Richard Lee Phillips - "How Dare You Ask" (October 30, 1994)
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- | Good morning, we'd like to welcome you to Duke Chapel. | 0:07 |
Our guest preacher this morning is Dr. Richard Phillips | 0:11 | |
from Syracuse University where he is | 0:15 | |
Dean of Hendricks Chapel. | 0:18 | |
We're happy to welcome he and his wife Ethel | 0:20 | |
and invite you to greet them | 0:23 | |
in the narthex after the service. | 0:24 | |
I'd also like to call to your attention | 0:27 | |
that the offertory anthem for today is Psalm 46, | 0:29 | |
which is being premiered by Dr. David Arcus. | 0:33 | |
There are a couple of announcements | 0:37 | |
I'd like to call to your attention. | 0:39 | |
We will begin as of this week a | 0:41 | |
weekly children's celebration in the chapel basement, | 0:44 | |
which is a time of worship and song and art and celebration | 0:48 | |
for children under the age of 10. | 0:53 | |
And we invite your children to participate in that. | 0:55 | |
Also, on Monday at 10:30 pm is our annual | 0:58 | |
All Hallows' Eve celebration here in the chapel. | 1:03 | |
It's a wonderful celebration remembering the saints | 1:06 | |
but also God's call to us to be saints in the world. | 1:10 | |
We invite you to join us for that. | 1:14 | |
Would you please stand as we continue | 1:17 | |
our worship with the greeting? | 1:18 | |
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. | 1:25 | |
Congregation | And also with you. | 1:28 |
Minister | The risen Christ is with us. | 1:30 |
Congregation | Praise the Lord. | 1:32 |
♪ A mighty fortress is our God ♪ | 2:35 | |
♪ A bulwark never failing ♪ | 2:41 | |
♪ Our helper he amid the flood ♪ | 2:49 | |
♪ Of mortal ills prevailing ♪ | 2:55 | |
♪ For still our ancient foe ♪ | 3:03 | |
♪ Doth seek to work us woe ♪ | 3:09 | |
♪ His craft and power are great ♪ | 3:15 | |
♪ And armed with cruel hate ♪ | 3:22 | |
♪ On earth is not his equal ♪ | 3:28 | |
♪ Did we in our own strength confide ♪ | 3:37 | |
♪ Our striving would be losing ♪ | 3:43 | |
♪ Were not the right man on our side ♪ | 3:51 | |
♪ The man of God's own choosing ♪ | 3:57 | |
♪ Dost ask who that may be ♪ | 4:06 | |
♪ Christ Jesus, it is he ♪ | 4:12 | |
♪ Lord Sabaoth his name ♪ | 4:18 | |
♪ From age to age the same ♪ | 4:24 | |
♪ And he must win the battle ♪ | 4:31 | |
♪ And though this world with devils filled ♪ | 4:40 | |
♪ Should threaten to undo us ♪ | 4:46 | |
♪ We will not fear for God hath willed ♪ | 4:54 | |
♪ His truth to triumph through us ♪ | 5:00 | |
♪ The Prince of Darkness grim ♪ | 5:08 | |
♪ We tremble not for him ♪ | 5:15 | |
♪ His rage we can endure ♪ | 5:21 | |
♪ For lo, his doom is sure ♪ | 5:27 | |
♪ One little word shall fell him ♪ | 5:34 | |
♪ That word above all earthly powers ♪ | 5:44 | |
♪ No thanks to them abideth ♪ | 5:51 | |
♪ The Spirit and the gifts are ours ♪ | 6:00 | |
♪ Through him who with us sideth ♪ | 6:06 | |
♪ Let goods and kindred go ♪ | 6:15 | |
♪ This mortal life also ♪ | 6:21 | |
♪ The body they may kill ♪ | 6:28 | |
♪ God's truth abideth still ♪ | 6:34 | |
♪ His kingdom is forever ♪ | 6:41 | |
- | Let us pray. | 6:55 |
Almighty God, you pour out on all who desire it, | 6:58 | |
the Spirit of grace and love. | 7:03 | |
Deliver us as we come into your presence, | 7:07 | |
from cold hearts and wandering thoughts, | 7:11 | |
that we may be at peace and worship you | 7:15 | |
with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. | 7:19 | |
Through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. | 7:27 | |
You may be seated. | 7:32 | |
- | Let us pray together the prayer for illumination. | 7:46 |
- | [Lector and Congregation] Open our hearts and minds, | 7:50 |
O God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, | 7:52 | |
so that as the word is read and proclaimed | 7:56 | |
we might hear your words with joy this day, amen. | 7:59 | |
The Old Testament lesson is taken | 8:05 | |
from the book of Ruth 1:15-18. | 8:07 | |
So, Naomi said to Ruth, "See, your sister-in-law has gone | 8:14 | |
"back to her people and to her gods. | 8:18 | |
"Return after your sister-in-law." | 8:21 | |
But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you | 8:24 | |
"or to turn back from following you. | 8:28 | |
"Where you go, I will go. | 8:30 | |
"Where you lodge, I will lodge. | 8:34 | |
"Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. | 8:37 | |
"Where you die, I will die, there will I be buried. | 8:42 | |
"May the Lord do thus and so to me | 8:47 | |
"and more as well, if even death parts me from you." | 8:49 | |
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, | 8:54 | |
she said no more to her. | 8:57 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 9:00 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 9:02 |
♪ When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion ♪ | 9:19 | |
♪ Then was our mouth filled with laughter ♪ | 9:25 | |
♪ With laughter, with laughter and joy ♪ | 9:31 | |
♪ Then was our mouth filled with laughter ♪ | 9:35 | |
♪ With laughter, with laughter, with laughter and joy ♪ | 9:40 | |
♪ When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion ♪ | 9:47 | |
♪ Then was our mouth filled with laughter ♪ | 9:53 | |
♪ With laughter and joy ♪ | 9:59 | |
♪ Then was our mouth filled with laughter ♪ | 10:02 | |
♪ With laughter, with laughter, with laughter and joy ♪ | 10:07 | |
♪ Then was our mouth filled with laugher ♪ | 10:13 | |
♪ With laughter and joy ♪ | 10:19 | |
♪ Then was our mouth filled with laugher ♪ | 10:22 | |
♪ With laughter, with laughter, with laughter and joy ♪ | 10:27 | |
♪ For they said among the heathen ♪ | 10:33 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 10:39 | |
♪ Whereof we are glad ♪ | 10:44 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 10:47 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 10:53 | |
♪ Whereof we are glad ♪ | 10:56 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 10:59 | |
♪ Whereof we are glad ♪ | 11:05 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 11:07 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 11:13 | |
♪ Whereof we are glad ♪ | 11:16 | |
♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪ | 11:19 | |
♪ Whereof we are glad ♪ | 11:25 | |
♪ Turn again our captivity, O Lord ♪ | 11:29 | |
♪ As the rivers in the South ♪ | 11:33 | |
♪ For they that sow in tears shall reap in joy ♪ | 11:37 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 11:44 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 11:51 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 11:58 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 12:05 | |
♪ For they that sow in tears shall reap in joy ♪ | 12:12 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 12:18 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 12:25 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 12:33 | |
♪ Shall reap, shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪ | 12:40 | |
- | The Gospel lesson is take from Mark 12:28-34. | 13:02 |
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing | 13:10 | |
with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, | 13:13 | |
he answered him, "Which commandment is first of all?" | 13:17 | |
Jesus answered, "The first is, hear O Israel, | 13:21 | |
"The Lord our God, the Lord is one. | 13:24 | |
"You shall love the Lord your God | 13:27 | |
"with all your heart and with all your soul | 13:29 | |
"and with all your mind and with all your strength. | 13:32 | |
"The second is this, you shall love | 13:35 | |
"your neighbor as yourself. | 13:38 | |
"There is no other commandment greater than these." | 13:41 | |
Then the scribe said to him, | 13:44 | |
"You are right, teacher, you have truly said that he is one, | 13:46 | |
"and besides him there is no other, | 13:50 | |
"and to love him with all the heart | 13:53 | |
"and with all the understanding | 13:55 | |
"and with all the strength, | 13:56 | |
"and to love one's neighbor as oneself. | 13:58 | |
"This is much more important | 14:02 | |
"than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifice." | 14:04 | |
When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, | 14:07 | |
he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." | 14:09 | |
After that, no one dared ask him any question. | 14:14 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 14:18 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 14:20 |
- | Bless, O God, Will Willimon as he as this moment steps | 14:36 |
into a pulpit in Syracuse. | 14:41 | |
May his ministry of preaching be your ministry | 14:44 | |
to your people, everywhere. | 14:47 | |
And bless, O God, the words of my mouth, | 14:51 | |
that they may convey your good news | 14:55 | |
here in this place, amen. | 14:58 | |
Good morning, I want to thank all who have prepared | 15:04 | |
for this service of worship, | 15:09 | |
both in the weeks that have preceded it, | 15:11 | |
and of course, for this outstanding and beautiful weekend. | 15:13 | |
It is pure delight for me to be here with you, | 15:17 | |
and it is an equal delight to have Will preaching | 15:21 | |
at Hendrick's Chapel at Syracuse University. | 15:25 | |
We have planned this for about three years, | 15:28 | |
that's how long it takes for an exchange to work itself out. | 15:31 | |
Now, I trust that there are a few Syracusans | 15:36 | |
who've seen the newspaper and other items | 15:38 | |
that have announced today's visit, other than Ethel | 15:41 | |
out there in the congregation, because believe me, | 15:45 | |
a Yankee who presumes to come and preach | 15:49 | |
below the Mason-Dixon line needs all the support | 15:52 | |
that he or she can get. | 15:55 | |
One example of that is that I had sought out of the readings | 15:59 | |
for today one of the readings | 16:03 | |
that didn't quite make it onto your bulletin. | 16:06 | |
And as chance would have it, | 16:09 | |
I've used that particular reading | 16:10 | |
of the lectionary as part of my text for my remarks today. | 16:12 | |
And so I'm going to inflict upon hopefully a bit of joy | 16:18 | |
with another of today's biblical passages. | 16:23 | |
It happens to be a Psalm and we're getting | 16:26 | |
quite a bit of Psalm treatment today | 16:28 | |
with the choir and with a special number you're | 16:31 | |
about to hear in just a little while. | 16:34 | |
But this particular Psalm, Psalm 146, | 16:38 | |
is one of the great Psalms of praise in all of the Psalter. | 16:41 | |
And I read it to you at this time. | 16:45 | |
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. | 16:49 | |
I will praise the Lord as long as I live. | 16:54 | |
I will sing praises to my God, while I have being. | 16:57 | |
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, | 17:01 | |
in whom there is no help. | 17:04 | |
When his breath departs, he returns to his earth, | 17:07 | |
and on that day his great plans perish. | 17:10 | |
Happy is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, | 17:14 | |
whose hope is in the Lord his God. | 17:18 | |
God who made heaven and earth and sea | 17:22 | |
and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, | 17:24 | |
who executes justice for the oppressed, | 17:28 | |
who gives food to the hungry. | 17:31 | |
The Lord sets the prisoners free. | 17:34 | |
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. | 17:37 | |
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. | 17:40 | |
The Lord loves the righteous. | 17:43 | |
The Lord watches over the sojourners. | 17:46 | |
He upholds the widow and the fatherless | 17:48 | |
by the way of the wicked. | 17:51 | |
They will be brought down to ruin. | 17:53 | |
The Lord will reign forever, thy God, | 17:56 | |
O Zion, to all generations. | 17:59 | |
Praise the Lord. | 18:02 | |
Certainly this 146th Psalm is among the distillations | 18:05 | |
of praise literature that is famous | 18:11 | |
throughout the history of both Judaism and Christianity. | 18:14 | |
It is a distillation, if you will, of the divine drama | 18:19 | |
and some sense of the importance of the human | 18:23 | |
as our reaction to it. | 18:27 | |
It is an extremely well-crated Psalm, | 18:30 | |
a beautiful piece of our Scriptural tradition. | 18:33 | |
And I'll return to it a bit later. | 18:36 | |
The Gospel lesson, that you've just heard | 18:40 | |
David so beautifully read, | 18:42 | |
is indeed one of the most compelling Gospel passages | 18:44 | |
in the entire New Testament. | 18:48 | |
The first and the second commandment stories are paralleled | 18:51 | |
in Matthew and Luke with very little difference. | 18:55 | |
We read them with some sense that this is the distillation | 18:59 | |
of the Christian message, that Jesus has prepared for us. | 19:04 | |
And in the Gospel of Luke, | 19:08 | |
there is even a follow-up question. | 19:09 | |
Jesus is asked, "And who is my neighbor | 19:13 | |
"that I am to love as myself?" | 19:17 | |
And the story that Jesus tells to follow that question | 19:20 | |
is in fact the story of the Good Samaritan. | 19:25 | |
So, with these two Scriptures, Psalm 146 | 19:28 | |
and this Gospel passage of the great commandments, | 19:32 | |
the first and the second, I would like to add a few remarks. | 19:35 | |
Let me begin by observing that the United States of America | 19:41 | |
is in an absolutely unique position | 19:45 | |
never before experienced in the entire human history. | 19:49 | |
Since the demise and the breakup of the Soviet Union, | 19:55 | |
the great power balance in the world | 20:00 | |
that has dominated since the end of World War II, | 20:02 | |
and even before, has crumbled. | 20:06 | |
We, and I speak for all Americans at this point, | 20:10 | |
are now at the head of the heap, | 20:14 | |
the head of the power heap with no parallel, | 20:17 | |
with no even close competitors throughout the world. | 20:21 | |
And for the immediate foreseeable future, | 20:26 | |
that surely is the way it will remain. | 20:30 | |
Such a challenge has never before befallen any government, | 20:33 | |
any nation-state, any people, | 20:39 | |
in the entire history of humankind. | 20:44 | |
The question is not how we got here. | 20:49 | |
Perhaps there are those who would like | 20:52 | |
to see the hand of God moving in this history. | 20:54 | |
And surely if God's hand has ever moved in history, | 20:57 | |
it continues to move in contemporary history. | 21:01 | |
But whatever the reason for this emergence | 21:05 | |
of the United States of America as a supreme power | 21:08 | |
and potentially the most influential leader | 21:12 | |
for the future of humankind that the world has ever seen, | 21:17 | |
the question remains, how will we react? | 21:22 | |
Will we go forth in the world as peacemakers, | 21:29 | |
or will we continue to be the broker and the builder | 21:33 | |
of arms and speak of balances of power? | 21:38 | |
Will our forays into the Middle East, and Haiti, | 21:43 | |
and yet unforeseen problem points in the world, | 21:49 | |
be contacts with the world that will prove worthy | 21:54 | |
of the status that has been given to us as a nation, | 21:57 | |
or will we continue with a MAD philosophy | 22:03 | |
that we have learned to conduct as foreign policy | 22:07 | |
for all these many decades. | 22:10 | |
MAD incidentally, for those of you who are not familiar, | 22:13 | |
is the entire policy of this government, | 22:18 | |
from the end of World War II | 22:21 | |
until the demise of the Soviet Union. | 22:23 | |
Perhaps, it still is the pervasive philosophy of many parts. | 22:26 | |
There are those Pentagon observers who have said | 22:31 | |
that that particular governmental establishment has | 22:34 | |
not figured out yet that we're in a new phase. | 22:37 | |
MAD stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. | 22:40 | |
Must we continue to conduct foreign policy | 22:46 | |
on the basis of a philosophy | 22:50 | |
which no longer describes the condition of the world, | 22:52 | |
or can we now go forth as a nation, | 22:56 | |
leading on the basis of some other criteria | 23:00 | |
than the balance of power? | 23:04 | |
Perhaps, the kind of of criteria that has been suggested | 23:06 | |
to us in the Scripture readings of the day. | 23:10 | |
I submit to you that our only position | 23:14 | |
in the world today, I'm sorry. | 23:17 | |
The only result of our position | 23:20 | |
in the world today is not the international responsibility | 23:22 | |
that has been thrust upon us, | 23:26 | |
but is equally the domestic realities we confront | 23:28 | |
and the responsibilities we have in that arena. | 23:33 | |
How can we as a nation ever expect to lead the world, | 23:38 | |
if we cannot with the same kind of compassion | 23:43 | |
and insight and perspective and underlying philosophy | 23:45 | |
of love for all of God's children expect the world | 23:50 | |
to follow us if we cannot apply the principle here at home. | 23:54 | |
And so it is both internationally and domestically | 24:00 | |
that I am concerned about how America conducts itself, | 24:03 | |
given its new status or relatively new status in the world. | 24:07 | |
William Sloane Coffin, no stranger to those | 24:13 | |
in campus ministry, and I'm sure on this campus as well, | 24:16 | |
this congregation and this campus participation combined | 24:21 | |
in particular, has said that basically | 24:25 | |
there are three kinds of problems | 24:28 | |
that are agreed by virtually all analysts | 24:30 | |
as the principle problems of the day. | 24:33 | |
They are the problems of weapons building, | 24:37 | |
weapons improvement, and weapons distribution | 24:40 | |
and proliferation throughout the world, | 24:43 | |
as our number one problem. | 24:47 | |
The number two problem that the world is confronting is | 24:49 | |
that we have become environmentally insensitive, | 24:52 | |
if not behaving environmentally in a disastrous way | 24:56 | |
in terms of assuring the future | 25:01 | |
of the human living experience. | 25:04 | |
And yet, a third problem that we all seem | 25:07 | |
to feel helpless toward, that Coffin enumerates, | 25:12 | |
is the problem of the increasing disparity | 25:16 | |
between the wealthy and the poor. | 25:19 | |
And certainly, this nation has had both its guilt | 25:24 | |
and its opportunity to bring forward | 25:30 | |
to the current scene in all of these areas. | 25:34 | |
The past 14 years, says Republican Political Analyst | 25:39 | |
Kevin Phillips, and I'm sure some of you joined | 25:43 | |
with a group of us ministers in Syracuse | 25:47 | |
who studied his book a couple of years ago | 25:49 | |
in an ongoing study group we have, | 25:52 | |
talks about the change that has take place | 25:56 | |
in the past 14 years in our economic life, | 25:59 | |
concerning the distribution of wealth. | 26:04 | |
He points out that 14 years ago, | 26:07 | |
there was great disparity between the wealthy | 26:10 | |
and that underbelly of America that had almost nothing. | 26:13 | |
And that today, after what some call Reaganomics, | 26:18 | |
but I'm trying to be apolitical today, | 26:22 | |
the wealthy over that period of time, | 26:27 | |
the top 10% of those who hold economic power | 26:30 | |
in our society have increased their wealth by 74%. | 26:34 | |
And during those same dozen or more years, | 26:41 | |
the bottom 10% of our population has come | 26:45 | |
to control 10.5 less of the wealth | 26:49 | |
of this nation than they did. | 26:55 | |
That's what is being spoken of by Kevin Phillips, | 26:58 | |
who's incidentally no relative that I know of of mine. | 27:03 | |
That's what's being spoken of | 27:07 | |
by William Sloan Coffin about the disparity, | 27:08 | |
the disparity between the wealthy and the poor. | 27:12 | |
That's a commonly agreed upon problem | 27:17 | |
facing our nation today. | 27:21 | |
I quote Kevin Phillips in this regard, | 27:26 | |
about the results of that period of time, | 27:29 | |
a result incidentally which withdrew the support | 27:32 | |
of the Republican Party from the analysis, | 27:37 | |
the book that he published: | 27:39 | |
"This period of time created new wealth in profusion | 27:43 | |
"for the bright, the bold, the educated, | 27:47 | |
"and the politically favored. | 27:50 | |
"But for the less fortunate, it was economic carnage." | 27:54 | |
Bill Coffin tells us that there is a growing consensus | 28:05 | |
that there is much wrong with America, | 28:10 | |
but he also points out that any philosophy | 28:14 | |
for rebuilding this great nation, | 28:19 | |
any plan for how we shall attack these problems | 28:24 | |
is much disputed. | 28:29 | |
If we can get together on the analysis, | 28:33 | |
can we not also get together | 28:37 | |
and point the direction toward a solution? | 28:41 | |
From this pulpit, I know you've heard many point directions | 28:46 | |
for solutions, and I want to do so today based | 28:51 | |
upon the Scriptures that you have heard read. | 28:55 | |
In Psalm 146, that great Psalm of praise | 28:59 | |
that I read for you a few moments ago, | 29:03 | |
it does say put not your trust in princes, | 29:07 | |
in mortals, in the sons of men, | 29:11 | |
and I am sure today it would say the sons | 29:14 | |
and the daughters of men and women, | 29:17 | |
for in them there is no ultimate help. | 29:21 | |
Their dreams will die with them. | 29:26 | |
Now, I think that's a bit harsh on the part of the psalmist, | 29:30 | |
for we read throughout the Scriptures | 29:34 | |
that those in political authority are due their honor, | 29:36 | |
due the homage that citizenry should pay to them, | 29:41 | |
and do a fair chance to exercise | 29:45 | |
their particular leadership | 29:49 | |
and authority amongst us. | 29:52 | |
And I do believe that each of those positions is | 29:55 | |
scripturally justifiable and points in a correct direction, | 29:58 | |
but ultimately, it is the Word and the praise of the Lord | 30:03 | |
that is put forth as the answer to our problems | 30:09 | |
and not faith in our so-called political realms. | 30:12 | |
Let me review what the psalmist has prescribed | 30:18 | |
that humans value as a result | 30:22 | |
of their relationship with the divine. | 30:24 | |
Execute justice for the oppressed, | 30:30 | |
the number-one item listed. | 30:34 | |
Justice is a cry that we have heard | 30:37 | |
since before the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement | 30:39 | |
in the late '50s, but increasingly have heard | 30:41 | |
from those who study the conditions | 30:46 | |
of the relationships in our own society. | 30:48 | |
That is the key reason for our continued failures | 30:51 | |
and the continued separation between us as a people. | 30:55 | |
Execute justice for the oppressed. | 31:00 | |
Increasingly, as I age and near that period of time | 31:05 | |
which we call retirement, | 31:08 | |
I am convinced that a ministry of justice | 31:12 | |
has to be the leading ministry performed by any Christian, | 31:18 | |
be they in the laity or in the clergy. | 31:23 | |
The second point that is made is food for the hungry, | 31:28 | |
hardly needing elucidation in a sermon in this chapel. | 31:33 | |
The third point is to set the prisoners free. | 31:39 | |
And how many kinds of prisoners are there? | 31:43 | |
You are a prisoner. | 31:46 | |
What are the chief bonds that bind you from being | 31:50 | |
what you really know you ought to be? | 31:53 | |
Can your prison-hood be ended, can you be freed? | 31:58 | |
Don't think of prisoners as those alone | 32:04 | |
who are behind steel bars? | 32:09 | |
On the Syracuse University quadrangle, | 32:12 | |
we have a very famous statue by Malvina Hoffman. | 32:14 | |
She created this statue in the 1930s, | 32:19 | |
and it is just slightly larger than life-size. | 32:22 | |
And it's a bronze of the man who is emerging | 32:25 | |
from the stone that he has been chiseled from, | 32:29 | |
and he's about three quarters chiseled out, but his legs | 32:32 | |
and part of his lower torso remain in the stone. | 32:36 | |
And the stone has its chip marks along the side | 32:41 | |
and the front for where the sculpture is working. | 32:44 | |
And she entitled the figure Elemental Man. | 32:47 | |
And if we study the Scripture for just | 32:53 | |
the sculpture for just a little while, | 32:55 | |
we realize that in the making of this human being | 32:59 | |
how he, in this case a male, will come out. | 33:04 | |
What kind of a person he will be is dependent upon | 33:08 | |
every stroke of the hammer, every placement of the chisel. | 33:12 | |
The power and the direction of every blow, | 33:17 | |
all will determine how this prisoner of stone emerges | 33:22 | |
as a full human being in this life. | 33:28 | |
It is among the more powerful pieces of sculpture | 33:32 | |
I have ever seen, and to me it speaks of the importance | 33:35 | |
of every act, every blow of the hammer | 33:39 | |
that any of us yields, in terms of building | 33:43 | |
not only what we as individuals would be, | 33:46 | |
but freeing us from the prisoners we are | 33:50 | |
to become the potential that lies within us. | 33:53 | |
Well, we not only see the prisoners set free in this Psalm, | 33:58 | |
we see the opening of the eyes of the blind. | 34:02 | |
And how many kinds of blindness are there? | 34:05 | |
I will not elucidate. | 34:08 | |
It talks about lifting up those who are bowed down, | 34:11 | |
indeed, a ministry of compassion, a ministry of support. | 34:16 | |
It talks about those who love righteousness. | 34:22 | |
How quickly we have fallen into a people | 34:26 | |
that pay greater homage to power and wealth | 34:29 | |
than we do to righteousness. | 34:34 | |
It talks about watching over the strangers. | 34:38 | |
"Minister always to the strangers within thy gates," | 34:44 | |
Scripture implores over and over and over again. | 34:49 | |
Yet, how easy it is to say of those whose eyes take | 34:55 | |
on a different slant, or whose hair has a different kink, | 34:59 | |
or whose skin a different tone, | 35:03 | |
or culture, a different way of expressing | 35:05 | |
even the most basic things of | 35:08 | |
how easy it is | 35:10 | |
to not care for the stranger within our gates. | 35:14 | |
And then he finishes, this psalmist does, | 35:21 | |
with an admonition for upholding the orphans and the widows. | 35:25 | |
Can you believe in a little Psalm, a little poem | 35:31 | |
of but a few lines that took less | 35:36 | |
than a minute and a half to read, | 35:38 | |
there is the power of the summary | 35:41 | |
of an entire people's idea | 35:44 | |
of what it is God is after | 35:48 | |
in that part of creation known | 35:52 | |
as the human experience? | 35:55 | |
And the Gospel lessons that I've referred to, | 35:59 | |
with Mark 12 being the one that was read this morning, | 36:02 | |
we have Jesus being queried by the scribes and the Sadducees | 36:06 | |
and others of the intellectual community of the day. | 36:10 | |
The attempt was obviously to trap him. | 36:14 | |
He trapped rather poorly | 36:18 | |
because he gave the correct answers. | 36:19 | |
The first and the most important commandment is | 36:21 | |
to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, | 36:26 | |
with all of your soul, with all of your mind, | 36:30 | |
and not insignificantly, with all of your strength. | 36:35 | |
No commandment could ever be seen as the core of Judaism, | 36:41 | |
or Christianity, or Islam for that matter, | 36:46 | |
but this commandment. | 36:51 | |
But Jesus doesn't pause there, he goes right on | 36:53 | |
to tie a second commandment to it, | 36:56 | |
which he says without | 36:59 | |
hesitation of equal importance, | 37:01 | |
"Love your neighbor | 37:06 | |
"as you love yourself." | 37:11 | |
And when the concession was given | 37:15 | |
that indeed he has spoken truthfully, | 37:17 | |
and that these two commandments are the sum | 37:22 | |
of the law, the prophets, and the gospel, | 37:25 | |
they became silent. | 37:33 | |
Mark puts it this way, "After that, | 37:36 | |
"no one dared ask him any questions." | 37:41 | |
The charge that lies before us as Christians in this day | 37:51 | |
is not a muddled charge, | 37:57 | |
not a confused set of instructions, | 38:00 | |
not a difficult thing to do or to understand. | 38:04 | |
I take that back, it's a difficult thing to do. | 38:10 | |
It's not a difficult thing to understand. | 38:12 | |
And so when it comes to understanding what's expected | 38:17 | |
of us as Christians, | 38:21 | |
read these passages and then | 38:25 | |
how dare you ask, | 38:30 | |
"Go out and do." | 38:33 | |
♪ What does the Lord require for praise and offering ♪ | 39:12 | |
♪ What sacrifice desire ♪ | 39:21 | |
♪ Or tribute bid you bring ♪ | 39:25 | |
♪ Do justly, love mercy ♪ | 39:31 | |
♪ Walk humbly with your God ♪ | 39:36 | |
♪ Rulers of earth give ear ♪ | 39:44 | |
♪ Should you not justice show ♪ | 39:48 | |
♪ Will God your pleading hear ♪ | 39:53 | |
♪ While crime and cruelty grow ♪ | 39:57 | |
♪ Do justly, love mercy ♪ | 40:03 | |
♪ Walk humbly with your God ♪ | 40:09 | |
♪ Still down the ages ring ♪ | 40:16 | |
♪ The prophet's stern commands ♪ | 40:20 | |
♪ To merchant, worker, king ♪ | 40:25 | |
♪ He brings God's high demands ♪ | 40:29 | |
♪ Do justly, love mercy ♪ | 40:35 | |
♪ Walk humbly with your God ♪ | 40:41 | |
♪ How shall my life fulfill ♪ | 40:48 | |
♪ God's law so hard and high ♪ | 40:52 | |
♪ Let Christ endure our will ♪ | 40:58 | |
♪ With grace to fortify ♪ | 41:02 | |
♪ Then justly, in mercy ♪ | 41:08 | |
♪ We'll humbly walk with God ♪ | 41:14 | |
Minister | The Lord be with you. | 41:25 |
Congregation | And also with you. | 41:26 |
- | Let us pray. | 41:28 |
Almighty God, you have given us grace | 41:40 | |
at this time with one accord | 41:45 | |
to make our common supplication to you. | 41:49 | |
And you have promised through your well-beloved Son | 41:53 | |
that when two or three are gathered together in his name, | 41:57 | |
you will be in the midst of them. | 42:03 | |
Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions | 42:07 | |
as may be best for us, | 42:12 | |
granting us knowledge of your truth. | 42:15 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 42:18 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 42:21 |
Minister | We pray for the wisdom and will | 42:23 |
to love you with all our heart | 42:27 | |
and understanding and strength, | 42:30 | |
and our neighbors as ourselves. | 42:34 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 42:37 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 42:39 |
Minister | For this holy house and for all | 42:42 |
who offer here their worship and praise. | 42:45 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 42:49 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 42:52 |
- | For the faithful who have gone before us and are at rest, | 42:55 |
that we may be guided by their witness. | 42:59 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 43:03 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 43:05 |
- | For this university, its faculty, students and staff, | 43:08 |
that it may be conformed to the rule | 43:14 | |
of your truth and justice, and that each of us may | 43:16 | |
faithfully fulfill our role. | 43:20 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 43:24 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 43:26 |
- | For our public servants, for the government | 43:29 |
and those in positions of power, | 43:32 | |
that they may be guided by your wisdom to do justly, | 43:35 | |
love mercy, and walk humbly with you. | 43:40 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 43:46 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 43:48 |
- | For the peace of the whole world, | 43:51 |
especially for the Middle East, Bosnia, | 43:53 | |
Rwanda, South Africa, | 43:57 | |
Haiti, Guatemala, | 44:00 | |
and for all who live with daily fear of violence. | 44:03 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 44:09 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 44:11 |
- | For those who grieve, that they may know the comfort | 44:13 |
of memory, the care of friends, | 44:17 | |
and the peace of your presence. | 44:20 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 44:24 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 44:26 |
- | For those who are sick in body or in mind, | 44:28 |
that they may be comforted by those who care for them | 44:33 | |
and heal from their afflictions. | 44:36 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 44:39 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 44:41 |
- | For the aging whose increasing years bring them isolation, | 44:44 |
distress, or weakness, that they may have homes | 44:49 | |
of dignity, understanding helpers, | 44:53 | |
the willingness to accept help, | 44:57 | |
and the assurance of your unending love. | 44:59 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 45:03 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 45:06 |
- | For the oppressed, for the poor, | 45:08 |
and for all who feel powerless | 45:11 | |
to change their circumstances, | 45:13 | |
that they may be empowered by your grace | 45:16 | |
and served by our faithfulness. | 45:19 | |
Lord, in your mercy. | 45:23 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Hear our prayer. | 45:25 |
- | All these things, and whatever else you see that we need, | 45:28 |
grant us, O God, for the sake of the one who died | 45:33 | |
and rose again, and now lives and reigns with you | 45:37 | |
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, | 45:40 | |
one God, forever and ever, amen. | 45:43 | |
All good things that we possess and all the time | 45:50 | |
that we enjoy on this earth are gift | 45:53 | |
of God's grace and mercy. | 45:55 | |
Let us give generously in thanksgiving. | 45:58 | |
♪ God is our refuge and strength ♪ | 47:08 | |
♪ A very present power in trouble ♪ | 47:14 | |
♪ Therefore, we will not fear ♪ | 47:25 | |
♪ Though the earth should change ♪ | 47:31 | |
♪ Though the mountains shake ♪ | 47:36 | |
♪ In the fount of the sea ♪ | 47:39 | |
♪ Though its waters roar and roll ♪ | 47:46 | |
♪ Though the mountains ♪ | 48:00 | |
♪ Tremble with its tumult ♪ | 48:04 | |
♪ There is a river ♪ | 48:16 | |
♪ Whose streams makes glad the city of God ♪ | 48:21 | |
♪ The holy habitation ♪ | 48:29 | |
♪ Of the Most High ♪ | 48:34 | |
♪ God is ♪ | 48:47 | |
♪ In the midst of the city ♪ | 48:50 | |
♪ It shall not be moved ♪ | 48:55 | |
♪ God will ♪ | 49:03 | |
♪ Help it when the morning dawns ♪ | 49:06 | |
♪ The nations raged ♪ | 49:22 | |
♪ The kingdoms were moved ♪ | 49:27 | |
♪ God's voice resounds, resounds, resounds ♪ | 49:31 | |
♪ The earth ♪ | 49:42 | |
♪ Melts ♪ | 49:51 | |
♪ The Lord of hosts ♪ | 50:08 | |
♪ Is with us ♪ | 50:15 | |
♪ The God of Jacob ♪ | 50:24 | |
♪ Is our refuge ♪ | 50:33 | |
♪ Come now behold the works of the Lord ♪ | 50:54 | |
♪ Come now behold the works of the Lord ♪ | 51:00 | |
♪ Who has brought desolation ♪ | 51:08 | |
♪ On the earth ♪ | 51:14 | |
♪ Who makes wars to cease ♪ | 51:20 | |
♪ To the ends of the earth ♪ | 51:25 | |
♪ Breaks the bow, shatters the spear ♪ | 51:32 | |
♪ Breaks the bow, shatters the spear ♪ | 51:38 | |
♪ And burns ♪ | 51:44 | |
♪ The shields ♪ | 51:51 | |
♪ With fire ♪ | 51:56 | |
♪ With fire ♪ | 51:59 | |
♪ With fire ♪ | 52:02 | |
♪ With fire ♪ | 52:04 | |
♪ Be still ♪ | 52:11 | |
♪ And know ♪ | 52:15 | |
♪ That I am God ♪ | 52:18 | |
♪ I am exalted among the nations ♪ | 52:31 | |
♪ I am exalted in the earth ♪ | 52:37 | |
♪ I am exalted among the nations ♪ | 52:43 | |
♪ I am exalted ♪ | 52:48 | |
♪ I am exalted ♪ | 52:54 | |
♪ In the earth ♪ | 53:00 | |
♪ The Lord of hosts ♪ | 53:28 | |
♪ Is with us ♪ | 53:35 | |
♪ The God of Jacob ♪ | 53:50 | |
♪ Is our refuge ♪ | 54:04 | |
♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 55:26 | |
♪ Praise God, all creatures here below ♪ | 55:32 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 55:38 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 55:42 | |
♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly host ♪ | 55:46 | |
♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ | 55:52 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 55:59 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 56:02 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 56:05 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 56:08 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 56:11 | |
Minister | Let us pray. | 56:24 |
Generous God, we dedicate these gifts and ourselves to you, | 56:26 | |
for we want to accomplish the greater works | 56:32 | |
to which Christ calls us. | 56:35 | |
Increase our generosity, that we may learn | 56:37 | |
to give in proportion to the mercy we have received. | 56:41 | |
Ready us for the sacrifices that may be required | 56:45 | |
of all who seek to live in faithful response to you. | 56:48 | |
May our lives in the ministries supported | 56:54 | |
by our offerings be a witness to your grace. | 56:56 | |
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, | 57:00 | |
who taught us to pray together, saying. | 57:03 | |
- | [Minister and Congregation] Our Father, who art in heaven, | 57:05 |
hallowed be thy name. | 57:08 | |
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done | 57:10 | |
on earth as it is in heaven. | 57:14 | |
Give us this day our daily bread, | 57:16 | |
and forgive us our trespasses | 57:19 | |
as we forgive those who trespass against us. | 57:21 | |
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. | 57:25 | |
For thine is the kingdom and the power | 57:29 | |
and the glory forever, amen. | 57:32 | |
♪ O holy city, seen of John ♪ | 58:13 | |
♪ Where Christ, the Lamb, doth reign ♪ | 58:19 | |
♪ Within whose foursquare walls shall come ♪ | 58:25 | |
♪ No night, nor need, nor pain ♪ | 58:30 | |
♪ And where the tears are wiped from eyes ♪ | 58:37 | |
♪ That shall not weep again ♪ | 58:43 | |
♪ Hark, how from men whose lives are held ♪ | 58:50 | |
♪ More cheap than merchandise ♪ | 58:56 | |
♪ From women struggling sore for bread ♪ | 59:02 | |
♪ From little children's cries ♪ | 59:08 | |
♪ There swells the sobbing human plaint ♪ | 59:15 | |
♪ That bids thy walls arise ♪ | 59:21 | |
♪ O shame to us who rest content ♪ | 59:29 | |
♪ While lust and greed for gain ♪ | 59:35 | |
♪ In street and shop and tenement ♪ | 59:41 | |
♪ Wring gold from human pain ♪ | 59:47 | |
♪ And bitter lips in blind despair ♪ | 59:53 | |
♪ Cry, Christ hath died in vain ♪ | 59:59 | |
♪ Give us, O God, the strength to build ♪ | 1:00:07 | |
♪ The city that hath stood ♪ | 1:00:13 | |
♪ Too long a dream, whose laws are love ♪ | 1:00:20 | |
♪ Whose crown is servanthood ♪ | 1:00:26 | |
♪ And where the sun that shineth is ♪ | 1:00:33 | |
♪ God's grace for human good ♪ | 1:00:39 | |
♪ Already in the mind of God ♪ | 1:00:47 | |
♪ That city riseth fair ♪ | 1:00:53 | |
♪ Lo, how its splendor challenges ♪ | 1:00:59 | |
♪ The souls that greatly dare ♪ | 1:01:05 | |
♪ Yea, bids us seize the whole of life ♪ | 1:01:12 | |
♪ And build its glory there ♪ | 1:01:18 | |
- | Go to serve God and your neighbor | 1:01:29 |
in all that you do. | 1:01:31 | |
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, | 1:01:33 | |
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be | 1:01:36 | |
with you and keep you, amen. | 1:01:38 | |
♪ God be in my head ♪ | 1:01:42 | |
♪ And in my understanding ♪ | 1:01:49 | |
♪ God be in mine eyes ♪ | 1:02:00 | |
♪ And in my looking ♪ | 1:02:07 | |
♪ God be in my mouth ♪ | 1:02:19 | |
♪ And in my speaking ♪ | 1:02:26 | |
♪ God be in my heart ♪ | 1:02:38 | |
♪ And in my thinking ♪ | 1:02:46 | |
♪ God be at mine end ♪ | 1:02:56 | |
♪ And in my departing ♪ | 1:03:08 | |
(organ music) | 1:03:33 |
Item Info
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