the father turned to me and spoke	47:14
	for both parents with tears in his eyes.	47:16
	"I wish it could be me."	47:19
	He meant that.	47:23
	Loved that son of his,	47:26
	that only son of his, so much	47:28
	that he would die for him,	47:32
	and count it a good deal.	47:34
	Once I was with a father	47:39
	who loved an only son.	47:42
	That son had been killed,	47:45
	wasted in tragic, foolish violence.	47:47
	He was bitter, angry, vengeful.	47:52
	"They should die!" he said.	47:57
	"They should die!".	48:00
	And, I knew, that he loved his only son so much	48:03
	that, perhaps, he would've died for him.	48:08
	But, surely, he would kill for him.	48:12
	But there is not one thing I know	48:20
	in all this world,	48:21
	that parents who love	48:24
	love so much, that they will willingly	48:26
	give the death of an only son.	48:31
	But God so loved the world,	48:35
	that he gave his only begotten son.	48:38
	Whoever believes in him has life.	48:42
	In this is love:	48:46
	not that we love,	48:49
	but that God loves.	48:52
	And so we go on.	48:59
	Nearsighted in prejudice,	49:02
	separated from all those around us,	49:05
	and God loves us anyhow.	49:08
	Foolish.	49:14
	So that when we do work out our	49:16
	little plans of love,	49:17
	they come off as some kind of idiot compassion.	49:18
	And selfish,	49:24
	so that finally any increase in love in the world	49:26
	makes us want it to be something we get,	49:30
	rather than something we give.	49:34
	And, occasionally, a hero among us...	49:39
	Loving others more.	49:44
	But in this is love:	49:48
	That God loved us.	49:51
	And gave himself for us.	49:54
	Let us pray.	50:01
	Oh Thou who art both gift and demand.	50:09
	Thou who art both love and justice.	50:15
	Thou who art both promise and claim.	50:21
	Come now, and be our God.	50:26
	And on Thy terms, not ours.	50:31
	Amen.	50:35
	(joyous organ music)	50:40
	(congregation singing)	51:21
-	What we believe:	54:29
	we believe in God who has	54:32
	created and is creating,	54:34
	who has come in the truly human Jesus	54:37
	to reconcile and make new.	54:41
	Who works in us and others by the Spirit.	54:44
	We trust God,	54:49
	who calls us to be the church.	54:51
	To celebrate life and it's fullness,	54:54
	to love and serve others.	54:57
	To seek justice and resist evil.	55:00
	To proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,	55:04
	our judge and our hope,	55:08
	in life, in death,	55:11
	in life beyond death,	55:14
	God is with us.	55:16
	We are not alone.	55:18
	Thanks be to God.	55:21
	The Lord be with you.	55:31
	[Congregation Replies]	55:33
	Let us pray.	55:36
	Gracious God,	55:41
	you have set one table before us,	55:42
	and have called us into fellowship	55:45
	with you and with one another.	55:47
	We pray that the church,	55:50
	gathered by your Word and Spirit,	55:53
	may be a faithful witness to you	55:56
	in all the world.	55:58
	Lord, hear our prayer.	56:00
	Creator of all,	56:04
	give peace on earth and unity among persons,	56:05
	so that all your children everywhere	56:09
	may live together as one family,	56:11
	praising you forever,	56:13
	and living in love as you commanded.	56:16
	Lord, hear our prayer.	56:19
	Holy God,	56:23
	you have born the pain of the world.	56:25
	Look with compassion upon those who are	56:28
	sick and sorrowing,	56:31
	especially those who we now name in our	56:33
	hearts before you.	56:35
	That they may know your love and, by your grace,	56:38
	be delivered from their distress.	56:42
	Lord, hear our prayer.	56:46
	Lord, you have taught us to love our	56:50
	neighbor as ourselves.	56:52
	Remove from us, and from all persons,	56:54
	hate and prejudice.	56:57
	So your children may be reconciled	56:59
	with those whom they fear and resent.	57:01
	And, so, live with all in peace.	57:04
	Lord, hear our prayer.	57:08
	Lord God, we thank you now for all	57:13
	your servants who, having witnessed to you	57:15
	in this life,	57:18
	now dwell with you in life eternal.	57:19
	Grant us grace so we may walk in your ways,	57:23
	and finally share with them the joy	57:27
	of your presence.	57:29
	Lord, hear our prayer.	57:32
	Into your hands, oh God,	57:37
	we commend all for whom we pray,	57:39
	trusting in your mercy.	57:41
	Through your son Jesus Christ our Lord.	57:43
	Amen.	57:47
	Our Father, who art in heaven,	57:50
	hallowed be Thy name.	57:53
	Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,	57:56
	on earth as it is in heaven.	58:00
	Give us this day our daily bread,	58:03
	and forgive us our trespasses,	58:06
	as we forgive those who trespass against us,	58:09
	and lead us not into temptation,	58:13
	but deliver us from evil.	58:16
	For thine is the kingdom,	58:19
	the power, and the glory forever.	58:21
	Amen.	58:25
	[Congregation Stirs]	58:28
	(reverent organ music)	58:34
	(joyful instrumental)	58:59
	("Cast Thy Burden Upon The Lord")	1:00:52
	♪ Cast thy burden ♪	1:01:11
	♪ Upon the Lord ♪	1:01:15
	♪ And He shall sustain thee ♪	1:01:23
	♪ He never will suffer the righteous to fall ♪	1:01:34
	♪ He is at thy right hand ♪	1:01:46
	♪ Thy mercy Lord is great ♪	1:01:59
	♪ And far above the heavens ♪	1:02:09
	♪ Let none be made ashamed ♪	1:02:20
	♪ That wait upon Thee ♪	1:02:32
	(light organ music)	1:02:43
	("All Creatures Of Our God And King")	1:03:03
	[Congregation Sings]	1:03:22
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:33
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:36
	[Congregation Sings]	1:03:41
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:53
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:56
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:59
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:02
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:06
-	Oh Lord our God, maker of all things,	1:04:29
	through your goodness you have blessed us	1:04:33
	with these gifts.	1:04:35
	With them we offer ourselves to your service,	1:04:37
	and dedicate our lives to the care and	1:04:41
	redemption of all that You have made.	1:04:43
	For the sake of him who gave himself for us,	1:04:46
	Jesus Christ our Lord.	1:04:50
	Amen.	1:04:53
	(powerful organ music)	1:04:55
	[Congregation Sings]	1:05:19
-	And now, go out into the world in peace.	1:07:11
	Return no one evil for evil.	1:07:15
	Strengthen the faint-hearted,	1:07:19
	support the weak,	1:07:22
	help the suffering.	1:07:24
	Honor all people.	1:07:26
	Love and serve the Lord,	1:07:28
	rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.	1:07:30
	And may God, Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit,	1:07:34
	bless and keep you,	1:07:39
	now and forever.	1:07:41
	Amen.	1:07:43
	♪ God be with you till we meet again ♪	1:07:50
	♪ By his counsels guide uphold you ♪	1:07:59
	♪ With his sheep securely fold you ♪	1:08:10
	♪ God be with you till we meet again ♪	1:08:21
	(uplifting organ music)	1:08:40
	[Congregation Rustles]	1:09:30
	(climactic uplifting music)	1:11:11
	(congregation chattering)	1:15:07
	(bells chiming)	1:15:58
	(man laughing)	1:16:05

Item Info

Title:

John K. Bergland - "In This Is Love - 1 John 4:10" (May 20, 1979)

Description:

Sermon start time: 26:08. Sermon end time: 50:36.
In this is love: That God loved us. Love is not essentialized to our love, but in God's love. Love is also truly loving one's neighbor. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: Can it be that that barkeeper in the dirty apron can do a better job at fulfilling the commandment of our Lord then I can do in all the ecclesiastical premise of a Geneva gown on a Sabbath morning in a grey cathedral?

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https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r48s4k368

Date:

May 20, 1979

Speaker:

Bergland, John K.

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

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Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1027
ref7263_1pi
uachapelsermaud
duke:320559
dcrau001907
ark:/87924/r48s4k368
53aea8b4-a32e-461f-ab1c-ad3bbb63f49e

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

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Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

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English

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United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

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

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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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John K. Bergland - "In This Is Love - 1 John 4:10" (May 20, 1979)

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