Charlene P. Kammerer - "A Glimpse of God's Character" (March 2, 1986)

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	(tranquil organ music)	0:06
	(meditative organ music)	2:47
	(tranquil organ music)	5:23
	(soloist singing)	7:30
	(choir singing)	10:39
-	Grace and peace to you in the name	16:06
	of the Lord Jesus Christ.	16:07
	We welcome you to this service of worship	16:09
	at Duke University Chapel	16:11
	on this third Sunday in Lent	16:12
	and invite you to be with us again very soon.	16:15
	Our preacher for this morning	16:18
	is the Reverend Charlene Kammerer,	16:20
	Minster of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church	16:21
	in Fort Myers, Florida.	16:24
	Charlene is a much beloved figure in this community	16:27
	having served in a very successful ministry here	16:30
	from 1980 until 1984,	16:33
	first as assistant minster to the university	16:36
	and then as acting minister to the university her last year.	16:38
	We are very pleased to be able to welcome her back	16:42
	to our pulpit today.	16:45
	We are also pleased to welcome	16:48
	the UNC Wilmington Chamber singers	16:50
	and their director Joe Hickman back to Duke Chapel.	16:52
	They have been with us in years past	16:55
	and we have always been blessed by their music.	16:57
	We wish them well on a trip	17:00
	which they will be taking this coming week	17:01
	where they will be touring throughout England.	17:04
	I would draw your attention to the other announcements	17:08
	as they are printed in the bulletin.	17:10
	And now let us offer ourselves unto God	17:13
	in the time of worship,	17:16
	remembering these words of scripture.	17:18
	"Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord	17:21
	"that he may teach us his ways	17:23
	"and that we may walk in his paths."	17:26
	Amen.	17:30
	(lively organ music)	17:33
	(congregation singing)	18:00
	As a forgiven and reconciled people,	20:02
	we have gathered in this holy place	20:05
	to glorify God and to hear God's word proclaimed.	20:07
	Let us now confess our sins before God	20:12
	that we may be at one with our creator.	20:15
-	Oh Almighty God,	20:28
	give us grace to approach thee at this time	20:30
	with penitent and believing hearts.	20:34
	We confess that we have sinned against thee	20:37
	and are not worthy to be called thy children.	20:40
	Yet do thou in mercy keep us as thine own.	20:44
	Grant us true repentance and forgive us all our sins	20:48
	through Jesus Christ our Lord.	20:53
-	Amen.	20:55
	Hear the good news.	20:57
	Christ died for us while we were yet sinners	21:00
	that as God's own proof of his love towards us.	21:04
	In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.	21:08
	(congregation mumbling)	21:13
-	Let us pray.	21:25
-	Open our hearts and minds, oh God	21:29
	in this season of the cross	21:32
	so that as the word is read and proclaimed,	21:35
	we might hear with joy what you say to us this day.	21:39
-	Amen.	21:44
	The first lesson is taken from the book of Exodus.	21:47
	"Now Moses was keeping the flock	21:52
	"of his father-in-law Jethro,	21:55
	"the priest of Midian and came to Horeb,	21:57
	"the Mountain of God.	22:01
	"And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him	22:03
	"in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush	22:06
	"and he looked and lo,	22:10
	"the bush was burning,	22:12
	"yet it was not consumed	22:14
	"and Moses said, I will turn aside	22:16
	"and see this great sight why the bush has not burnt.	22:20
	"When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see,	22:25
	"God called to him out of the bush,	22:28
	"Moses, Moses, and he said, here am I.	22:31
	"Then God said, do not come near.	22:37
	"Put off your shoes from your feet	22:40
	"for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.	22:43
	"And he said, I am the God of your father,	22:49
	"the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob	22:52
	"and Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God.	22:58
	"Then the Lord said,	23:04
	"I have seen the affliction of my people	23:06
	"who are in Egypt and I have heard their cry	23:09
	"because of their task masters	23:12
	"and I know their sufferings	23:15
	"and I have come to deliver them out of the hand	23:17
	"of the Egyptians	23:19
	"and to bring them up out of that land	23:21
	"to a good and a broad a land,	23:24
	"a land flowing with milk and honey,	23:26
	"to the place of the Canaanites,	23:30
	"the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites,	23:32
	"the Hivites and the Jebusites.	23:35
	"And now behold, the cry of the people of Israel	23:39
	"has come to me	23:43
	"and I have seen the oppression	23:44
	"with which the Egyptians oppress them.	23:46
	"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh	23:50
	"that you may bring forth my people,	23:53
	"the sons of Israel out of Egypt	23:55
	"but Moses said to God,	23:59
	"who am I that I should go to Pharaoh	24:01
	"and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?	24:04
	"God said, but I will be with you	24:07
	"and this shall be the sign for you	24:11
	"that I have sent you.	24:13
	"When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt,	24:16
	"you shall serve God upon this mountain.	24:19
	"Then Moses said to God,	24:23
	"if I come to the people of Israel and say to them,	24:26
	"the God of your fathers has sent me to you	24:29
	"and they asked me what is his name,	24:32
	"what shall I say to them?	24:35
	"God said to Moses, I am who I am	24:38
	"and he said, say this to the people of Israel,	24:43
	"I am has sent me to you.	24:47
	"God also said to Moses, say this to the people of Israel,	24:51
	"the Lord, the God of your fathers,	24:56
	"the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob	24:58
	"has sent me to you.	25:03
	"This is my name forever and thus I am to be remembered	25:05
	"throughout all generations."	25:09
	This ends the reading of the first lesson.	25:13
	(tranquil organ music)	25:23
	(choir singing)	25:31
-	The second lesson is taken from Paul's first letter	27:55
	to the Corinthians.	27:58
	"I want you to know, brothers and sisters	28:01
	"that our fathers and mothers were all under the cloud	28:03
	"and all passed through the sea	28:07
	"and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud	28:10
	"and in the sea	28:14
	"and all ate the same supernatural food	28:15
	"and all drank the same supernatural drink	28:19
	"for they drank from the supernatural rock	28:23
	"which followed them	28:25
	"and the rock was Christ.	28:27
	"Nevertheless, with most of them, God was not pleased	28:30
	"for they were overthrown in the wilderness.	28:34
	"Now, these things are warnings for us,	28:38
	"not to desire evil as they did.	28:40
	"Do not be idolaters as some of them were	28:44
	"as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink	28:48
	"and rose up to dance.	28:52
	"We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did	28:55
	"and 33,000 fell in a single day.	28:59
	"We must not put the Lord to the test	29:04
	"as some of them did	29:06
	"and were destroyed by serpents,	29:07
	"nor grumble as some of them did	29:10
	"and were destroyed by the destroyer.	29:13
	"Now these things happened to them as a warning	29:17
	"but they were written down for our instruction	29:20
	"upon whom the end of the ages has come.	29:23
	"Therefore, let those who think that they stand,	29:27
	"take heed lest they fall.	29:31
	"No temptation has overtaken you	29:34
	"that is not common to all.	29:37
	"God is faithful and will not let you be tempted	29:39
	"beyond your strength	29:44
	"but with the temptation will also provide the way	29:46
	"of escape that you may be able to endure it."	29:50
	This ends the reading of the second lesson.	29:57
-	The Gospel is taken from Luke.	30:14
	"There were some present at that very time	30:18
	"Who told Jesus of the Galileans	30:21
	"whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices	30:24
	"and Jesus answered them,	30:29
	"do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners	30:32
	"than all the other Galileans	30:36
	"because they suffered thus?	30:38
	"I tell you, no	30:41
	"but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish	30:43
	"or those 18 upon whom the tower in Siloam fell	30:49
	"and killed them.	30:54
	"Do you think that they were worse offenders	30:55
	"than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem.	30:58
	"I tell you, no	31:02
	"but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.	31:04
	"And Jesus told this parable.	31:11
	"A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard	31:15
	"and he came seeking fruit on it	31:19
	"and he found none.	31:22
	"And he said to the vine dresser,	31:24
	"lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit	31:27
	"on this fig tree and I find none.	31:30
	"Cut it down.	31:34
	"Why should it use up the ground?	31:36
	"And the vine dresser answered him,	31:39
	"let it alone this year also	31:42
	"'til I dig about it and put on manure	31:46
	"and if it bears fruit next year,	31:50
	"well and good but if not, you can cut it down."	31:52
	This ends the reading of the Gospel.	31:58
	I bring you greetings from the people of God	32:04
	in southwest Florida	32:07
	where our average temperature is over 70 degrees.	32:10
	(congregation chuckling)	32:15
	It is wonderful to be back on campus	32:16
	at Duke University, a place where anyone	32:20
	who comes, always appreciates its beauty,	32:24
	the quality of education and life here	32:29
	and the good, good people that you find.	32:32
	I am honored to be invited to preach	32:36
	at Duke Chapel.	32:39
	I am delighted for you	32:41
	that it is the 50th anniversary year	32:43
	of preaching and worship in this holy place	32:46
	and I'm especially glad this weekend	32:50
	to be back on campus	32:52
	and to reconnect with two special places in my life.	32:55
	The first, of course, is this place, Duke Chapel	33:01
	which I think will always be for me one	33:05
	of my spiritual homes.	33:08
	The second is Cameron Indoor Stadium	33:12
	which has been for me	33:16
	and will continue today to be a primal scream room.	33:18
	(congregation chuckling)	33:23
	By the wonderful grace of a good friend here	33:26
	and I hope by the grace of God,	33:29
	I actually got a ticket to the game today,	33:32
	so I've discovered what it means to be a hated person	33:35
	on campus to be so fortunate	33:39
	but I did share with Will and Nancy not to worry,	33:42
	we all know what priorities are	33:46
	and the sermon will be appropriate in length.	33:49
	(congregation chuckling)	33:52
	Have you ever had a plant that refused to die?	33:59
	If you are like me,	34:05
	you might well have some that seem to refuse to live,	34:06
	no matter what you try to do to them	34:11
	or for them.	34:14
	One spring several years back now,	34:17
	during the season of Lent,	34:20
	we had a Jerusalem thorn plant at our house	34:22
	that absolutely refused to die.	34:26
	Now, I must confess that I'm not always a good steward	34:31
	when it comes to taking care of plants	34:35
	and my plant first of all, got too much sun	34:40
	and the leaves began to drop off	34:44
	and those beautiful red blossoms quickly disappeared.	34:46
	Then my beautiful plant got too much water	34:52
	and the little green leaves turned	34:56
	a sickly color of chartreuse	34:59
	and it got moved many times back and forth	35:02
	from outdoors to indoors.	35:05
	So I tried the best I knew	35:07
	to approach it even with a geographical cure.	35:09
	But finally, the leaves were all gone,	35:14
	the blossoms long since disappeared	35:19
	and a bunch of thorns	35:23
	and very dry, parched soil	35:25
	were all that remained in that very neglected pot.	35:28
	I even tossed it out on the garbage heap at one point	35:34
	but someone retrieved it	35:38
	and put it back on our front porch.	35:40
	And so, I decided I was going	35:43
	to give this plant one more chance	35:45
	to make it.	35:50
	And I began to bring it in	35:52
	and tried to begin nourishing it again.	35:54
	And that plant or what was left of it began	35:58
	to come back to life.	36:03
	One day, I remember noticing	36:06
	a very tiny green leaf	36:08
	and it seemed to me such a sign of hope	36:12
	that perhaps the water and light	36:15
	and chlorophyll were doing their magic mystery again	36:18
	and I began to nourish that little leaf	36:23
	until another leave appeared	36:26
	and then a clump of leaves on the thorn branches	36:28
	and I did every thing I could	36:32
	to give it some life to hope over it	36:34
	and to pray over it.	36:37
	And lo and behold, the plant grew	36:39
	and the thorny ends became covered	36:44
	with bright green leaves	36:47
	and it did eventually bloom	36:50
	and once again, we were blessed	36:53
	with those gorgeous bright red blossoms	36:55
	that adorned the plant.	36:59
	The Jerusalem thorn plant became a reminder to me	37:02
	during the season of Lent	37:06
	that indeed it is out of suffering and struggle	37:09
	that new life will come.	37:14
	Now, if there is anything that any of us most want	37:18
	during this season of beginning spring	37:22
	and during the time of Lent,	37:26
	it is surely for a new lease on life.	37:28
	It is to escape the cold	37:32
	and the winter doldrums of our season	37:34
	that enwraps us	37:37
	and here we are in the life of the community of faith	37:40
	where Lent for us is a time of renewal	37:44
	and I believe that Christianity	37:49
	is the religion that always provides us	37:52
	for a second chance,	37:57
	a new lease on life,	37:59
	a time to grow.	38:01
	Now, who else but the church is the institution	38:04
	that proclaims for us during Lent	38:08
	of God's kingdom, of birth and rebirth,	38:12
	of suffering and struggle	38:16
	in the hopes and promises	38:19
	of being part of that kingdom of God	38:21
	and signs of the reign of God	38:24
	around us and within us.	38:27
	We think of the word repentance	38:31
	when we think of Lent	38:33
	and repentance for us means	38:36
	to turn around, to return	38:38
	to God, to our source of life, to our creator	38:41
	and the promises of scripture	38:46
	and our faith during Lent	38:48
	are that we will be given a new chance,	38:51
	we will be given a new chance during Lent,	38:55
	one more chance for us.	38:58
	The entire passage of the Gospel today	39:02
	is an urgent call to us	39:06
	to be about repentance.	39:08
	It is a call for God's people	39:11
	to turn from sin	39:13
	and to focus on reforming our very characters	39:16
	and our attitudes	39:21
	and it is this Gospel writer, Luke,	39:24
	who will give us through this parable a glimpse	39:26
	of the very character of God	39:31
	if we can hear it	39:35
	and the accent on his story and his eyes	39:37
	of the Gospel truth	39:40
	is that we will be hearing about a hand	39:42
	of mercy from God	39:46
	that will stay a hand of judgment.	39:48
	In our Gospel lesson this morning,	39:53
	we have heard read two sayings of Jesus,	39:55
	each one ending with the same pronouncement.	40:00
	"But unless you repent,	40:05
	you will all likewise perish."	40:07
	The first saying has to do with the tragedy	40:11
	in the life of the Galilean people	40:15
	that had its cause in human decisions.	40:18
	The second saying has to do	40:23
	with another tragedy	40:25
	but one that is caused by nature	40:27
	and that one which also speaks to suffering	40:30
	that is caused without reason.	40:34
	Now, in this lesson and story of Jesus,	40:38
	the disciples of Jesus ask him,	40:41
	they were the same group who asked him,	40:45
	Rabbi, who was it who sinned,	40:48
	was it this man or was it his parents	40:52
	that he was born blind?	40:55
	It is those same disciples	41:00
	who had asked that question of him earlier	41:02
	who still assumed even after Jesus's instruction	41:05
	that there was some kind of direct correlation	41:10
	between sin and between suffering.	41:13
	In today's lesson, we see these disciples assuming	41:18
	that the Galileans who were struck down	41:22
	and killed by a vengeful Pilate	41:25
	somehow it was their fault	41:29
	and yet what were they doing?	41:32
	They were preparing sacrifices for worship	41:34
	in the temple at Jerusalem.	41:37
	Jesus denies in this Gospel today	41:41
	that there is necessarily a direct correlation	41:45
	between sin and suffering	41:49
	and yet, still even after all these centuries,	41:52
	we know, don't we, that this idea	41:57
	in our minds, in our human minds	42:02
	has persisted, that somehow illness	42:05
	or poverty or disease or loneliness	42:09
	and even death are the cause of our sins,	42:13
	whether they are known or unknown	42:18
	but as I see it, the fatal blow	42:22
	to that mythic idea,	42:25
	at least for Christians,	42:29
	ought to be that we remember that that idea	42:31
	was destroyed on a hill at Golgotha	42:34
	for the one without sin	42:40
	also had to suffer.	42:43
	The one without sin suffered and died on a cross	42:46
	and that is exactly why some who were there	42:51
	at the scene of that crucifixion knew	42:55
	that this man could not be the son of God	42:58
	for he was purported to be without sin.	43:01
	Do you remember Thornton Wilder's novel,	43:07
	"The Bridge of San Luis Rey?"	43:09
	It is the account of a priest's efforts	43:12
	to prove that a certain bridge collapsed	43:16
	with certain persons on it	43:20
	and it must have been	43:23
	because of moral flaws in the lives	43:24
	of those individuals.	43:27
	Well, needless to say,	43:30
	the efforts of that priest failed	43:31
	in his quest as all efforts surely would.	43:35
	And it is Jesus who came and reminded the disciples	43:40
	and now us that it is the intention	43:44
	and obligation of every person	43:48
	to live before God a life of penitence and trust	43:51
	and we are to do that without ever linking it	43:56
	to our loyalty to God	44:00
	or to life's sorrows or joys that will be ours.	44:02
	Jesus reminded them that these realities	44:09
	of joy and pain have nothing to do	44:13
	with whoever is good among us	44:17
	or whoever is bad among us.	44:19
	Jesus said bluntly	44:23
	that all of us are to repent	44:25
	or we are to perish	44:28
	and that brings us to the tale	44:32
	of the barren fig tree.	44:34
	In Palestine, the vineyards	44:37
	and vegetable gardens were generally planted	44:40
	with a lot of fruit trees	44:43
	but occasionally a fig tree	44:46
	that took more room to grow	44:49
	was put in among the vineyards.	44:52
	The fig tree, because of their fruit,	44:55
	were so valued in the culture	44:58
	and for food that they were given extra care	45:00
	and so, vineyards were allowed, here and there,	45:05
	to plant the fig trees.	45:09
	I learned in reflecting on the fig tree	45:12
	that it is an early spring bud	45:15
	that will come even before the leaves	45:19
	on the fig tree	45:22
	and that will signal the vineyard dresser	45:24
	that next year, the tree will bear fruit	45:28
	but if the buds do not come,	45:33
	there will be no hope that fruit will come out	45:35
	of the life of the tree	45:39
	and so we learn from Jesus	45:42
	in his telling us this story	45:44
	that the vineyard owner came to inspect the vineyard	45:47
	and he found there a very, very unproductive fig tree.	45:52
	He asked the vineyard dresser about it	45:58
	and in the case of this fig tree,	46:01
	the cycle of three years had already passed	46:04
	from its budding to it blooming to its production	46:08
	and so, it was obvious to the people hearing the story	46:13
	that this fig tree was hopelessly barren.	46:17
	But wait, what is it that happens in the parable?	46:23
	God, posing as the gardener,	46:29
	does something drastic.	46:33
	The owner wants that tree cut down,	46:36
	wants to protect his other crops	46:39
	and wants to get his money's worth out	46:41
	of that investment he made	46:44
	but the gardener comes in	46:46
	and proposes a radical measure	46:49
	as a last resort to save that tree.	46:52
	The gardener begs for mercy and promises himself	46:57
	to fertilize around the tree in the vineyard.	47:02
	Now, the undemanding fig tree does...	47:07

	...ordinarily require fertilizer to thrive,	0:04
	but the gardener is so committed	0:08
	that he asked for a time of grace	0:10
	in order to assure the saving of this tree.	0:13
	And how does the story tell it?	0:19
	This unusual request of the gardener	0:21
	is not denied by an angry owner.	0:25
	It is granted.	0:28
	The request is granted.	0:30
	Thus an announcement in this story of expected judgment	0:33
	where that tree would be quickly chopped down	0:38
	turns into an appeal for mercy and another chance.	0:41
	And it is for us a way to glimpse	0:47
	the very character of God,	0:51
	where mercy will always grant a reprieve	0:54
	from a sentence that seem to be pronounced.	0:58
	Now the sole purpose of a fig tree is to bear fruit.	1:04
	And Jesus was telling His disciples	1:09
	that is our sole human purpose too.	1:12
	The meaning of the parable is that we will be judged	1:17
	by the opportunities we have	1:20
	and the fruit that we bear.	1:23
	But God's action in this parable declares	1:26
	again and again for us	1:31
	that there is still time	1:33
	for our useless lives to bear fruit.	1:36
	I love the image of God in this scripture.	1:41
	I imagine God to be that gardener,	1:46
	to be waiting around in big boots	1:50
	and to be mucking the entire place.	1:54
	And that is us,	1:58
	willing to get down there with us,	2:00
	to tend us, to nourish us,	2:03
	to force us to grow if necessary.	2:06
	In the muck and the mire of our lives,	2:10
	God will wade with us and nourish us	2:14
	and give us every possible chance to make it.	2:17
	But, just as in the fig tree,	2:24
	we, if we lead useless lives,	2:28
	will invite for ourselves disaster.	2:32
	And so there is an urgency about the story	2:36
	to repent, to turn around, to change,	2:39
	lest we perish like that fig tree	2:44
	was destined to do.	2:49
	Like the fig tree, we are in debt to life, our Creator God.	2:52
	And like the fig tree we need,	2:58
	because we are God's creation, to be useful.	3:01
	And it is Lent.	3:05
	It is now in the life of the church,	3:07
	that we have a new lease on life.	3:10
	And we have the opportunity to turn around.	3:13
	God's message of grace,	3:19
	and Luke's message from the scriptures	3:22
	is that there is still time to repent	3:25
	and to bear fruit as evidence of that repentance.	3:28
	God's mercy abounds.	3:33
	We are offered one more chance.	3:36
	Thanks be to God.	3:41
	Amen.	3:44
	The Lord be with you.	3:57
	And also with you.	3:59
	Let us pray.	4:01
	Most kind and gracious God,	4:06
	high above all, yet deep within us,	4:09
	ever ready to grant us Thy mercy.	4:13
	We turn our hearts unto Thee.	4:17
	In the spirit of thanksgiving	4:20
	we offer these prayers for others,	4:22
	trusting in Thy eternal goodness,	4:25
	seeking to give thanks in all things.	4:27
	Let us pray for the needs of the entire human family.	4:32
	Look with kindness, O God, on those	4:37
	who have separated themselves from one another	4:39
	and from Thee.	4:42
	Take away the hatred and self-righteousness	4:44
	which infect our hearts.	4:47
	And unite us in bonds of love	4:49
	across lines of nationality, race, or creed.	4:52
	Let us pray for all those who suffer want of food,	4:58
	shelter, or other necessities of life.	5:03
	Use as Thine own body, us the church,	5:07
	to ease their affliction and to renew their hope.	5:10
	Increase our diligence,	5:15
	and strengthen our desire to follow Christ's own example	5:17
	of feeding the hungry, healing the sick,	5:20
	and visiting the imprisoned,	5:24
	that Thy love may be made a known reality.	5:26
	Let us pray for those who mourn the loss of loved ones,	5:31
	of a community, of a job, or of a home.	5:35
	Strengthen them in their time of grieving	5:40
	and encourage them in their resolve to face the future.	5:43
	Let us pray, gracious God, for those who live	5:48
	with injustice, violence, disease, or oppression	5:52
	as their constant companions.	5:58
	Make wise those who govern their communities,	6:01
	and grant them the spirit of charity and justice.	6:04
	Grant them the foresight to provide	6:08
	for the needs of their people,	6:10
	and strengthen all those who keep vigil	6:13
	for the causes of justice and of peace.	6:15
	Let us pray for the future of our world	6:20
	and especially for children everywhere.	6:23
	Magnify our reverence before the sacred mystery	6:28
	which is life.	6:31
	Give us new insight into Thy purposes for the human race,	6:33
	and new wisdom and determination	6:38
	for making provisions for its future,	6:40
	in accordance with Thy holy will.	6:43
	Recognizing Thou hast given us dominion over the Earth,	6:46
	we asks You to grant us the spirit of thanksgiving	6:51
	to do so with compassion.	6:54
	These things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ,	6:56
	our Lord and Savior, amen.	7:00
	And now in the spirit of thanksgiving,	7:07
	let us offer our gifts and ourselves unto God.	7:09
	(organ music)	7:25
	♪ Oh how blessed ♪	7:35
	♪ Are they who serve the Lord ♪	7:40
	♪ Oh how blessed ♪	7:45
	♪ Are they who serve the Lord ♪	7:51
	♪ Who serve ♪	7:56
	♪ Who serve Him ♪	7:57
	♪ Are they who serve the Lord ♪	7:59
	♪ They shall not fall ♪	8:05
	♪ They shall not fall ♪	8:08
	♪ God strengthens ♪	8:14
	♪ They shall not fall ♪	8:16
	♪ They shall not fall ♪	8:18
	♪ God strengthens ♪	8:24
	♪ They shall go out dancing ♪	8:27
	♪ They shall walk and never be faint ♪	8:31
	♪ They shall walk and never be faint ♪	8:37
	♪ They shall walk ♪	8:40
	♪ And never be faint ♪	8:43
	♪ Oh how blessed ♪	8:49
	♪ Are they who serve the Lord ♪	8:54
	♪ Oh how blessed ♪	8:59
	♪ Are they ♪	9:04
	♪ Are they who serve the Lord ♪	9:05
	♪ Who serve ♪	9:09
	♪ Who serve Him ♪	9:10
	♪ Are they who serve ♪	9:12
	♪ The Lord ♪	9:21
	♪ How blessed are they ♪	9:27
	♪ Who serve ♪	9:31
	♪ The Lord ♪	9:37
	(organ music)	9:48
	(singing in foreign language)	9:58
	♪ Amen ♪	11:01
	(organ music)	11:12
	(instrumental music)	13:50
	(organ music)	15:06
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	15:37
	♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪	15:45
	♪ Praise Him above ye heavenly host ♪	15:52
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	15:59
	♪ Amen ♪	16:09
	The Lord be with you.	16:27
	And also with you.	16:28
	Lift up your hearts.	16:30
	We lift them to the Lord.	16:31
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.	16:33
	It is right to give our thanks and praise.	16:36
	It is right and a good and joyful thing	16:40
	always and everywhere to give You thanks,	16:43
	Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth.	16:46
	You brought all things into being	16:50
	and called them good.	16:52
	From the dust of the earth, You formed us	16:54
	into Your image and breathed into us	16:57
	the breath of life.	16:59
	When we turned away and our love failed,	17:01
	Your love remained steadfast.	17:04
	When rain fell upon the earth 40 days and 40 nights,	17:07
	You bore up the ark on the waters,	17:12
	saved Noah and his family	17:14
	and established an everlasting covenant	17:17
	with every living creature upon the earth.	17:19
	When You delivered us from slavery	17:23
	and made us Your covenant people,	17:25
	You led Moses to Your mountain for 40 days and 40 nights	17:28
	and gave us Your teachings.	17:31
	You led us through the wilderness for 40 years	17:34
	and brought us to the Promised Land.	17:37
	When we forsook Your covenant, You led Your prophet,	17:40
	Elijah, to Your mountain,	17:43
	where, as he fasted 40 days and 40 nights,	17:45
	he heard Your still, small voice.	17:48
	When You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ,	17:52
	to save us from our sin,	17:55
	Your Spirit led Him into the wilderness	17:57
	where He fasted 40 days and 40 nights	18:00
	in preparation for His ministry.	18:03
	When He suffered and died on a cross for our sin,	18:06
	You raised Him to life,	18:09
	presented Him alive to the apostles during 40 days	18:11
	and exalted Him at Your right hand	18:15
	that we might be raised as the people of Your new covenant	18:18
	from sin and death to everlasting life.	18:21
	And now, when we, Your people,	18:26
	prepare for the yearly Paschal Feast	18:28
	of Your Son's death and resurrection,	18:30
	You lead us to repentance for our sin	18:33
	and the cleansing of our hearts	18:36
	that during these 40 days of Lent,	18:38
	we may become prepared to renew our covenant with You.	18:41
	Therefore with Your people in all ages	18:45
	and the whole company of heaven,	18:47
	we join in the song of unending praise, saying,	18:49
	Holy, holy, holy Lord,	18:53
	God of power and might.	18:56
	Heaven and earth are full of Your glory,	18:58
	hosanna in the highest.	19:01
	Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.	19:03
	Hosanna in the highest.	19:06
	Truly holy are You and blessed is Your Son, Jesus Christ.	19:09
	On the night His disciples betrayed and deserted Him,	19:13
	He took bread, gave thanks to You,	19:17
	broke the bread, gave it to His disciples and said,	19:21
	Take, eat, this is My body which is given for you.	19:24
	Do this in remembrance of Me.	19:29
	When the supper was over,	19:32
	He took the cup, gave thanks to You,	19:34
	gave it to His disciples and said,	19:37
	Drink from this, all of you,	19:39
	for this is My blood of the new covenant	19:42
	poured out for you and for many	19:44
	for the forgiveness of sins.	19:46
	Do this as oft as you drink it	19:49
	in remembrance of Me.	19:51
	Therefore in remembrance of all Your mighty acts	19:54
	in Jesus Christ, we ask You to accept this,	19:57
	our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,	20:01
	which we offer in union with Christ's sacrifice for us,	20:04
	as a living and holy surrender of ourselves.	20:07
	Send the power of Your Holy Spirit on us	20:11
	and on these gifts,	20:14
	that in the breaking of this bread	20:16
	and the drinking of this wine,	20:18
	we may know the presence of the living Christ,	20:20
	be one body in Him,	20:22
	cleansed by His blood,	20:25
	faithfully serve Him in the world	20:26
	and look forward to His coming in final victory.	20:29
	Through Him, with Him, in Him,	20:32
	in the unity of the Holy Spirit,	20:36
	all honor and glory is Yours, Almighty God,	20:38
	now and forever, amen.	20:41
	Our Father, who art in heaven,	20:45
	hallowed be Thy name,	20:47
	Thy kingdom come,	20:49
	Thy will be done,	20:51
	on earth as it is in heaven.	20:53
	Give us this day our daily bread.	20:55
	And forgive us our trespasses,	20:58
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	21:00
	And lead us not into temptation,	21:04
	but deliver us from evil.	21:06
	For Thine is the kingdom,	21:08
	the power, and the glory forever, amen.	21:10
	(organ music)	21:23
	(organ music)	26:16
	♪ Oh Lord ♪	27:31
	♪ Increase my faith ♪	27:35
	♪ Strengthen me ♪	27:42
	♪ And confirm me ♪	27:45
	♪ In Thy true faith ♪	27:50
	♪ Endue me with wisdom ♪	27:57
	♪ With wisdom ♪	28:01
	♪ With wisdom ♪	28:04
	♪ Charity ♪	28:10
	♪ Charity ♪	28:12
	♪ Charity ♪	28:15
	♪ Charity ♪	28:19
	♪ Chastity and patience ♪	28:22
	♪ In all my adversity ♪	28:28
	♪ In all my adversity ♪	28:34
	♪ Teach me ♪	28:40
	♪ Teach me ♪	28:42
	♪ To say amen ♪	28:44
	♪ Teach me to say amen ♪	28:49
	♪ Teach me to say amen ♪	28:54
	♪ Teach me to say amen ♪	29:00
	♪ Teach me to say amen ♪	29:05
	♪ Teach me to say amen ♪	29:12
	(organ music)	29:38
	We give You thanks, Almighty God,	32:38
	that You have refreshed us through the healing power	32:39
	of this gift of life	32:42
	and we pray that in Your mercy,	32:44
	You would strengthen us through this gift	32:47
	in faith toward You	32:49
	and in fervent love toward one another	32:51
	for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	32:54
	(organ music)	33:03
	♪ If thou but suffer God to guide thee ♪	33:46
	♪ And hope in Him through all thy ways ♪	33:53
	♪ He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee ♪	34:00
	♪ And bear thee through the evil days ♪	34:07
	♪ Who trusts in God's unchanging love ♪	34:14
	♪ Builds on the Rock that naught can move ♪	34:21
	♪ Only be still, and wait God's leisure ♪	34:31
	♪ In cheerful hope, with heart content ♪	34:38
	♪ To take whate'er thy Maker's pleasure ♪	34:46
	♪ And all-discerning love hath sent ♪	34:53
	♪ We know our inmost wants are known ♪	35:01
	♪ For we are called to be God's own ♪	35:08
	♪ Sing, pray, and keep God's ways unswerving ♪	35:18
	♪ So do thine own part faithfully ♪	35:25
	♪ And trust God's word, though undeserving ♪	35:32
	♪ Thou yet shalt find it true for thee ♪	35:40
	♪ God never yet forsook at need ♪	35:47
	♪ The soul that trusted God indeed ♪	35:55
	And now go forth in peace	36:09
	and be of good courage.	36:12
	Hold fast to that which is good,	36:13
	rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.	36:16
	And may the blessings of God	36:19
	Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit	36:21
	be with you all, now and forevermore, amen.	36:24
	♪ Amen ♪	36:35
	♪ Amen ♪	36:40
	♪ Amen ♪	36:45
	♪ Amen ♪	36:58
	♪ Amen ♪	37:06
	♪ Amen ♪	37:17
	(organ music)	37:33

Item Info

Title:

Charlene P. Kammerer - "A Glimpse of God's Character" (March 2, 1986)

Description:

Sermon start time: (Part 1): 32:04. Sermon end time: (Part 2) 03:47.
Lent is a season of repentance and second chances in the life of the Church. As the parables from the Gospel of Luke show us, we are called to bear fruit in our lives. When we do not, God, like a merciful gardener is willing to get into the mire of our lives and help create the conditions of possibility for bearing fruit. But, unless we repent, we will be judged for our inability to bear fruit. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “In the muck and the mire of our lives, God will wade with us and nourish us and give us every possible chance to make it.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4rr1q27t

Date:

March 2, 1986

Speaker:

Kammerer, Charlene P.

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 CS-0314
ref8149_xsj
uachapelsermaud
duke:320855
dcrau001299
ark:/87924/r4rr1q27t
f6098659-ae6f-4aa8-9f71-56e9ac51a98d

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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