Thomas A. Langford - Sermon Untitled - Founders' Day (December 13, 1992)

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	(serene music)	0:00
	(upbeat music)	1:08
-	Please be seated.	4:58
	Thursday afternoon, in this place, the university community	5:04
	celebrated the anniversary of the signing	5:08
	of the Duke Indenture 68 years ago.	5:10
	We took that occasion to reflect upon our heritage,	5:15
	to single out those who have made a	5:18
	significant contribution to this university.	5:21
	And we recognized recipients of scholarships	5:24
	made possible by the founding family.	5:27
	Today, we pause as we do each year, in memory	5:31
	of the Duke family, to honor all those who have	5:35
	given of themselves in service to the future	5:38
	by creating and recreating this university.	5:42
	We reaffirm here, our pledge of Duke,	5:46
	to the ideal of service to humanity.	5:49
	And we give thanks for those who	5:53
	unselfishly take responsibility for a	5:55
	future that belongs to other generations.	5:57
	We remember also, that Duke University was founded	6:01
	in order to return the wealth of the land to	6:05
	its people through the dissemination of knowledge	6:08
	and respect for truth, and through the continuing	6:12
	generosity of those who established it for all time.	6:15
-	Let us pray.	6:23
	Gracious God, on this time of remembrance of our founders,	6:28
	oh God of wisdom, we offer you thanks and praise	6:34
	for the gift of our dear university, for the	6:38
	opportunities to learn and to wonder, which we enjoy here.	6:42
	We pray for all teachers, students and staff	6:47
	that we all might be true to the high vocation	6:52
	to which You have called us.	6:57
	Be with us as we face the challenge of new tasks,	6:59
	the fear of failure, the expectations	7:04
	of parents, friends and self.	7:07
	In our learning and in our teaching here,	7:11
	may we be true to the vision of our founders.	7:14
	May we grow in service to others and in love for Your world.	7:18
	Through Jesus Christ our Lord.	7:23
	Amen.	7:26
	Please join me in the litany of commemoration.	7:28
	Almighty and eternal God in whom our mothers and fathers	7:37
	have trusted, we their children at this time of remembrance	7:40
	offer unto Thee our prayers of thanksgiving.	7:44
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	7:48
	For the members of the Duke family,	7:50
	father, daughter, sons, and their spouses, grandchildren,	7:53
	and all others in continuing generations until this very day	7:57
	who with concern and compassion, devotion and dedication,	8:01
	and by their generosity, built on a solid foundation,	8:06
	continued a worthy school and provided for education	8:10
	and service beyond even their dreams and expectations.	8:13
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	8:18
	For the pioneering and persevering men and women	8:21
	connected with this university, Methodist and Quakers,	8:23
	farmers and merchants, teachers and administrators,	8:28
	who in days gone by believed in education	8:31
	and made their beliefs prevail.	8:34
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	8:37
	For the embodiment of their dreams.	8:40
	From private school to academy, to college,	8:42
	to great university, founded in hope, continued with	8:45
	sacrifice, growing in outreach, serving with commitment.	8:49
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	8:54
	For faculty and staff whose vision was bolstered by their	8:57
	courage, whose patience was tested and found true, and whose	9:01
	idealism was implanted in the hearts and minds of others.	9:06
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	9:10
	For the ongoing presence of noble ideas,	9:12
	the blending of (speaking in a foreign language),	9:16
	the freedom for responsible academic research	9:19
	and teaching, the ongoing respect for both	9:22
	the body and the spirit, pursuit of knowledge	9:24
	in the sciences and the humanities, the realization that	9:27
	the old order changes and new times bring new opportunities.	9:31
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	9:35
	For the future of Duke University, established for Thy glory	9:38
	and for the enlightenment of the human mind and spirit.	9:43
	For consecration to learning by the young for the	9:46
	best use of the wisdom of those in later years.	9:49
	For the commitment to growth and the enhancement	9:53
	of all persons, for a sense of humor,	9:55
	a spirit of cooperation, and a desire for	9:58
	understanding among all within our community and the world.	10:01
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	10:06
	We welcome you to this service of worship	10:26
	here at Duke University chapel on the third	10:30
	Sunday in the Christian season of Advent.	10:32
	We call your attention to the announcements	10:37
	in the bulletin for the various pre-Christmas	10:39
	and Christmas activities in this chapel.	10:42
	And now, let us worship God.	10:46
	("Praise the Source of Faith and Learning	10:51
	by Thomas Troeger")	10:53
	♪ Praise the source of faith and learning ♪	11:48
	♪ Who has sparked and stoked the mind ♪	11:55
	♪ With a passion for discerning ♪	12:03
	♪ How the world has been designed ♪	12:10
	♪ Let the sense of wonder flowing ♪	12:17
	♪ From the wonders we survey ♪	12:24
	♪ Keep our faith forever growing ♪	12:32
	♪ And renew our need to pray ♪	12:39
	♪ God of wisdom we acknowledge ♪	12:48
	♪ That our science and our art ♪	12:56
	♪ And the breadth of human knowledge ♪	13:03
	♪ Only partial truth impart ♪	13:11
	♪ Far beyond our calculation ♪	13:18
	♪ Lies a depth we cannot sound ♪	13:25
	♪ Where your purpose for creation ♪	13:33
	♪ And the pulse of life are found ♪	13:40
	♪ May our faith redeem the blunder ♪	13:49
	♪ Of believing that our thought ♪	13:56
	♪ Has displaced the grounds for wonder ♪	14:04
	♪ Which the ancient prophets taught ♪	14:11
	♪ May our learning curb the error ♪	14:19
	♪ Which unthinking faith can breed ♪	14:26
	♪ Lest we justify some terror ♪	14:34
	♪ With an antiquated creed ♪	14:41
	♪ As two currents in a river ♪	14:50
	♪ Fight each others undertow ♪	14:58
	♪ 'Til converging they deliver ♪	15:05
	♪ One coherent steady flow ♪	15:13
	♪ Blend, O God, our faith and learning ♪	15:20
	♪ 'Til they carve a single course ♪	15:27
	(lyrics drowned out by organ)	15:35
-	You may be seated.	16:54
	Please, join me for the Advent prayer	17:03
	printed in your bulletin.	17:05
Congregation	Merciful God, you sent your	17:09
	messengers the prophets to preach repentance,	17:12
	and prepare the way for our salvation.	17:16
	Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins.	17:19
	That we may celebrate a right, the commemoration	17:25
	of the nativity, and may await with joy the coming	17:28
	in glory of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns	17:33
	with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.	17:39
	Amen.	17:45
-	Our preacher for this our Founders Sunday is our provost,	17:58
	chief academic officer of this university,	18:04
	Dr. Thomas Langford, who is William K. Quick Professor	18:07
	of Methodist Studies, and a trustee of the	18:12
	Duke endowment, and a United Methodist minister.	18:15
	In his own person and in his leadership	18:20
	on this campus, Dr. Langford has always	18:23
	embodied the motto of this university.	18:26
	And time and again, his voice has been the one	18:31
	that has called us back to our roots and to our purpose,	18:35
	and reminded us of our high moral vocation.	18:39
	And we await his word with eagerness.	18:45
	And now, let us pray together our prayer for illumination.	18:49
Congregation	Open our hearts and minds,	18:55
	O God, by the power of your Holy Spirit,	18:57
	so that as the word is read and proclaimed,	19:01
	we might be prepared for your advent among us.	19:04
-	The Old Testament lesson this morning is from	19:10
	Psalm 146, a song of praise for God's help.	19:12
	Happy are those whose help is in the God of Jacob,	19:20
	whose hope is in the Lord their God who made	19:23
	the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.	19:27
	Who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for	19:30
	the oppressed, who gives food for the hungry.	19:34
	The Lord sets prisoners free.	19:38
	The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.	19:41
	The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.	19:44
	The Lord loves the righteous.	19:46
	The Lord watches over strangers.	19:50
	He upholds the orphan and the widow.	19:52
	But, the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.	19:56
	The Lord will reign forever.	20:00
	Your God of Zion for all generations.	20:02
	Praise the Lord.	20:06
	This is the word of the Lord.	20:09
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	20:12
-	And the holy gospel for this day is from	20:14
	the 11th chapter of the Gospel according	20:16
	to St. Matthew, starting with the second verse.	20:19
	When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing,	20:24
	he sent word to by his disciples and said to Him,	20:28
	are you the one who has come, or are we to wait for another?	20:32
	Jesus answered, go, tell John what you hear and see.	20:36
	The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers	20:41
	are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised.	20:45
	And the poor have good news preached to them.	20:48
	Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.	20:52
	As they went away, Jesus began to	20:59
	speak to the crowds about John.	21:00
	What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?	21:04
	A reed shaken by the wind?	21:07
	What then did you go out to see?	21:10
	Someone dressed in soft robes?	21:13
	Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal places.	21:16
	What then did you go out to see, a prophet?	21:21
	Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.	21:26
	This is the one about whom it is written.	21:29
	See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you.	21:32
	He will prepare your way before you.	21:37
	Truly I tell you, among those born of women,	21:40
	no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.	21:43
	Yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.	21:48
	This is the word of the Lord.	21:56
	(congregation mumbling out of unison)	22:00
	("Go Tell it on the Mountain" by John Wesley Work, Jr.)	22:22
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	22:28
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	22:32
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	22:36
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	22:40
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	22:46
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	22:50
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	22:54
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	22:58
	♪ While shepherds kept their watching ♪	23:06
	♪ O'er silent flocks by night ♪	23:10
	♪ Behold throughout the heavens ♪	23:15
	♪ There shone a holy light ♪	23:19
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	23:26
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	23:30
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	23:34
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	23:37
	♪ The shepherds feared and trembled ♪	23:42
	♪ When low above the earth ♪	23:46
	♪ Rang out the angel chorus ♪	23:50
	♪ That hailed our Savior's birth ♪	23:55
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	24:02
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	24:06
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	24:10
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	24:13
	♪ Down in a lowly manger ♪	24:18
	♪ The humble Christ was born ♪	24:22
	♪ And brought us God's salvation ♪	24:26
	♪ That blessed Christmas morn' ♪	24:31
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	24:38
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	24:42
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	24:47
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	24:50
	♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪	25:12
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	25:18
-	We have, this weekend, presented the board of	26:00
	trustees a planning document for Duke University.	26:04
	In the early part of that document, there's a statement.	26:12
	One of the sentences that I put in.	26:18
	Others wrote most of the document.	26:23
	But, it originally read that Duke had its	26:27
	origins in a Christian tradition	26:29
	that emphasized	26:35
	intellectual and personal integrity, generosity,	26:37
	openness and commitment	26:44
	and affirmation of diversity.	26:49
	In one of the rounds of discussing the document,	26:53
	a faculty member asked,	26:58
	why is this in the past tense?	27:02
	That Duke had its origins in	27:07
	a tradition that stressed.	27:12
	Does that tradition no longer stress these things?	27:16
	Or is the relationship	27:21
	only a past matter?	27:24
	Once again the question was raised,	27:29
	what about Duke University	27:33
	as it presently exists,	27:37
	and its origins in a very particular	27:41
	Christian tradition?	27:45
	Certainly there are many changes that have occurred.	27:49
	I'm rather sure that if you were simply to take	27:55
	a count of present students, faculty and administrators	27:58
	of this university, you would have to say	28:03
	that Duke University is a secular university.	28:06
	It seems to derive a great many of its values	28:12
	from current commitments in regard to	28:17
	the dimensions of life,	28:22
	and whether or not	28:27
	one ought to include in those dimensions	28:28
	a theme of transcendence.	28:33
	And if one were to include a theme of transcendence	28:35
	what would be the nature of that transcendence?	28:38
	In what way are we today as Duke University related	28:44
	to that past, which was very specific,	28:49
	which understood	28:55
	itself to be coming from a cular-Christian tradition?	28:56
	The question is larger than I shall answer today.	29:04
	But, let me discuss it just a bit.	29:12
	Tradition is a verb as well as a noun.	29:22
	It is not simply something which was,	29:29
	it is something which is and something which is becoming.	29:32
	Traditioning an institution is probably more	29:37
	accurate as a description of what happens,	29:42
	than to speak of a tradition in an institution.	29:45
	And that means that all who came after the beginning	29:49
	have also influenced the shape of things as they now are.	29:54
	Character builds slowly over time	30:01
	and it changes.	30:07
	Yet, a part of maturity is	30:11
	the ability to bless one's parents.	30:13
	Growing up, we reached stages of development	30:18
	when the most important way in which we can	30:22
	identify who we are is to say no to those who	30:24
	would imprint us with their values or their hopes.	30:28
	We have this in relation to our parents.	30:35
	There are periods when we have to say no,	30:38
	but maturity is shown when we can say yes as well as no,	30:40
	when we can accept what is good as well as reject	30:45
	what we do not believe.	30:50
	And so, as we grow from our beginnings in that very	30:55
	particular tradition, both words,	30:58
	no and yes	31:01
	have been said.	31:06
	There are some things to which yes may be	31:09
	uttered rather quickly and comfortably.	31:14
	The early institute from which Duke University grew	31:20
	was built upon at least two convictions.	31:25
	One was that education	31:30
	should be available	31:33
	to a wide range of people.	31:38
	Now, it's true that in the New England settlement	31:43
	coming out of the reform tradition, and in the	31:46
	Virginia settlement coming out of the Anglican tradition,	31:48
	the first colleges were built in order to train clergy.	31:51
	But, the Methodists, and later the Baptists,	31:58
	went a different way.	32:00
	Their institutions were built to train laity.	32:03
	Only a half a century later did the first appearance	32:09
	of theological education come on the scene.	32:13
	That small institute in Randolph County was not for clergy,	32:21
	it was for the ordinary citizenry, farmers,	32:27
	merchants,	32:33
	people whom that community believed,	32:36
	and that particular church believed	32:39
	would be enriched for being educated.	32:41
	And so, as the movement crossed the country,	32:46
	institutions for laity were established.	32:50
	But, they thought education was important not in itself,	32:55
	but as an end to something more than itself.	32:59
	They believed that education was important	33:03
	for the full maturation of life.	33:05
	And therefore, to be educated was to be	33:10
	better able to know one's self and one's place	33:14
	and one's responsibilities within one's setting.	33:18
	That we also can affirm	33:24
	rather readily that education	33:29
	should be available, and education enriches life.	33:32
	Some things which are bequeathed we debate.	33:40
	One we debate probably less biley that a couple other	33:46
	I'll mention, is that there was the conviction	33:49
	in the early life of this institution that	33:53
	education should be for the development of the total person.	33:56
	Education is not only the development of the mind,	34:01
	but it is the development of the spirit,	34:07
	it is the development of a moral sense,	34:08
	it is a development of service to others.	34:10
	Sometimes today we think of education almost as though	34:17
	we are dealing with discarnate intellects.	34:21
	We're just training the mind.	34:25
	But, our forefathers or mothers believed	34:31
	we were dealing with whole people.	34:36
	And to spend four years on the campus of an educational	34:38
	institution should immensely enrich	34:42
	the dimensions of our awareness,	34:47
	of our commitments, and of our service.	34:50
	There may be some debate about that as to whether	34:54
	that's an inheritance we want to affirm completely,	34:56
	or whether we take part of it,	34:59
	but that also we can affirm to some measure.	35:02
	But, there were two assumptions that the founders	35:09
	of the beginning of the institution reaffirmed	35:12
	by Mr. Duke held that are highly debatable.	35:15
	One is that ethics comes from a very specific base.	35:21
	They really believed that ethics	35:28
	is not just something common in the air.	35:29
	How is it that one argues generally that one should love	35:34
	one's neighbor, or that one should be willing to sacrifice	35:38
	one's own self interest for the well being of others?	35:42
	That they believed came from a very specific tradition.	35:45
	You find in Mr. Duke's words, as well as	35:53
	in the words of the founders, talk about in	35:58
	various ways the imitation of Christ.	36:03
	Once again, they did believe that the love of God	36:09
	enriched the love of wisdom, and vice versa,	36:12
	the love of wisdom enriched the love of God.	36:15
	This too is debatable.	36:21
	One may take a variety of positions on this.	36:25
	And one may argue against this.	36:31
	But, for them and for some today,	36:38
	this still remains	36:42
	a coalescence of fundamental assumption	36:45
	and final effort.	36:53
	Looking at our past, we ask,	36:59
	in what way does a secular university still	37:04
	have its footing in these things?	37:07
	And the immediate answer is, in some ways,	37:10
	obviously there are connections.	37:12
	In other ways, those connections	37:14
	either are tenuous or greatly debated.	37:15
	Perhaps, and this is the theme I struck before,	37:24
	one way that Duke continues its tradition	37:29
	and is being traditioned is that	37:32
	it keeps these debates alive.	37:34
	That it is willing, and must be willing on a university	37:41
	campus to have its most fundamental assumptions challenged.	37:45
	But it must also be willing to counter with strength,	37:53
	and challenge those who challenge the assumptions.	37:58
	One of the realities of the present situation is	38:01
	that as strong	38:08
	as secular impulses are,	38:11
	they themselves are also	38:16
	under serious scrutiny.	38:19
	Is the assertion of neutrality about values	38:25
	really itself valid?	38:33
	Sometimes secularism means the leveling of things	38:39
	so there are no major points of emphasis.	38:42
	Sometimes there are emphasis that differ from the past so	38:47
	that one might think that she or he is a secular humanist,	38:50
	or secular ecologist,	38:57
	or as one philosopher	39:02
	liked to say, he was a cosmic behaviorist.	39:04
	Secularism can take many forms.	39:08
	But, these forms are no more assured in their lastingness	39:12
	than are some of the forms which we inherited from the past.	39:19
	And part of being in this tradition is to continue	39:22
	to explore, to debate,	39:27
	to do battle over the issue.	39:32
	For instance, one might ask,	39:37
	does even a secular humanism carry within itself	39:42
	a large enough set of dimensions to survive in this world?	39:48
	Is it not a case, in part, that an over-concentration	39:55
	on the human dimension of life has undercut, at times,	39:59
	the ecological awareness and restoration of our environment?	40:02
	We've used the world for ourselves	40:07
	in unacceptable ways.	40:13
	Secularism, at least as I was told time and again	40:19
	in eastern Europe this summer, has left a society	40:22
	basically without common value, without common ethics.	40:27
	And as I was talking to a Russian about this,	40:31
	I was remembering the words of Dostoyevsky,	40:34
	that without God, all things are possible.	40:37
	What is the source of ethics?	40:44
	Too often, our culture lives off	40:47
	of its past without recognizing its past.	40:49
	It lives on its parents without acknowledging its parents.	40:52
	And in a place like this, we can discuss	40:59
	that issue and debate that issue.	41:01
	How do you measure the character of an institution?	41:06
	Is it to be measured horizontally by those who live	41:09
	within it at one particular time and what they believe?	41:12
	Or is it also measured, in part, vertically	41:15
	by those who have been living in it,	41:17
	some now dead, and how they shaped who we are?	41:20
	Perhaps both.	41:27
	We inherit some character from the past.	41:29
	We reshape and reshape again that character in the present.	41:33
	And so, there is a struggle within this university	41:40
	and this university is in some ways the	41:43
	appropriate place for the struggle to be going on.	41:45
	Some things change.	41:50
	Some things slightly, some a great deal.	41:53
	And some things persist.	41:59
	If you will just for a moment,	42:04
	imagine with me a discussion.	42:08
	It's in the boardroom in Allen building.	42:12
	And sitting around the table	42:18
	is James B. Duke,	42:23
	William Preston Few,	42:27
	Dr. Flowers, Hollis Edens,	42:32
	Deryl Hart, Doug Knight,	42:39
	Terry Sandford,	42:46
	Keith Brodie and Nan Keohane.	42:50
	Suppose someone would say, Mr. Duke,	42:58
	have we carried forward the legacy?	43:03
	Does this university look like what you thought it might?	43:07
	Mr. Duke was a remarkable man.	43:15
	One of his friends wrote of him in an obituary after he died	43:17
	that this friend, who had known him for many years,	43:23
	had never heard him use an oath.	43:27
	Had seen him only with great reluctance	43:31
	say anything negative about anyone.	43:34
	And who listened with unusual	43:39
	intensity and sympathy when others talked.	43:41
	He was not a man of conviction or a man of strength,	43:46
	or a man who knew his own mind.	43:50
	But, these other qualities probably represented	43:52
	something of what he took to be of personal value.	43:55
	And so, he listens as they ask,	43:59
	and perhaps with some	44:02
	rumination would say,	44:06
	I don't know that I envision	44:13
	Duke University that well in the future.	44:15
	I watched Preston Few	44:21
	as he put together a faculty	44:26
	amazingly good.	44:30
	And I watched the changed which ensued,	44:33
	the second World War and Dr. Flowers and that era.	44:34
	The 50s when Hollis Edens was here and it was a	44:38
	kind of triumphal moment, in spite of things like Korea.	44:43
	And Deryl Hart who brought such large perspective to things.	44:50
	And Douglas Knight who, once again, went into the fires	44:55
	with the late 60s, and who struggled mightily	45:00
	to keep the university on course.	45:04
	And Terry Sandford who brought both the regional	45:12
	and a national awareness at the same time.	45:15
	And Keith Brodie who is obviously	45:21
	in a remarkable new prominence.	45:22
	I watched it.	45:25
	And now, Dr. Keohane,	45:29
	whom I don't yet know well enough to call by first name.	45:34
	I don't know that I'd imagined this.	45:41
	And while there were many things to talk about,	45:45
	suppose one of them said, yeah, but, what about this	45:46
	religious thing, what about this Christian thing?	45:50
	And I think he may have said something to the effect that	45:54
	in the 20s we were living with the conviction that very soon	46:00
	Christianity would be the dominate faith in the world.	46:05
	That is not so.	46:10
	Many of the things I accepted with	46:13
	rather calm confidence	46:15
	are now challenged.	46:21
	And I've seen this university, in attempting to draw in	46:25
	the best minds and the best leadership it could,	46:28
	also bring in people who had all of those qualities,	46:31
	and many other fine qualities who would not affirm	46:34
	what I affirmed about Christian belief.	46:37
	I don't know.	46:42
	I've heard that provost on several occasions talk about	46:46
	the battle is more important, perhaps, than the victory.	46:51
	But, as usual, he's more sanguine	46:57
	than I am about most things.	47:00
	I'm not sure I dreamed exactness,	47:07
	but I'm not unhappy with the tradition.	47:12
	I'm not unhappy with the changes that have come.	47:16
	I remain firm in my own convictions.	47:20
	And perhaps each of you, as presidents of this university,	47:26
	have in your own way have found it necessary	47:29
	to interpret and reinterpret to sculpt in	47:32
	different ways what you have been given.	47:34
	And now, as Dr. Keohane	47:41
	comes to her place,	47:46
	I think my word of advice is the advice	47:51
	I would have given to each of these others.	47:53
	And I think they'd have heard it rather well.	47:55
	On occasion, go back	47:59
	and look carefully at the foundations.	48:05
	Make sure that what's built is not jerry-built.	48:09
	Make sure the structure has sound footings.	48:16
	And perhaps, for those of us who continue to tradition Duke,	48:23
	that advice is to us,	48:30
	to ongoing founders.	48:34
	It is important to go back to review the foundations	48:37
	and to ask if what we are building	48:43
	fulfills the large,	48:47
	the incredibly large ambitions that have	48:50
	always been a part of this institution.	48:54
	("Of the Father's Love Begotten" by Aurelius C. Prudentius)	49:06
	♪ Of the Father's love begotten ♪	49:41
	♪ Ere the worlds began to be ♪	49:47
	♪ He is Alpha and Omega ♪	49:51
	♪ He the Source, the ending He ♪	49:56
	♪ Of the things that are, that have been, ♪	50:01
	♪ And that future years shall see ♪	50:08
	♪ Evermore and evermore ♪	50:12
	♪ O ye heights of heaven, adore Him ♪	50:20
	♪ Angel hosts, His praises sing ♪	50:25
	♪ Powers, dominions, bow before Him ♪	50:30
	♪ And extol our God and King ♪	50:35
	♪ Let no tongue on earth be silent ♪	50:40
	♪ Every voice in concert ring ♪	50:47
	♪ Evermore and evermore ♪	50:51
	♪ Christ, to Thee, with God the Father ♪	50:58
	♪ And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee ♪	51:04
	♪ Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving ♪	51:09
	♪ And unending praises be ♪	51:14
	♪ Honor, glory, and dominion ♪	51:20
	♪ And eternal victory ♪	51:26
	♪ Evermore and evermore ♪	51:31
	♪ Amen ♪	51:38
-	Let us join together in the affirmation of faith.	51:50
Congregation	I believe in God the Father Almighty,	51:55
	Maker of heaven and earth,	51:58
	and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord,	52:00
	who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,	52:03
	born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,	52:06
	who was crucified, dead and buried.	52:10
	He descended into hell.	52:14
	The third day, he rose again from the dead.	52:16
	He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at	52:19
	the right hand of God the Father Almighty.	52:22
	From thence he will come to judge the quick and the dead.	52:25
	I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church,	52:29
	the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,	52:33
	the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.	52:37
	Amen.	52:41
-	The Lord be with you.	52:44
-	And also with you.
-	Let us pray.	52:47
	You may be seated.	52:48
	O God, of all times and places, we pray	53:02
	in this time and this place for Duke University which	53:05
	is set today amid the perplexities of a changing order.	53:11
	Bestow upon her a great responsiveness	53:16
	to duty and a commitment to attain the	53:19
	highest ideals of knowledge and vital piety.	53:22
	We pray for your continued guidance	53:27
	of the leadership of this university.	53:29
	We are especially grateful for Keith and Brenda Brodie,	53:32
	and for their years of outstanding service.	53:36
	We pray also for Nan Keohane, that as she	53:40
	assumes the presidency, she may be led by your	53:43
	spirit to act in wisdom and courage to achieve	53:47
	the highest potential of this university.	53:51
	We are grateful for the visionaries	53:55
	who made this university possible.	53:57
	And for the many men and women who have shared	54:00
	their God-given talents to make it great.	54:03
	We pray that You would continue to guide all of us	54:06
	who have responsibility for carrying on that tradition	54:10
	of greatness to a commitment to offer our very best,	54:14
	that we too may pass on a sound tradition of excellence	54:19
	and moral attainment to those who will follow us.	54:23
	We pray also for the students who come	54:28
	to Duke with large dreams and great hope.	54:31
	May their vision of the future be shaped by Your vision.	54:35
	And may they be led in attaining their	54:39
	highest potential of mind, body and spirit.	54:41
	Give them wisdom to discern the light of truth	54:46
	amid things vanishing and deceptive.	54:50
	Finally, call them into your service,	54:54
	that their gifts might be used for the good of humanity.	54:56
	We are mindful that all of us in this	55:01
	university have been given a great trust.	55:03
	And with that trust comes responsibility	55:07
	to greater service of humanity.	55:10
	Move us to swifter compassion with suffering	55:13
	and an active commitment to work for the well-being	55:16
	of this community, our nation and our world.	55:19
	Grant us grace, fearlessly to contend against evil,	55:24
	and to make no peace with oppression.	55:29
	Let us seek justice and freedom for all people, regardless	55:32
	of their ethnic, social, economic or racial background.	55:37
	Help us become the kind of community that values	55:42
	all the diverse gifts its members have to offer,	55:45
	and which treats all people with respect.	55:49
	May we faithfully be drawn to learning and	55:53
	growing and discipleship, ever seeking to	55:56
	more closely embody Jesus Christ in the world.	56:00
	When we have turned from Your way, help us to recognize our	56:04
	distance from You, that we may repent and reverse our ways.	56:08
	Correct us when we need to be corrected, that we	56:13
	may ever seek to be guided by Your light and Your truth.	56:17
	Through Jesus Christ, who is the	56:22
	light of the world and our Savior.	56:24
	Amen.	56:27
	We have been recipients of God's	56:31
	self-giving love through Jesus Christ.	56:33
	In truth, all that we have and	56:35
	all that we are are gifts from God.	56:37
	It is our privilege to be able to	56:40
	share those gifts with one another.	56:42
	Let us give generously.	56:44
	(serene music)	56:50
	(choir singing indistinctly)	57:55
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:01:57
	♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪	1:02:03
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:10
	♪ Praise God above ye heavenly host ♪	1:02:18
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ♪	1:02:25
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:31
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:38
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:02:45
-	Gracious God, for all that has been, we give thanks.	1:03:00
	For all that is to be, thanks.	1:03:04
	For all Your gifts, we praise Your name.	1:03:08
	Especially at this season of the year,	1:03:11
	for the gift of Your Son.	1:03:14
	It is in His name, and for His work in this world	1:03:17
	that we offer these our gifts.	1:03:20
	And the name of the One who has	1:03:24
	taught us when we pray, to say.	1:03:27
Congregation	Our Father who art in heaven,	1:03:30
	hallowed be Thy name.	1:03:33
	Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,	1:03:35
	on earth as it is in heaven.	1:03:39
	Give us this day our daily bread.	1:03:42
	And forgive us our trespasses	1:03:44
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:03:47
	Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	1:03:51
	For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.	1:03:55
	Amen.	1:04:01
	("Hail to the Lord's Anointed" by James Montgomery)	1:04:03
	♪ Hail to the Lord's Anointed ♪	1:04:45
	♪ Great David's greater Son ♪	1:04:51
	♪ Hail in the time appointed ♪	1:04:56
	♪ His reign on earth begun ♪	1:05:01
	♪ He comes to break oppression ♪	1:05:06
	♪ To set the captive free ♪	1:05:12
	♪ To take away transgression ♪	1:05:17
	♪ And rule in equity ♪	1:05:22
	♪ He comes with succor speedy ♪	1:05:29
	♪ To those who suffer wrong ♪	1:05:34
	♪ To help the poor and needy ♪	1:05:40
	♪ And bid the weak be strong ♪	1:05:45
	♪ To give them songs for sighing ♪	1:05:51
	♪ Their darkness turn to light ♪	1:05:56
	♪ Whose souls, condemned and dying ♪	1:06:02
	♪ Are precious in His sight ♪	1:06:07
	♪ He shall come down like showers ♪	1:06:14
	♪ Upon the fruitful earth ♪	1:06:19
	♪ Love, joy, and hope, like flowers ♪	1:06:25
	♪ Spring in His path to birth ♪	1:06:30
	♪ Before Him on the mountains ♪	1:06:36
	♪ Shall peace, the herald, go ♪	1:06:41
	♪ And righteousness in fountains ♪	1:06:46
	♪ From hill to valley flow ♪	1:06:52
	♪ To Him shall prayer unceasing ♪	1:06:59
	♪ And daily vows ascend ♪	1:07:04
	♪ His kingdom still increasing ♪	1:07:10
	♪ A kingdom without end ♪	1:07:15
	♪ The tide of time shall never ♪	1:07:20
	♪ His covenant remove ♪	1:07:25
	♪ His name shall stand forever ♪	1:07:31
	♪ That name to us is love ♪	1:07:36
-	May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit	1:08:06
	be with you now and always.	1:08:09
	Amen.	1:08:12
	(choir singing indistinctly)	1:08:15

Item Info

Title:

Thomas A. Langford - Sermon Untitled - Founders' Day (December 13, 1992)

Description:

Tradition is not something that is solely in the past, it is a present and future activity of forming the identity of an institution. One way that Duke continues its tradition is by keeping certain debates alive. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Sermon start time: (Part 1) 26:00. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 48:59.
Key quotation: “On occasion, go back and look carefully at the foundations. Make sure that what’s built is not jerry-built. Make sure the structure has sound footings.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4bv7b970

Date:

December 13, 1992

Speaker:

Langford, Thomas A.

Biblical Book:

Matthew

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0306
ref9191_06b
uachapelsermaud
duke:321717
dcrmv001292
ark:/87924/r4bv7b970
f1437d86-9c80-40d4-803e-a6f6fa64a692

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

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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Thomas A. Langford - Sermon Untitled - Founders' Day (December 13, 1992)

Transcript

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Duke University Archives

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