But left me none the wiser So why were they angry? Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. I know. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Rev. After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. Q: Your faith and the nature of God and God's love -- what is the bedrock there for you? Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. 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. In 1983, Dr Coffin's son Alex was killed in a car accident. 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. Protestant preacher William Sloane Coffin after the death of his college-age son in an accident confesses to blowing up at a neighbor. There was a funny one on the Twilight Zone where as I recall, the story opens with people from all over a small Western town sitting around in a bar lamenting the loss of their beloved dearly departed. Justice is at the heart of religious faith. And find unwithered on its curls 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. After the tsunami, some Moslem clerics said it was god's punishment for their sins. Rev. I'm sure there must be something somewhere in the Bible which says words to that effect. "Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.". A good question, Suzy. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Rev. Practicing wholesale justice Interview with Bob Abernathy August 27, 204 The Rev. We see acuter quite William Sloane Coffin gave what would be his final sermon at Chautauqua. Than by a wick that stays. You can purchase individual sermons for $4.42 (includes processing fees). William Sloane Coffin. Rev. Apr 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. This is the first year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? Than by a wick that stays. ABERNETHY: I asked Coffin to think back on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped lead. If you are interested in purchasing the whole collection on aDVD Data Discplease contact me byemail. ABERNETHY: As he conducts what he calls his lover's quarrel with his country, Coffin acknowledges that he has to be careful not to become self-righteous himself -- perhaps especially when he is honored, as he is often. c a m p u s l i f e ; m e s s a g e Didn't the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?". The scripture reading for each sermon can be found below in PDF format. There's something deep in there that involves joy and hope. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. Click the cart icon next to a prayer in the player below to add a prayer to your cart. is the blossom. You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. Q: We've been talking about a lot of big problems. 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. 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.) 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.". Of course its a crutch. At Riverside, the profession of faith is "Jesus is Lord." And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. #Hope #Passion. God did not bash the truck into your fathers car. The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. Famously, at the height of that conflict . Never do we know enough to say that. 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. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. By a departing light 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. I know that. RN: What should the U.S. government do now? William Sloane Coffin served as chaplain of Yale University and Williams College, was senior minister of Riverside Church, and is President Emeritus of SANE/FREEZE: Campaign for Global Security. 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. The civil rights movement: What do you remember with the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest lesson of it? A Prayer by William Sloan Coffin Jr., 1983. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. I mentioned the healing flood of letters. I think in the end they pay him a fortune to make the dead go back to their graves. Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind; The reality of grief is the absence of God "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This invaluable anthology is the first and only collection dedi 2023 Barbara Becker / All Beings Everywhere. And early though the laurel grows The Coffin award is given in honor of the life and ministry of William Sloane Coffin, former Chaplain to the University and one of the 20th century's most significant religious leaders. ), 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. Interview with Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. (born 1924) was a Yale University chaplain who spoke out against the Vietnam War and was indicted as a criminal by the United States government for conspiring to aid young men to avoid the military draft. If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find our beginner's guide to RSS useful. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1987. "The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." --- William Sloane Coffin. 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. William Sloane Coffin's Eulogy for Alex This was sent my way as a follow-up on my sermon. The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. These prayers may be purchased separately but they are included in the actual sermons too. While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. In my case on the death of my wife they were summed up well in a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay entitled Dirge without Music. The still-defended challenge-cup. Q: Why do you think that is, in the country as a whole? BBC Northern Ireland presenter William Crawley discusses the often controversial political, religious and ethical issues of the day. Nowhere in the scripture does it say, God is car accident or God is death. God is justice and kindness, mercy, and always always love. Would it be abhorrent to find that intensely funny? But I also, couldnt think of anything else for the moment, but about Alex, and his death. Lewis wrote, "They say 'the coward dies many times'; so does the beloved. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. After the death of his wife, C.S. Ralph Nader: With the majority of Americans in poll after poll turning against the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq and with many retired Generals, diplomats and intelligence officials opposed to the invasion in the first instance why is the organized opposition not greater? 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). 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. __________________ 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. View all William Sloane Coffin Quotes. William Sloane Coffin, who died Wednesday at the age of 81 of congestive heart failure, was known as a civil rights activist and outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his peace activism during the Vietnam War and his continuing work for social justice . W. & J. Sloane was a furniture and rug store in New York City that catered to the wealthy. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, But it's a fact: few of us are naturally profound. The woman most in need of liberation is the woman in every man and the man in every woman. Want to start taking action on the content you read on AoM? He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, That's 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." He became famous while at Yale in the 1960s for his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. 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. 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. 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. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. You blew it." O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. You will also find a collection of his prayers that concluded many of his sermons. Man and boy stood cheering by, So he has a hand in making our lives better but not worse? And I wept and I wept. ABERNETHY: Coffin rails at neglect of the poor and U.S. policies in Iraq. And hold to the low lintel up For all she had to say. But I do not approve. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. William Sloane Coffin Jr., was arrested several times during the civil rights movement. 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. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. 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? 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? 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 wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. They accepted that it was god's will. I also know this day-brightener of a son wouldn't 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. Love without criticism is a kind of betrayal. 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 home we brought you shoulder-high. 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. 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? No. Crowned with lilies and Laurel they go; but I am not resigned. April 12, 2006 / 7:32 PM / AP. 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. 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.. On Saturday afternoon at 1:30, the Rev. Still there is much by way of consolation. 00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. by Rev. Still there is much by way of consolation. "I'll say you don't, lady!" 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. 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. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Rev. 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william sloane coffin eulogy for alex