William C. Turner, Jr. - "Giving Thanks" (November 24, 1985)

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	(organ music)	0:04
	(choir singing)	0:56
	(organ music)	3:12
	(choir singing)	3:40
	(organ music)	6:22
	(choir singing)
	(organ music)	8:36
-	Grace and peace to you in the name	9:25
	of the Lord Jesus Christ.	9:26
	We welcome you to this service of worship	9:29
	at Duke University Chapel,	9:31
	and invite you to be with us again in the very near future.	9:32
	As our guest preacher today,	9:37
	we are pleased to welcome back to this pulpit	9:38
	the Reverend Dr. William C. Turner.	9:40
	Bill Turner is no stranger to this pulpit,	9:43
	having preached here on numerous occasions.	9:45
	He has been at Duke University since 1974	9:48
	in various positions in the university.	9:53
	He was here as an undergraduate as well,	9:55
	when we're proud to announce that he was a member	9:57
	of the Duke football team.	10:00
	We thank him for gracing us with his presence today.	10:02
	We also welcome back the Carolina Choir	10:05
	conducted by Dr. Larry Cook.	10:08
	This choir has distinguished themselves	10:10
	on numerous visits to the chapel in the past	10:12
	and are one of the foremost choral ensembles	10:15
	in the area.	10:18
	We are very grateful for their contributions	10:19
	to our service today.	10:21
	I would draw your attention to the other announcements	10:24
	as they are printed in the bulletin.	10:26
	And now, let us lift our voices to God as we worship Him.	10:29
	(organ music)	10:35
	(congregation singing hymn)	11:14
	As grateful children of God	14:09
	we have gathered in this sacred place	14:11
	to sing praise and to glorify God's name.	14:13
	Now let us confess our sins before almighty God,	14:18
	that we might now the joy of being at one with Him.	14:22
	(congregation shuffling)	14:27
	Most merciful God,	14:38
	we confess that we have sinned against you	14:40
	in thought, word, and deed	14:43
	by what we have done and by what we left undone.	14:46
	We have not loved you with our whole heart;	14:51
	we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.	14:55
	For the sake of your son, Jesus Christ,	14:58
	have mercy on us and forgive us,	15:01
	that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways	15:05
	to the glory of your name.	15:10
	Amen.	15:12
	Hear the good news:	15:15
	Christ died for us while we were yet sinners,	15:18
	that is God's own proof of His love toward us.	15:22
	In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.	15:26
-	In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.	15:31
-	Let us pray.	15:43
	Open our hearts and minds, O God,	15:46
	by the power of your Holy Spirit,	15:49
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed	15:52
	we might hear with joy what You say to us this day.	15:56
	Amen.	16:01
	The first lesson is taken from the book of Jeremiah.	16:03
	"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep	16:08
	of my pasture!" says the Lord.	16:12
	Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,	16:15
	concerning the shepherds who care for my people:	16:20
	"You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away,	16:25
	and you have not attended to them.	16:31
	Behold, I will attend to you	16:34
	for your evil doings, says the Lord.	16:37
	Then I will gather the remnant of my flock	16:40
	out of all of the countries where I have driven them,	16:45
	and I will bring them back to their fold,	16:50
	and they shall be fruitful and multiply.	16:53
	I will set shepherds over them who care for them,	16:58
	and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,	17:03
	neither shall any be missing, says the Lord.	17:08
	"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,	17:12
	when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,	17:16
	and he shall reign as king and deal wisely,	17:22
	and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.	17:26
	In his days Judah will be saved,	17:32
	and Israel will dwell securely.	17:36
	And this is the name by which he will be called:	17:40
	'The Lord is our righteousness.'	17:44
	This ends the reading of the first lesson.	17:47
-	Please rise as we join in the responsive reading	17:56
	of the Psalter.	17:59
	(congregation shuffling)	18:00
	The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;	18:07
-	The Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.	18:11
-	Yea, the world is established;	18:15
-	It shall never be moved;	18:18
-	Thy throne is established from of old;	18:21
-	Thou art from everlasting.	18:24
-	The floods have lifted up, O Lord,	18:27
	the floods have lifted up their voice,	18:29
-	The floods lift up their roaring.	18:32
-	Mightier than the thunders of many waters,	18:35
	mightier than the waves of the sea,	18:39
-	The Lord on high is mighty!	18:42
-	Thy decrees are very sure;	18:45
-	Holiness befits thy house, O Lord, for evermore.	18:48
	(organ music)	18:53
	(congregation singing hymn)	19:01
-	The second lesson is taken from the Revelation to John.	20:04
	Grace to you and peace from him who is	20:10
	and who was and who is to come,	20:13
	and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,	20:17
	and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness,	20:22
	the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.	20:26
	To him who loves us and has freed us	20:35
	from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom,	20:37
	priests to his God and Father,	20:43
	to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.	20:45
	Behold, he is coming with the clouds,	20:51
	and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him;	20:54
	and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.	21:00
	Even so. Amen.	21:05
	"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God,	21:07
	who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."	21:12
	This ends the reading of the second lesson.	21:20
	(choir singing)	21:38
-	The Gospel is taken from John.	25:07
	Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus,	25:11
	and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"	25:17
	Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord,	25:23
	or did others say it to you about me?"	25:28
	Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?	25:32
	Your own nation and the chief priests	25:37
	have handed you over to me; what have you done?"	25:40
	Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world;	25:45
	if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight,	25:52
	that I might not be handed over to the Jews;	25:58
	but my kingship is not from the world."	26:02
	Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?"	26:06
	And Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king.	26:13
	For this I was born, and for this I have come	26:19
	into the world, to bear witness to the truth.	26:23
	Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."	26:29
	This ends the reading of the Gospel, Amen.	26:35
-	Greetings and blessings in the name our our Lord, Jesus.	26:51
	It is good to be here on another occasion.	26:56
	I saw Will Willimon during the week.	27:03
	When I greeted him, I asked Will,	27:06
	"Will, are you my friend or my foe?"	27:08
	And Will, with his moving smile,	27:13
	inquired of me why I asked the question.	27:18
	I said, "Do you know who you scheduled me	27:21
	to follow in Duke Chapel?"	27:26
	(congregation laughing)	27:28
	That's a hard act (laughs), to put it mildly.	27:31
	Well, he reassured me that	27:36
	I probably didn't know	27:41
	as many people as Billy Graham.	27:42
	(congregation laughing)	27:45
	But nevertheless, I would probably	27:46
	be as comfortable here as most	27:51
	in that I have been on several occasions.	27:53
	I am glad to be here again, and I listened	27:58
	as Nancy made mention of a little piece of information	28:03
	that many don't know or consider,	28:07
	and I'm sure the reason that she mentioned	28:10
	my brief tenure as a football player had something to do	28:14
	with that score I heard	28:18
	as I traveled back from the mountains on yesterday.	28:21
	I would that you'd consider the second lesson again,	28:27
	and there is a portion of that lesson I would like	28:32
	to reread in your hearing.	28:35
	A portion of verse 5 and verse 6.	28:39
	Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins	28:46
	in His own blood and hath made us kings and priests	28:51
	unto God His Father, to Him be glory and dominion	28:56
	forever and ever, Amen.	29:01
	From that portion of our lesson,	29:05
	consider today giving thanks,	29:11
	giving thanks.	29:16
	It's more than courtesy,	29:19
	it's more than courtesy.	29:23
	Anyone who reflects upon the nature of courtesy	29:26
	can readily admit that courtesy calls for behavior	29:31
	that is not spontaneous.	29:36
	Courtesy corresponds to principles	29:39
	that are buried deeply within our culture,	29:41
	and courtesy reflects the ways in which people prefer	29:46
	to be treated, no matter who they are or what they deserve.	29:52
	When one gives courtesy	29:57
	as a matter of common consent,	30:00
	one makes no mention of uncomplimentary facts,	30:04
	even though they are obvious to everybody.	30:08
	One defers to those who are in authority,	30:12
	no matter what the feelings may be	30:15
	toward the person in question.	30:17
	And one says thanks for supposed favors	30:20
	that may not be even desired or appreciated.	30:24
	As believers, we run the risk of allowing our thanksgiving	30:30
	to reduce to common courtesy	30:35
	if we do not remain mindful	30:40
	of the one to whom our thanks are given,	30:41
	and if we do not remain remindful of how the God we thank	30:45
	is related to us and to the world	30:51
	The true giving of thanks	30:56
	is more than courtesy.	30:58
	The character of courtesy comes to light,	31:03
	perhaps most clearly, in attempting to teach children	31:05
	how to be courteous.	31:11
	It's difficult, if possible, to teach a little girl	31:13
	not to tell her neighbor that she's fat	31:18
	when she and everyone else knows that she's overweight.	31:22
	It's hard to teach a little fella not to point out	31:27
	and make mention of deformities in people	31:31
	who are missing their limbs when it's obvious	31:34
	to everyone that something is not in order.	31:37
	Many a child is frustrated by parents who persuade	31:42
	and who force them to smile at the relative	31:47
	they're not so particular about seeing.	31:52
	Or to say "thank you" for the gift	31:55
	that they don't really want and will never use.	31:58
	And in case you haven't discovered by now,	32:02
	this doesn't apply simply to children.	32:06
	There is a child inside of all of us	32:10
	that resists the lessons of courtesy.	32:13
	They are not so easy to teach.	32:17
	Thanksgiving can be reduced to courtesy	32:21
	if we are not extremely mindful.	32:25
	As courtesy, thanksgiving is learned	32:29
	as a rule of behavior.	32:33
	Courtesy, you see, does not result	32:36
	from genuine appreciation.	32:39
	Unlike thanksgiving, it is not the spontaneous	32:42
	overflow of joy and gratitude.	32:46
	Especially during this season of the year	32:50
	we run the risk of engaging in cultural courtesy	32:54
	during the Thanksgiving season	33:00
	and for many, it's little more than compensation	33:02
	for a year of ingratitude.	33:06
	Indeed, a danger of such a national holiday	33:10
	is that it offers the perfect occasion	33:14
	to take the memory of pilgrims	33:19
	who were sustained during a brutal winter,	33:21
	the risk of taking that memory	33:26
	and engaging in a scene of	33:29
	national disgrace	33:33
	or a scene where we go into an excursion	33:36
	of nationalistic back-scratching or self-congratulations.	33:41
	On the other hand, this season can become	33:47
	the perfect opportunity to give	33:50
	sincere thanks and praise	33:54
	to our God, who has been so gracious to us.	33:57
	True and sincere thanksgiving	34:02
	is more than courtesy.	34:07
	The words of this text come from the salutation	34:11
	of a communication addressed by one named John	34:14
	to the seven churches in Asia.	34:20
	This letter is wrapped in the mystery of a man	34:23
	who suffered persecution for his testimony	34:26
	to the Lord Jesus and who heard the voice	34:30
	and saw the vision of the risen Christ.	34:33
	This Christ commissioned him on the very labors	34:38
	that sent him to the lonely island called Patmos.	34:41
	But the words of the letter give comfort	34:46
	to people of God in every generation.	34:49
	It encourages those who suffer for the cause of Christ,	34:54
	to hold fast to their faith and it reminds believers	34:58
	how they must not waver in their zeal,	35:02
	for it will not be long, in the words of the letter,	35:05
	before those who trust in God	35:10
	know victory and triumph.	35:12
	But most importantly of all, it directs our attention	35:16
	in no uncertain ways to the destiny of the world	35:20
	that has not been turned over to the powers of evil.	35:25
	The world has not been turned over to another,	35:30
	but the Lord God omnipotent reigns,	35:32
	and for this, thanks is to be given.	35:38
	Now one cannot be certain, from the letter itself,	35:44
	just what the situation was in the time	35:48
	of this man named John that caused him	35:52
	to be sent to the island called Patmos.	35:56
	Some hold that the agent of his agony	35:59
	was the Roman Empire;	36:03
	you see, in his day, it was demanded and required	36:05
	of those who lived under the dominion of Caesar	36:09
	that they confess him to be lord.	36:14
	But the people who named Jesus as Christ	36:18
	confessed that He was their Lord,	36:22
	and for this, they got into tremendous difficulty.	36:26
	Or again some say that perhaps he was on this island	36:30
	because he had run into conflict	36:34
	with the backslidden churches to whom the letters	36:37
	are addressed.	36:41
	He wrote the letter in the name of the Christ	36:43
	whom he saw in a vision, one who knew their works,	36:47
	and challenged them lest	36:51
	the candlesticks be removed.	36:54
	Well, tradition holds that this man by the name of John	36:58
	was sent to a lonely island with rugged terrain,	37:02
	where wild beasts roamed freely,	37:08
	and that he was sent there with the certain hope	37:10
	and expectation that he would never trouble	37:14
	God's people again.	37:17
	But our Lord is so good.	37:21
	He has a way of coming to us in spite of all the plans	37:24
	that others might institute to keep him away	37:29
	from His children.	37:34
	So He lifted John out of the mire of his misery,	37:36
	tore the tethers of his tribulation,	37:41
	sundered the bands of his burden	37:44
	and while in the Spirit on the Lord's day,	37:46
	he encountered the Lord Christ who said to him,	37:52
	"I am Alpha and Omega,	37:56
	the first and the last.	38:01
	Grace and peace are extended to those receiving the letter	38:04
	from the Eternal Father, from the seven spirits	38:08
	before the throne, and from the Son who is	38:12
	the first begotten of the dead,	38:15
	and the prince of the kings of earth."	38:18
	Then following his word of recognition,	38:22
	indicating the source of grace and peace,	38:24
	John offers an ascription of thanks and praise.	38:27
	The ascription is not a general word of thanksgiving,	38:33
	it's not addressed to no one in particular.	38:37
	It is not addressed to some theological ideas,	38:41
	to some abstract notion,	38:45
	to some impersonal ground of being.	38:48
	No, the ascription is to	38:52
	someone in particular.	38:55
	It is to Him who loved us and freed us	38:58
	with His own blood.	39:04
	Thanks cannot be properly given in the absence	39:08
	of a clear understanding of deeds	39:13
	that make thanksgiving appropriate.	39:17
	Where there is the assumption that all is possessed	39:21
	by one's own power and one's own determination,	39:25
	where there is the assumption of right and entitlement,	39:31
	thanks reduces to little more than courtesy.	39:36
	Who is there among us who gives thanks	39:42
	when we get our paycheck?	39:47
	We believe we've earned every penny of that money,	39:49
	and usually we feel that we've earned a little bit more,	39:53
	and if by chance we do say thank you,	39:57
	it's little more than courtesy.	40:00
	Where there is awareness, though,	40:04
	that the critical and the essential things in life,	40:07
	which are precious to us,	40:11
	come from the uncompelled beneficence of another,	40:13
	thanksgiving is a spontaneous overflow	40:19
	that comes forth from us.	40:23
	So, John introduces to us and keeps before our consciousness	40:25
	the truth that the One to whom we give thanks	40:30
	is the One who washed us from our sins	40:36
	with his life's blood.	40:42
	He is the One who loved us.	40:45
	Constantly we are confronted with the reality	40:49
	of all the temptation to take for granted	40:52
	those things for which we ought to give thanks.	40:56
	And we find that it is repulsive to us,	41:00
	when we properly appreciate benefits,	41:06
	and others around us fail to give thanks.	41:09
	Parents who work hard to purchase food	41:14
	are consciously and consistently laboring	41:18
	to make their children appreciate what has been given.	41:22
	It's kind of frustrating when you've worked hard	41:27
	and see children mess over the food	41:29
	or turn up their noses simply because	41:31
	they don't like the way it is prepared,	41:34
	and we hear the words of our mothers and fathers	41:37
	over and over again, ringing in our ears,	41:39
	as we look out at our world with starvation,	41:44
	as we look out at our world in the midst of its ordeal,	41:47
	and we can hear them saying to us over and over again,	41:51
	"Someone would be glad to get the food	41:56
	that you throw away."	42:00
	Just a fresh glass of cold water	42:04
	as refreshment on a weary day is an item	42:10
	for which thanks should be given.	42:15
	And we are mindful of the need to give thanks	42:18
	and the appropriateness of such thanks	42:22
	when we reflect on the condition just south of us	42:25
	in the land of Colombia where some 25,000 people	42:28
	have died as the result of natural disaster	42:33
	and where the threat of the aftermath is almost as great	42:37
	as the very event that initiated the tragedy.	42:42
	You can't find fresh air and clean water	42:46
	just for the sake of desiring it.	42:50
	Riding the bus in the rain or trying to catch a taxi	42:53
	late at night makes us thankful even for the car	42:58
	that keeps giving us trouble and that we	43:03
	return to the mechanic without satisfaction.	43:07
	When we miss the things that make life meaningful	43:11
	or when we see how others undergo their ordeal,	43:16
	it reinforces for us that there are innumerable parts	43:20
	of our life that are only in place	43:24
	by the uncompelled beneficence	43:30
	of our God.	43:34
	There is a long way that we must go in our country	43:37
	to eliminate social evils, chief among them is racism,	43:43
	but we all ought to give thanks on this day	43:49
	as we consider the condition in South Africa,	43:51
	that no one in here had to receive a pass	43:54
	to come to this side of the city,	43:58
	and that we don't run the risk	44:01
	of having this little meeting broken up	44:02
	because the faces of the people in here	44:05
	bear too many different colors.	44:07
	We deserve to give God thanks as more than courtesy	44:09
	when we consider how good He has been to us,	44:16
	and we are bound to so thank and praise Him.	44:21
	If we take seriously the words of our text,	44:27
	we must consider that the thanks that are properly given	44:31
	are not merely a matter of courtesy,	44:35
	they're not given generally, neither are the thanks	44:39
	to be given a surreptitious way of	44:44
	boasting of our bounty,	44:48
	wallowing in our wealth, or claiming our achievement.	44:50
	Rather the thanks John leads us in giving	44:55
	reminds us that all the good things we received,	45:00
	all the good things that we have even now,	45:05
	are from Him who loved us.	45:09
	And the thanks that we give	45:14
	even for the daily portions that are ours	45:17
	ought always to be given against the background	45:23
	of this, the greatest gift of all:	45:27
	the gift of the love of our God.	45:31
	These many benefits are but signs of that love,	45:37
	that love that is expressed most fully	45:41
	in the shedding of the Son's blood.	45:44
	The Savior loved us, you see, so much	45:49
	that He would not leave us alone.	45:53
	He holds us together, He holds our communities together,	45:56
	He holds our world together,	46:00
	even amid our own proclivities to tear it apart.	46:03
	Because of His love, He would not turn us loose	46:09
	even in spite of our rebellion.	46:13
	He refuses to be convinced by our protests	46:17
	that we are sufficient to ourselves	46:21
	and that we don't need Him any more.	46:24
	God refuses to be convinced by our efforts	46:27
	to annihilate ourselves and our world,	46:33
	and his love interposes even	46:36
	in the midst of our struggles	46:40
	and our efforts toward destruction.	46:43
	The Christ died to reconcile the world to the Father,	46:48
	defeating the powers of hell,	46:54
	dispelling the forces of darkness	46:56
	in which men and women walk.	46:59
	Thanks are due to the One who washed us	47:03
	from our sins,	47:09
	who freed us with His own blood.	47:11
	There is no gift of God that is more worthy	47:16
	of our thanks and praise than being washed	47:21
	from our sins.	47:27
	Now, these words sound like	47:29
	mere courtesy to God	47:33
	for those who have never known the bondage	47:36
	from which the blood of Jesus is the only release.	47:42
	These words sound like mere courtesy	47:47
	to one who has not tasted the heavenly gift.	47:51
	But for the soul that has been released and set free,	47:55
	this understanding and knowledge	48:01
	of the One to whom thanks is given	48:03
	provokes spontaneous praise and thanks	48:07
	that comes forth just like the breath that we breathe.	48:12
	The insight gained from John's ascription of praise	48:17
	teaches us to be thankful not only for what God has done,	48:22
	but also	48:28

-	God has given us to do	0:03
	for failing to give thanks at this point.	0:07
	The words that we utter run the risk	0:11
	of being little more than courtesy.	0:14
	For failing to give thanks for the work	0:19
	that God has called us to do,	0:22
	we run the risk of becoming spiritual brats	0:27
	who receive only and who are not willing	0:33
	to give in return.	0:36
	It is proper to give God thanks.	0:40
	In the words of the general, thanks giving	0:44
	for setting us to those tasks	0:46
	that demand our best efforts.	0:50
	And for leading us to those achievements	0:54
	that delight and satisfy.	0:57
	It is proper to give God thanks even for the	0:59
	disappointments and the failures that force us	1:04
	to recognize that ultimately	1:09
	we rely and depend on him.	1:11
	In the words of our text, John gives thanks	1:16
	to the one who sent him forth on the mission	1:20
	that caused him to know the disfavor of men	1:25
	and of women, sending him to the	1:29
	Isle of Patmus.	1:32
	This is a paradoxical word of thanksgiving.	1:35
	For scholars tell us that desire call Patmus	1:41
	was not an attractive place, did not look like the Bahamas	1:45
	with flowers growing on every corner,	1:49
	with the sun shining, with the rains coming to refresh.	1:53
	Did not look like the Hawaiian Islands,	1:57
	but they said was a desolate place.	1:59
	And even now that it's been turned into an attraction	2:01
	for tourists, those who go there are warned,	2:04
	don't go to Patmus unless you're strong,	2:07
	unless can climb mountains and ride on horseback	2:11
	for a long time, don't go there.	2:14
	So he didn't go there for a vacation.	2:17
	He did not go there by choice.	2:19
	He was sent there in banishment	2:22
	and he gives thanks to the one	2:26
	who causes these events to fill his life.	2:29
	As kings and priests of God we are imbued	2:35
	with an understanding of and	2:39
	we are sent on a mission	2:43
	that will get us in trouble in the world that we live.	2:46
	We'll get in trouble if we do what God has set us to do	2:51
	just as sure as the day is long.	2:55
	And the only way to avoid getting into trouble	2:58
	is to close our minds to the truth that he would	3:02
	reveal to us about our world or to stubbornly	3:05
	refuse to obey the command that	3:08
	God has given to us.	3:11
	Indeed, according to our text, we're not only	3:14
	to embrace the consciousness and the understanding	3:18
	that he gives.	3:22
	We're not only to obey and go on the mission	3:23
	that we are set to undertake.	3:27
	But we are to give thanks for the very work	3:29
	we have been given to do as priests and kings of God.	3:33
	We are yoked with Christ in his service to the world.	3:39
	As kings of God our greatness does not consist	3:43
	in our might and our power.	3:48
	It does not consist and lording and ruling over others.	3:49
	Jesus said, that may be so among the gentile princes,	3:54
	but among those who are heirs to the kingdom,	3:58
	our greatness consists in our servanthood.	4:01
	We can only find greatness in service	4:05
	and in suffering.	4:10
	As priests of God, we are to stand between	4:12
	a world gone mad and the destruction that lurks	4:16
	on every hand declaring the goodness of the gospel	4:20
	and the saving grace of the Lord.	4:25
	It is our responsibility and kings and priests of God	4:30
	to witness against the madness that has created	4:36
	the nuclear threat that is all around us.	4:41
	To stand against policies and people who would cause	4:44
	others to suffer for political or economic gain.	4:49
	To engage a generation that is rife with moral perverseness	4:53
	with the power of the gospel.	4:59
	And this divine commission banishes from us	5:03
	the blissful ignorance that does not enable us	5:08
	to know the full weight of the command that has been given.	5:14
	And it compels us to move beyond our complacency	5:18
	even when we would like to be still.	5:24
	This commission for which we are to give thanks	5:29
	is different from that which is	5:34
	perceived by the spiritual	5:37
	brats who herald the heresy	5:39
	that being a king's kid	5:44
	entitles them to prosperity	5:47
	and to popularity.	5:51
	We know that when we obey	5:53
	the command of the Christ	5:56
	we might very well wind up on Patmus	6:00
	and we are to give thanks even for the possibility	6:05
	of being sent to that place.	6:11
	Truly, it is the privilege to be kings and priests	6:15
	of our God in times like these.	6:20
	For alongside the perilousness of our day	6:23
	there is a spiritual hunger like we have never seen before.	6:28
	More and more we are seeing in our generation	6:33
	that men and women are coming to the limits	6:36
	of their own abilities and powers and are turning back	6:39
	to the very God whom we love.	6:43
	They're coming to receive those spiritual benefits	6:46
	that we have been privileged to dispense.	6:49
	Day by day enlightenment and reason	6:53
	are being unrobed for their falseness.	6:57
	They are being displayed as false gods	7:01
	when they claim to be the end all and the be all	7:04
	of human need and human satisfaction.	7:08
	And for those who are so persuaded	7:13
	that in the gifts of the spirit we have what the world	7:15
	desires and needs, the thanks that we give	7:21
	pours forth freely from our souls.	7:25
	John's praise from Patmus is sensitive and paradoxical.	7:31
	Surely it is no mere courtesy.	7:38
	It comes from one who might have steeled his pen	7:40
	and silenced his lips.	7:44
	Perhaps he could have followed this course	7:47
	had he not known so well the one to whom	7:49
	his thanks were given.	7:53
	The object of his thanksgiving was to one	7:55
	who is to receive glory and praise.	7:59
	He gave thanks to one in	8:05
	whom is dominion and power	8:08
	forever and ever.	8:12
	Finally, when all is said and done thanksgiving,	8:15
	that would be more than courtesy must be rooted	8:19
	in a deep and abiding knowledge of who God is	8:22
	and faith that the world, that life and destiny	8:27
	are in the hands of our God forever.	8:32
	Such faith may be difficult to sustain	8:37
	in times like these	8:40
	for it seems like everyday there is a new member	8:43
	in the fraternity of idiocy.	8:47
	We see things taking place that we never dreamed	8:50
	were possible and day by day we are forced	8:52
	to acknowledge that we are on the brink	8:57
	of insanity and madness.	9:00
	But for one who can bring him or herself	9:03
	to confess that the glory	9:06
	and the dominion belongs to God,	9:08
	there is a brand new dimension of blessing	9:13
	of commitment, of fulfillment, and even of pleasure	9:16
	that is opened simply for thanking God	9:21
	that the glory is his,	9:26
	that the dominion belongs to him.	9:28
	I don't know about anyone else, but this is	9:32
	a source of comfort to me,	9:34
	that the world belongs to God.	9:37
	No matter what the madness I see on any corner	9:40
	of the globe, this world belongs to God.	9:44
	It has not been turned over to a surrogate.	9:49
	It has not been turned over to the leaders either	9:53
	of our nation or another nation, but the dominion	9:56
	and the glory belong to God.	10:00
	These were the words that our mothers and fathers	10:04
	in the faith uttered over and over and over again.	10:06
	We see this apocalypse and see the words of the doxology	10:10
	that constantly remind those in the midst of suffering	10:14
	that God is still in control, that God still reigns.	10:17
	Slave mothers and fathers uttered the same words.	10:22
	They declared over my head, I see trouble in the air,	10:25
	but there must be a God somewhere.	10:29
	This is our faith. This is our hope.	10:34
	This is why we give thanks.	10:36
	The hymn writer and poet, C.A. Tinley penned these words,	10:41
	harder yet may be the fight.	10:46
	Right may often yield to might.	10:49
	Wickedness a while may reign.	10:54
	Satan's calls may seem to gain.	10:56
	But there is a God who rules above	11:00
	with hand of power and heart of love.	11:04
	And if I'm right, he'll fight my battle.	11:07
	Praise can come from Patmus.	11:13
	True thanksgiving	11:17
	is more than courtesy.	11:20
	(traditional catholic music)	11:34
-	The Lord be with you.	13:30
	(congregation speaking)	13:32
	Let us pray.	13:34
	Almighty God, creator of the universe	13:47
	who hast filled the world with beauty,	13:49
	in this season of thanksgiving we open our eyes	13:53
	to behold they gracious hand in all of creation.	13:58
	Truly as thou hast pronounced, it is good.	14:03
	Thus rejoicing in thy entire creation,	14:08
	we offer these prayers for others asking that we	14:11
	may learn to serve thee with gladness.	14:15
	Let us pray for peace throughout the world.	14:20
	We remember those men, women and children	14:24
	in Central America, Lebanon, Afghanistan,	14:28
	South Africa, Northern Ireland who are victims of violence.	14:34
	Guide the nations of the world into the way of justice	14:41
	and truth and establish among them that peace	14:45
	which is the fruit of righteousness.	14:49
	Let us pray for the poor and the neglected.	14:53
	As much of the nation celebrates an abundance	14:58
	of good in this season and of food, we remember those	15:02
	who suffer for want of food and other basic	15:06
	necessities of life.	15:10
	Bless them with thy healing presence, oh God	15:12
	and use us as thy servants who enjoy a bounty of blessings	15:16
	as vessels of thy grace in their midst.	15:21
	Let us pray for those who live with injustice,	15:27
	terror, disease, and death as their constant companions.	15:30
	Heal the sick.	15:36
	Comfort the dying.	15:39
	Strengthen the fearful.	15:41
	Bless those who wage battles against injustice	15:44
	and alert each of us to the manor in which	15:47
	we may contribute to a better world.	15:51
	Let us pray for thy holy catholic church.	15:54
	Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace.	15:58
	Where it is right, strengthen it.	16:03
	Where it is in want, provide for it.	16:07
	Where it is divided, reunite it.	16:10
	Let us pray for the right use of thy gifts, oh God.	16:15
	Thou hast given us all that we possess,	16:19
	including those resources which we consider	16:23
	to be free, but which are irreplaceable.	16:27
	Grant us grace that we may honor thee	16:31
	by being faithful stewards of they bounty.	16:34
	These things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ,	16:38
	our savior and Lord, amen.	16:42
	And now let us offer our gifts and ourselves to God.	16:49
	(traditional catholic music)	17:28
	Most kind and gracious God,	29:20
	we give you thanks for the many blessings in our lives.	29:23
	For the return of seed time and of harvest.	29:27
	For the joys of human love.	29:31
	For the beauty of earth and sky and sea.	29:34
	Give us adjust sense of thy bountiful mercies	29:38
	towards us that we may walk before thee	29:42
	in humility and holiness all our days.	29:45
	This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ	29:50
	who taught us to pray with confidence.	29:53
	Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.	29:56
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done	30:01
	on earth as it is in heaven.	30:05
	Give us this day our daily bread	30:08
	and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those	30:10
	who trespass against us.	30:14
	And lead us not into temptation,	30:17
	but deliver us for thine is the kingdom,	30:19
	the power and the glory forever.	30:23
	Amen.	30:27
	(traditional catholic music)	30:31
	And now go forth in peace and be of good courage.	33:40
	Hold fast to that which is good, rejoicing in the power	33:44
	of the holy spirit.	33:49
	And may the blessings of God, creator, Christ	33:50
	and Holy Spirit be with you all now and forevermore.	33:54
	Amen.	33:58
	(traditional catholic music)	34:05
	(people chattering)	34:50

Item Info

Title:

William C. Turner, Jr. - "Giving Thanks" (November 24, 1985)

Description:

The thanksgiving we owe to God is more than courtesy. It should come from an understanding of who God is and what God has done, and, in light of these things, it should issue from us freely and spontaneously. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Sermon start time: (Part 1) 26:51. Sermon end time: (Part 2) 11:24.
Key quotation: “The thanks John leads us in giving reminds us that all the good things we received, all the good things that we have even now, are from Him who loved us.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4nk36k5g

Date:

November 24, 1985

Speaker:

Turner, William Clair, 1948-

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 CS-0296
ref8113_nv4
uachapelsermaud
duke:320724
dcrau001283
ark:/87924/r4nk36k5g
4e1dfc4c-a78b-4f6f-b046-1dc19a58ba02

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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