Moved Permanently. Kate Braestrups book is beautiful, and I highly recommend it to all who are seeking answers. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. And, in spite of all of this, God is wherever love can be found. #Firsts #Leap #Wings. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his anti-war and peace activism, dies at the age of 81. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. Brett & Kate McKay March 18, 2017 Last updated: June 16, 2021. I said. I have a little sentence or two, about the Chinese Emperor who sent his wise man off for a month, to figure out, what is happiness? But you seem to be able to deal with these problems in a way that recalls some deep confidence. The civil rights movement: What do you remember with the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest lesson of it? Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. ABERNETHY: Coffin became the leader of the U.S. campaign against nuclear weapons. The reality of grief is the absence of God My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your minds a blank, that there is no joy the world can give like that it takes away. (Lord Byron). And the wise mans gone back. Man and boy stood cheering by, A powerful eulogy. William Sloane Coffin May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short; Grace to risk something big for something good; and Grace to remember the world is now too dangerous for anything but the truth and too small for anything but love. Reverend William Sloane Coffin was an outspoken minister, long-time civil rights advocate, and international peace movement activist. 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. Welcome to the sermons and prayers download page. You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. So while trite, its true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. 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. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. It all makes me wonder if its not a matter of God willing or letting, but more like the laws of nature. 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. I swear to you, I wouldn't be standing here were I not upheld. In his younger days he was an athlete, a talented pianist, a CIA agent, and later chaplain of Yale University, where the influence of Reinhold Niebuhr's . Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. Famously, at the height of that conflict . As far as I can tell, when you die, in the words of Art Bell, it's.."lights out" (I love the way he puts it.) 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. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. So set, before its echoes fade, But the point is this. 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 . William Sloane Coffin. 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 Podcast #852: The Brain Energy Theory of Mental Illness William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, "You blew it, buddy. But it's a fact: few of us are naturally profound. And his body was too badly damaged in the accident for his soul to stay in it anymore, and so he died. COFFIN: No. For. After the tsunami, some Moslem clerics said it was god's punishment for their sins. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born on June 1, 1924, in New York City to William Sloane Coffin, Sr. and Catherine Butterfield Coffin. 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. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1980-1981. I think in the end they pay him a fortune to make the dead go back to their graves. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. Wind your head in John!! what do you say? Download. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. Alex, as he was called, was killed in a car accident in 1983 when he was only. Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. 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. Bill Coffin was such a man. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. . Well compared to heaven isn't all of life suffering? 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. So. RN: What do you think should be done strategically and tactically by the peace movement? 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.". And decks the rays. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. Read more. A Prayer by William Sloan Coffin Jr., 1983. He was a cleric. 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. Rev. And [a lot of people] think that emotional mediocrity is the good life. This is the fifth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Read more. So if someone says, "Are you saved?" Until one has personally experienced the loss of a loved one, one can not understand the feelings about the death both positive and negative. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. And I wept and I wept. -- William Sloane Coffin. 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. For all she had to say. Editors note: Ten days after his son, Alex, drove off a bridgeand was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered the following sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? You can purchase individual prayers for $1.34 (includes processing fees). But oh, the things I learned from her Than by a wick that stays. But when children die, they take away the future as well. Its presence in my mind has been so frequent, especially recently after the loss of a dear friend, that I finally decided to share it here. I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. We have to be forced down. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1982-1983. It is self-interest. ), Podcast #858: The Affectionate, Ambiguous, and Surprisingly Ambivalent Relationship Between Siblings, How to Fight Entitlement and Develop Gratitude in Your Kids, How and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage Meeting, You Dont Have to Be Your Dad: How to Become Your Familys Transitional Character, Podcast #810: How to Turn a Boy Into a Man, Sunday Firesides: Climb the Ladder of Love, Podcast #865: How to Win Friends and Influence People in the 21st Century, Podcast #863: Key Insights From the Longest Study on Happiness, Podcast #875: Authority Is More Important Than Social Skills, Podcast #874: Throw a 2-Hour Cocktail Party That Can Change Your Life, 9 Mental Distortions That Are Sabotaging Your Social Life, How to Make the Perfect Snowball: An Illustrated Guide, Podcast #869: The Survival Myths That Can Get You Killed, Skill of the Week: Survive Falling Through Ice, Podcast #848: The 5 Priorities of Short-Term Survival, William Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project, Man Knowledge: Legends of the Northwest Mountain Men, A Simple Guide to Writing and Delivering a Eulogy, A Kind of, Sort of Eulogy for the Declarative Sentence, 30 Days to a Better Man Day 21: Write Your Own Eulogy, Man Knowledge: 5 Pirates Every Man Should Know. MOYERS: Youre not supposed to outlive your children, are you? Ten days after Alex's death, he delivered this extraordinary sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. And home we brought you shoulder-high. Individual prayers and sermons can be purchased by clicking the cart icon next to each prayer or sermon title. This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death, Joan Halifax, Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communicatoins of the Dying, How Can I Help? BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. The common attribution to the eighteenth-century statesman Alexander Hamilton was probably based on a mistaken understanding of a relatively modern citation. And I played all the hymns. Updated February 2023. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. This is the eighth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. Either it is god's will or there is no god! Rev. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. This is amazing. Lovers and thinkers into the earth with you. 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. My own broken heart is mending, and largely thanks to so many of you, my dear parishioners; for if in the last week I have relearned one lesson, it is that love not only begets love, it transmits strength. I'm puzzled by all of this. Coffin's son, Alex, tragic death in an automobile accident. Still there is much by way of consolation. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. The reality of grief is the absence of God My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your minds a blank, that there is no joy the world can give like that it takes away. (Lord Byron). When you scroll down this page you will find all of Bill's Riverside sermons organized by year. 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. But when children die, they take away the future as well. Hello Select your address It withers quicker than the rose. Anonymous- I think people are grieving because they're sad to see someone go. It is incredible and very powerful. After the death of his wife, C.S. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. 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. Didnt the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. But the point is this. Q: After September 11 there was a surge of patriotism. You can stay up to date with Will & Testament via these feeds. Well, so I wanted them to know, they had a pastor. Different cultures have different views of death. 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 In other word, good patriots are not nationalists. She chattered all the way; What can be done to turn this public support into organized opposition? BTW, anonymous was I ere I saw Suomynona WTB, but I'm sure you guessed that right away. COFFIN: What this country needs, what I think God wants us to do, is not practice piecemeal charity but engage in wholesale justice. 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. 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. They said it was god's will, that she is in heaven now and they moved on without the tearjerking remorse many who call them true believers in a faith feel. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. If you are interested in purchasing the whole collection on aDVD Data Discplease contact me byemail. Crowned with lilies and Laurel they go; but I am not resigned. For instance, the Christians persecuted the Jews for nearly two thousand years because as they said, they believed the Jews killed Jesus. 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. I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground. For the latest updates across BBC blogs, visit the Blogs homepage. 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. Tony Campolo retells an incident involving William Sloane Coffin following the death of his son, Alexander. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. -- William Sloane Coffin. Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store. You blew it." "Eulogy for Alex" by William Sloane Coffin The reality of grief is the absence of God "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. This reflects what that discomfort is and so nice to read it was written by a Reverend. Still there is much by way of consolation. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. 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." But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. Coffin on defense issues from the Center for Defense Information; Read Coffin's eulogy for his son Alex; Relive the past with Rev. That's the puzzlement of it all. Nationalism at the expense of another nation, is just as wicked as racism at the expense of another race. 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. The scripture reading for each sermon can be found below in PDF format. Love without criticism is a kind of betrayal. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his. And there are large accidents, like the one your dad was in. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. An Eulogy for Alex After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. So what is the role of the university chaplain? While I could never presume to know the answer, I do take comfort in this passage from the author Kate Braestrup, which I wrote in my final post on this blog (below). I feel scorched by how much he insists on truthfulness in grief. After the death of his wife, C.S. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. Never do we know enough to say that. A different man named Alex Hamilton who was a British broadcaster used the saying in 1978. 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. For all she had to say. Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup is the autobiography of the chaplain for the Maine game warden who herself was widowed with four young children when her husband a state trooper was killed in a car accident. Can you explain what that means for you? 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. 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. It seems to me for those believers who grieve, their religion brings them little more comfort than those who don't. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. (There's words for everything else.) First you leap, and then you grow wings., It is often said that the Church is a crutch. Details are given further below. He was ordained in the Presbyterian church and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Lewis wrote, "They say 'the coward dies many times'; so does the beloved. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyone's protection, just for everyone's unending support. I was moved to tears, to be perfectly honest. Editor's note: Ten days after his son, Alex, drove off a bridge and was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered the following sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. As for the theological issues, I agree with William on the need for respectful silence. Fragrant is the blossom. And ne'er a word said she; Rememberallproceeds will go directly to support the WSC scholarships at Union Theological Seminary in N.Y.C. 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.. But was he a criminal? 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John Wright #5 Like A.E. Download Sermon Scripture List(84 kb - PDF). Rev. And set you at your threshold down, But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. Only reverance can restrain violence - reverance for human life and the environment.". That clarifies the sight __________________ 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. William Sloane Coffin also wrote about this in his eulogy for his son, Alex, who was killed in a car accident at age 24. These days, campuses are very concerned with religious pluralism. 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. #Power Of Love #Truth #Love. A good question, Suzy. A Eulogy for Alex Editor's note: Ten days after his son, Alex, drove off a bridge and was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered the following sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. A Eulogy for Alex Editor's note: Ten days after his son, Alex, drove off a bridge and was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered the following sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. The cause of violence is not ignorance. 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. Is that so hard to understand? There's something in the flight 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.
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