William C. Turner, Jr. - "Speech in a Mourning Land" (March 14, 1976)

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	(soft organ music)	0:02
-	Let us rise and repeat responsibly	0:08
	the unison invocation.	0:11
	Create in me a clean heart, O God.	0:20
	(audience mumbling)	0:25
	Cast me not away from thy presence.	0:28
	(audience mumbling)	0:32
	Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.	0:35
	(audience mumbling)	0:40
	O Lord, open thou my lips.	0:43
	(audience mumbling)	0:47
	Let the congregation remain and sing,	0:51
	the processional has been changed to 224.	0:53
	Hymn 224, Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine.	0:58
	(worship organ music)	1:06
	(choir singing)	1:49
	Let us confess to God Almighty	4:46
	and to one another	4:50
	that we have sinned in thought, word and deed	4:52
	by our own fault.	4:57
	And let us ask God to give us the grace	5:00
	of true repentance,	5:03
	to have mercy upon us,	5:07
	and to forgive us our sins.	5:09
	Let us pray in unison.	5:13
	Forgive us, most gracious Lord and Father.	5:18
	If this day we have done or said anything	5:22
	to increase the pain of the world,	5:26
	pardon the unkind word,	5:29
	the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed,	5:31
	the failure to show sympathy and kindly help	5:36
	where we had the opportunity but missed it.	5:40
	And enable us so to live	5:44
	that we may daily do something to lessen	5:46
	the tide of human sorrow	5:49
	and add to the sum of human happiness.	5:52
	Amen.	5:55
	And let us offer unto God our own personal confessions,	5:57
	the sin of commission:	6:02
	anger, dislike, malice, meanness;	6:05
	and the sin of omission:	6:10
	the good we have forgotten to do,	6:12
	the sin which worry Jesus	6:16
	more than any other.	6:19
	Now hear these words of assurance, of forgiveness,	6:33
	from the Old Testament and from the New,	6:37
	who is like unto God?	6:41
	Who pardons iniquity	6:44
	and passes over transgression?	6:47
	He will have compassion upon us.	6:52
	He will tread out iniquities under foot.	6:55
	He will cast all our sins	6:58
	in the depths of the sea.	7:01
	And Jesus said, "Him who comes to me	7:04
	"I will not cast out."	7:09
	And in the Epistle of John,	7:13
	"Our sins are forgiven	7:15
	"for his sake.	7:19
	"Therefore, be of good cheer."	7:22
	(soft organ music)	7:36
	(choir singing heavenly)	7:44
	(classical piano music)	10:00
	(choir singing heavenly)	10:19
	While the choir is taking their seats in the chancel,	15:27
	let me introduce them to you.	15:31
	They are known as the Black Mass Choir.	15:34
	And they are led by Ms. Portia Turner,	15:38
	who is a sister of the preacher	15:44
	of this morning.	15:49
	(mumbles) if you have read the account of him	15:51
	in the bulletin, you realize that	15:53
	one man in his time plays many parts.	15:56
	Dean of Black Affairs,	16:00
	Assistant Provost,	16:03
	Acting Director of Black Studies at Duke.	16:05
	But in addition, he also serves as assistant pastor	16:09
	of one of the churches across town.	16:14
	His degrees are interesting.	16:18
	Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering,	16:20
	and then Master of Divinity in Theology.	16:24
	I want our preacher and the choir to know	16:29
	that we welcome them to the Duke Chapel this morning.	16:32
	We're glad to worship under their guidance.	16:37
	The Scripture lesson of the morning	16:41
	is taken from the prophet Hosea,	16:45
	chapter four, verses one to 10.	16:50
	Many of us think of Hosea	16:55
	as one of the gentler of the prophets,	16:58
	but he certainly isn't in the 10 verses	17:03
	that will be read now.	17:06
	"Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel,	17:09
	"for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants	17:15
	"of the land.	17:19
	"There is no faithfulness or kindness,	17:21
	"and no knowledge of God in the land.	17:26
	"There is swearing, lying, killing,	17:31
	"stealing, and committing adultery.	17:36
	"They break all bounds, and murder follows murder.	17:40
	"Therefore the land mourns,	17:45
	"and all who dwell in it languish,	17:48
	"and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the air,	17:51
	"and even the fish of the sea are taken away.	17:55
	"Yet let no one contend,	18:01
	"and let none accuse,	18:05
	"for with you is my contention, O priest.	18:08
	"You shall stumble by day.	18:13
	"The prophet also shall stumble with you by night,	18:17
	"and I will destroy your mother.	18:23
	"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,	18:28
	"because you have rejected knowledge.	18:32
	"I reject you from being a priest to me.	18:36
	"And since you have forgotten the law of your God,	18:41
	"I also will forget your children.	18:46
	"The more they increased,	18:51
	"the more they sinned against me.	18:53
	"I will change their glory into shame.	18:56
	"They feed on the sin of my people.	19:01
	"They are greedy for their iniquity.	19:04
	"And it shall be like people, like priest.	19:07
	"I will punish them for their ways	19:11
	"and requite them for their deeds.	19:13
	"They shall eat, but not be satisfied.	19:16
	"They shall play the harlot, but not multiply,	19:21
	"because they have forsaken the Lord	19:26
	"to cherish harlotry."	19:30
	Here endeth the lesson.	19:35
	(worship organ music)	19:39
	(choir singing)	19:49
	Let us affirm our faith in unison.	20:23
	We are not alone.	20:28
	We live in God's world.	20:31
	We believe in God who has created and is creating;	20:33
	who has come in the truly human Jesus	20:38
	to reconcile and make new;	20:42
	who works in us and others by the Spirit.	20:45
	We trust God who calls us to be the church,	20:48
	to celebrate life and its fullness,	20:53
	to love and serve others,	20:56
	to seek justice and resist evil;	20:58
	to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,	21:02
	our judge and our hope.	21:05
	In life, in death, in life beyond death,	21:08
	God is with us.	21:12
	We are not alone,	21:14
	thanks be to God.	21:16
	The Lord be with you.	21:19
	(audience mumbles)	21:21
	Let us pray.	21:23
	Let our first prayer be one of thanksgiving.	21:32
	Our Father in heaven,	21:36
	give us thankful hearts as we gladly recall	21:39
	thy continued goodness toward us.	21:42
	We thank thee for all thy gifts to thy children;	21:45
	for health, recreation, and refreshment;	21:50
	for interest in our work, and power to do it;	21:55
	for all progress and things for which we care;	22:00
	for the companionship of fellow Christians;	22:05
	for all who have helped us with spiritual guidance	22:09
	or correction; for the unity of those who live	22:13
	in the Spirit;	22:17
	and for the pardon of our sins	22:19
	and the inspiration of thy presence,	22:22
	thanks be to thee, O God.	22:26
	Let us second prayer be one of intercession	22:31
	for our country.	22:35
	Remember, O Lord, the nation to which we belong.	22:38
	Let in, righteousness and truth,	22:43
	we may be established.	22:46
	Extend for thy mercy's sake the blessing	22:49
	to this, our land;	22:52
	that within this realm of different races,	22:55
	peace my reign and prosperity,	22:59
	with love right and justice.	23:03
	Help us better to understand and love those	23:08
	who are of a different race or color from ourselves;	23:11
	remembering that we are all members of the one family.	23:17
	Overcome in us any want of charity,	23:23
	any manner of prejudice,	23:27
	by thy more abounding goodness and loving kindness.	23:30
	May our agreements be greater than our differences,	23:35
	and may our unity in thee	23:40
	sanctify all our natural diversities of opinion.	23:42
	Grant that there may be open ways and peace	23:49
	and freedom from end to end of the nation	23:54
	and of the Earth.	23:59
	And let us offer a prayer of supplication for ourselves.	24:02
	O God, hear us as we pray for ourselves,	24:10
	for the gifts of gaiety	24:14
	and freedom and simplicity;	24:17
	for laughter, kindness, generosity,	24:21
	gentleness, honor, courtesy	24:26
	and self-control;	24:31
	for the consecration of the discontent of the young;	24:34
	for wisdom in the conservatism of the middle aged;	24:40
	for resiliency and obstinacy of the aged.	24:46
	Help us both to know and to acknowledge	24:52
	that the standard for our life	24:57
	has been shown us	25:01
	in Jesus, our Lord.	25:03
	And now let us together say the prayer	25:08
	which he taught his disciples.	25:10
	Our Father, who art in Heaven,	25:13
	hallowed by thy Name,	25:16
	thy kingdom come,	25:19
	thy will be done on Earth	25:21
	as it is in Heaven.	25:24
	Give us this day our daily bread,	25:26
	and forgive us our trespasses	25:29
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	25:31
	And lead us not into temptation,	25:35
	but deliver us from evil.	25:38
	For thine is the kingdom, and the power,	25:41
	and the glory forever.	25:44
	Amen.	25:47
-	I greet you all this morning	26:00
	in the name of the Lord Jesus.	26:05
	I wish to read	26:12
	just a few excerpts	26:17
	from the lesson of Scripture	26:20
	from the fourth chapter, Hosea.	26:25
	"There is no faithfulness or kindness,	26:29
	"and no knowledge of God in the land.	26:35
	"Therefore the land mourns,	26:40
	"and all who dwell in it languish."	26:44
	From the fourth chapter of Hosea,	26:48
	the verses that have been read	26:53
	and the excerpted portion,	26:55
	we wish to leave some thoughts	27:00
	from the command:	27:05
	speak in a mourning land.	27:08
	Speak in a mourning land.	27:13
	What would you say?	27:20
	How would you respond	27:23
	if you woke up one morning	27:25
	and the trees around your home were crying?	27:29
	What impact would it make upon you	27:35
	if the very land in which those trees sank their roots	27:38
	were lamenting in sorrow?	27:43
	Oh, there is a tree that's called	27:48
	the weeping willow tree,	27:52
	but how would you react if the tree	27:53
	literally wept and you could hear its cries?	27:58
	What would you say if the land about you	28:02
	literally began to mourn?	28:05
	Oh, to some it may seem as though we	28:10
	have stepped outside the bounds of reason that	28:12
	we've been reading Aesop's fables,	28:16
	or that we have been toying with godless myths.	28:18
	It may seem to some that speaking of a mourning land	28:22
	is atrocious and unimaginable	28:28
	to the thought of our modern day.	28:31
	Let me suggest, though,	28:34
	that among all the peoples of the world,	28:37
	such an idea is not so remote.	28:42
	Indeed, for many on the face of our Earth,	28:46
	the world is viewed as a continuum.	28:50
	There is no neat disjunction and separation	28:53
	between human beings and the rest of the created order.	28:56
	All of creation is one continuum,	29:02
	it's joined together, locked together	29:05
	such that there is reinforcement	29:08
	at every point.	29:11
	Indeed, when we examine	29:13
	the words of Scripture, and when we	29:15
	can view the world as it is viewed by those	29:18
	around whom the texts of Scripture centers,	29:21
	we find that the biblical worldview	29:25
	is one that indeed has such a continuum.	29:28
	Man is at the top of the created order,	29:31
	but he is not neatly separated and disjoint	29:33
	from the rest of creation.	29:37
	As the story unfolds,	29:40
	we are informed that in the bliss and glory	29:44
	of creation, the whole created order joined	29:48
	in unison to praise and magnify	29:52
	what God had done.	29:56
	The wise man tells us that,	29:58
	in laying the foundations of the Earth,	30:00
	in setting forth the measurements whereby	30:03
	the Earth would be buttressed and supported,	30:07
	in putting the everlasting from him at end to place,	30:09
	in charting the course whereby the drops of water	30:13
	come down and refresh and replenish the earth;	30:16
	not only did the sons of God shout for joy,	30:20
	but he said the morning stars	30:24
	also sang together	30:27
	in the judgment and righteousness of God.	30:32
	When He shall come and set up His kingdom,	30:37
	the psalmist said that the trees of the wood	30:41
	would clap their hands for joy.	30:44
	And he said the desert would blossom just like	30:46
	a rose; the poet picked it up.	30:51
	The poet, James Weldon Johnson,	30:52
	in describing how God created man and pronounced	30:55
	His blessing upon it saying it was good;	30:59
	he said that in the bliss of creation,	31:01
	the little pine trees pointed their fingers to the sky.	31:05
	The rivers and the streams cuddled into the bosom	31:08
	of the earth and flowed out	31:12
	to the sea.	31:15
	Oh yes, when there is peace,	31:17
	the story tells us that the whole universe	31:20
	joins in to extol the goodness of the Lord,	31:24
	and to proclaim His majesty.	31:27
	But likewise, when there is disharmony,	31:30
	when man is disobedient,	31:32
	the earth too is set to join in and mourn	31:36
	with the sin of man.	31:42
	Not only was a curse placed upon the serpent,	31:46
	not only was a curse placed	31:49
	upon the woman, but the curse that was placed	31:51
	and pronounced for the sin of man	31:54
	was a curse upon the Earth.	31:58
	The serpent was told that he would crawl in the dusk.	32:01
	The woman was told that she would strive after the man,	32:03
	and he would have mastery over her.	32:06
	But the man was told you will till the earth	32:08
	and you will work from the sweat of your brow,	32:10
	but thorns and thistles will grow	32:13
	instead of the seeds you plant.	32:16
	When man sins,	32:17
	the Earth is cursed,	32:19
	and she mourns.	32:23
	With the death of Abel, God said to Cain,	32:25
	"The blood of your brother is crying out to me	32:29
	"from the ground."	32:31
	It was as though He was saying	32:32
	the Earth, who is the mother of mankind,	32:34
	laments and mourns when our sons and daughters	32:37
	are struck down.	32:39
	Oh yes, in the death of our Lord,	32:41
	even the elements of the universe	32:44
	joined in and acknowledged that truly this	32:47
	was the son of God, the veil of the temple	32:50
	was rent in twain.	32:52
	The graves opened up and refused to hold the bodies	32:55
	that had been entered there.	32:59
	The earth reeled and rocked just like a drunk man	33:01
	as she shed tears when the son of glory died.	33:04
	When we sin,	33:10
	when our misdoings are manifold,	33:13
	even the Earth joins in;	33:17
	and she mourns.	33:21
	It's an interesting question	33:24
	that I raise this morning.	33:27
	Interesting to me if to no one else,	33:31
	to ask in this bicentennial year,	33:34
	as we remember the birth of the nation,	33:39
	as we talk of all that it means;	33:43
	question standing in my mind is this:	33:48
	is the land rejoicing	33:53
	or is the land in mourning?	33:56
	I know every time we turn around,	34:01
	we hear of a new history that's written	34:03
	for this bicentennial year.	34:05
	On the television they talk of one account that was	34:08
	produced especially for television.	34:11
	I wonder as I read some of the statements	34:13
	and hear some of the beautiful sounding words,	34:16
	were some of these accounts fabricated and written	34:20
	especially for this bicentennial year?	34:24
	As we deck ourselves in bicentennial garments,	34:28
	the question needs to be raised,	34:31
	is the land rejoicing,	34:33
	or is the very land in which we live mourning?	34:35
	We can look at one another.	34:41
	We can get some clues just by the expression	34:45
	that's on another's face	34:49
	as to how things are faring.	34:51
	If you're close to someone, if you love them,	34:54
	you could look into their eyes and tell whether	34:56
	there's trouble in their soul.	34:58
	Are we limited only to what we can hear and ascertain	35:02
	from one another, or can we learn	35:05
	from the very land and the very earth about us?	35:08
	I don't know	35:12
	how it sounds from where you sit.	35:14
	I don't know how you hear sound,	35:17
	but from where I stand in this universe,	35:20
	I hear a land that's in mourning.	35:24
	The prophet declared that there was lying,	35:28
	there was cheating, there was murder, there was adultery;	35:30
	there was no love of God in land.	35:34
	As I look at the face of our land,	35:36
	I see the same conditions,	35:38
	and I hear the very land mourning	35:40
	because of the sin of mankind.	35:44
	In this political year,	35:49
	people were so concerned a few days ago	35:53
	and wondering could Ronald Reagan overtake Gerald Ford.	35:55
	Wondering whether George Wallace could win the nomination,	36:00
	wondering what's gonna become of Jimmy Carter	36:04
	as we listen to all the questions and queries	36:08
	of the commentators, as we hear it being said	36:12
	that we're pulling out of our economic difficulties,	36:16
	as the debates go on about whether or not to use	36:19
	the French word detente.	36:22
	We need to stop and look at the face of our land	36:24
	and the face of the world	36:28
	and understand that indeed she mourns.	36:30
	Prophet of old said	36:36
	that the land mourns	36:40
	when faithfulness, kindness	36:45
	and knowledge of God is absent.	36:50
	Wherever there is no faithfulness, no kindness	36:55
	and no knowledge of God,	36:58
	the land mourns.	37:00
	He said, "There is a hunger and a famine	37:01
	"for the word of God."	37:05
	He chided the priests and the prophets	37:07
	who had be charged with the responsibility;	37:09
	said they were priests and prophets by day	37:12
	but they stumbled and bumbled when nighttime came.	37:14
	Thanks be to God	37:18
	that when a land is in mourning,	37:21
	there is a threefold word from God	37:23
	that can heal that land.	37:27
	Firstly, there is a word	37:31
	of faithfulness that must be declared	37:35
	in a mourning land.	37:40
	Word of faithfulness.	37:42
	Faithfulness is simply doing	37:44
	what you said you gonna do.	37:49
	It's simply doing what we have covenanted	37:53
	and vowed to do.	37:56
	This is what Hosea has referenced to;	37:58
	Israel had made a covenant with God.	37:59
	She had promised to be a child of God.	38:01
	The father said, "When Israel was a child, I loved him,	38:06
	"and out of Egypt I called my son."	38:09
	Israel promised to be a holy nation,	38:12
	a kingdom of priests unto God,	38:15
	and in turn he would be a father.	38:17
	He would lead and direct and guide	38:21
	and support in every way	38:24
	that Israel would go.	38:27
	The elements of the Earth, the foundations of the world	38:29
	observed and bore witness when the covenant was made.	38:32
	God said to Israel, "I want you to be faithful	38:36
	"to the covenant that you made with me."	38:39
	He didn't even hold Israel to the vows	38:43
	that were made in secret, but just to those	38:46
	that were made in the open when everybody heard.	38:49
	The challenge that comes to us today.	38:55
	The word of faithfulness is to us	38:59
	saying do what you said you were gonna do.	39:02
	That word needs to be declared in our nation	39:07
	in this bicentennial year.	39:09
	Oh, if we would just do what we said	39:13
	we would do,	39:16
	some of the mourning in this land would cease.	39:17
	We promised to live as a nation under God,	39:21
	with liberty and justice for all.	39:25
	The challenge is be faithful to that claim.	39:28
	We said we hold these truths to be self-evident,	39:32
	that all men are created equal.	39:36
	And in saying all men, we did not distinguish	39:38
	in the declaration that some were fit for this honor	39:42
	and some were unfit.	39:45
	I say to America, be faithful.	39:47
	She needs to hear a word of faithfulness.	39:50
	Oh, if a word of faithfulness	39:55
	were just declared in the land,	39:57
	some of the mourning would cease.	40:02
	Somebody ought to tell the land	40:05
	that it is called the land of the free	40:08
	and the home of the brave.	40:12
	The land needs to know it.	40:16
	University.	40:18
	University community	40:20
	needs to hear a word of faithfulness.	40:23
	I say to the entire community,	40:27
	just be faithful to what we said about ourselves.	40:29
	We need not set forth any new ambitions	40:34
	or any unwieldy goals and objectives.	40:37
	Just be faithful.	40:39
	We have claimed that we are a community	40:41
	in search for truth, and we have not predetermined	40:44
	where that truth will be found	40:47
	and who will unearth that truth.	40:49
	Be open and willing to accept it wherever it is;	40:51
	just be faithful.	40:54
	It is said that this particular community	40:57
	is to be a marketplace of competing ideas.	41:00
	If we would only learn to be faithful	41:03
	to what we said about ourselves.	41:07
	Some of the issues that have been raised	41:10
	in the last few months, issues that are live right now,	41:12
	and issues that will come up in the next few days	41:16
	would already have their solution	41:18
	if we would just be faithful	41:21
	to what we said,	41:24
	and to what we've claimed for this community.	41:26
	I say to my black brothers and sisters,	41:29
	be faithful.	41:33
	Let's be faithful to what we said about ourselves,	41:35
	we challenge what other folks said about us,	41:39
	and we said that black was beautiful.	41:41
	Be faithful.	41:43
	Make it beautiful.	41:45
	If we would just be faithful to what we said	41:46
	about ourselves, some of the foolishness,	41:49
	some of the troubles that we bring on ourselves	41:52
	would come to an end.	41:55
	The challenge goes forth	41:58
	to be faithful.	42:02
	That's the word that needs to be heard	42:04
	in this land.	42:08
	A few years ago we locked arms,	42:09
	standing right in front of this place,	42:12
	said we shall overcome.	42:14
	If in our hearts we do believe,	42:17
	let's be faithful.	42:20
	People of God, be faithful.	42:21
	I don't know about you but one day I made a vow	42:23
	to the Lord, and I said that	42:27
	I won't take it back.	42:30
	Down on my knees I made that vow.	42:32
	There are some others who have committed their lives	42:35
	to the Lord, and said, Lord, I put my life in your hand.	42:38
	Wherever you lead me, I'm gonna go.	42:42
	We've been called to go unto all the world,	42:46
	to cry loud and to spare not,	42:49
	to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord	42:51
	if would just learn to be faithful.	42:54
	That first word is a word of faithfulness.	42:58
	Then there is a word of kindness	43:02
	that must be heard	43:05
	in a mourning land.	43:08
	Kindness is rooted with	43:10
	the same word that describes the steadfastness,	43:13
	the mercy of God, that is unceasing.	43:18
	Perhaps there is no better demonstration	43:22
	of His mercy and his kindness	43:25
	than in the very Book of Hosea	43:27
	where God sent the prophet to take a woman	43:30
	to be his wife.	43:32
	She was unfaithful and God said, go and take her back again.	43:33
	That's the love, the kindness,	43:38
	and the mercy of God.	43:40
	That that never gets old, that never becomes callous,	43:42
	that never becomes hardened and stale.	43:45
	The root of kindness is in concern,	43:49
	and the word comes to us that we need to hear	43:51
	the word of kindness in this land.	43:55
	Kindness disposes us to care.	43:59
	It keeps us in recognition of the trouble,	44:04
	of the mourning, of the difficulty.	44:09
	It causes us to live close enough	44:12
	to the pain of a brother or a sister,	44:15
	till we can even feel that pain ourselves.	44:18
	Kindness allows us to see the suffering in the world	44:24
	and recognize that this is my world.	44:29
	It disposes us to care so that we when we see	44:33
	the pain of another, and when we hear of the conditions	44:37
	of the land, we cannot talk about they	44:40
	but we can only speak of us,	44:43
	in tenderness and care.	44:46
	That that's the word of kindness.	44:50
	We need to hear a word of kindness,	44:53
	otherwise we become so callous,	44:57
	till we can look at injustice,	45:02
	till we can look evil in the face and not even flinch.	45:04
	I admit to you that it's hard to live	45:08
	in bad conditions without getting tough.	45:12
	It's hard to be in the midst of conflict all the time	45:16
	without becoming callous.	45:21
	It's hard to be on the frontline	45:23
	always having your body seared,	45:25
	always having the fiery darts of the wicked come at you	45:28
	and still be concerned.	45:32
	But we are called on to be kind	45:34
	one to another, and to have that concern	45:37
	even in our soul.	45:41
	This doesn't mean that we wallow in self-pity.	45:42
	Doesn't mean that we have ulcers,	45:46
	it doesn't mean that we destroy our bodies	45:48
	through worry, but we identify	45:50
	with those who are in trouble.	45:54
	We need to hear that word of kindness,	45:55
	otherwise you'll find	45:59
	that it's not in our soul.	46:02
	Kindness does not allow us	46:05
	to overlook every concern of the community.	46:09
	Yes, we're busy, and yes, we're involved;	46:13
	but the word of kindness says to us that	46:15
	we are not allowed the luxury of living in our home	46:17
	outside of the city, merely coming to the job	46:20
	and going back.	46:22
	But we are part of a community of people,	46:23
	and we are all joined together.	46:26
	And when we are unfaithful and unkind,	46:27
	even the land gets sad;	46:31
	will mourn.	46:34
	Not only is there need for a word of faithfulness	46:37
	and kindness, but there is need	46:40
	for a word of the knowledge of God.	46:44
	Faithfulness takes us back,	46:50
	calls us back	46:55
	to where we should be;	46:57
	to the place where we first met the Lord;	47:00
	to the place where we made our vows to Him.	47:04
	Kindness disposes us to obey	47:09
	and to do what we have covenanted to do.	47:12
	It disposes us to look at the needs and find	47:16
	our place in the fulfillment of them.	47:19
	But knowledge of God	47:22
	teaches us how to stabilize ourselves	47:26
	and how to keep ourselves in His will.	47:31
	It lets us know what God is doing and, consequently,	47:35
	what He's calling on us to do.	47:39
	Knowledge of God is proper reasoning about	47:41
	who He is and what He's doing	47:44
	based on Scripture.	47:47
	Healing comes through knowledge of God.	47:50
	For He soothes our soul and calms our spirit	47:54
	if we know who He is and what He's doing.	47:58
	Knowledge of God allows us to see	48:01
	the glory of His coming even when	48:05
	He's tramping out the grapes of wrath.	48:08
	If we don't have knowledge of God,	48:11
	we miss what He's doing in our day.	48:14
	We'll find all sort of misnomers and improper labels	48:17
	for what's going on in our world,	48:21
	when knowledge of God would allow us to see His hand	48:23
	as He sets the captives free,	48:27
	opens the eyes of the blind	48:29
	and renews the faith and strength	48:31
	of those who are laboring.	48:34
	Knowledge of God	48:35
	lets us know	48:37
	that, in spite of what's going on in our day,	48:39
	God has the final word.	48:43
	The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,	48:46
	it's in His hand.	48:49
	And even though it looks like the forces around us	48:51
	might overwhelm our soul,	48:55
	we know that when all is said and done,	48:57
	our Heavenly Father is ruling and reigning	49:00
	in the world.	49:04
	Like the old slave said in the song that was sung,	49:05
	"It's all right."	49:09
	It's alright because Jesus is gonna fix it.	49:12
	Not alright 'cause it's alright.	49:16
	I can't hardly pay my bills every month,	49:20
	I can't hardly see my way, trouble is on every hand.	49:23
	It's not alright 'cause I figured out the solution,	49:26
	but it's only alright because Jesus said he'd fix it.	49:29
	It takes knowledge of God	49:33
	to live like that.	49:35
	But I submit to you that in a mourning land,	49:37
	this is the way we must live.	49:40
	Knowledge of God teaches us how to depend on Him	49:43
	and how to trust Him, how to get out the way	49:46
	and let God fight the battle.	49:48
	There are sometimes when, if we try to help Him,	49:50
	we'll mess it up.	49:53
	We'll get in there just like a child	49:54
	trying to help a mother or a father,	49:56
	stick our hands in it and make a mess;	49:58
	when if we let God fight the battle,	50:00
	He would give us the victory.	50:04
	There is a threefold word	50:07
	that must heard in our day.	50:10
	When that word is heard,	50:15
	the prophet has declared	50:19
	that the same God who has torn us	50:21
	or who has allowed us to tear ourselves	50:25
	will heal us.	50:28
	Even though we've been smitten, we'll be bound up.	50:30
	He'll raise us up and we'll live	50:35
	and we'll dwell in His sight.	50:37
	Those of us who've been in touch with Him	50:41
	are called upon to speak a word of faithfulness,	50:44
	a word of kindness, a word of the knowledge of God	50:48
	in a mourning land, for the land mourns when we sin.	50:50
	And only when we turn to God	50:55
	and live as He has commanded us,	50:58
	can the mourning land be healed.	51:01
	Speak in a mourning land.	51:06
	(worship organ music)	51:23
	(choir singing)	52:01
	(sullen organ music)	54:27
	(organ music)	55:35
	(choir singing)	55:42
	(rhythmic clapping)	57:16
	(worship organ music)	59:16
-	Our Father in Heaven,	1:00:22
	we acknowledge thee as the giver	1:00:24
	of every good and perfect gift.	1:00:26
	Of that which thou hast given us,	1:00:30
	we bring a portion now to thee.	1:00:33
	Accept it for the service of thy kingdom.	1:00:36
	Amen.	1:00:42
	(worship organ music)	1:00:48
	(choir singing)	1:01:25
	(choir singing heavenly)	1:04:27
	♪ Treat your neighbor as you would ♪	1:04:37
	♪ Treat yourself ♪	1:04:42
	♪ For without holiness ♪	1:04:47
	♪ Holiness ♪	1:04:53
	♪ Holiness ♪	1:04:56
	♪ Holiness ♪	1:05:00
	♪ Without holiness ♪	1:05:04
	(choir singing heavenly)	1:05:09
	♪ For without holiness ♪	1:05:18
	♪ Holiness ♪	1:05:23
	♪ Holiness ♪	1:05:27
	♪ Holiness ♪	1:05:31
	♪ Without holiness ♪	1:05:34
	(choir singing heavenly)	1:05:40
-	Unto God's gracious mercy and protection	1:05:59
	do I commit you.	1:06:04
	May the strength of God pilot you.	1:06:06
	May the power of God preserve you.	1:06:11
	May the hand of God protect you.	1:06:16
	May the way of God direct you.	1:06:21
	May the shield of God defend you.	1:06:26
	May the post of God	1:06:30
	guard you against the snares of evil	1:06:32
	and the temptations of the world,	1:06:35
	this day and forever more.	1:06:39
	(worship organ music)	1:06:44
	(excited organ music)	1:07:10

Item Info

Title:

William C. Turner, Jr. - "Speech in a Mourning Land" (March 14, 1976)

Description:

The earth itself mourns because of our sin. The prophet Hosea teaches us that, in a mourning land, we must speak a threefold word: a word of faithfulness, a word of kindness, and a word of the knowledge of God. Only when the work of renewing our faithfulness, our kindness, and our knowledge of God is done can the mourning land be healed. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Sermon start time: (Part 1) 26:00. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 51:11.
Key quotation: Faithfulness takes us back, calls us back to where we should be…Kindness disposes us to obey and to do what we have covenanted to do…But knowledge of God teaches us how to stabilize ourselves and how to keep ourselves in His will.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4707x31w

Date:

March 14, 1976

Speaker:

Turner, William Clair, 1948-

Biblical Book:

Hosea

Chapter and Verse:

Hosea 4:1-10

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-0823
ref6846_i7v
uachapelsermaud
duke:320517
dcrau001816
ark:/87924/r4707x31w
93c40b3b-d2b8-487d-b6b4-5530b7c126d5

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

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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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William C. Turner, Jr. - "Speech in a Mourning Land" (March 14, 1976)

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Item Info

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Duke University Archives