Karen Westerfield Tucker - Sermon Untitled (June 16, 1996)

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	(organ music playing)	0:02
-	Good morning, we'd like to welcome you to Duke Chapel.	3:05
	We are pleased to welcome to our pulpit today	3:08
	Karen Westerfield Tucker, Assistant Professor of Liturgics	3:11
	at Duke Divinity School.	3:16
	She has preached here before and we are glad	3:17
	to see her again this morning.	3:19
	This afternoon we'd like to invite you to return	3:23
	for the Vocal Art's Ensemble Concert	3:26
	directed by Dr. Rodney Wynecoop	3:28
	presenting "Songs of a Summer Night" at 5:00 p.m.	3:31
	and we hope you'll be able to return for that.	3:34
	I'd like to call to your attention	3:38
	the announcement in the Bulletin	3:40
	about next Sunday's service, this is a special service.	3:41
	As some of you may know the Olympic Torch	3:46
	is going to be coming through Durham	3:48
	and is scheduled to arrive at the Chapel 11:53.	3:51
	And so Bishop Carlton Minnick will be preaching,	3:57
	we'll have the service as normal for the first part,	4:00
	and then we will move outside	4:04
	for the passing of the Olympic Torch,	4:06
	and then we will complete the service	4:08
	with a service for unity and peace outside.	4:11
	We hope you'll be able to return for that.	4:15
	And now let us continue with the call to worship,	4:17
	please stand.	4:20
	Let us offer to God our praise and thanksgiving.	4:27
	(congregation responding)	4:32
	We will pay our vows to God.	4:34
Congregation	Praise the Lord.	4:37
	(organ music playing)	4:40
	(all signing)	5:20
	(organ music playing)	8:11
	(all singing)	8:25
-	Let us pray.	9:12
	God of eternity, before You	9:15
	lips are silenced in awe and wonder.	9:18
	Mere words fail to praise the fullness of Your Word for us	9:24
	spoken in Jesus Christ.	9:30
	Let our lives reflect his love and so return to You	9:34
	all praise and glory by all we say and do.	9:39
	Amen.	9:44
	You may be seated.	9:46
-	Let us pray for illumination.	9:54
All	Open our hearts and minds, oh God,	9:58
	by the power of Your Holy Spirit,	10:01
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed,	10:04
	we may hear Your message with joy this day.	10:07
	Amen.	10:12
-	Here begins the 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis.	10:15
	"And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre	10:20
	"as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.	10:24
	"He lifted up his eyes and looked,	10:28
	"and behold, three men stood in front of him.	10:30
	"When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them,	10:33
	"and bowed himself to the earth, and said,	10:37
	"'My Lord, if I have found favor in Your sight,	10:40
	"do not pass by Your servant.	10:44
	"Let a little water be brought and wash your feet,	10:46
	"and rest yourselves under the tree	10:50
	"while I fetch a morsel of bread,	10:52
	"that you may refresh yourselves,	10:55
	"and after that you may pass on	10:57
	"since you have come to your servant.'	11:00
	"So they said, 'Do as you have said.'	11:02
	"And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said,	11:06
	"'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal.	11:10
	"Knead it, and make cakes.'	11:14
	"And Abraham ran to the herd,	11:16
	"and took a calf tender and good,	11:18
	"and gave it to the servant who hasted to prepare it.	11:21
	"Then he took curds, and milk,	11:25
	"and the calf which he had prepared,	11:27
	"and set it before them, and he stood by them	11:30
	"under the tree while they ate.	11:33
	"They said to him, 'Where is Sarah your wife?'	11:36
	"And he said, 'She is in the tent.'	11:41
	"The Lord said, 'I will surely return to you	11:45
	"in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.'	11:48
	"And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.	11:53
	"Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age.	11:57
	"It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.	12:02
	"So Sarah laughed to herself, saying,	12:06
	"'After I have grown old and my husband is old	12:08
	"shall I have pleasure?'	12:12
	"The Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say,	12:15
	"'Shall I indeed bear a child now that I am old?'	12:20
	"Is anything too hard for the Lord?	12:25
	"At the appointed time I will return to you in the spring	12:28
	"and Sarah shall have a son.'	12:33
	"But Sarah denied saying, 'I did not laugh,'	12:37
	"for she was afraid.	12:41
	"He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'"	12:43
	This is the Word of the Lord.	12:47
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	12:50
-	The Psalm appointed for this Sunday is number 116,	13:01
	verses one through four, and 12 through 19.	13:05
	You may find it in your hymnal on pages 837 and 838.	13:08
	Together let us praise God by singing	13:14
	the Psalm and the Gloria responsively.	13:15
	Please rise.	13:17
	(organ music playing)	13:20
	♪ I love the Lord who has heard ♪	13:26
	♪ My voice and my supplications ♪	13:30
	♪ And has inclined His ear to me whenever I call ♪	13:34
	(congregation singing)	13:41
	♪ Then I called on the name of the Lord ♪	13:56
	(congregation singing)	14:02
	♪ What shall I return to the Lord ♪	14:09
	♪ For all my benefits ♪	14:14
	(congregation singing)	14:19
	♪ I repay my vows to the Lord ♪	14:30
	♪ in the presence of all His people ♪	14:35
	(congregation singing)	14:41
	♪ Oh Lord, I am Your servant ♪	14:52
	♪ I am Your servant, the child of Your hand made ♪	14:56
	♪ You have loosed my bonds ♪	15:01
	(congregation singing)	15:06
	♪ I will pay my vows to the Lord ♪	15:19
	♪ In the presence of all His people ♪	15:24
	(congregation singing)	15:30
	♪ Oh glory be to You, Creator ♪	15:45
	♪ And to Jesus Christ our Savior ♪	15:49
	(congregation singing)	15:53
	♪ As it was a time began ♪	16:00
	(congregation singing)	16:05
	Please be seated.	16:16
-	Here begins the fifth chapter of the letter	16:25
	sent Paul the Apostle to the Romans.	16:28
	"Therefore since we are justified by faith	16:33
	"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.	16:37
	"Through him we have obtained access	16:42
	"to this grace in which we stand	16:44
	"and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.	16:47
	"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings	16:52
	"knowing that suffering produces endurance,	16:55
	"and endurance produces character,	17:00
	"and character produces hope,	17:03
	"and hope does not disappoint us	17:06
	"because God's love has been poured into our hearts	17:08
	"through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.	17:12
	"While we were yet helpless, at the right time,	17:17
	"Christ died for the ungodly	17:21
	"while one would hardly die for a righteous man,	17:23
	"though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.	17:27
	"But God shows His love for us	17:31
	"and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."	17:35
	This is the Word of the Lord.	17:42
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	17:45
	(organ music playing)	18:13
	(chorus singing)	18:42
	(organ music playing and chorus singing continues)	21:40
-	Here begins the 35th verse of the ninth chapter	22:35
	of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew.	22:38
	"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,	22:42
	"teaching in their synagogues,	22:45
	"and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom,	22:47
	"and healing every disease and every infirmity.	22:50
	"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,	22:54
	"because they were harassed and helpless,	22:57
	"like sheep without a shepherd.	22:59
	"Then he said to his disciples,	23:02
	"'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.	23:04
	"Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest,	23:08
	"to send out laborers into His harvest.'	23:10
	"And he called to him his 12 disciples	23:15
	"and gave them authority over unclean spirits	23:18
	"to cast them out, and to heal every disease	23:20
	"and every infirmity.	23:24
	"The names of the 12 Apostles are these,	23:26
	"first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,	23:29
	"James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,	23:34
	"Peter and Bartholomew,	23:38
	"Thomas and Matthew the tax collector,	23:40
	"James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus,	23:43
	"Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.	23:46
	"These 12 Jesus sent out charging them,	23:53
	"'Go nowhere among the Gentiles	23:56
	"and enter no town of the Samaritans,	23:58
	"but go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel	24:01
	"and preach as you go saying,	24:05
	"'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'	24:07
	"Heal the sick, raise the dead,	24:10
	"cleanse lepers, and cast out demons.	24:13
	"You'll receive without pay, give without pay.	24:16
	"Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts,	24:21
	"no bag for your journey, nor two tunics,	24:25
	"nor sandals, nor a staff for the laborer deserves his food.	24:28
	"And whatever town or village you enter,	24:33
	"find out who is worthy in it	24:36
	"and stay with him until you depart.	24:39
	"As you enter the house, salute it.	24:41
	"And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it,	24:44
	"but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.	24:49
	"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words,	24:54
	"shake off the dust from your feet	24:58
	"as you leave that house or town.	25:00
	"Truly I say to you, it shall be more tolerable	25:03
	"on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah	25:06
	"than for that town.	25:11
	"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.	25:14
	"So be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.	25:18
	"Beware of men for they will deliver you	25:22
	"up to the councils and flog you in their synagogues.	25:25
	"And you will be dragged before governors and kings	25:28
	"for my sake to bare testimony before them and the Gentiles.	25:31
	"When they deliver you up, do not be anxious	25:37
	"how you are to speak or what you are to say,	25:40
	"for what you are to say will be	25:44
	"given to you in that hour, for it not you who speak,	25:45
	"but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.	25:50
	"Brother will deliver up brother to death,	25:55
	"and the father his child,	25:57
	"and children will rise against parents	26:00
	"and have them put to death.	26:03
	"And you will be hated by all for my name's sake,	26:06
	"that he who endures to the end will be saved.	26:11
	"When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next,	26:15
	"for truly I say to you, you will not have gone	26:19
	"through all the towns of Israel	26:23
	"before the Son of Man comes.'"	26:26
	This is the Word of the Lord.	26:30
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	26:33
-	Now that the school year is over for many of our children	26:46
	attention turns to that institution of summer.	26:51
	No, not baseball, but summer camp.	26:55
	This is certainly true in my house.	26:59
	When my son received verification of his camp registration,	27:03
	he also received a list of items	27:08
	that are appropriate and inappropriate for camp.	27:11
	The most clearly marked item on that list was a warning	27:17
	you must carry to the campsite everything that you bring.	27:22
	Vehicles are not allowed	27:28
	to help you transport your belongings.	27:30
	So now the matter of packing for his trip	27:35
	becomes a little more complicated.	27:38
	What is the survival gear?	27:42
	What are the essential items needed for his days at camp?	27:44
	Toothbrush?	27:50
	Socks?	27:52
	And since it's North Carolina, insect repellent?	27:55
	And what is the excess baggage?	28:00
	Those items that are left at home.	28:03
	I think it is remarkable how the art of camping	28:08
	has changed over the years, and how our understanding	28:11
	of survival gear for camping has also changed.	28:16
	When I started camping at the age of eight	28:22
	it was my job to dip the matchsticks	28:26
	into hot paraffin to waterproof them	28:29
	for the rainy days we knew we'd have in the tent.	28:33
	If we had no usable matches we'd have no hot water,	28:38
	we'd have no hot food.	28:43
	Camping in a tent in a remote area	28:47
	required serious consideration of the essentials.	28:51
	Today most would-be campers arrive at the campsite	28:57
	in their air conditioned RVs	29:00
	furnished with microwave ovens, dishwashers and VCRs.	29:03
	The essentials for these campers include	29:10
	an electrical outlet and a place to dump sewage.	29:14
	When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples to preach and heal,	29:21
	he had a definite idea of what was survival gear	29:26
	and what was excess baggage.	29:31
	He instructed the disciples to take no money,	29:35
	no nap sack, no change of clothing,	29:38
	no shoes, not even a walking stick.	29:41
	Instead they were to travel light	29:45
	by taking with them only words and actions,	29:48
	God's words and actions,	29:52
	and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.	29:56
	Now, as a minister, and as a wife of a minister,	30:02
	these words really bother me, especially now.	30:06
	My husband will begin serving a new congregation	30:12
	in less than two weeks, and we are packing for the move.	30:14
	Should I be tempted to take Jesus' words quite literally	30:22
	and chuck the many boxes?	30:26
	Perhaps also the computer and the answering machine	30:28
	and show up in the new community with nothing	30:31
	but the clothes on my back, and the shoes on my feet?	30:34
	I think not.	30:39
	But how then should I,	30:42
	how then should you understand Jesus' words?	30:44
	And to whom are these words addressed?	30:49
	Certainly to the 12 disciples	30:52
	whom the Gospel writer identifies by name,	30:55
	and just as certainly to those of us, who by our baptisms,	30:59
	have become Jesus' disciples, his followers,	31:03
	and are thereby charged to make disciples of all nations.	31:09
	So we need to look stereoscopically	31:15
	at this lesson from Saint Matthew's Gospel.	31:17
	We need to look through two different lenses at once,	31:21
	for the Gospel writer would have us read this text	31:25
	both as Jesus' words addressed to the 12 disciples,	31:29
	and as Jesus' words addressed to those disciples	31:34
	who would come after the initial 12.	31:37
	In hearing Jesus' words to his disciples	31:42
	we are hearing Jesus' words to us.	31:45
	When Jesus gave his traveling restrictions	31:52
	to the 12 disciples, he had one purpose in mind.	31:55
	To demonstrate graphically the message of Good News.	32:00
	It was simply not enough to tell people about the Gospel,	32:04
	everything about the messengers	32:09
	had to embody the contents of the message,	32:11
	the urgency of the message, and the demands of the message.	32:14
	What was important was to communicate clearly	32:21
	and concisely the Good News	32:25
	that the Kingdom of Heaven had come near,	32:29
	all else was excess baggage.	32:33
	And so Jesus himself issued the survival gear	32:39
	for his disciples as he sent them forth into ministry.	32:42
	And what are those essential items that Jesus gives?	32:47
	First, Jesus provided them with the content of the work.	32:51
	Second, Jesus informed them of the urgency of the work.	32:57
	And third, Jesus prepared them for the demands	33:02
	and the obstacles that they would face when doing his work.	33:06
	First, Jesus provided them with the content of the work.	33:14
	Jesus was not requesting the impossible of his disciples	33:21
	by his imposition of travel restrictions,	33:25
	though it must have seemed so to the 12.	33:28
	Jesus was asking of his hand-picked disciples	33:31
	nothing more than had been asked of him.	33:35
	The disciples were commissioned into the ministry	33:40
	that had been pioneered by Jesus himself.	33:43
	The Gospel writer makes this clear	33:48
	in the verses that immediate preceded chapter 10.	33:50
	These verses which detailed Jesus' own job description.	33:54
	Saint Matthew writes, "And Jesus went about	33:59
	"all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues,	34:03
	"and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom,	34:07
	"and healing every disease and every infirmity."	34:10
	Matthew then goes on to say	34:16
	at the very beginning of chapter 10	34:18
	that Jesus called the 12 and gave them authority,	34:20
	Jesus' own authority, to perform ministries of healing.	34:25
	Their work, the disciples' work,	34:31
	was to be an imitation of Jesus' own ministry.	34:36
	It was also to be more than imitation, however.	34:41
	Ministry was to be rendered and received	34:45
	as if Jesus himself was giving it.	34:48
	The disciples' hands were Jesus' hands,	34:53
	their feet his feet,	34:57
	as he ministered among the poor and the outcast.	34:59
	By their works of mercy and charity	35:05
	the disciples were not only	35:09
	to perform a service for needy persons,	35:11
	they were to also embody the contents of the message	35:14
	that God's day of promise was dawning in their midsts.	35:18
	They were to be living signs,	35:24
	their actions were to reinforce the contents of the message.	35:27
	But the ministry of the disciples	35:35
	was not just one of healing.	35:36
	The disciples were also called upon	35:39
	to mirror Jesus' preaching vocation.	35:41
	Care for the sick and the distressed	35:45
	required the accompaniment of an explanation,	35:48
	the sign needed words.	35:52
	Like Jesus, the disciples were to spread the word	35:56
	that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.	36:00
	Yet on this matter of preaching,	36:04
	the disciples were to got beyond simply mimicking Jesus.	36:06
	After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection	36:11
	it would become clear to them that Jesus himself	36:14
	was to be the subject of their preaching,	36:19
	for in Jesus God had acted decisively in history,	36:23
	reconciling the world through the life,	36:27
	death, and resurrection of the Son.	36:31
	The Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven had drawn near	36:35
	was realized in the person of Jesus Christ.	36:39
	Therefore the disciples, in their imitation of Jesus,	36:44
	were not simply to emulate his work,	36:49
	they were to bear his likeness, his image.	36:53
	As it was for the 12,	37:01
	so it is for us who would be Jesus' disciples.	37:03
	Jesus calls us to act out the message of God's Good News	37:12
	by being agents of healing and caretakers of the distressed.	37:17
	Jesus calls us to proclaim the message, to be the message,	37:23
	so to live that Jesus himself	37:29
	is reflected in our lives.	37:33
	To be a follower of Jesus Christ means more	37:37
	than to show up in church on Sunday morning,	37:40
	means more than to read the Bible once or twice a week.	37:43
	It means to be Christ's representative,	37:48
	to represent Christ for the world.	37:52
	The second item of survival gear given to the disciples,	38:00
	Jesus instructed them about the urgency of the work.	38:05
	The work of discipleship was to be anything but causal.	38:11
	Jesus' packing list did not include	38:16
	folding chairs and beach umbrellas.	38:18
	Rather, Jesus told the disciples to take nothing with them,	38:22
	for to travel around with one's possessions, even money,	38:27
	was to convey an attitude that was counter	38:33
	to the message that was to be preached.	38:36
	The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand	38:40
	and the in-bringing of the Kingdom	38:42
	required that persons act quickly,	38:44
	both preachers and hearers.	38:48
	The disciples were to trust	38:52
	the message they were to proclaim,	38:53
	so much so that they were to embody the message,	38:55
	that urgency, by taking nothing with them.	38:59
	True discipleship, as Jesus defined it,	39:04
	required that those who would be disciples trust in God	39:08
	to provide everything for their everyday needs.	39:11
	Just as Jesus himself was poor in material things,	39:17
	the disciples too were to be dependent	39:21
	on the riches given from God.	39:25
	Their work, their words, even their very lives	39:28
	were to be regarded as gifts from God.	39:33
	For this reason the disciples were not to receive	39:38
	compensation or any benefit beyond minimal subsistence	39:40
	for their words and their work.	39:46
	Instead they were to bless those	39:50
	who had received God's Word,	39:53
	and those who had in turn	39:55
	received the disciples into their homes.	39:59
	As it was for the 12, so it is for us	40:05
	who would be Jesus' faithful disciples.	40:09
	But today how do we measure Jesus' instruction	40:16
	about the urgency of spreading the Word	40:20
	concerning the nearness of God's Kingdom?	40:23
	So many centuries have passed,	40:26
	so many faithful Christians have died,	40:28
	and the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus proclaimed	40:32
	seems more remote than near.	40:35
	Is there the same urgency that there was	40:40
	for those first disciples?	40:44
	Yes, for how will we know when the time has come	40:47
	for the Kingdom of Heaven to be fulfilled in our midsts?	40:52
	We are to live as if that new day will dawn tomorrow.	40:56
	We are to be ever watchful as faithful bridesmaids	41:01
	who await the bridegroom,	41:05
	who will come to the marriage feast,	41:08
	but who's arrival has yet to be announced.	41:12
	Yes, there is still an urgency in witnessing to the Gospel.	41:16
	That urgency is present among some new Christians	41:25
	I recently visited in Southeast Asia.	41:29
	One man I met, a practicing physician who also	41:33
	has teaching responsibilities in a local university,	41:37
	has made it his ministry to proclaim	41:41
	the urgency of the message in cyberspace.	41:44
	He is convinced that to be a true disciple	41:50
	he must give testimony to the Gospel	41:53
	and his medium is email and the world-wide web.	41:57
	Now to many of us here he might seem to be a fanatic,	42:03
	but it seems that many Christians in the United States,	42:09
	in North Carolina, in Durham, even here in Duke Chapel	42:12
	have become rather complacent about the message	42:17
	that was entrusted to us when we were baptized.	42:20
	There is a casualness rather than an urgency	42:25
	about spreading the Good News of God's Kingdom.	42:28
	Our Christianity has become more of an institution,	42:32
	a label instead of a calling.	42:36
	Jesus gives us the survival gear, but we are slowed	42:42
	by all the excess baggage we carry around with us.	42:46
	Such items as the fear of	42:49
	appearing to be a religious zealot,	42:51
	the concern that we might offend someone,	42:54
	and perhaps even disbelief that God's Word is true.	42:58
	This excess baggage inhibits or prohibits us	43:04
	from the work of discipleship.	43:09
	Jesus' instructions to the first disciples in chapter 10	43:13
	comes to us then as a startling reminder	43:17
	of the tasks present day disciples are to undertake,	43:20
	and the responsibilities we are to assume.	43:25
	And now the third item of survival gear	43:32
	given to the disciples.	43:34
	Jesus prepared them for the demands and obstacles	43:37
	that they would face in doing his work.	43:40
	The picture that is painted for the disciples	43:46
	is not a pleasant one.	43:49
	They will be like sheep attacked by ravenous wolves.	43:52
	Hatred, persecution, family division,	43:57
	all these are to be the lot of the persistent disciple	44:00
	who is willing to be vulnerable,	44:05
	who is willing to face danger,	44:07
	who is willing to be clothed in nothing	44:10
	but the armor of God.	44:12
	In this they will share the same fate as Jesus,	44:16
	they will be treated as he was treated.	44:21
	For this reason the disciples are advised	44:27
	to be both subtle and uncorrupt in their work.	44:29
	They are to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.	44:33
	But the disciples are also assured that they	44:41
	will not be abandoned in their work for Jesus' sake.	44:43
	They should not be afraid, for God will be with them.	44:48
	Even if their tongues are speechless,	44:53
	God will provide the words.	44:57
	And though faithfulness to the message is its own reward,	45:01
	God promises to save those who endure to the end.	45:07
	As it was for the 12,	45:16
	so it is for us even today.	45:19
	The kind of persecution described in chapter 10	45:25
	is probably foreign to most of us,	45:29
	and what might that say about our faithfulness	45:33
	to the message we are to deliver?	45:36
	Not that anyone should look for trouble,	45:38
	but are we willing to give testimony,	45:42
	to profess our faith, to witness to the Good News	45:45
	no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the cost?	45:50
	Persecution and family division for the sake of the Gospel	45:57
	might seem a thing of a bygone age.	46:02
	Perhaps that is true in the North American context	46:06
	but that certainly is not true	46:10
	for first generation Christians	46:12
	of Chinese descent living in Asia, as I recently discovered.	46:14
	Several times I heard stories from persons,	46:20
	particularly the eldest sons in Chinese families,	46:24
	who were disowned when they professed faith in Jesus Christ.	46:29
	By becoming Christians they had to give up	46:36
	the Chinese religion in which one's parents	46:39
	are virtually worshiped as gods.	46:42
	Because they had abandoned the traditional family structure,	46:46
	they were regarded as non-existent	46:51
	or dead by their families of origin.	46:54
	In the case of one man I met, he had not seen,	47:00
	spoken to, or corresponded with any member	47:04
	of his immediate or extended family	47:07
	in the 20 years since he had become a Christian.	47:10
	How seriously are we willing to take our tasks	47:17
	as disciples of Jesus Christ?	47:22
	Are we willing to pay the price for our faith	47:26
	knowing that we need not fear, for God is with us?	47:31
	Jesus calls to us just as he called	47:39
	to the 12 disciples so long ago.	47:43
	He bids us to take up our cross, to be his disciples,	47:47
	and to make disciples of others.	47:53
	He gives us the survival gear,	47:58
	everything we need for the journey of faith.	48:01
	He charges us to proclaim the Good News	48:07
	and to care for others in his name.	48:11
	He compels us to recognize the urgency	48:16
	of the work that must be done.	48:19
	And he warns us that discipleship may be difficult,	48:23
	but he promises to be with us throughout any ordeal.	48:28
	These are the essentials of discipleship,	48:34
	this is all we need.	48:38
	All else is excess baggage.	48:41
	Are you willing to make the journey?	48:47
	(organ music playing)	48:55
	(all singing)	49:32
-	You may be seated.	52:12
	The Lord be with you.	52:18
Congregation	And also with you.	52:20
-	Let us pray.	52:22
	Almighty God who hears our voices and answers prayer	52:29
	accept our praise this day.	52:36
	You have blessed us, your servants, with freedom,	52:40
	freedom to serve You and freedom to turn away.	52:44
	We pray that You would help us to see	52:49
	that serving You in freedom and love	52:51
	is the way to peace, justice and abundant life,	52:55
	for You desire to bless us	53:01
	in surprising and unexpected ways.	53:03
	Like Sarah, we may laugh at	53:07
	the impossibilities You lay before us,	53:09
	but help us to trust You in spite of our misgivings.	53:13
	For You are the God who makes a way out of no way,	53:18
	You are the God who makes the impossible, possible.	53:22
	For this and all Your mercies we give You thanks.	53:27
All	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	53:32
-	God of the harvest,	53:37
	equip us for our labors in Your Kingdom.	53:40
	Help us discern what is essential for life,	53:45
	and what is excess baggage that gets in the way	53:48
	of our service in Your Kingdom.	53:52
	Remind us that we are not dependent	53:55
	upon our own powers, but Your power,	53:58
	for You both prepare the way	54:02
	and undergird us with Your strength and blessings	54:05
	so we might embody the way of Your salvation.	54:09
	Grant us eyes and ears attuned to Your compassion	54:14
	and to Your children's needs.	54:18
	May we discern in the distressed and helpless	54:21
	an opportunity for discipleship.	54:25
	May we reach out in love and compassion	54:29
	so that in us they may glimpse Your love and compassion	54:32
	revealed in Christ our Lord.	54:36
All	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	54:40
-	You have taught us to pray for and to serve one another,	54:45
	You have invited us to trust You when we face difficulties,	54:49
	so we lift up to You in silence our needs	54:54
	and the needs of those who are dear to us.	54:58
	We pray for those who suffer trauma in body or mind,	55:13
	that they may be healed.	55:18
	For those who's livelihood is insecure,	55:20
	the overworked, the unemployed, those burdened by debt,	55:24
	that they may know security of body and mind.	55:30
	For little children who's surroundings	55:35
	hide from them Your love and beauty,	55:38
	that they may be valued as Your own beloved children.	55:41
	For those who have to bear their burdens alone,	55:46
	that they may know Christian fellowship	55:50
	and a communion of Your spirit.	55:52
	For those who have lost loved ones,	55:56
	that they may be comforted	55:59
	and know the hope of eternal life.	56:01
	For those who are in doubt and anguish of soul,	56:06
	that they may find peace.	56:10
All	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	56:15
-	Come among us, Lord, come that we might be	56:20
	filled with Your Spirit and bound with Your love.	56:23
	Like Sarah, give us laughter as we glimpse	56:27
	the power of Your grace to remove impossible barriers.	56:30
	Give us courage to follow, even when it is costly to do so	56:35
	knowing that You go with us every step of the way.	56:41
	Transform our lives from barrenness to fullness,	56:45
	that we might bear fruit as Your people	56:50
	and Your servants for a hurting world,	56:52
	and send us forth as Your disciples,	56:55
	that we might share Your love and grace with all the world	56:58
	so that people everywhere might know	57:02
	the glory of Your salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.	57:04
	Amen.	57:09
	Let us offer ourselves and our gifts	57:13
	in thanksgiving to the Lord.	57:15
	(organ music playing)	57:19
	(chorus singing)	58:39
	(organ music playing)	1:00:49
	(chorus singing)	1:01:28
	Let us pray.	1:02:29
	Holy God, we praise You.	1:02:32
	Let the heavens be joyful and the Earth be glad.	1:02:35
	We bless You for creating the whole world,	1:02:41
	for Your promises to Your people, Israel,	1:02:45
	and for the life we know in Jesus Christ Your son.	1:02:49
	Born of Mary, he shares our life.	1:02:54
	Eating with sinners, he welcomes us.	1:02:58
	Leading his followers, he guides us.	1:03:02
	Dying on the cross, he rescues us.	1:03:06
	Risen from the dead, he gives new life.	1:03:10
	Send us Your Holy Spirit, that Your people may become one.	1:03:15
	Unite us in faith, inspire us to love,	1:03:21
	encourage us with hope that being made one with Christ	1:03:26
	we may be one with each other,	1:03:31
	and one in ministry to all the world	1:03:34
	until Christ comes in final victory.	1:03:37
	We praise You, Almighty Father, through Christ Your son	1:03:41
	in the Holy Spirit who taught us to pray together saying,	1:03:45
	"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.	1:03:50
	"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done	1:03:55
	"on Earth as it is in Heaven.	1:03:59
	"Give us this day our daily bread	1:04:01
	"and forgive us our trespasses	1:04:04
	"as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:04:07
	"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	1:04:11
	"For thine is the Kingdom, and the power,	1:04:16
	"and the glory forever.	1:04:19
	"Amen."	1:04:21
	(organ music playing)	1:04:24
	(all singing)	1:05:10
	And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,	1:08:32
	the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit	1:08:35
	be with you and keep you always.	1:08:38
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:08:43
	♪ Amen ♪	1:08:46
	♪ Amen ♪	1:08:47
	(organ music playing)	1:08:53

Item Info

Title:

Karen Westerfield Tucker - Sermon Untitled (June 16, 1996)

Description:

Sermon start time: 26:46. Sermon end time: 48:51.
To be a disciple of God means is to put God first and to carry the weight of God's word in our lives. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “[To be a follower of Jesus] means to be Christ’s representative, to re-present Christ for the world.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4n873d9b

Date:

June 16, 1996

Speaker:

Westerfield Tucker, Karen B. (Karen Beth), 1954-

Liturgical Calendar:

Ordinary Time

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Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0480
ref9754_96u
uachapelsermaud
duke:321507
dcrmv001455
ark:/87924/r4n873d9b
ec217c9f-02e1-4f0f-884a-a3bde9ff7518

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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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Provenance:

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

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Karen Westerfield Tucker - Sermon Untitled (June 16, 1996)

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Duke University Archives

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