Hans J. Hillerbrand - "Preparing, Also for the Unexpected" Founders' Day (December 8, 1991)

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	(soft organ music)	0:01
-	Thursday afternoon, in this place,	4:58
	the university community celebrated	5:00
	the anniversary of the signing	5:02
	of the Duke indenture 67 years ago.	5:04
	We took that occasion to reflect upon our heritage.	5:08
	To single out those who have made	5:12
	a significant contribution to our university,	5:14
	and to recognize recipients of scholarships	5:17
	made possible by the founding family.	5:20
	Today, we pause as we do each year,	5:23
	in memory of the Duke family,	5:27
	to honor all those who have given of themselves	5:29
	in service to the future	5:32
	by creating and recreating this university.	5:34
	We reaffirm here our pledge of Duke University	5:38
	to the ideal of service to humanity,	5:42
	and we give thanks for those	5:45
	who unselfishly take responsibility	5:47
	for a future that belongs to other generations.	5:49
	We remember also the Duke University	5:53
	was founded in order to return	5:56
	the wealth of the land to its people	5:58
	through the dissemination of knowledge	6:01
	and respect for truth,	6:02
	and through the continuing generosity	6:05
	of those who established it for all time.	6:07
-	Let us pray.	6:14
	We give you thanks, oh merciful God,	6:17
	that you have given us the gift of memory.	6:19
	Thereby are we enabled to rise above	6:23
	the merely present moment.	6:25
	Better to assess what is now.	6:27
	Better to dream of what shall be.	6:30
	May our remembrance of those	6:34
	who preceded us here	6:36
	make us more grateful for their gifts,	6:38
	more committed to be as faithful in our day	6:41
	as they were in their day.	6:46
	Amen.	6:49
	Please join me in the litany of commemoration.	6:51
	Almighty and eternal God	6:56
	in whom our mothers and fathers have trusted,	6:58
	we, their children, at this time of remembrance,	7:01
	offer unto thee our prayers of thanksgiving.	7:05
Congregation	Hear us and beseech us, oh Lord.	7:09
-	For the members of the Duke family.	7:11
	Father, daughter, sons and their spouses, grandchildren,	7:14
	and all others in continuing generations	7:18
	until this very day,	7:21
	who with concern and compassion,	7:23
	devotion, and dedication,	7:26
	and by their generosity,	7:28
	built on a solid foundation,	7:30
	continued a worthy school	7:32
	and provided for education and service	7:34
	beyond even their dreams and expectations.	7:36
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	7:40
-	For the pioneering and persevering	7:43
	men and women connected with this university,	7:44
	Methodists and Quakers,	7:47
	farmers and merchants,	7:49
	teachers and administrators,	7:50
	who in days gone by,	7:53
	believed in education and made their beliefs prevail.	7:54
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	7:59
-	For the embodiment of their dreams,	8:01
	from private school to academy to college	8:03
	to great university,	8:06
	founded in hope, continued with sacrifice,	8:08
	growing in outreach, serving with commitment.	8:11
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	8:15
William	For faculty and staff whose vision	8:17
	was bolstered by their courage,	8:19
	whose patience was tested and found true,	8:22
	and whose idealism was implanted	8:25
	in the hearts and minds of others.	8:27
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	8:29
-	For the ongoing presence of noble ideas,	8:32
	the blending of eruditio et religio,	8:36
	the freedom for responsible	8:39
	academic research and teaching,	8:41
	the ongoing respect for both	8:44
	the body and the spirit,	8:45
	pursuit of knowledge in the sciences	8:48
	and the humanities,	8:50
	the realization that the old order changes	8:51
	and new times bring new responsibilities.	8:54
Congregation	We give you thanks and praise.	8:57
-	For the future of Duke University,	9:00
	established for thy glory	9:03
	and for the enlightenment of the human mind and spirit,	9:05
	for consecration to the learning by the young,	9:08
	for the best use of the wisdom	9:11
	of those in latter years,	9:13
	for the commitment to growth	9:15
	and enhancement of all persons,	9:16
	for a sense of humor,	9:19
	a spirit of cooperation,	9:21
	and a desire for understanding among all	9:23
	within our community and the world.	9:26
Everyone	We give you thanks and praise.	9:29
	To thee, oh God, we will ascribe	9:33
	as is most due,	9:35
	all praise and glory,	9:37
	world without end.	9:38
	Amen.	9:41
-	You may be seated.	9:42
	We welcome you to this service of worship	9:51
	on the second Sunday in the Christian season of Advent.	9:53
	All performances for the chapel choir's	9:58
	Performances of Messiah are now sold out.	10:02
	Like to announce that there will be	10:07
	a meeting to discuss the Holocaust	10:09
	with Gerda Klein, a Holocaust survivor.	10:13
	This is sponsored by Duke Campus Ministry.	10:15
	Be in the Zaner Auditorium	10:19
	on December the 10th this Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.	10:20
	All are invited.	10:26
	Our preacher for today is Dr. Hans Hillerbrand,	10:28
	Chair of the Department of Religion.	10:32
	We welcome him for his second sermon	10:36
	in the Duke Chapel pulpit	10:42
	and look forward to the message	10:44
	that he brings us this day.	10:46
	Now let us continue the worship of God.	10:49
	(soft organ music)	10:54
	♪ Wake, awake, for night is flying ♪	12:05
	♪ The watchmen on the heights are crying ♪	12:14
	♪ Awake, Jerusalem, arise ♪	12:25
	♪ Midnight hears the welcome voices ♪	12:34
	♪ And at the thrilling cry rejoices ♪	12:44
	♪ Where are the virgins pure and wise ♪	12:56
	♪ The bridegroom comes awake ♪	13:05
	♪ Your lamps with gladness take ♪	13:12
	♪ Alleluia ♪	13:20
	♪ And for his marriage feast prepare ♪	13:25
	♪ For ye must go and meet him there ♪	13:33
	♪ Zion hears the watchmen singing ♪	13:43
	♪ And all her heart with joy is springing ♪	13:54
	♪ She wakes, she rises from her gloom ♪	14:05
	♪ For her Lord comes down all glorious ♪	14:13
	♪ The strong in grace, in truth victorious ♪	14:24
	♪ Her star is risen, her light is come ♪	14:35
	♪ Ah come, thou blessed one ♪	14:44
	♪ God's own beloved Son ♪	14:52
	♪ Alleluia ♪	14:59
	♪ We follow till the halls we see ♪	15:04
	♪ Where thou hast bid us sup with thee ♪	15:12
	♪ Now let all the heavens adore thee ♪	15:23
	♪ And saints and angels sing before thee ♪	15:33
	♪ With harp and cymbal's clearest tone ♪	15:44
	♪ Of one pearl each shining portal ♪	15:53
	♪ Where we are with the choir immortal ♪	16:03
	♪ Of angels round thy dazzling throne ♪	16:14
	♪ Nor eye hath seen ♪	16:23
	♪ Nor ear hath yet attained to hear ♪	16:30
	♪ What there is ours ♪	16:38
	♪ But we rejoice and sing to thee ♪	16:42
	♪ Our hymn of joy eternally ♪	16:51
-	You may be seated.	17:04
	Let us pray the Advent Prayer in unison.	17:12
Everyone	Merciful God,	17:17
	you sent your messengers, the prophets,	17:19
	to preach repentance and prepare the way	17:22
	for our salvation.	17:25
	Give us grace to heed their warnings	17:27
	and forsake our sins.	17:30
	That we may celebrate right	17:33
	the commemoration of the nativity,	17:34
	and may awake with joy	17:37
	the coming and glory of Jesus Christ our Redeemer,	17:40
	who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.	17:45
	One God, forever and ever.	17:49
	Amen.	17:52
-	Let us pray together the Prayer for Illumination.	18:01
Everyone	Open our hearts and minds, oh God.	18:05
	By the power of your Holy Spirit.	18:08
	So that as the Word is read and proclaimed,	18:11
	we might be prepared	18:15
	for your advent among us.	18:17
	Amen.	18:19
-	The reading from the Old Testament	18:21
	comes from the prophet Malachi, the third chapter.	18:23
	Beginning with the first verse.	18:27
	See, I am sending my messenger	18:30
	to prepare the way before me,	18:32
	and the Lord whom you seek	18:35
	will suddenly come to his temple.	18:37
	The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight,	18:40
	indeed, he is coming,	18:43
	says the Lord of hosts.	18:45
	But who can endure the day of his coming?	18:47
	And who can stand when he appears?	18:50
	For he is like a refiner's fire	18:53
	and like fuller's soap.	18:55
	He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,	18:58
	and he will purify the descendants of Levee	19:02
	and refine them like gold and silver	19:05
	until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.	19:08
	Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem	19:12
	will be pleasing to the Lord,	19:15
	as in the days of old,	19:17
	and as in former years.	19:19
	This is the Word of the Lord.	19:22
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	19:24
	♪ When the Lord turned again ♪	19:44
	♪ The captivity of Zion ♪	19:47
	♪ Then was our mouth ♪	19:50
	♪ Filled with laughter ♪	19:53
	♪ With laughter, with laughter ♪	19:57
	♪ And joy ♪	19:59
	♪ Then was our mouth ♪	20:02
	♪ Filled with laughter ♪	20:05
	♪ With laughter, with laughter ♪	20:08
	♪ With laughter and joy ♪	20:11
	♪ When the Lord turned again ♪	20:16
	♪ From captivity of Zion ♪	20:19
	♪ Then was our mouth ♪	20:23
	♪ Filled with laughter ♪	20:26
	♪ With laughter and joy ♪	20:29
	♪ Then was our mouth ♪	20:33
	♪ Filled with laughter ♪	20:36
	♪ With laughter, with laughter ♪	20:39
	♪ With laughter and joy ♪	20:43
	♪ Then was our mouth ♪	20:47
	♪ Filled with laughter ♪	20:50
	♪ With laughter and joy ♪	20:53
	♪ Then was our mouth ♪	20:57
	♪ Filled with laughter ♪	21:00
	♪ With laughter, with laughter ♪	21:03
	♪ With laughter and joy ♪	21:06
	♪ For they said among the heathen ♪	21:10
	♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪	21:17
	♪ Whereof they are glad ♪	21:24
	♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪	21:27
	♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪	21:34
	♪ The Lord, he hath done great things for them ♪	21:41
	♪ Whereof they are glad ♪	21:48
	♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪	21:51
	♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪	21:58
	♪ The Lord hath done great things for them ♪	22:02
	♪ The Lord, he hath done great things for them ♪	22:05
	♪ Whereof they are glad ♪	22:12
	♪ Turn again our captivity, oh Lord ♪	22:17
	♪ As the rivers in the south ♪	22:22
	♪ For they that sow in tears ♪	22:27
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	22:31
	♪ For they that sow in tears ♪	22:35
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	22:38
	♪ Shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪	22:41
	♪ In joy, shall reap, shall reap ♪	22:44
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	22:52
	♪ For they that sow in tears ♪	23:01
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	23:04
	♪ For they that sow in tears ♪	23:09
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	23:13
	♪ For they that sow in tears ♪	23:17
	♪ Shall reap, shall reap in joy ♪	23:20
	♪ Shall reap, shall reap ♪	23:26
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	23:29
	♪ In joy, shall reap, shall reap ♪	23:32
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	23:38
	♪ For those that sow in tears ♪	23:43
	♪ Shall reap in joy ♪	23:46
-	This reading is from the Gospel	24:03
	according to Saint Luke,	24:04
	chapter three, beginning with the first verse.	24:05
	In the 15th year of the reign	24:08
	of the emperor of Tiberius,	24:10
	when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,	24:12
	and Herod was ruler of Galilee,	24:15
	and his brother Philip ruler of the region Iturea,	24:17
	and Traconitis and Lysanias, ruler of Abilene,	24:21
	during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,	24:24
	the Word of God came to John,	24:28
	son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.	24:31
	He went into all the region around the Jordan,	24:34
	proclaiming a baptism of repentance	24:37
	for the forgiveness of sins.	24:39
	As it is written in the book of the words	24:42
	of the prophet Isaiah,	24:44
	the voice of one crying out in the wilderness	24:45
	prepare the way of the Lord.	24:49
	Make his paths straight.	24:51
	Every valley shall be filled	24:53
	and every mountain and hill shall be made low.	24:55
	And the crooked shall be made straight	24:59
	and the rough waves made smooth.	25:01
	And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.	25:04
	This is the Word of the Lord.	25:09
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	25:11
-	I might as well begin by admitting	25:24
	that I have been quite a bit apprehensive	25:26
	about preaching on this lovely combination	25:29
	of the sacred and the secular,	25:33
	the second Sunday of Advent	25:36
	and Founder's Day of Duke University.	25:38
	Of course, the problem is that half of you	25:42
	will expect a sermon on Advent,	25:45
	and the other half, a sermon on Founder's Day.	25:48
	So what can one preach?	25:52
	Especially if your servant this morning	25:55
	is the 17th in a row of Founder's Days preachers,	25:59
	and is not a powerful pulpiteer	26:05
	or eloquent exegete,	26:09
	but a simple professor of religion.	26:12
	Now our Gospel lesson has a simple answer.	26:16
	It tells about John the Baptist preaching a sermon.	26:21
	But once you think about it,	26:26
	I cannot emulate John the Baptist	26:27
	because in the verse that follows our lesson,	26:31
	he calls his listeners a brood of vipers,	26:35
	which is somewhat contrary to the language	26:39
	that surely have a right to expect from this pulpit.	26:42
	And John's rough coat of camel's hair	26:46
	isn't quite the idea either,	26:49
	though I doubt if academic regalia	26:52
	are much of an improvement.	26:55
	So what can I preach?	26:59
	John's sermon is related to a quote	27:03
	from the prophet Isaiah.	27:06
	And the operative sentiment in that quote from Isaiah	27:09
	surely is not that sentence	27:14
	that seems to come straight out of the manual	27:16
	of the North Carolina State Highway Commission	27:20
	and its vision for this state.	27:22
	This stuff about valleys and mountains	27:24
	and rugged places that are made plain and straight.	27:28
	You can hear the heavenly bulldozers coughing.	27:32
	The point surely of the Isaiah passage	27:36
	are its very first words.	27:40
	Prepare the way of the Lord.	27:43
	So then, the lesson for this second Sunday in Advent	27:48
	is to prepare.	27:52
	Which ought to make my task fairly simple	27:55
	because that surely is what we all are doing these days.	27:58
	No matter how high the wall	28:04
	between church and state,	28:06
	these days, the Christian calendar	28:09
	surely is in splendid harmony with society.	28:12
	And indeed, as far as preparing is concerned,	28:16
	things assuredly are getting better and better	28:19
	because it used to be	28:22
	that what we call the spirit of Christmas	28:25
	was confined to the time	28:27
	between Thanksgiving and December 25th.	28:29
	But nowadays, that spirit invades our lives in October,	28:34
	soon after Labor Day.	28:40
	So surely we have plenty of time to prepare.	28:42
	John the Baptist would be pleased.	28:48
	Wall to wall Christmas music,	28:52
	and at Morgan Imports, the manger scene,	28:55
	imported of course from Taiwan,	28:58
	for $19.95 plus tax.	29:01
	Biblically authentic but theologically suspect.	29:04
	So there are 16 shopping days left until Christmas,	29:08
	as I feel called upon to remind you,	29:13
	and there are shopping lists	29:16
	and Christmas trees and poinsettias and sugar cookies	29:18
	and office parties and Christmas cards and eggnog	29:22
	and more Christmas cards and more eggnog.	29:27
	With 50% of the annual sales	29:31
	of retail stores in November and December,	29:34
	Christmas would have to be invented	29:38
	if it did not exist.	29:41
	Especially these days, when, so we are told,	29:43
	consumer spending is down	29:46
	and President Bush seeks a photo opportunity	29:49
	to enhance consumer confidence	29:53
	by spending $28 for socks at JC Penney's, no less.	29:55
	We prepare for the spirit of Christmas	30:04
	in the spirit of Adam Smith	30:08
	and Irving Crystal and Milton Freedman.	30:10
	And the churches respond to such	30:14
	post capitalist busyness	30:17
	with a busyness of their own.	30:20
	Lots of special programs and special music.	30:24
	Including, of course, the obligatory Messiah.	30:28
	Now in earlier days,	30:34
	Christians prepared for Christmas by fasting.	30:35
	Nowadays, fasting is for lower cholesterol,	30:40
	rather higher spirituality.	30:43
	In earlier days, Christians suffered martyrdom.	30:46
	Nowadays, martyrdom is reserved	30:51
	for suffering through Sunday school Christmas pageants.	30:54
	Advent is about preparing.	31:00
	But if you ask me why the church	31:04
	has placed this period of preparation	31:07
	Advent before Christmas,	31:10
	then assuredly not to give us	31:13
	time for leisurely Christmas shopping	31:15
	without anxiety attacks.	31:18
	Nor to afford us a relaxed countdown	31:21
	to a social event.	31:26
	Rather, the church was so overwhelmed	31:29
	by the mystery of the incarnation	31:32
	that it said, we need time to assimilate it all.	31:35
	Time to absorb it.	31:40
	Time to comprehend it.	31:41
	Let's take time out to prepare.	31:44
	And so, for generations,	31:49
	Christians have had to get past Advent	31:51
	in a period of preparation to get to Christmas.	31:55
	They had to prepare.	31:59
	Now, that second half of you will	32:05
	well want to ask me,	32:09
	what does all this have to do with Founder's Day?	32:11
	But once you think about it,	32:15
	the answer is stunningly simple.	32:17
	Founders are those who have prepared the way.	32:20
	And their legacies are all around us.	32:25
	And indeed, the most meaningful Founder's Day	32:30
	sermon that I could possibly preach	32:33
	would be at this very moment to stop.	32:36
	To invite you to rise from your places in the pew,	32:39
	leave this chapel,	32:43
	and then go out onto our campus	32:45
	and walk around and walk around	32:49
	and look for our founders.	32:52
	And if this were done for future Founder's Day sermons,	32:57
	it surely would relieve a lot of anxiety.	33:02
	And on leaving this chapel,	33:06
	you first would see Mr. Duke, the founder,	33:08
	smoking his cigar, now quite appropriately outdoors,	33:13
	what with all our smoke-free buildings on campus.	33:18
	And as you walk, you find founders everywhere.	33:24
	Perkins and Kilgo and Flowers	33:29
	and Sarah Duke and Davison.	33:35
	Name after name after name,	33:38
	and all founders they.	33:42
	In Perkins Library, the portrait of Mary Semans,	33:46
	and in the Lobby of Allen	33:49
	that of Julian Abele, the architect of this chapel.	33:51
	Now the windows of medieval cathedrals	33:59
	often depict the writers of the Gospels	34:01
	as sitting on the shoulders of the Hebrew prophets.	34:05
	So you have Jeremiah carrying Luke	34:11
	and you have Isaiah carrying Matthew.	34:15
	And the prophets are depicted as giants	34:20
	and the writers of the Gospels	34:24
	are depicted as small children.	34:26
	Now how is that for a definition of founders?	34:30
	Just imagine Terry Sanford carrying Keith Brody	34:36
	or Bill Blackburn carrying Stanley Fish.	34:40
	But that is exactly the way we should imagine it	34:45
	because we are what we are today	34:48
	because of those who went before us.	34:52
	On whose shoulders we sit.	34:56
	Now to be sure,	35:01
	when we talk founders,	35:02
	we often talk money.	35:04
	That is quite and utterly understandable	35:07
	because a university is in permanent need of funds,	35:11
	or to paraphrase what Mark Twain once said,	35:16
	at the university, the lack of money	35:20
	is the root of all evil.	35:22
	Or what was said to a French king.	35:25
	To run a university, three things are necessary.	35:28
	Money, money, and yet more money.	35:32
	But founders are not only those	35:37
	with generous pocketbooks.	35:39
	Founders are also those for whom there is no memorial	35:42
	and in whose memory no building is made.	35:47
	And so, this morning when we honor our founders,	35:52
	we also honor those for whom no portrait is hung,	35:56
	for whom no building is named,	36:01
	and whose names are not recalled.	36:05
	Because they too prepared the way.	36:09
	The brick masons who built this chapel,	36:13
	Irene Burr, who for 30 years,	36:17
	was housekeeper in Divinity and Gray,	36:20
	the secretaries in academic departments,	36:23
	always addressing the faculty	36:27
	as doctor and professor	36:29
	while they were simply Mary or Jane.	36:32
	We should remember them all as our founders.	36:37
	Well, I would have wanted you to muse	36:44
	about all of this.	36:47
	As you listen to the sermon preached by this campus,	36:50
	the stones of its buildings	36:54
	and the memory of its people.	36:57
	And then, just when you were looking at your watches,	37:00
	which you may be doing now anyhow,	37:06
	and getting ready to head again	37:08
	for the parking lot or the bus stop,	37:10
	I would have asked Sam Hammond	37:14
	to sound the carol on	37:16
	to have you return to this chapel.	37:18
	Because to talk about founders would not be complete	37:21
	without recalling the founders	37:26
	that are memorialized in this Duke University chapel.	37:29
	The six of them right at the front portal.	37:35
	Savannah Rola and Wickliff,	37:40
	and Wesley and Asbury and Luther.	37:43
	Together, intriguingly enough with a general	37:47
	and a president and a poet.	37:50
	And I've wanted to point to you	37:54
	the 300 founders that are found in these windows,	37:57
	including the 15 that are right there	38:01
	in front of you in the chancellor.	38:04
	In the church too are the founders	38:07
	who prepared the way.	38:11
	So what then about this juxtaposition	38:14
	of Advent and Founder's Day?	38:18
	Both tell us something about preparing.	38:22
	But both can be routine.	38:26
	Nothing special.	38:28
	Like National Beekeeper's Week or Flag Day.	38:31
	And indeed, we have prepared for Christmas so often	38:34
	that it is nothing special.	38:38
	That it is like watching	38:42
	The Hunt For Red October on HBO	38:43
	for the fifth time.	38:46
	Hardly a cliffhanger.	38:48
	Founders relate preparing to the past,	38:53
	while Advent relates preparing to the future.	38:58
	And the danger for us as we think about the past	39:04
	and as we think about the present	39:07
	is that we forget that past and future	39:09
	do reach into our present.	39:12
	And if we forget that,	39:15
	then the consequence is that we will prepare	39:17
	merely for what we expect.	39:20
	And you know that that kind of preparing	39:25
	is no big deal	39:27
	if you know what is coming.	39:29
	It is like preparing for the semester exam.	39:32
	It is like telling my class back in September,	39:36
	prepare, prepare.	39:39
	My students surely would have had reason to be perplexed.	39:43
	Why belabor the obvious?	39:47
	Even though professors sometimes do,	39:51
	though quite often, for good reason.	39:54
	I mention this because the Bible makes it clear	39:57
	that the preparing it talks about	40:01
	is of a very special kind.	40:05
	It is preparing also for the unexpected.	40:08
	Like the unannounced pop quiz.	40:13
	And indeed, encountering the unexpected	40:16
	seems to be the hallmark	40:19
	of the women and men in the Bible.	40:21
	Because after all, Sarah knew that she was beyond menopause.	40:25
	Abraham knew that he had been commanded	40:30
	to sacrifice his son.	40:33
	And all the principles of the nativity story,	40:36
	from Elizabeth to Mary,	40:39
	to the shepherds and the wise men,	40:42
	needed divine prompting to understand	40:45
	what was going on.	40:49
	And so, their message surely	40:51
	is don't ever settle into routine.	40:53
	Don't ever assume that you have all figured it out.	40:55
	So, Advent challenges us to prepare	41:01
	also for the unexpected.	41:04
	And for that, we surely need time.	41:08
	Because we've all been there.	41:12
	I didn't know that the trash can	41:15
	was behind the car.	41:17
	Hi Mom, I met this fellow last week	41:20
	and he moved in with me.	41:22
	No big deal, Dad.	41:25
	All the fellows are now wearing designer earrings.	41:27
	If you prepare for the unexpected,	41:31
	you need time.	41:34
	And you may well look foolish	41:36
	and sound foolish to boot.	41:39
	Remember Mary Magdalene of the Gospel story	41:42
	who took a bottle of Chanel Number Five	41:45
	and splashed it on Jesus' feet.	41:49
	And unexpectedly, Jesus praised her,	41:53
	even though with the money,	41:55
	blankets could've been bought for the homeless	41:58
	in Jericho or in Jerusalem.	42:00
	Remember the planners of this campus.	42:04
	In the 1920s,	42:08
	when Durham really was a small town	42:10
	and the south was really the south.	42:13
	They decided to build a magnificent campus,	42:16
	gothic in style,	42:20
	in order to emulate universities	42:22
	that were centuries old.	42:25
	That took courage because	42:29
	there are always those who snicker.	42:33
	And remember Mr. Duke,	42:36
	giving of his wealth to a small Methodist college	42:37
	with the notion that it become	42:42
	a world renowned university.	42:44
	That also took courage because	42:47
	some always snicker.	42:50
	Or remember the librarians and the faculty	42:54
	back in the '20s and '30s	42:57
	who imagined that Duke would be	43:00
	a major university,	43:02
	and then needed a research library to go with it.	43:05
	And then that also took courage.	43:10
	There are always those who can	43:14
	only think of the future	43:16
	as petrified present.	43:19
	Which takes me right back to where I started.	43:23
	Advent tells us that the present is never complete.	43:26
	Surely not in the church,	43:31
	nor in the university.	43:34
	And if James B. Duke were around today,	43:37
	he surely would not understand	43:40
	half of what we're doing in the university,	43:42
	but he surely would also be pleased	43:45
	with the institution that bears his name.	43:48
	If St. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas	43:52
	or Martin Luther were around today,	43:54
	they surely would shake their heads	43:57
	at 1991 Christianity.	43:59
	But they would also, I believe,	44:04
	commend us for our faith.	44:06
	After all, the canon changes.	44:10
	After all, you cannot be a founder	44:14
	unless you're willing to extend your present.	44:16
	To prepare means that you're never finished.	44:21
	But preparing must have a goal.	44:26
	In our Scripture lesson,	44:29
	that goal was stated so that	44:30
	all shall see the salvation of our Lord.	44:32
	We express our goal Sunday after Sunday	44:37
	when we pray the Lord's prayer and say,	44:40
	thy kingdom come.	44:44
	When we pray for the disappearance	44:47
	of evil and disease,	44:49
	injustice and indignity.	44:51
	But what that really means	44:55
	is we pray for the kingdom to come	44:56
	just as we expect it.	45:00
	But that kingdom will also come in the unexpected.	45:04
	It will come as Jesus said,	45:08
	in the least of these,	45:10
	my brethren and sisters.	45:11
	In Mary Magdalene.	45:14
	In a little baby.	45:16
	Mary Magdalene expected to be reprimanded,	45:19
	and Mary, when the angel spoke to her,	45:23
	did not clap her hands and say,	45:25
	goody goody, just what I wanted.	45:27
	She said, oh my God.	45:30
	And the Gospels wisely do not tell us what Joseph said.	45:32
	We are never quite prepared for the future.	45:37
	They certainly were not two years ago	45:41
	in the Soviet Union or in East Germany.	45:44
	Ferlin Getty's Christmas poem	45:48
	speaks about an unimaginable	45:51
	and impossibly immaculate reconception.	45:55
	The very craziest of second comings.	45:59
	And all this is set in a university	46:04
	because a university symbolizes	46:09
	the wisdom of preparation.	46:12
	For what is a teacher but the preparer of the way.	46:15
	What is education but conversation	46:19
	between those who prepared the way	46:21
	and those who will travel it	46:25
	between elder and younger.	46:28
	And as the younger will forever become the older,	46:31
	they too will prepare a way.	46:35
	And it is never straight, that way.	46:38
	As out in West Texas or in Kansas.	46:41
	But it curves and it meanders	46:44
	and it goes up and down.	46:46
	And so, therefore, you can never see far ahead.	46:48
	Those of you who will graduate next spring	46:54
	will probably retire just short	46:57
	of the middle of next century.	47:00
	You better prepare for the unexpected.	47:03
	So let's appreciate all this	47:08
	and celebrate the second Sunday of Advent	47:10
	and this Founder's Day 1991	47:13
	by hopping on our founders' shoulders.	47:17
	And if that gives us too much of a heady feeling,	47:22
	then let's jump down, brace ourselves,	47:26
	and get ready for the new generation	47:31
	to hop on our shoulders.	47:33
	Then we become founders ourselves.	47:36
	And so, a very merry calisthenics to one and all.	47:41
	And let's ask everyone,	47:47
	even Ebeneezer Scrooge	47:50
	and the Duke Association of Scholars	47:52
	and the critical theory crowd to join us	47:54
	because there is a lot of preparing still to do.	47:58
	At Duke, in Durham,	48:02
	and in the human family.	48:05
	And I'll leave you with a shopping tip.	48:09
	Do give someone this season	48:13
	a useless and totally inappropriate gift.	48:15
	As a vivid reminder that that	48:20
	for which we prepare	48:22
	will forever be unexpected.	48:24
	Amen.	48:26
	(soft music)	48:33
	♪ Word of God, come down on earth ♪	49:18
	♪ Living rain from heaven descending ♪	49:24
	♪ Touch our hearts and bring to birth ♪	49:32
	♪ Faith and hope and love unending ♪	49:37
	♪ Word almighty, we revere you ♪	49:46
	♪ Word made flesh, we long to hear you ♪	49:52
	♪ Word eternal, throned on high ♪	50:02
	♪ Word that brought to life creation ♪	50:08
	♪ Word that came from heaven to die ♪	50:16
	♪ Crucified for our salvation ♪	50:22
	♪ Saving Word, the world restoring ♪	50:31
	♪ Speak to us, your love outpouring ♪	50:37
	♪ Word that caused blind eyes to see ♪	50:47
	♪ Speak and heal our mortal blindness ♪	50:53
	♪ Deaf we are, our healer be ♪	51:02
	♪ Loose our tongues to tell your kindness ♪	51:08
	♪ Be our Word in pity spoken ♪	51:17
	♪ Heal the world by our sin broken ♪	51:23
	♪ Word that speaks the Father's love ♪	51:33
	♪ One with God beyond all telling ♪	51:39
	♪ Word that sends us from above ♪	51:48
	♪ God the Spirit with us dwelling ♪	51:54
	♪ Word of truth, to all truth lead us ♪	52:03
	♪ Word of life, with one bread feed us ♪	52:09
-	Let us affirm our faith.	52:22
Everyone	I believe in God the Father Almighty.	52:25
	Maker of heaven and earth.	52:28
	And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,	52:30
	who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,	52:34
	born of the Virgin Mary,	52:36
	suffered under Pontius Pilate,	52:38
	was crucified, dead, and buried.	52:41
	He descended into hell.	52:43
	The third day, he rose again from the dead.	52:45
	He ascended into heaven	52:48
	and seated at the right hand	52:50
	of God the Father Almighty.	52:52
	From thence he shall come to judge	52:54
	the quick and the dead.	52:56
	I believe in the Holy Spirit,	52:58
	the holy Catholic church,	53:00
	the communion of saints,	53:02
	the forgiveness of sins,	53:04
	the resurrection of the body,	53:06
	and the life everlasting.	53:08
	Amen.	53:10
-	The Lord be with you.	53:12
Congregation	And also with you.	53:13
-	Let us pray, be seated.	53:15
	Oh God.	53:27
	During these Advent days,	53:29
	give us what we need to be better prepared	53:32
	for the promised, but always by us,	53:37
	unexpected intrusion of your love in our midst.	53:40
	Beat a straight path to our door.	53:47
	Bring down every insurmountable obstacle	53:51
	which lies between you and us.	53:54
	Make us to see your salvation among us.	53:58
	In this weekend of national remembrance,	54:04
	save us from the pestilence of war in our day.	54:08
	Save us from trusting only in our armaments.	54:13
	From seeing only our side of international disputes.	54:18
	Save us from loving our nation more	54:23
	than we love you.	54:26
	On this day of university commemoration of our founders,	54:30
	save us from acting as if	54:35
	this university were of our own creation.	54:38
	Keep us faculty humble in our teaching and research.	54:44
	Expectant before the wide world of knowledge.	54:49
	Grateful for the students who have	54:54
	been given to us.	54:57
	Keep students eager.	55:00
	Pushy.	55:03
	Willing to listen.	55:04
	Good humored and forgiving of the faults of their elders.	55:06
	And supremely confident of their own gifts	55:11
	which you have given them so richly.	55:16
	Remind us that our founders created this university	55:21
	as a place of service to others.	55:25
	Rather than as a place for the acquisition	55:29
	of power for ourselves.	55:32
	In this moment, when we pause to ponder	55:37
	the needs of others, deep needs,	55:39
	which will not be met merely through human effort,	55:43
	we admit our utter dependence upon you.	55:48
	Our dependence upon you for health and wholeness.	55:53
	For those who are ill in body or mind.	55:58
	For love and peace in our troubled marriages	56:03
	and dysfunctional families.	56:06
	For honesty and compassion	56:10
	in our daily dealings with one another.	56:12
	For patience to wait	56:17
	during these Advent days.	56:21
	For the promised unexpected gifts	56:25
	which only you can give us.	56:29
	Gifts.	56:33
	Like healing for a hurting world.	56:36
	Joy for sad hearts.	56:39
	Salvation for our sinful souls.	56:43
	This we pray in Jesus' name.	56:49
	Amen.	56:53
	Now let us offer ourselves and our gifts to God.	56:56
	(soft music)	57:04
	♪ Oh brethren ain't you happy ♪	58:32
	♪ Oh brethren ain't you happy ♪	58:33
	♪ Oh brethren ain't you happy ♪	58:36
	♪ Followers of the Lamb ♪	58:38
	♪ Oh brethren ain't you happy ♪	58:40
	♪ Oh brethren ain't you happy ♪	58:43
	♪ Oh brethren ain't you happy ♪	58:45
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	58:47
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	58:50
	♪ Followers of Emmanuel ♪	58:52
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	58:54
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	58:56
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	58:59
	♪ Followers of Emmanuel ♪	59:01
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	59:03
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:05
	♪ Sisters ain't you happy ♪	59:07
	♪ Oh sisters ain't you happy ♪	59:10
	♪ Oh sisters ain't you happy ♪	59:12
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:14
	♪ Oh sisters ain't you happy ♪	59:16
	♪ Oh sisters ain't you happy ♪	59:18
	♪ Oh sisters ain't you happy ♪	59:20
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:22
	♪ Oh sing on and dance on ♪	59:25
	♪ Followers of Emmanuel ♪	59:27
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	59:29
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:31
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	59:33
	♪ Followers of Emmanuel ♪	59:36
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	59:38
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:40
	♪ I'm glad I am a Christian ♪	59:43
	♪ I'm glad I am a Christian ♪	59:45
	♪ I'm glad I am a Christian ♪	59:47
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:49
	♪ I'm glad I am a Christian ♪	59:51
	♪ I'm glad I am a Christian ♪	59:53
	♪ I'm glad I am a Christian ♪	59:56
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	59:58
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:00
	♪ Ye followers of Emmanuel ♪	1:00:02
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:04
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	1:00:06
	♪ Sing on ♪	1:00:09
	♪ Dance on ♪	1:00:11
	♪ Sing on ♪	1:00:13
	♪ Dance on ♪	1:00:15
	♪ Oh I need to be obedient ♪	1:00:18
	♪ I need to be obedient ♪	1:00:22
	♪ I need to be obedient ♪	1:00:26
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	1:00:31
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:35
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:37
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:40
	♪ Ye followers of Emmanuel ♪	1:00:42
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:46
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	1:00:49
	♪ Oh sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:51
	♪ Ye followers of Emmanuel ♪	1:00:52
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:56
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	1:00:57
	♪ Sing on and dance on ♪	1:00:59
	♪ Ye followers of the Lamb ♪	1:01:01
	(soft music)	1:01:09
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:01:44
	♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪	1:01:51
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:57
	♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts ♪	1:02:04
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ♪	1:02:10
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:16
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:22
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:02:28
-	Let us pray.	1:02:41
	All praise to you, Emmanuel.	1:02:44
	God promised and God with us.	1:02:47
	All praise to you in the silence and the singing	1:02:51
	in this sacred season of Advent.	1:02:55
	We give you thanks, Emmanuel,	1:02:59
	for entering our lives again and again and again.	1:03:01
	In such unexpected ways.	1:03:06
	We give you thanks for appearing	1:03:09
	in the wilderness of our lives	1:03:11
	to make straight the crooked	1:03:14
	and smooth the rough places.	1:03:16
	We give you thanks for all those	1:03:19
	who have gone before us.	1:03:21
	Who have been touched and refined by your fire.	1:03:24
	Who were inspired to dedicate themselves to your glory	1:03:28
	and prepare the way for future generations.	1:03:33
	Duke University is built upon such a foundation.	1:03:38
	And we of this generation,	1:03:42
	who have benefited from their vision and faithfulness,	1:03:44
	and your vision and faithfulness,	1:03:48
	give you thanks.	1:03:51
	We dedicate our lives and our gifts to your service	1:03:53
	as we prepare once again	1:03:58
	for your coming in our lives.	1:04:00
	Use us to the glory of your kingdom.	1:04:03
	Amen.	1:04:06
	Now let us pray together	1:04:09
	as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught us.	1:04:10
Everyone	Our Father, who art in heaven.	1:04:14
	Hallowed be thy name.	1:04:17
	Thy kingdom come.	1:04:19
	Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.	1:04:21
	Give us this day our daily bread,	1:04:25
	and forgive us our trespasses,	1:04:27
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:04:30
	Lead us not into temptation	1:04:33
	but deliver us from evil.	1:04:36
	For thine is the kingdom and the power	1:04:38
	and the glory forever.	1:04:41
	Amen.	1:04:43
-	The day is at hand.	1:04:45
	The Savior draws near.	1:04:47
	Let us listen and let our ears be sharp,	1:04:50
	lest the cry arise and go unheeded.	1:04:53
	Lest the angels sing and go unheard.	1:04:57
	Let us prepare for the coming of the Lord.	1:05:00
	And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ	1:05:03
	and the love of God	1:05:06
	and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit	1:05:07
	be with you all.	1:05:10
	(soft choral music)	1:05:13
	♪ Hail to the Lord's anointed ♪	1:06:09
	♪ Great David's greater Son ♪	1:06:14
	♪ Hail in the time appointed ♪	1:06:19
	♪ His reign on earth begun ♪	1:06:24
	♪ He comes to break oppression ♪	1:06:29
	♪ To set the captive free ♪	1:06:34
	♪ To take away transgression ♪	1:06:39
	♪ And rule in equity ♪	1:06:44
	♪ He comes in succor speedy ♪	1:06:50
	♪ To those who suffer wrong ♪	1:06:55
	♪ To help the poor and needy ♪	1:07:00
	♪ And bid the weak be strong ♪	1:07:05
	♪ To give them songs for sighing ♪	1:07:10
	♪ Their darkness turn to light ♪	1:07:15
	♪ Whose souls condemned and dying ♪	1:07:20
	♪ Are precious in his sight ♪	1:07:25
	♪ He shall come down like showers ♪	1:07:32
	♪ Upon the fruitful earth ♪	1:07:37
	♪ Love, joy and hope like flowers ♪	1:07:42
	♪ Spring in his path to birth ♪	1:07:47
	♪ Before him on the mountains ♪	1:07:52
	♪ Shall peace the herald go ♪	1:07:57
	♪ And righteousness in fountains ♪	1:08:03
	♪ From hill to valley flow ♪	1:08:07
	♪ To him shall prayer unceasing ♪	1:08:15
	♪ And daily vows ascend ♪	1:08:19
	♪ His kingdom still increasing ♪	1:08:24
	♪ A kingdom without end ♪	1:08:29
	♪ The tide of time shall never be ♪	1:08:35
	♪ His covenant remove ♪	1:08:40
	♪ His name shall stand forever ♪	1:08:44
	♪ That name to us is love ♪	1:08:49
	(soft music)	1:08:57

Item Info

Title:

Hans J. Hillerbrand - "Preparing, Also for the Unexpected" Founders' Day (December 8, 1991)

Description:

Sermon start time: 25:24. Sermon end time: 48:27.
This sermon connects Advent, which recognizes how the Old Testament prophets and saints prepared for Christ, with how Duke's founders prepared for its current and future success. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: "The windows of medieval cathedrals often depict the writers of the gospels as sitting on the shoulders of the Hebrew prophets.....how is that for a definition of 'founders?'"

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4q23rf29

Date:

December 8, 1991

Speaker:

Hillerbrand, Hans J.

Liturgical Calendar:

Advent

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0259
ref9028_qct
uachapelsermaud
duke:321407
dcrmv001248
ark:/87924/r4q23rf29
f83ea23b-2cf7-476c-b2b3-b8c8c94e2ec6

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Related Resources:

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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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Hans J. Hillerbrand - "Preparing, Also for the Unexpected" Founders' Day (December 8, 1991)

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1. Hans J. Hillerbrand - "Preparing, Also for the Unexpected" Founders' Day (December 8, 1991)

Duke University Archives

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Hans J. Hillerbrand - "Preparing, Also for the Unexpected" Founders' Day (December 8, 1991)

Transcript

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Duke University Archives

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