Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. 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. 00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 Theres something in the flight Bill Coffin flourished here, in the cracked common clay of an earthly and earthy life. _______________ Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. This is amazing. But left me none the wiser 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. Itsjust one of those things I think is worth a read by all. 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. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. After one year at Yale, Coffin joined the U.S. Army, in which he served until 1947, when he returned to Yale, graduating with a B.A. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" When sorrow walked with me. Still there is much by way of consolation. 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. After the death of his wife, C.S. But the point is this. Sloan from Doonesbury; New Documentary: WWilliam Sloane Coffin: A Lover's . I know how lucky I am! He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. 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. Ten days after Alex's death, he delivered this extraordinary sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. What is the religious challenge at our universities? Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? The cause of violence is not ignorance. But I do not approve. And the name died before the man. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. All rights reserved. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. "A spiritual person tries less to be godly than to be deeply . 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. Alex. So why the grief, self pity? First you leap, and then you grow wings." --- William Sloane Coffin. 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. 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 someone whose heart is breaking. What do you say to those people? She chattered all the way; I walked a mile with Sorrow 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. Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. A Prayer by William Sloan Coffin Jr., 1983. "I'll say you don't, lady!" 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. Never do we know enough to say that. 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 . It is difficult to know how to theologise about a tragedy of this order without descending into cliche, trivialisation or offensiveness. 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. And early though the laurel grows William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Jim Antal, a Norwich resident who advises the president of the national United Church of Christ on climate change, will deliver the inaugural William Sloane . A formula, A phrase remains.but the best is lost. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. When sorrow walked with me. So set, before its echoes fade, This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. That makes two of us. 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 Compassion, Sentimental, Individual William Sloane Coffin (2004). 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 said. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. I'm always puzzled at these Moslem women who wail like Banshees when their terrorist sons are killed as what they believe to be martyrs. 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.. 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. We have to be forced down. Gracious God, whose own Son's term of service to humanity was so full that its brevity was no distress, we call to mind on this Memorial Sunday those "who will not grow old as we who are left to grow old," those whose lives were too brief for us but long enough, perhaps, for thee. 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. There's something deep in there that involves joy and hope. MOYERS: Youre not supposed to outlive your children, are you? Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. Rev. Quotes, as voted by Quotefancy readers. Q: What's the essential connection for you between religious faith and justice? This invaluable anthology is the first and only collection dedi Ill say you dont, lady! I said. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. Robert Browning Hamilton. Rev. 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? Still there is much by way of consolation. On Saturday afternoon at 1:30, the Rev. 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. Smart lad, to slip betimes away William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born June 1, 1924, in New York City. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. Listen to an interview with Rev. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground. This is the first year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Coffin on defense issues from the Center for Defense Information; Read Coffin's eulogy for his son Alex; Relive the past with Rev. Well, so I wanted them to know, they had a pastor. When its true and painful, say it softly, None of us have the right to avert our gaze. John Wright #5 Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. It remains a heartfelt classic in homiletics. by Rev. Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store. 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.. I wrote the sermon. William Sloane Coffin gave what would be his final sermon at Chautauqua. Robert Browning Hamilton. 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. 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 There is no god!! 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 I was reminded today of this beautiful eulogy by the late William Sloane Coffin for his 24-year-old son, Alex, and I wanted to share it with you. Elegant and curled And silence sounds no worse than cheers 15 I'm sure there must be something somewhere in the Bible which says words to that effect. 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. Coffin to his congregation at the Riverside Church in New York City. Didnt the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. 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. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. An Eulogy for Alex 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. What an interesting article William 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 Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible. I know how lucky I am! 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. 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. Download Sermon Scripture List(84 kb - PDF). -- William Sloane Coffin. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. 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. 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. Q: I'm interested in the distinction between a speech and a sermon. For instance, the Christians persecuted the Jews for nearly two thousand years because as they said, they believed the Jews killed Jesus. If you had a pastoral visit with the president, what would you say? He attended Deerfield Academy and Phillips Academy Andover before beginning his studies at Yale University in 1942. 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. 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. 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. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. 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.. Can you explain what that means for you? 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 world's army of the bereaved. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. 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). T he Rev. 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." 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 I've 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. It all makes me wonder if its not a matter of God willing or letting, but more like the laws of nature. It withers quicker than the rose. But the things I learned from her He was 81. . I agree about the need for silence regarding those grieving. 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. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. 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. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. 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.) I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. To-day, the road all runners come, 5 See more stories about iPad, HBO, How-To. I know. We have to be forced down. 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: Many of us say, "Well, you know, I've got to work hard to support my family, I don't have a lot of time," or "I don't want to seem radical," or "I don't want to cause my neighbors to suspect I'm not fully patriotic." 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. 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 . If the order gets mixed up, thats misery. In 1983, Dr Coffin's son Alex was killed in a car accident. 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