Earnest A. Smith - Communion Meditation (July 25, 1971)

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	♪ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty ♪	0:25
	♪ The King of creation ♪	0:30
	♪ O my soul praise him for He is thy health and salvation ♪	0:37
	♪ All ye who hear ♪	0:50
	♪ Brothers and sisters draw near ♪	0:55
	♪ Praise him in glad adoration ♪	1:02
	(soft organ music)	1:15
	♪ Let us break bread together on our knees ♪	2:00
	♪ Let us break bread together on our knees ♪	2:12
	♪ When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun ♪	2:24
	♪ O Lord have mercy on me ♪	2:35
	♪ Let us drink the cup together on our knees ♪	2:48
	♪ Let us drink the cup together on our knees ♪	3:00
	♪ When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun ♪	3:12
	♪ O Lord have mercy on me ♪	3:24
	♪ Let us praise God together on our knees ♪	3:37
	♪ Let us praise God together on our knees ♪	3:49
	♪ When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun ♪	4:02
	♪ O Lord, have mercy on me ♪	4:13
	♪ Amen ♪	4:27
	The spirit says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock	4:33
	if anyone hears my voice and opens the door,	4:41
	I will come into him and eat with him	4:47
	and he, with me.	4:52
	Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God	4:55
	and he who loves is born of God and knows God.	5:03
	In this, the love of God was made manifest among us,	5:11
	that God sent his only Son into the world	5:16
	so that we might live through Him.	5:21
	The Lord be with you,	5:29
Congregation	And also with you.	5:32
Father	Let us pray.	5:33
	Let us offer unto God in unison the collect for purity,	5:43
	as it is found on page nine of the 'Ritual.'	5:49
	Almighty God, under whom all hearts are open,	5:55
	all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid,	6:00
	cleanse the thought of our hearts	6:05
	by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,	6:07
	that we made perfectly love thee	6:11
	and worthily magnify thy holy name	6:14
	through Christ our Lord, amen.	6:17
	And now as Jesus taught his disciples, we say together,	6:21
	Our father who art in heaven,	6:25
	hallowed be thy name,	6:29
	thy kingdom come,	6:31
	thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,	6:33
	give us this day our daily bread	6:38
	and forgive us our trespasses	6:41
	as we forgive those who trespass against us	6:44
	and lead us not into temptation,	6:48
	but deliver us from evil	6:51
	for thine is the kingdom and the power	6:54
	and the glory forever, amen.	6:57
	(bright organ music)	7:02
	♪ Glory be to God almighty ♪	7:14
	♪ And on earth peace good will towards men ♪	7:20
	♪ We praise thee, we bless thee ♪	7:26
	♪ We worship thee ♪	7:31
	♪ We glorify thee ♪	7:34
	♪ We give thanks to thee for thy great glory ♪	7:37
	♪ O Lord God heavenly King God the Father Almighty ♪	7:45
	♪ O Lord the only‑begotten Son Jesus Christ ♪	7:58
	♪ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father ♪	8:07
	♪ That takest away the sins of the world ♪	8:16
	♪ Have mercy upon us ♪	8:22
	♪ Thou that takest away the sins of the world ♪	8:29
	♪ Receive our prayer ♪	8:35
	♪ Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father ♪	8:39
	♪ Have mercy upon us ♪	8:47
	♪ For thou only art holy ♪	8:53
	♪ Thou only art the Lord ♪	8:58
	♪ Thou only O Christ ♪	9:04
	♪ With the Holy Ghost ♪	9:08
	♪ Art most high in the glory of God the Father, amen ♪	9:12
	Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins	9:27
	and are in love and charity with your neighbors	9:32
	and intend to lead a new life	9:36
	following the commandments of God	9:39
	and walking from henceforth in His holy ways	9:42
	draw near with faith	9:47
	and take this holy sacrament to your comfort	9:50
	and make your humble confession to all mighty God.	9:54
	Let us pray.	9:59
	Almighty God, Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,	10:09
	maker of all things, judge of all men,	10:14
	we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness,	10:18
	which we from time to time most grievously have committed	10:23
	by thought, word and deed against thy Divine Majesty,	10:27
	we do earnestly repent	10:33
	and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings,	10:35
	the remembrance of them is grievous unto us,	10:39
	have mercy upon us,	10:43
	have mercy upon us most merciful Father	10:45
	for thy Son,	10:49
	our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,	10:51
	forgive us all that is past	10:53
	and grant that we may ever hereafter serve	10:56
	and please thee in newness of life	10:59
	to the honor and glory of thy name	11:02
	through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	11:05
	Almighty God, our heavenly Father,	11:11
	who of thy great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins	11:14
	to all them that with hearty repentance	11:19
	and true faith turn to thee, have mercy upon us,	11:22
	pardon and deliver us from all our sins,	11:29
	confirm and strengthen us in all goodness	11:34
	and bring us to everlasting life	11:38
	through Jesus Christ our Lord amen.	11:43
	Hear of what comfortable words the scripture say	11:49
	to all that truly turn to the Lord,	11:52
	"God so loved the world that he gave His only son	11:56
	that whoever believes in Him should not perish	12:02
	but have eternal life."	12:08
	The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance	12:11
	that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.	12:18
	And now let us pray the litany	12:27
	for the whole state of Christ's church.	12:29
	Most merciful Father,	12:34
	we humbly beseech thee	12:37
	to receive these our prayers for the universal church,	12:39
	that thou will confirm it in the truth of thy Holy faith,	12:43
	inspire it with unity and concord	12:49
	and extend and prosper it throughout the world.	12:53
	We beseech thee also so to guide and strengthen	12:58
	the witness of the church,	13:02
	to those in authority in all nations	13:05
	that they may maintain the justice	13:09
	and welfare of all mankind.	13:11
Congregation	We beseech thee O Lord.	13:16
Father	Give grace so heavenly Father	13:19
	to all ministers of thy church	13:20
	and both by their life and doctrine	13:24
	they may set for thy true and lively word	13:28
	and faithfully administer thy holy sacrament	13:32
	and to all thy people give thy heavenly grace	13:36
	that with willing heart and due reverence	13:40
	they may hear and receive thy holy word,	13:44
	truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness	13:48
	all the days of their lives.	13:52
Congregation	We beseech thee O Lord.	13:56
Father	And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness,	13:58
	oh Lord to support and strengthen all those	13:59
	who in this transitory life are in trouble,	14:05
	sorrow, need, sickness	14:11
	or any other adversity.	14:17
Congregation	We beseech Thee, O Lord.	14:21
Father	We remember with thanksgiving,	14:24
	those who have loved and served thee in thy church on earth	14:26
	who now rests from their labors	14:31
	especially those most dear to us	14:35
	whom we name in our hearts before thee.	14:38
	Keep us in fellowship with all the saints	14:46
	and bring us at length to the joy of thy heavenly kingdom.	14:50
	Grant us, oh Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ,	14:55
	our only be mediator and advocate, amen.	15:00
-	Will you hear now the reading of the scripture	15:21
	for the morning's lesson,	15:23
	a reading from the 106th Psalm	15:25
	the 7th through the 14th or 15th verses.	15:27
	"Our fathers when they were in Egypt,	15:33
	did not consider thy wonderful works,	15:36
	they did not remember the abundance of thy steadfast love	15:40
	but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea	15:44
	yet He saved them for His name's sake	15:48
	that He might make known His mighty power.	15:52
	He rebuked the Red Sea and it became dry	15:55
	and He led them through the deep,	15:58
	as through a desert,	16:00
	so He saved them from the hand of the foe	16:02
	and delivered them from the power of the enemy	16:06
	and the waters covered their adversaries,	16:09
	not one of them was left.	16:12
	Then they believed His words,	16:14
	they sing His praise	16:17
	but they soon forgot His works,	16:21
	they did not wait for His counsel	16:24
	but they had a wanton craving in the wilderness	16:27
	and put God to the test in the desert,	16:30
	He gave them what they asked	16:35
	but sent a wasting disease among them."	16:38
	The meditation for the morning	16:44
	is the abiding nature of the covenant.	16:47
	The drama of the children of Israel's involvement with God	16:50
	has nothing approaching a parallel in human history.	16:54
	This small band of nomads seeking a fuller life	17:00
	than they had ever known previously,	17:03
	found through their desperate soul struggles	17:06
	the existence of a spiritual dimension in the universe	17:09
	with whom they cast their future and their destiny.	17:14
	This other, not fully known and unnamed,	17:21
	challenged them to a fuller revelation	17:24
	by entering into some of their experiences	17:27
	and thus validated His reality to them.	17:30
	They call Him Yahweh and under a succession of leaders	17:34
	over a long period of time	17:39
	and through a variety of experiences and events,	17:42
	a mutual bond was established,	17:46
	this bond strengthened as time passed on,	17:48
	as each came to know the other and they came to call him God	17:52
	and with God, the children of Israel	17:59
	entered into a covenant,	18:03
	a simple covenant,	18:05
	if you will be my people,	18:08
	I will be your God.	18:11
	Much of this was codified and became a way of life	18:14
	and thus the wandering band of nomads	18:18
	was promised a home,	18:21
	a place in history, an identity.	18:23
	Most soul struggles often give way to this God's search	18:30
	and as these children of Israel in their aspiration,	18:38
	needing identity, needing a sense of being found God,	18:41
	so do others.	18:48
	The leaders for whom they asked were necessary	18:50
	for they needed men of security,	18:53
	they needed men whose names and deeds	18:56
	could overcome the obstacles	18:58
	and they erected monuments to these lest they be forgot.	19:00
	The hopes of the group were codified	19:04
	and became law and regulations	19:06
	and the very spirit of subsequent motivations	19:09
	for soul struggles do find God	19:13
	and people rejoice in the identification thereof.	19:16
	But soon these children of Israel moved in communities	19:23
	where there were other people already established	19:28
	and in the eyes of the children,	19:31
	prospering and having a good time,	19:34
	the good life was in evidence	19:37
	and the children of Israel beheld wonders	19:39
	and sought them for themselves.	19:43
	The present overwhelmed them.	19:47
	The established ways of their neighbors	19:50
	seem superior to anything which God had promised them,	19:53
	the future seemed too far away	19:59
	and they raised their voices to Yahweh.	20:01
	The jolted reality of their humanity dimmed their faith,	20:06
	when they came face-to-face with the way of life	20:10
	which seemed already in evidence	20:13
	of the promises which were to be	20:17
	and they cried to God,	20:20
	"Release us from a part of the covenant,	20:23
	ease it a bit, give us a chance to live some now,	20:27
	suffer us to taste in our time,	20:33
	the promises which God has made through our children."	20:35
	And then we come to the text of the morning,	20:40
	"And he gave them their request	20:46
	but he sent a wasting disease into their souls."	20:49
	Now I'm not one to try to prove anything by the Bible,	20:56
	I don't believe in the Bible prophetically	21:01
	as the announcement of things which are to come	21:03
	but I do like to read how men and women	21:06
	in times gone by, on a variety of experiences,	21:10
	responded in times of great crisis,	21:14
	I like to search for the backdrops	21:18
	against which they evaluated and sought meanings,	21:20
	I like to analyze vicariously with them.	21:24
	And if I can wrestle with the same problem	21:29
	with which they wrestled	21:31
	and ponder anew the decisions which they came to,	21:33
	this is the foundation	21:39
	for our simple thought for this morning.	21:41
	I cannot be judgemental,	21:44
	neither can I try to impose problems upon you	21:46
	but it does seem to me from what one reads	21:51
	in the newspapers and in the magazines,	21:54
	what one sees on television and hears on radio	21:56
	and from the minute conversations and sermons	22:00
	and addresses are all over the land,	22:03
	I have a feeling that as a nation we've got problems.	22:06
	And then I tried to remember former times,	22:14
	even the time when we were a young and struggling group,	22:18
	when we were trying to carve out a nation	22:22
	and achieve some sense of group identity,	22:25
	to fashion of people out of the variegated	22:29
	mass of humanity from all over the world	22:34
	and I've got a feeling that we, likewise,	22:39
	made a covenant with God and sometimes we wrote it down	22:41
	and the words come back to me,	22:46
	"In God we trust, all men are created equal,	22:49
	a government of the people, for people, by the people."	22:54
	And all of this is evidence that our for bearers	22:59
	were thankful to a all wise providence	23:02
	that challenged them to greatness	23:07
	and out of this has come the foundation for our literature,	23:10
	our ethics and all that we call great in America.	23:14
	One's covenant is really simple,	23:22
	"I'll be your God, if you will be my people"	23:25
	and this is more than simple statements,	23:29
	it's an invitation to enter into experiences of life	23:33
	with Him whom we call the other.	23:37
	It's sort of say, if you're my people,	23:42
	then you'll explore possibilities of relationship with me,	23:44
	if you're my people you'll seek	23:49
	spin off regulations about my hopes,	23:51
	if you're my people you will dream dreams of what I will	23:56
	for the world and for your country.	24:02
	And if you're my people,	24:06
	together we shall dream of what could be	24:09
	and in the midst of all of this,	24:14
	I will be your God,	24:17
	your guide and for good.	24:20
	And so, we've got problems in our time,	24:24
	maybe the nakedness of our humanity was too much	24:27
	for we plunged out of the wilderness,	24:31
	we saw the forest and we cut it down,	24:34
	we found the iron ore beneath the soul and we dug it out.	24:38
	Our thinking men focus their logic	24:42
	on ways of improving the humanity of man	24:45
	and we became great in things and poor in soul.	24:48
	Ego functions require that we have others	24:55
	upon whom we can look with disdain	24:58
	and we stratified our society.	25:03
	Status imagery demanded that we have goods and things	25:07
	to prove who we are,	25:11
	and our technology turned them out.	25:14
	And now we've got problems.	25:18
	We've worshiped the products of our creation,	25:25
	we've gorged the church	25:30
	on exclusiveness and material plenty,	25:33
	we fed our children on the materialistic dreams of our hopes	25:38
	and now we all cry in the wilderness.	25:44
	And some of us more simplistic souls	25:49
	even dare raise our voices to God	25:52
	and the voice that comes back is simple.	25:58
	The voice from history,	26:04
	remember thy covenant in the bad days of yesterday	26:07
	when the struggling required more strength than was yours	26:15
	and the aspiration in hope grew not from within yourself	26:19
	and you cried to Him who is the other in this universe,	26:23
	maybe He heard.	26:31
	If there was a covenant, it's forever,	26:34
	and maybe there is a way out,	26:41
	let us pray.	26:44
	Turn not thy face away our Father	26:49
	but sanctify us anew with the faith which cometh from thee	26:52
	that we might truly be thy children,	26:57
	world without end, amen.	27:00
	(soft organ music)	27:09
	(congregants singing)	27:32
Father	Almighty God, giver of every good gift,	37:29
	accept our silver and our gold, our bread and our wine	37:34
	that we set apart from a common to a holy use	37:41
	then return them to us blessed by thee	37:47
	for our growth and grace and for the work of thy church,	37:52
	through Jesus Christ, our Lord,	37:59
	whose church it is and whose guests we are, Amen.	38:02
	Lift up your hearts.	38:11
Congregation	We lift them up unto the Lord.	38:13
Father	Let us give thanks unto the Lord.	38:15
	(congregation responds)	38:19
	It is very need to right and our bounding duty	38:20
	that we should at all times and in all places	38:25
	give thanks unto thee, oh Lord,	38:26
	Holy Father, Almighty everlasting God	38:30
	therefore with Angels and Archangels	38:36
	and with all the company of heaven,	38:39
	we laud and magnify thy glorious name	38:41
	evermore praising thee and saying	38:45
	(congregation singing)	38:53
	Let us pray,	39:24
	Almighty God, our heavenly Father,	39:36
	who of thy tender mercy did skip thy only son, Jesus Christ	39:41
	to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption,	39:45
	who made there by the one offering of Himself,	39:50
	a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice	39:54
	for the sins of the whole world	39:57
	and in institute and in His Holy Gospel,	40:00
	command us to continue a perpetual memory	40:03
	of his precious death until his coming again.	40:07
	Hear us, oh merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee	40:12
	and grant that we receiving these	40:17
	thy creatures of bread and wine	40:20
	according to thy Son our savior-	40:23
	(indistinguishable volume drop)	40:25
	in remembrance of the passion, death and resurrection,	40:28
	may be partakers of the divine nature through Him	40:33
	who in the same night that He was betrayed,	40:38
	took bread and when He had given thanks,	40:42
	broke it and gave it to His disciples saying,	40:48
	"Take thee this is my body which is given for you,	40:54
	do this in remembrance of me."	41:01
	Likewise, after supper He took the cup	41:11
	and when He had given thanks,	41:16
	He gave it to them saying,	41:18
	"Drink ye all of this,	41:21
	for this is my blood of the new covenant	41:25
	which is shed for you and for many	41:29
	for the forgiveness of sins,	41:35
	do this as often as we shall drink it	41:37
	in remembrance of me, Amen."	41:41
	And now, let us offer unto God in unison,	41:47
	the Prayer of Humble Access.	41:50
	We do not presume to come	41:53
	to this thy table, Oh merciful Lord,	41:55
	trusting in our own righteousness-	41:59
	But in thy manifold and great mercies,	42:02
	we are not worthy so much as	42:05
	to gather up the crumbs under thy Table	42:08
	but thou art the same Lord	42:11
	whose property is always to have mercy,	42:13
	grant us therefore, gracious Lord,	42:17
	so as to eat of this sacrament of thy dear Son Jesus Christ	42:20
	and to drink his blood that our sinful bodies	42:24
	may be made clean by his body	42:29
	and our souls washed through his most precious blood	42:31
	and that we may, evermore, dwell in Him and He in us, Amen.	42:34
	(indistinguishable communion prayer)	42:38
Father	Jesus said,	44:34
	"This is my body given for you,	44:36
	take and eat this in remembrance	44:42
	that Christ died for you and be thankful."	44:45
	And Jesus said again,	44:51
	"This cup is blood of the new covenant,	44:53
	drink this in remembrance	44:58
	that Christ died for you and be thankful."	45:00
	Dearly beloved, this is the table of the Lord, His table,	45:07
	we who serve it are just His servants,	45:14
	you are invited by Him to this table,	45:20
	do not come because you must,	45:25
	come because you may	45:29
	and we who minister to this table will serve you gladly	45:33
	and when you come, kneel if you desire,	45:39
	remain standing if you so desire,	45:43
	the table is spread for your benefit.	45:48
	(soft organ music)	46:14
	Jesus said, "I'm the bread of life	47:50
	he who comes to me shall not hunger	47:52
	and he who believes in me shall not thirst,"	47:55
	arise and go in peace and may the bread of heaven,	47:58
	nourish your soul into everlasting life, Amen.	48:02
	(soft organ music)	48:07
	Jesus said, "I am the door,	50:13
	if anyone enters by me, he will be saved	50:15
	and will go in and out and find pasture,"	50:19
	arise and go in peace,	50:22
	in His service may you find perfect freedom, Amen.	50:25
	(soft organ music)	50:32
	(congregation singing)	51:18
	Jesus said,	52:26
	"I am the vine, you are the branches,	52:27
	by this is my Father is glorified	52:29
	that you may bare much fruit	52:32
	and so prove to be my disciples,"	52:33
	arise and go in peace and may the glory of your life	52:36
	be the fruits of this vine, Amen.	52:39
	(congregation singing)	52:42
	(soft organ music)	54:33
	Jesus said, "I'm the good shepherd	54:39
	I know my own and my own know me	54:41
	and I have other sheep that are not of this fold,	54:44
	I must bring them also	54:47
	so there shall be one flock, one shepherd,"	54:50
	arise and go in peace and may the voice	54:53
	of the Good Shepherd be your comfort in sorrow	54:56
	and your guide in happiness, Amen.	54:59
	(soft organ music)	55:03
	Jesus said, "I came that they may have life	57:18
	and have it abundantly," arise and go in peace	57:21
	and may your abundant life in Christ,	57:25
	overflow in deeds of love and service, Amen.	57:29
	(soft organ music)	57:33
	(congregation singing)	58:43
	Jesus said, "You did not choose me but I chose you	59:48
	and appointed you that you should go and bare fruit	59:51
	and that your fruit shall rise,"	59:55
	arise and go in peace and by your fruits may all men know	59:57
	that you are disciples of our Lord, Amen.	1:00:02
	(congregation singing)	1:00:07
	(soft organ music)	1:01:47
	Jesus said, "You are the light of the world,	1:02:11
	let your light so shine before men	1:02:13
	that they may see your good works	1:02:15
	and your glory to your Father who is in heaven,"	1:02:17
	arise and go in peace and may the true light shine	1:02:22
	through your mind with the knowledge and love of God	1:02:25
	and that of his son Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.	1:02:28
	(soft organ music)	1:02:32

Item Info

Title:

Earnest A. Smith - Communion Meditation (July 25, 1971)

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4qf8pk8v

Date:

July 25, 1971

Speaker:

Smith, Earnest A.

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-0581
ref6365_lde
uachapelsermaud
duke:628247
dcrau002568
ark:/87924/r4qf8pk8v
80e00299-67c3-4361-a273-2d4ebb011046

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.

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