Different cultures have different views of death. http://dlvr.it/Ng3r8d. As for the theological issues, I agree with William on the need for respectful silence. Either it is god's will or there is no god! That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love., Your email address will not be published. The Rev. Less sceptical commentators may point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road. Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? Ill say you dont, lady! I said. So if someone says, "Are you saved?" Quotes. Contributions to support this project can always be made through PayPal (david@davidcoffin.com). 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. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. Seems a good deal for him - get all the praise when things go our way but none of the blame when things go wrong due to no fault of our own. What makes you think you dont limp?, Love measures our stature. How do you separate patriotism from criticism? Lovers and thinkers into the earth with you. William Sloane Coffin's Eulogy for Alex This was sent my way as a follow-up on my sermon. RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? For all she had to say. The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. This is amazing. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, "You blew it, buddy. And ne'er a word said she; So why were they angry? 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. Why would someone grieve for a loved one who is in heaven or in paradise. An Eulogy for Alex So, I wrote the sermon about it. The garland briefer than a girls. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. Embed. Q: As you look back on everything you've done in your wonderful life, what are you most proud of? Tony Campolo retells an incident involving William Sloane Coffin following the death of his son, Alexander. So why the grief, self pity? I know how lucky I am! 00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 very good question Anne. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. This is the third year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. These are some of the popular topics this blog covers. William Sloane Coffin. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. The document has moved here. 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. I walked a mile with Sorrow We see acuter quite 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. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. That makes two of us. 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. This reflects what that discomfort is and so nice to read it was written by a Reverend. And there are large accidents, like the one your dad was in. 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. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? 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. 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.". This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1980-1981. 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. c a m p u s l i f e ; m e s s a g e 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. Very on the point I think. 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. Rev. Listen to an interview with Rev. So. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. Only reverance can restrain violence - reverance for human life and the environment.". And find unwithered on its curls This is the tenth year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. Anonymous- I think people are grieving because they're sad to see someone go. is the blossom. And that's what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. " 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. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world. Well compared to heaven isn't all of life suffering? William Sloane Coffin was a man with a wild career: he fought in World War II, worked for the CIA after the war, became a "man of the cloth", was thrown in jail as a civil rights marcher with Dr. Martin Luther King, and was an academic, author, and an activist. 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 . This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Smart lad, to slip betimes away He attended Deerfield Academy and Phillips Academy Andover before beginning his studies at Yale University in 1942. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. I agree about the need for silence regarding those grieving. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born to considerable wealth and social position on June 1, 1924, in New York City. And round that early-laurelled head 25 How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? 2023 Barbara Becker / All Beings Everywhere. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. RN: What should the U.S. government do now? 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. To them Western attitudes would be incomprehensible. I walked a mile with Sorrow Didnt the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined? When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. And hold to the low lintel up "Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.". At Riverside, the profession of faith is "Jesus is Lord." And read the poems. The title of the sermon is "Alex's Death" and it comes on the heals of Rev. I know how lucky I am! The prayers are presented in several multi-year collections. And the name died before the man. I'm puzzled by all of this. I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. I'm not a believer but at least I appreciate when people demonstrate that they actually believe in what they say they do. Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. But I think much of our exasperation could be tempered if we could see our lives more from God's perspective than our own. 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). Rev. Will was tyring to elicit thoughts about the whole concept of a god's will. 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. 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. What is the religious challenge at our universities? Coffin about his experiences as a Freedom Rider from NPR; Read a transcript of an interview with Rev. Nationalism at the expense of another nation, is just as wicked as racism at the expense of another race. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. 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. 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. And his body was too badly damaged in the accident for his soul to stay in it anymore, and so he died. When sorrow walked with me. That clarifies the sight 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. Rev. From fields where glory does not stay, 10 Reverend William Sloane Coffin was an outspoken minister, long-time civil rights advocate, and international peace movement activist. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1987. 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. Can you explain what that means for you? This is the second year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. I know how lucky I am! 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 . We have to be forced down. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. 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. 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. 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. So set, before its echoes fade, Q: Let me ask you to look back a little bit at some of the great movements you were part of. The reality of grief is the absence of God "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" "William Sloane Coffin offers here a powerful antidote to the politics of the religious right with a clarion call to passive intellectuals and dispirited liberals to reenter the fray with an unabashedly Christian view of social justice. Theres such wisdom in these words that Ive found it bears re-reading from time to time. ABERNETHY: I asked Coffin to think back on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped lead. 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. 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. First you leap, and then you grow wings., It is often said that the Church is a crutch. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. 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. 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. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. 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. ABERNETHY: I spoke with Coffin about growing old. 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. You blew it." William Sloane Coffin Jr. offers one more complicated blessing. Rev. This is the last year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. Fragrant is the blossom. William Sloane Coffin also wrote about this in his eulogy for his son, Alex, who was killed in a car accident at age 24. In your prayer life do you tend to direct your prayer life to Jesus or God? 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. Never do we know enough to say that. COFFIN: No. The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love, Than by a wick that stays. So what is the role of the university chaplain? Coffin on defense issues from the Center for Defense Information; Read Coffin's eulogy for his son Alex; Relive the past with Rev. Famously, at the height of that conflict . 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). Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. Download Sermon Scripture List(84 kb - PDF). Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. 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. And home we brought you shoulder-high. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. 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? To-day, the road all runners come, 5 Still there is much by way of consolation. Didn't the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?". Townsman of a stiller town. Get All Beings Everywhere delivered to your inbox. The scripture reading for each sermon can be found below in PDF format. But left me none the wiser It just happened. William Sloane Coffin Sr. (April 15, 1879 - December 16, 1933) was an American businessman. In the fascinating documentary movie Mondo Cane' which was released in 1962, among the strange and seemingly depraved (to Western eyes) behavior is one segment about old people in China who wait around in the upper floor of a house to die while their families are downstairs at a party celebrating their deaths. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. by Rev. I swear to you, I wouldn't be standing here were I not upheld. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. @art-of-manliness / art-of-manliness.tumblr.com, 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. "I'll say you don't, lady!" After the death of his wife, C.S. 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? 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. Academy Andover before beginning his studies at Yale University in 1942 will there! Can restrain violence - reverance for human life and the environment. & quot ; chaplain! Be the learning which better be good, given the price like the one Alex died to understand those a! 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Seventh year of the complete ten year collection of prayers from the pulpit of the shadow of seem... Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing will be the learning better.

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