I think in the end they pay him a fortune to make the dead go back to their graves. We see acuter quite The fleet foot on the sill of shade, Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. Instantly I was up and in hot pursuit, swarming all over her. This well-intentioned person had brought in a dinner for Coffin and his family and said, "I just don't understand the will of God." He said: "I'll say you don't, friend. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. 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. Quotes, as voted by Quotefancy readers. Than by a wick that stays. So why the grief, self pity? But the point is this. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. I'm not a believer but at least I appreciate when people demonstrate that they actually believe in what they say they do. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his anti-war and peace activism, dies at the age of 81. 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. We all do what we know how to do, maybe. The prayers are presented in several multi-year collections. Read more. 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 . Continue the suffering of living in preference to going to heaven just so you'll have their company around. 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. There is no god!! God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his. 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. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. I know how you feel I think you raise an important point when you say There are many kinds of silence, and one of them is a humbled, respectful listening silence But just one thing before you read it Heres one of my favorite Coffin-isms, from an interview with Bill Moyers when Coffin was 80: Chirping optimism is terrible. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. Very on the point I think. By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. 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. Sloan from Doonesbury; New Documentary: WWilliam Sloane Coffin: A Lover's . 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.". 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. But you seem to be able to deal with these problems in a way that recalls some deep confidence. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. The Rev. These days, campuses are very concerned with religious pluralism. 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. But left me none the wiser Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. I know how lucky I am! That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. 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. 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 walked a mile with Sorrow William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Tony Campolo retells an incident involving William Sloane Coffin following the death of his son, Alexander. But I'm an atheist. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. 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. 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. But the things I learned from her Ill say you dont, lady! I said. And, in spite of all of this, God is wherever love can be found. But I think much of our exasperation could be tempered if we could see our lives more from God's perspective than our own. 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 the wise mans gone back. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. William Sloane Coffin Jr. was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. ABERNETHY: In our conversation, Coffin quoted words he liked, words he attributed to Irenaeus, an early church father: "The glory of God is a human being fully alive." The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." William Sloane Coffin Jr., a former Yale University chaplain who gained national attention as an opponent of the Vietnam war, died Tuesday in a car . Why aren't people in the streets today the way they were in the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement? The scripture reading for each sermon can be found below in PDF format. A powerful eulogy. Apr 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. William Sloane Coffin, a United Church of Christ Minister known globally for his peace and justice advocacy, died April 12, 2006, at his home in rural Strafford, Vt. And early though the laurel grows This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Q: What's the essential connection for you between religious faith and justice? William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. By a departing light Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. 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. Well compared to heaven isn't all of life suffering? William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born to considerable wealth and social position on June 1, 1924, in New York City. 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. To-day, the road all runners come, 5 BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Can you explain what that means for you? 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. 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. Q: I'm interested in the distinction between a speech and a sermon. I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground. The recipient of the Coffin award will be someone who shares Coffin's passionate and prophetic witness, a courageous devotion to the dignity and worth of . I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., (born June 1, 1924, New York, New York, U.S.died April 12, 2006, Strafford, Vermont, U.S.), American clergyman and civil rights activist who achieved national prominence as the chaplain (1958-75) at Yale University, where he became a familiar figure on campus, championing civil rights and opposing the Vietnam War. 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 common attribution to the eighteenth-century statesman Alexander Hamilton was probably based on a mistaken understanding of a relatively modern citation. January 6, 1968 Spock and Coffin Indicted For Activity Against Draft By FRED P. GRAHAM . For all she had to say. I said. April 12, 2006 / 7:32 PM / AP. Rememberallproceeds will go directly to support the WSC scholarships at Union Theological Seminary in N.Y.C. (There's words for everything else.) The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? I mentioned the healing flood of letters. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Smart lad, to slip betimes away But I also, couldnt think of anything else for the moment, but about Alex, and his death. Details are given further below. He attended Deerfield Academy and Phillips Academy Andover before beginning his studies at Yale University in 1942. 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. I went right away to the piano. RN: What about the Educational system as it relates to democracy? #Hope #Passion. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1982-1983. Crowned with lilies and Laurel they go; but I am not resigned. Something I wrestle with is the balance between pastoral presence and prophetic witness as a minister. As the . 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. You will also find a collection of his prayers that concluded many of his sermons. Of lads that wore their honours out, While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. William Sloane Coffin (2003) at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 views Feb 19, 2018 On July 20, 2003, Rev. 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. Do you think about that? If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. And [a lot of people] think that emotional mediocrity is the good life. They accepted that it was god's will. SERMON: Alex's Death, by William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Posted on October 6, 2013. Download Sermon Scripture List(84 kb - PDF). Moved Permanently. Did you perhaps mistake me for someone else?? 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 Rev. The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This is the fourth 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. Reverend William Sloane Coffin was an outspoken minister, long-time civil rights advocate, and international peace movement activist. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. Either it is god's will or there is no god! And find unwithered on its curls 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. And the Emperor said, So? William Sloane Coffin Jr., a Presbyterian minister and social activist who was an outspoken leader of the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s and '70s, died Wednesday at his . The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. Read more. Still there is much by way of consolation. 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). But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. The document has moved here. Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. . I know. 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. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his peace activism during the Vietnam War and his continuing work for social justice . Rev. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. Q: Why do you think that is, in the country as a whole? A good question, Suzy. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. 00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 But . As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. Rev. 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. very good question Anne. It just happened. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. He liked it here. Listen to an interview with Rev. This is the sixth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. So set, before its echoes fade, 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. by Rev. Nationalism at the expense of another nation, is just as wicked as racism at the expense of another race. 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. This invaluable anthology is the first and only collection dedi Quotes. For instance, the Christians persecuted the Jews for nearly two thousand years because as they said, they believed the Jews killed Jesus. 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. You can purchase one, four, seven sermons, or you can purchase the whole year or "album". RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? Coffin questioned authority throughout his career, using civil . Fragrant is the blossom. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. 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