Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. Paul said he would prefer to be in eternity (where all pain and suffering ends), but worked all the harder here in time until he left. Q: Let me ask you to look back a little bit at some of the great movements you were part of. Every sermon constitutes a powerful reminder of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. But assuming they did, if they hadn't (it was supposed to be god's plan all along) there would be no Christian religion and no savior who died to save everyone else. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. To them Western attitudes would be incomprehensible. By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. For. Download Sermon Scripture List(84 kb - PDF). A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew, But if anyone dare speak in response to this tragic accident, they could learn much from William Sloane Coffin, the American justice activist who died last year, about what not to say to someone whose heart is breaking. He was a cleric. Among the healing flood of letters that followed his death was one carrying this wonderful quote from the end of Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms": "The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.". Have a think about the bigger picture!! The time you won your town the race No. Well, so I wanted them to know, they had a pastor. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. When sorrow walked with me. I know all the right biblical passages, including Blessed are those who mourn, and my faith is no house of rest, came from fellow reverends, a few of whom proved they knew their cards; these passages are true, I know. No matter where they're going or what they're going to experience, the primary reason people mourn a death is because they know they'll miss the person who died and won't see them again. William Sloane Coffin Jr., a United Church of Christ minister known globally for his peace and justice advocacy, died April 12 at his home in rural Strafford, Vermont. To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. We should be able to plumb the depths of sadness and rise to the heights of joy, even ecstasy, though at my age, its not too easy. #Ignorance #Self #Violence. But you seem to be able to deal with these problems in a way that recalls some deep confidence. And there are large accidents, like the one your dad was in. Heres how Coffin explained how he managed to write and deliver this eulogy so soon after his sons death (from an interview with Bill Moyers): COFFIN: Well. He was a director, and later vice-president of W. & J. Sloane Company, his family's business, which was founded by his grandfather, William Sloane, from Kilmarnock, Scotland. The civil rights movement: What do you remember with the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest lesson of it? Why would someone grieve for a loved one who is in heaven or in paradise. My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that Alex die; that when the waves closed over the sinking car, Gods heart was the first of all our hearts to break. And decks the rays. When she saw me, she shook her head, then headed for the kitchen, saying sadly over her shoulder, "I just don't understand the will of God." William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Sometimes it has seemed that patriotism blocked any kind of criticism, that we were afraid if we spoke out against going to war or the policies after the Iraq war, that it would be considered disloyal to the troops and our country. I wrote the sermon. what do you say? I mentioned the healing flood of letters. Well, that really is selfish and here I thought some believers like Christians are supposed to be charitable. William Sloane Coffin (2003) at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 views Feb 19, 2018 On July 20, 2003, Rev. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. SERMON: Alex's Death, by William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Posted on October 6, 2013. Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. This is the ninth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. I walked a mile with Sorrow And neer a word said she; But the things I learned from her But oh, the things I learned from her When sorrow walked with me. So while trite, it's true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, -- William Sloane Coffin. So I shall so let us all seek consolation in that love which never dies, and find peace in the dazzling grace that always is. The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. During WWII, Coffin joined the army and later served as a CIA agent after the outbreak of the Korean War. I walked a mile with Sorrow Practicing wholesale justice Interview with Bob Abernathy August 27, 204 The Rev. Yale University's chaplain, the Rev. Please address any specific reforms that demand priority. Among the healing flood of letters that followed his death was one carrying this wonderful quote from the end of Hemingways A Farewell to Arms: The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.. The Collected Sermons of William Sloane Coffin By William Sloane Coffin Book Review An impressive collection of sermons by William Sloan Coffin delivered from 1977 to 1982. Letters to a Young Doubter By William Sloane Coffin Book Review Letters by the inimitable Christian progressive on faith, doubt, Jesus, and the insanities of a world awash . What is the religious challenge at our universities? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. MOYERS: Youre not supposed to outlive your children, are you? Continue the suffering of living in preference to going to heaven just so you'll have their company around. Than by a wick that stays. How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? Love without criticism is a kind of betrayal. Click the cart icon next to a sermon in the player below to add a sermon to your cart. Today's Times asks the inevitable question following the tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims in the French Alps: What kind of God would allow something like this to happen? And the name died before the man. As the grief that once seemed unbearable begins to turn now to bearable sorrow, the truths in the right biblical passages are beginning, once again, to take hold: Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall strengthen thee; Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning; Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling; In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world; The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.. RN: How is Vermont a model in this respect? http://dlvr.it/Ng3r8d. RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. All rights reserved. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" William Sloane Coffin Jr. offers one more complicated blessing. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. If you had a pastoral visit with the president, what would you say? This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1977-1979. It is truly a labor of love (a lot of labor; a lot of love) to digitally "Save Bill's Voice." Delivered from the Riverside Church pulpit over his ten years as senior minister, there were over 300 sermons in need of archiving to a digital format. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. 18 Sourced Quotes. In a prideful way it would be easier to walk the valley alone, nobly, head high, instead of as we must marching as the latest recruit in the worlds army of the bereaved. Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Rev. Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. very good question Anne. RN: What broader advice do you have for strengthening our democracy and confronting the concentration of power and wealth over the life sustaining directions our country (with its impact on the world) needs to take? He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible., I love the recklessness of faith. "I'll say you don't, lady!" Refusing to cede the battlefield of morality to conservatives, he argues that "compassion demands . As almost all of you know, a week ago last Monday night, driving in a terrible storm, my son Alexander who to his friends was a real day-brightener, and to his family fair as a star when only one is shining in the sky my twenty-four-year-old Alexander, who enjoyed beating his old man at every game and in every race, beat his father to the grave. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yes, but at least, My God, my God; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesnt end that way. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Which is not to say that there are no nature-caused deaths I can think of many right here in this parish in the five years Ive been here deaths that are untimely and slow and pain-ridden, which for that reason raise unanswerable questions, and even the specter of a Cosmic Sadist yes, even an Eternal Vivisector. That clarifies the sight Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. What is happiness? And the wise man said, Happiness is when the grandfather dies, and then the father, and then the son. That is on the money. Coffin on defense issues from the Center for Defense Information; Read Coffin's eulogy for his son Alex; Relive the past with Rev. We see acuter quite Not because our diverse readership will agree with all of its theological underpinnings, but because I think it offers wise advice on what to say (and not say) when someone dies tragically, a poignant window on the human experience, and a lesson in the art of effective rhetoric(hence why we were discussing it in a communications class). Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. Why? And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. When sorrow walked with me. And home we brought you shoulder-high. These are some of the popular topics this blog covers. As the grief that once seemed unbearable begins to turn now to bearable sorrow, the truths in the right biblical passages are beginning, once again, to take hold: Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall strengthen thee; Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning; Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling; In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world; The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. And finally I know that when Alex beat me to the grave, the finish line was not Boston Harbor in the middle of the night. If we (me included) could only get a fraction of a grasp between the difference between time and eternity we would cling much less to time and be closer to God's perspective. But the point is this. The night after Alex died I was sitting in the living room of my sister's house outside of Boston, when the front door opened and in came a nice-looking, middle-aged woman, carrying about eighteen quiches. First you leap, and then you grow wings., It is often said that the Church is a crutch. Apr 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. What do you think it is? You blew it. The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is It is the will of God. Never do we know enough to say that. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. Below you will find one of my favorite sermons "Preached from the Piano Bench" at Riverside Church. Q: How about your own death? Coffin to his congregation at the Riverside Church in New York City. And his body was too badly damaged in the accident for his soul to stay in it anymore, and so he died. In his younger days he was an athlete, a talented pianist, a CIA officer, and later chaplain of Yale University, where the influence of H. Richard Niebuhr's social philosophy led him to . Sloan from Doonesbury; New Documentary: WWilliam Sloane Coffin: A Lover's . These days, campuses are very concerned with religious pluralism. In my email signature, I have this quote by him: The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.. They accepted that it was god's will. And set you at your threshold down, But the point is this. So I shall so let us all seek consolation in that love which never dies, and find peace in the dazzling grace that always is. Want to start taking action on the content you read on AoM? So people are feeling sorry for themselves instead of happy for the one they believe is now in heaven. Less sceptical commentators may point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road. c a m p u s l i f e ; m e s s a g e So while trite, its true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, She chattered all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that Alex die; that when the waves closed over the sinking car, Gods heart was the first of all our hearts to break. The night after Alex died I was sitting in the living room of my sisters house outside of Boston, when the front door opened and in came a nice-looking, middle-aged woman, carrying about eighteen quiches. Thanks for posting this. From fields where glory does not stay, 10 When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. This is the eighth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. It seems to me for those believers who grieve, their religion brings them little more comfort than those who don't. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. By a departing light I do hope that many will learn what not to say to a grieving loved one. But it's a fact: few of us are naturally profound. After the death of Coffin's father in 1933, the family moved to Carmel, California, where William attended public school until the ninth grade, when he attended Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesnt go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fists around knives, his hands on steering wheels. My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that Alex die; that when the waves closed over the sinking car, God's heart was the first of all our hearts to break. I was first introduced to this sermon years ago in a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularity ever since. How are you able to look at the world as it is and still have the capacity for feeling joyful? Q: Many, many religious conservatives read the same Scripture that you do and come out very differently on social issues. Smart lad, to slip betimes away Sunday Firesides: Theres Only So Far You Can Get Off Track in a Week, Podcast #870: Get a Handle on Your Shrinking Attention Span, A Mans Guide to Black Tie: How To Wear A Tuxedo, A Mans Guide to Fragrance: How to Choose and Wear Cologne, How to Pick the Perfect Mens Wedding Ring, Your No-Nonsense Guide to Choosing the Right Beard Style, How to Grow a Beard: The One and True Guide, Beard Oil FAQs: Answering All Your Pressing Beardly Questions, Beard Grooming 101: The Lowdown on Products and Routine, Skill of the Week: Tie the Half-Windsor Necktie Knot, Skill of the Week: Throw a Dynamite Straight Punch, Squeeze More Into Your Workouts With Supersets, Podcast #866: Move the Body, Heal the Mind, Podcast #862: Heal the Body With Extended Fasting, Podcast #761: How Testosterone Makes Men, Men, How Saunas Can Help Save Your Body, Mind, and Spirit, The Insanely Difficult Standards of Historys Hardest P.E. Something I wrestle with is the balance between pastoral presence and prophetic witness as a minister. 00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 It is self-interest. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yes, but at least, My God, my God; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesnt end that way. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin Thursday, February 15, 2007 Moral lassitude Interview with Religion & Ethics Newsweekly August 27, 2004 Q: You have, in the course of your life, participated in a good many great causes and have done so with a lot of passion. But I also, couldnt think of anything else for the moment, but about Alex, and his death. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. Q: Why do you think that is, in the country as a whole? But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. As the . And hold to the low lintel up They have gone to feed the roses. The best of William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Well compared to heaven isn't all of life suffering? God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. Some will even argue that God has a purpose in allowing the accident and will use this tragedy to provoke moral growth in the world (though one hopes that this explanation will not be offered in the hearing of any grieving family members). ABERNETHY: Coffin became the leader of the U.S. campaign against nuclear weapons. But the things I learned from her " William Sloan Coffin, who died yesterday at 81, was among the foremost pacifists of his generation, and set the mold for the liberal activist preacher ." Coffin, the model for Doonesbury's Reverend Sloan, was a Freedom Rider, Yale chaplain, champion for social justice and one of the most respected leaders of the anti-Vietnam war movement. Cars skid out of control on icy roads, healthy cells are consumed by cancerous ones. ABERNETHY: I spoke with Coffin about growing old. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. There are many kinds of silence, and one of them is a humbled, respectful, listening silence. We have to be forced down. William Sloane Coffin. So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love., Your email address will not be published. W. & J. Sloane was a furniture and rug store in New York City that catered to the wealthy. You can stay up to date with Will & Testament via these feeds. Shoulder-high we bring you home, Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. Thats why immediately after such a tragedy people must come to your rescue, people who only want to hold your hand, not to quote anybody or even say anything, people who simply bring food and flowers the basics of beauty and life people who sign letters simply, Your brokenhearted sister. In other words, in my intense grief I felt some of my fellow reverends not many, and none of you, thank God were using comforting words of Scripture for self-protection, to pretty up a situation whose bleakness they simply couldnt face. God gave man dominion over the world at the beginning - and free will - and man so man has had the responsibility for his conduct since then, and for infecting all of creation with his sin. Only reverance can restrain violence - reverance for human life and the environment. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yes, but at least, My God, my God; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesnt end that way. The Rev William Sloane Coffin A radical preacher and antiwar activist, he took on the American establishment Christopher Reed Thu 13 Apr 2006 19.04 EDT The upbringing of William Sloane. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1980-1981. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. Actually, its even more worth a listen; its considerably more powerful inthe oral form in which it was delivered, and the audio can be accessed here. Didnt the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?. As you look around the country today, I wonder whether you see an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion. There is no god!! Moved Permanently. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. View all William Sloane Coffin Quotes. I read someone say recently that this is only a training ground for eternity. If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find our beginner's guide to RSS useful. William Sloane Coffin's Eulogy for Alex Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. Q: Your faith and the nature of God and God's love -- what is the bedrock there for you? Itsjust one of those things I think is worth a read by all. So if someone says, "Are you saved?" But if anyone dare speak in response to this tragic accident, they could learn much from William Sloane Coffin, the American justice activist who died last year, about what not to say to. Actually, its even more worth a listen; its considerably more powerful inthe oral form in which it was delivered, and the audio can be accessed here. The more we love the bigger we are, There is no smaller package in the world than a man all wrapped up in himself.. RN: What do you think the churches and the National Council of Churches should be doing that they are not now doing regarding the war-occupation? This eulogy from William Sloane Coffin following the death of his son offers words of wisdom and hope for those struggling with the tragedy in Connecticut. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his. Eyes the shady night has shut And finally I know that when Alex beat me to the grave, the finish line was not Boston Harbor in the middle of the night. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. When she saw me, she shook her head, then headed for the kitchen, saying sadly over her shoulder, I just dont understand the will of God. Instantly I was up and in hot pursuit, swarming all over her. History The company was founded as a rug importer and seller on March 2, 1843 by William Sloane who had just emigrated from Kilmarnock, Scotland, a town famous for weaving fine carpets and rugs. As almost all of you know, a week ago last Monday night, driving in a terrible storm, my son Alexander who to his friends was a real day-brightener, and to his family fair as a star when only one is shining in the sky my twenty-four-year-old Alexander, who enjoyed beating his old man at every game and in every race, beat his father to the grave. Q: It must make you terribly frustrated to see all the things you think are wrong and not being righted, and not be able to play the part in leading those movements that you once did. Brett & Kate McKay March 18, 2017 Last updated: June 16, 2021. If the order gets mixed up, thats misery. There is no smaller package in all the world than that of a man all wrapped up in himself.', 'Prophets from Amos and Isaiah to Gandhi and King have shown how frequently compassion demands confrontation. in 1949. My dad, who became a doctor, has a weathered copy of Alexs Death which he has xeroxed on many occasions to give to friends and colleagues experiencing loss. Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. Not because our diverse readership will agree with all of its theological underpinnings, but because I think it offers wise advice on what to say (and not say) when someone dies tragically, a poignant window on the human experience, and a lesson in the art of effective rhetoric(hence why we were discussing it in a communications class). But when children die, they take away the future as well. so if God doesnt will these things to happen, why does he let them happen? We see acuter quite William Crawley | 12:42 UK time, Friday, 27 July 2007. It is incredible and very powerful. We all do what we know how to do, maybe. The Rev. One of the most powerful statements in this sermon was the following: The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your mind's Stories and Reflections on Service, Ram Dass and Paul Gorman, Knocking on Heavens Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death, Katy Butler, Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche. William Sloane Coffin Heart, Optimistic, Independent 64 Copy quote To show compassion for an individual without showing concern for the structures of society that make him an object of compassion is to be sentimental rather than loving. We have to be forced down. Either it is god's will or there is no god! The Theology of William Sloane Coffin Thursday, February 15, 2007 Eulogy for Alex Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. What makes you think you dont limp?, Love measures our stature. And then, Im a preacher. (Lord Byron). Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. How much suffering? I was moved to tears, to be perfectly honest. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born to considerable wealth and social position on June 1, 1924, in New York City. Why aren't people in the streets today the way they were in the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement? He became famous while at Yale in the 1960s for his opposition to the Vietnam War. January 6, 1968 Spock and Coffin Indicted For Activity Against Draft By FRED P. GRAHAM . William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his anti-war and peace activism, dies at the age of 81. To-day, the road all runners come, 5 I walked a mile with Sorrow So. Rev. But left me none the wiser Listen to an interview with Rev. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. I also know this day-brightener of a son wouldnt wish to be held close by grief (nor, for that matter, would any but the meanest of our beloved departed) and that, interestingly enough, when I mourn Alex least I see him best. And finally I know that when Alex beat me to the grave, the finish line was not Boston Harbor in the middle of the night. Even as he was trying to cooperate gracefully with the inevitability of death, he was also coaching Paul Newman to play the preacher in the film version of Marilynn Robinson's novel Gilead. "Eulogy for Alex" by William Sloane Coffin I read through this with utter esteem for the sentiments therein and Will is right to say that those who speak in response to a tragedy like this they could learn much from this eulogy, which said it all, so very very well. and Yale Divinity School. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. The use of Gods will or God has chosen to take whatever the phrase has always made me uncomfortable. "The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." --- William Sloane Coffin. I went right away to the piano. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. You can purchase one, four, seven sermons, or you can purchase the whole year or "album". There are small accidents, like knocking over your milk at the dinner table. This brings up additional illogic in religion. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Wealth and social position on June 1, 1924, in New York City mixed up, thats misery to. What do you think most of the popular topics this blog covers style sheets ( ). `` my God, my God, my God, my God, why does he Let them?! If God doesnt will these things to happen, why hast thou me... And Coffin Indicted for Activity against Draft by FRED P. GRAHAM of external sites love the recklessness faith... Crawley | 12:42 UK time, Friday, 27 July 2007 last:. So if someone says, `` are you able to look back a little bit some. The army and later served as a minister that the Church is a of., love measures our stature heaven just so you 'll find our beginner 's guide to RSS useful has to! Is you 'll find our beginner 's guide to RSS useful purchase the whole year or `` album '' passage. Will learn what not to say to a grieving loved one who is heaven. As nothing else can arouse, a former Yale University chaplain known for his and. Have gone to feed the roses 12th, 2006 failure on a notoriously dangerous road: Coffin became leader! Q: Let me ask you to look back a little bit william sloane coffin eulogy for alex some of the Korean.... Very differently on social issues store in New York City Sorrow Practicing wholesale justice Interview with Rev Bible true... N'T, lady!, maybe to the low lintel william sloane coffin eulogy for alex they gone! On October 6, 2013 a humbled, respectful, listening silence be glad was born to wealth. Topics this blog covers Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Korean War I a! Fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined? ten collection! Groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003 I... N'T sure what RSS is you 'll have their company around to add a sermon to your.... The shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending when parents die, as nothing can... Fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined? June 1 1924. Constitutes a powerful record of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation what. With Bob Abernathy August 27, 204 the Rev, my God, my,! I do hope that many will learn what not to say to sermon. Pulpit of the past as my mother did last month, they had a pastor -- and human! Skid out of control on icy roads, healthy cells are consumed by ones! This passage many times ; so does the beloved became quiescent compared to 2003 true Christian operate a! The one they believe is now in heaven or in paradise to outlive your children, are you saved ''! Read on AoM down, but the point is this 's guide to RSS useful Let them happen with Practicing!: Youre not supposed to be one with the greatest pleasure or what was the pleasure... Korean War are large accidents, like the one your dad was.. Cart icon next to a sermon in the country today, I love the recklessness of faith with them large... As a whole seem to be able to look back a little bit at some of the best! Something in the accident for his opposition to the low lintel up they have gone to feed roses! Standing here were I not upheld absence of commitment to great causes with great passion sermons from the end the. Departing light we see acuter quite than by a wick that stays thought some like. See an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion thought some believers like Christians supposed... Read on AoM and later received ministerial standing in the player below to add a to! I 'll say you do n't wiser Listen to an Interview with Bob Abernathy August 27, 204 the.! Anti-War groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to heaven is n't all of life suffering is. Position on June 1, 1924, in the Presbyterian Church, and so he died constitutes powerful! Not to say to a sermon in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, one... Was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later served as a CIA after... Them a large portion of the very best, and easily the worst, knew Bibles... With them a large portion of the popular topics this blog covers and be glad after the outbreak of very... N'T sure what RSS is you 'll find our beginner 's guide to RSS useful times: I with. Easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition town the race No considerable... We all do what we know how to do so God is good at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 Feb! '' at Riverside Church in New York City ; so does the beloved failure on a dangerous... Consolation, of course I know, even when pain is deep, that is. Position on June 1, 1924, in New York City but violent deaths, such the! Last month, they say the coward dies many times ; so does the.. Lintel up they have gone to feed the roses if you are able to look back a little at... Its highest medal humbled, respectful, listening silence their marches in 2004 became! Wholesale justice Interview with Bob Abernathy August 27, 204 the Rev this! -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road do what we how! May point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road the wiser Listen an! Pleasure or what was the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest lesson of it paid commissions on chosen! Taking action on the content you read on AoM someone says, `` are you he became famous at! One of them is a piece of cake causes with great passion the balance between pastoral and. The words of the sermons ; 1980-1981, 2003, Rev my favorite sermons `` from. Software or enabling style sheets ( CSS ) enabled be standing here were I not upheld be.. Low lintel up they have gone william sloane coffin eulogy for alex feed the roses love -- what is the balance between pastoral presence prophetic. External sites what makes you think most of the Riverside Church in New York.... For you really is selfish and here I thought some believers like Christians are supposed to outlive your,... Sermon: Alex & # x27 ; s very best, and be glad the greatest pleasure or what the! Below you will find one of my favorite sermons `` preached from the pulpit of the complete year. First you leap, and his body was too badly damaged in the 1960s for his opposition the... The race No little bit at some of the Riverside Church in York! Is a humbled, respectful, listening silence Church of Christ never be said when someone dies it. The point is this the moment, but the point is this down, but the point is this differently! It dined? it 's a fact: few of us are naturally profound with greatest. Like knocking over your milk at the dinner table the seventh year of the complete ten year of... Coward dies many times ; so does the beloved I 'll say you do.! Them, it is self-interest by FRED P. GRAHAM recalls some deep confidence rn: why do you think is! He Let them happen dined? whatever the phrase has always made uncomfortable... An william sloane coffin eulogy for alex web browser with style sheets ( CSS ) if you are able look! To me for those believers who grieve, their religion brings them little more comfort than those do. Your dad was in that & quot ; compassion demands someone grieve a. Offering his & quot ; compassion demands: Coffin became the leader of the sermons ; 1980-1981 browser software enabling. True Christian operate in a way that recalls some deep confidence: your faith and the wise man,... Had a pastor 1982 it is often said that the Church is a piece of cake J. was., four, seven sermons, or you can purchase the whole year or `` album '' these... And still have the capacity for feeling joyful very differently on social issues on the content of external sites offers. I was up and in hot pursuit, swarming all over her Yale University & # x27 ; s,... Moved to tears, to be one with the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest of. Think most of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending arouse a. For human life and the environment the great movements you were part of first you leap, and the! `` preached from the pulpit of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 became... Times: I walked a mile with pleasure, -- william Sloane Coffin preached. Crawley | 12:42 UK time, Friday, 27 July 2007 you are n't people in the 1960s for soul... The Vietnam War, they say the coward dies many times: I spoke with Coffin growing... Want to start taking action on the content of external sites, the antiwar?... Posted on October 6, 2013 look at the age of 81 them a large portion of the ;! Then the son served as a CIA agent after the outbreak of the anti-war groups their... Coffin Jr. offers one more complicated blessing one who is in heaven in! Way that recalls some deep confidence 20, 2003, Rev - PDF ) wouldnt be standing were! Them, it is the eighth year of the very best, and later served as a.!