Joseph Gossman - "Our Common Christian Calling" (January 18, 1976)
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| (orchestral music begins) | 2:26 | |
| (church organ playing) | 2:58 | |
| (orchestral music continues) | 3:35 | |
| (orchestral music continues) | 5:35 | |
| - | Grace and peace to you. | 7:32 |
| My sisters and brothers in Christ. | 7:35 | |
| As we come to this holy hour | 7:39 | |
| into this service of intercession | 7:41 | |
| and witness for Christian unity, | 7:42 | |
| the peace of the Lord be with you. | 7:46 | |
| My friends will you put aside for a while, | 7:50 | |
| the busy life you have left just now | 7:55 | |
| to come here to this place. | 7:58 | |
| Will you listen as God's spirit speaks, convicts | 8:02 | |
| and heals your life and mine | 8:06 | |
| and will you join with me now | 8:10 | |
| as we become aware of God's will and God God's way for us. | 8:11 | |
| And as we acknowledge our failures to live | 8:17 | |
| in that way and in that will, | 8:19 | |
| let us pray together our prayer of confession. | 8:23 | |
| Almighty God, father of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 8:28 | |
| maker of all things, judge of all | 8:33 | |
| we acknowledge and repent of the many sins and offenses, | 8:37 | |
| which we have committed against the unity | 8:41 | |
| of your holy church. | 8:43 | |
| We and our ancestors have drawn boundaries of intolerance | 8:46 | |
| within the family of your people. | 8:50 | |
| In our confession of the truth | 8:53 | |
| we have often been hard and exclusive. | 8:55 | |
| We have been ignorant | 8:59 | |
| and scornful of our brothers and sisters. | 9:00 | |
| We have often sought to triumph over them | 9:03 | |
| by our divisions, we have hindered the witness of love | 9:07 | |
| and the spread of the gospel throughout the world. | 9:10 | |
| But you oh Lord, have mercy upon us | 9:14 | |
| for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, | 9:18 | |
| heal us that we may be healed. | 9:21 | |
| Save us that we may be saved. | 9:24 | |
| Turn us that we may turn to you | 9:27 | |
| or give us all that has been unworthy | 9:30 | |
| in our Christian witness | 9:33 | |
| and grant that we may ever hear after serve | 9:35 | |
| and please you in newness of life, | 9:38 | |
| to the honor and glory of your holy name | 9:41 | |
| through the one and same our Lord Jesus Christ. | 9:44 | |
| Amen. | 9:48 | |
| What God has promised us, | 10:06 | |
| truly will be done. | 10:10 | |
| We will be broken open. | 10:13 | |
| Our shells will be cracked. | 10:15 | |
| Our tender shoots will be nurtured. | 10:19 | |
| We will be forgiven and will be taken back. | 10:22 | |
| We will be born again, | 10:27 | |
| into the kingdom of God. | 10:30 | |
| Amen. | 10:34 | |
| Amen. | 10:36 | |
| - | Do not be afraid. | 10:51 |
| I am the first | 10:53 | |
| and the last | 10:56 | |
| - | Lord teach us to pray. | 10:58 |
| - | First letter of John 3:1-5. | 11:02 |
| "See what love the father has given us, | 11:10 | |
| that we should be called children of God, and so we are. | 11:13 | |
| The reason why the world does not know us, | 11:19 | |
| is that it did not know him. | 11:22 | |
| Beloved, we are God's children now, | 11:25 | |
| it does not yet appear what we shall be, | 11:30 | |
| but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him | 11:33 | |
| for we shall see him as he is. | 11:38 | |
| And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself | 11:42 | |
| as he is pure. | 11:47 | |
| Everyone who commits sin, is guilty of lawlessness. | 11:50 | |
| Sin is lawlessness. | 11:55 | |
| You know that he appeared to take away sins | 11:59 | |
| and in him, there is no sin". | 12:03 | |
| - | Ask and it will be given you. | 12:25 |
| Seek and you will find. | 12:28 | |
| Knock and it will be opened to you. | 12:31 | |
| - | Lord teach us to pray. | 12:35 |
| - | The second lesson is a reading from 1 Corinthians 2. | 12:38 |
| "When I came to you brethren, | 12:44 | |
| I did not come proclaiming to you, | 12:47 | |
| the testimony of God in lofty words of wisdom. | 12:50 | |
| For I decided to know nothing among you, | 12:55 | |
| except Jesus Christ and him crucified | 12:58 | |
| and I was with you in weakness | 13:02 | |
| and in much fear and trembling | 13:06 | |
| and my speech and my message | 13:09 | |
| were not implausible words of wisdom, | 13:11 | |
| but in demonstration of the spirit and power | 13:14 | |
| that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of man, | 13:17 | |
| but in the power of God. | 13:21 | |
| Yet among the mature, we do impart wisdom. | 13:24 | |
| Although it is not a wisdom of this age | 13:28 | |
| or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away. | 13:31 | |
| Cloth yourself with humility towards one another" | 13:39 | |
| - | Lord teach us to pray | 13:44 |
| (church organ playing) | 13:49 | |
| (orchestral music begins) | 14:18 | |
| (church organ playing) | 15:57 | |
| (orchestral music continues) | 16:10 | |
| (orchestral music continues) | 18:10 | |
| (orchestral music continues) | 20:09 | |
| - | Rejoice always. | 21:57 |
| Pray constantly. | 22:00 | |
| Give thanks in all circumstances. | 22:02 | |
| - | Lord teach us to pray | 22:06 |
| - | The kingdom of God is at hand, | 22:09 |
| repent and believe in the gospel. | 22:12 | |
| A reading from the holy gospel according to John. | 22:19 | |
| "The next day again, | 22:28 | |
| John was standing with two of his disciples | 22:30 | |
| and he looked at Jesus as he walked and said, | 22:34 | |
| 'behold, the lamb of God', | 22:39 | |
| the two disciples heard him, say this | 22:44 | |
| and they followed Jesus. | 22:47 | |
| Jesus turned and saw them following | 22:51 | |
| and said to them, 'What do you seek?' | 22:55 | |
| And they said to him, 'Rabbi', which means teacher. | 23:01 | |
| 'Where are you staying?' | 23:07 | |
| He said to them, 'come and see'. | 23:09 | |
| They came and saw where he was staying | 23:14 | |
| and they stayed with him that day | 23:19 | |
| for it was about the 10th hour. | 23:22 | |
| One of the two who heard John speak | 23:26 | |
| and followed him was Andrew, | 23:29 | |
| Simon Peter's brother. | 23:32 | |
| He first found his brother Simon and said to him, | 23:35 | |
| 'we have found the Messiah', which means Christ. | 23:40 | |
| He brought him to Jesus. | 23:45 | |
| Jesus looked at him and said, | 23:47 | |
| 'so you are Simon son of John? | 23:51 | |
| You shall be called Cleophus, which means Peter.'" | 23:55 | |
| This is the gospel according to the Lord, | 24:00 | |
| let us make our affirmation. | 24:03 | |
| May the spirit of steadfastness and courage, | 24:08 | |
| help us to live in such harmony with one another, | 24:12 | |
| in accord with the gospel that together we made | 24:16 | |
| with one voice glorify the Lord our Father | 24:20 | |
| Lord Jesus Christ. | 24:24 | |
| - | The Lord be with you. | 24:31 |
| - | And with your spirit. | 24:33 |
| - | Always be prepared to give an account of the hope | 24:35 |
| that is in you. | 24:38 | |
| - | Lord teach us to pray. | 24:40 |
| - | We pray God, our Lord. | 24:42 |
| (congregation speaking indistinctly) | 24:45 | |
| - | Lord appear and show the unity of the children of God. | 24:52 |
| (congregation speaking indistinctly) | 24:57 | |
| - | Lord appear and show the unity of the children of God. | 25:03 |
| (congregation speaking indistinctly) | 25:09 | |
| - | Lord appear and show the unity of the children of God. | 25:17 |
| Oh God, | 25:33 | |
| merciful and mighty. | 25:35 | |
| We give thanks this day for the church of Jesus Christ | 25:39 | |
| our Lord. | 25:43 | |
| For the witness of loving obedience the church has manifest | 25:46 | |
| through the ages. | 25:50 | |
| For all Prophets, Priests, Martyrs, Bishops, Ministers, | 25:52 | |
| lay women and lay men who have known Jesus Christ | 25:58 | |
| as the true savior of their souls | 26:03 | |
| and the ruler of their lives. | 26:05 | |
| We thank you oh God, | 26:09 | |
| For your love, which never leaves us nor forsakes us. | 26:12 | |
| As we have been loved. | 26:17 | |
| May we also be loving. | 26:20 | |
| We pray now oh God, | 26:24 | |
| for those of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ. | 26:25 | |
| In a world full of hatred, | 26:30 | |
| may we be known by our love. | 26:33 | |
| In a world broken and divided, | 26:36 | |
| may we be known by our oneness in Christ. | 26:41 | |
| In a world filled with insecurity, | 26:46 | |
| may we be known as those who find security | 26:50 | |
| in your unfailing Word and way. | 26:52 | |
| We pray oh God for your church, here and everywhere. | 26:58 | |
| May we truly be one in faith, | 27:04 | |
| one in hope, | 27:08 | |
| one in charity. | 27:10 | |
| Oh God, we rejoice that you have made us | 27:13 | |
| and have placed us here in this place and in this moment. | 27:16 | |
| We have been baptized by your holy spirit | 27:21 | |
| and nurtured by the presence of Christ. | 27:25 | |
| You have called us to love you and to love one another. | 27:28 | |
| So now oh God, make us persons filled with peace, | 27:33 | |
| persons eager and willing to forgive, | 27:38 | |
| persons glad to return good for evil. | 27:41 | |
| Take this moment, this hour oh God | 27:46 | |
| and make it a holy healing and helpful time for us | 27:51 | |
| and for all your children through Jesus Christ our Lord. | 27:57 | |
| He taught us to pray as we pray together. | 28:03 | |
| "Our Father who art in heaven | 28:06 | |
| hallowed be thy name | 28:10 | |
| thy kingdom come | 28:12 | |
| thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. | 28:14 | |
| Give us this day our daily bread | 28:18 | |
| and forgive us our trespasses, | 28:21 | |
| as we forgive those who trespass against us | 28:24 | |
| and lead us not into temptation | 28:27 | |
| but deliver us from evil. | 28:30 | |
| For thine is the kingdom | 28:33 | |
| power and the glory | 28:34 | |
| forever. | 28:37 | |
| Amen." | 28:38 | |
| May I remind you of, | 28:44 | |
| a very special program this afternoon | 28:48 | |
| the Chapel Concert Series Presentation | 28:52 | |
| by Dr. Bill Gudger, | 28:58 | |
| a varied and extremely, | 29:01 | |
| inspiring and moving program | 29:06 | |
| of handles music has been prepared for us all. | 29:08 | |
| You are invited to come and share in this concert | 29:12 | |
| at four o'clock today. | 29:17 | |
| As we begin a new semester, let me welcome you back | 29:20 | |
| and let me welcome those of you particularly, who are new | 29:24 | |
| to the Duke University community, to its student body | 29:28 | |
| or are other parts of the community. | 29:31 | |
| Also, as we begin a new semester, we are eager and willing | 29:35 | |
| and would like to have a number of volunteers | 29:39 | |
| to help us in the chapel program this year. | 29:42 | |
| If you as a student or other person who worships here | 29:45 | |
| or who would like to be involved in this program | 29:48 | |
| are here this morning. | 29:50 | |
| Let me invite you to meet with us tomorrow afternoon | 29:52 | |
| at four o'clock in the Memorial Chapel, | 29:54 | |
| to make plans for some volunteer services, | 29:57 | |
| which we need to have done regularly in the chapel. | 29:59 | |
| As I'm sure you know, this is the week of prayer | 30:04 | |
| for Christian unity. | 30:07 | |
| The service this morning is a part of our observance | 30:08 | |
| of this week. | 30:12 | |
| Another service, a continuation of this service | 30:14 | |
| will be held on Thursday at noon in the Catholic Church | 30:16 | |
| of the Immaculate Conception on Chapel Hill Street, | 30:21 | |
| here in town. | 30:25 | |
| There are many times when we in the university community | 30:27 | |
| expect people in the Durham community to come to us | 30:29 | |
| and to participate in our services. | 30:33 | |
| This is one of those services where I hope we, | 30:35 | |
| of this community, the Duke community | 30:39 | |
| the Christian community on campus, | 30:41 | |
| we'll respond and support and participate | 30:43 | |
| fully in a service downtown. | 30:46 | |
| The service is at 12 o'clock. | 30:48 | |
| There will be rides for those who need them | 30:51 | |
| from in front of the chapel at 11:20. | 30:53 | |
| My friends in Christ, | 30:59 | |
| this is a historic moment for us. | 31:00 | |
| A moment, | 31:08 | |
| for which many of us have longed | 31:10 | |
| and prayed | 31:14 | |
| and hoped | 31:16 | |
| and believed and trusted that God would bring to bear. | 31:18 | |
| When, in this place | 31:25 | |
| and for the edification and inspiration of us all. | 31:28 | |
| A Bishop of the Catholic Church would be among us | 31:35 | |
| to proclaim God's word. | 31:40 | |
| This moment has come | 31:44 | |
| and we rejoice in God's grace and mercy | 31:47 | |
| and in God's love that it is here. | 31:52 | |
| You will be interested to know that the invitation | 31:56 | |
| to Bishop Guzman to come and to be with us. | 31:58 | |
| In no small way was triggered by some balloons and Coca-Cola | 32:03 | |
| and Oreo cookies. | 32:09 | |
| Now, if that sounds a little bit strange, | 32:12 | |
| he will recall, I'm sure that all of these were a part | 32:14 | |
| of the celebration of his installation as the Bishop | 32:19 | |
| of the Raleigh Diocese of the Catholic Church | 32:25 | |
| on May 19, last year. | 32:27 | |
| So it was not just a little bit surprising to me to go there | 32:29 | |
| and see after the service of installation, | 32:34 | |
| that there were balloons and that, that Coca-Cola was served | 32:37 | |
| and that Oreo cookies were available for us all. | 32:42 | |
| It was a real celebration | 32:46 | |
| and it was a real festive occasion. | 32:49 | |
| Bishop Guzman has been the Bishop | 32:55 | |
| of the Raleigh Diocese since that day | 32:58 | |
| and very quickly in seven months, as of tomorrow, | 33:02 | |
| he has come to be loved and appreciated, | 33:07 | |
| by those of us within the Catholic | 33:11 | |
| and the Protestant traditions in this area, | 33:13 | |
| very, very much. | 33:15 | |
| He's a man who is extremely gracious. | 33:18 | |
| One whose graciousness perhaps is exceeded | 33:23 | |
| only by his courage. | 33:25 | |
| One whose courage perhaps is exceeded only | 33:29 | |
| by his commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. | 33:32 | |
| And so on your behalf | 33:37 | |
| and for all of us who rejoice in this day, | 33:39 | |
| Bishop Guzman, may I say that we welcome you | 33:43 | |
| to this University, | 33:45 | |
| to this chapel, | 33:48 | |
| to this service, | 33:50 | |
| in which we together, rejoice in our oneness in Christ. | 33:52 | |
| Bishop Joseph Guzman. | 33:56 | |
| - | I would like at the very outset, to express my gratitude | 34:08 |
| and my appreciation for everyone | 34:12 | |
| who has made this occasion possible for me to be with you. | 34:15 | |
| The scriptural reading, | 34:27 | |
| that I would like to hold before you, as I begin my words, | 34:29 | |
| is the reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians | 34:35 | |
| which was our second reading today. | 34:40 | |
| That you may might be mindful of it | 34:44 | |
| and not to cast any reflections upon our lector who read it, | 34:46 | |
| I would like to read it to you again. | 34:51 | |
| "When I came to you my friends, | 34:57 | |
| to preach God's secret truth to you, | 35:00 | |
| I did not use long words and great learning. | 35:03 | |
| For I made up my mind to forget everything, | 35:08 | |
| while I was with you except Jesus Christ | 35:12 | |
| and especially his death on the cross. | 35:16 | |
| So when I came to you, I was weak | 35:20 | |
| and trembled all over with fear | 35:25 | |
| and my speech and my message were not delivered | 35:28 | |
| with skillful words of human wisdom, | 35:31 | |
| but with convincing proof of the power of God's spirit. | 35:35 | |
| Your faith then, does not rest on human wisdom | 35:41 | |
| but on God's power." | 35:45 | |
| My friends, | 35:52 | |
| 2000 years have passed | 35:54 | |
| since Paul wrote these words to his small community | 35:56 | |
| of believers at Corinth. | 36:00 | |
| Today, you and I hear them | 36:04 | |
| with a new and deeper understanding of their meaning | 36:07 | |
| and of their challenge. | 36:12 | |
| Assembled here in this chapel, | 36:15 | |
| we witness once more the power of the crucified Christ, | 36:17 | |
| to draw all people together. | 36:23 | |
| For it is our shared belief, that Jesus is Lord | 36:26 | |
| that brings us together here this morning. | 36:31 | |
| These are three deceptively simple words. | 36:37 | |
| Jesus is Lord, | 36:41 | |
| yet in these words are found the meaning | 36:44 | |
| and the focus of our existence as Christians | 36:48 | |
| both as individuals and as a community. | 36:53 | |
| These are the cause of our hope, the purpose of our labors | 36:58 | |
| the source and object of our love | 37:03 | |
| and the promise of our future unity together. | 37:06 | |
| When we profess that Jesus is Lord | 37:12 | |
| and we mean it to the core of our being. | 37:16 | |
| We are professing that we believe, | 37:20 | |
| that there exists embodied in Jesus Christ | 37:22 | |
| a profound and real relationship, | 37:26 | |
| between ourselves and God. | 37:30 | |
| Between ourselves and all those who share the faith | 37:33 | |
| and between ourselves and all people, everywhere. | 37:38 | |
| For God did not create us for a life of isolation | 37:44 | |
| but it pleased him from the beginning to make us holy | 37:49 | |
| and save us not merely as separate individuals, | 37:54 | |
| but by forming us into a single people, | 37:58 | |
| his people, the people of God. | 38:03 | |
| Thus the communitarian character of our lives | 38:08 | |
| as Christian men and women, is seen and is consummated | 38:12 | |
| in the work, in the life and in the teaching of Jesus. | 38:18 | |
| For the very word of God, was made flesh | 38:25 | |
| and will to share our human existence, | 38:29 | |
| in his preaching, he taught that the children of God | 38:33 | |
| must treat each other as brothers and sisters. | 38:37 | |
| In his prayers, he pleaded that all his followers | 38:42 | |
| might be one. | 38:47 | |
| Indeed, he offered himself for all, | 38:49 | |
| even to the point of death as a proof of his love. | 38:53 | |
| And he commanded his disciples to preach the gospel, | 38:59 | |
| so that the human race might one day | 39:04 | |
| become the family of God. | 39:07 | |
| Our worth, our dignity, | 39:11 | |
| our mission, our future | 39:15 | |
| was made known to us in the life, the death | 39:17 | |
| and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. | 39:21 | |
| It was through the outpouring of the holy spirit | 39:28 | |
| that came on Pentecost, that the apostles first grasped | 39:32 | |
| the mystery of their union with God and with each other. | 39:37 | |
| They were stunned into joy, that the fragmented, estranged, | 39:43 | |
| isolated human race had been restored to oneness | 39:49 | |
| by the loving death of Jesus. | 39:53 | |
| One of the first fruits of the spirit | 39:57 | |
| was the restoration of community. | 40:00 | |
| The confusion of Babel was gone | 40:04 | |
| and men and women really heard and understood one another | 40:07 | |
| in a new way for the first time. | 40:12 | |
| Those who experienced this marvelous unity, | 40:16 | |
| this unparalleled moment of community responded. | 40:20 | |
| The life of the early Christian community was imbued | 40:26 | |
| with the law of love. | 40:30 | |
| People struggled seriously to live the words of Jesus | 40:33 | |
| that if you have love for one another, | 40:39 | |
| then all will know that you are my disciples. | 40:43 | |
| On whole continents, humanity was converted to Christianity | 40:48 | |
| when it saw people who really loved one another. | 40:53 | |
| Christianity, means the struggle to live a life | 41:01 | |
| based upon this love. | 41:05 | |
| To learn to overcome every disappointment, | 41:08 | |
| every discouragement, every humiliation, every repugnance | 41:11 | |
| for the sake of the kingdom of God. | 41:17 | |
| It means to love fully without reciprocation, | 41:21 | |
| often to receiving gratitude and indifference in return. | 41:25 | |
| It means to see others use even our friendship | 41:31 | |
| in order to betray us. | 41:34 | |
| In other words, it means simply to share the fate of God | 41:37 | |
| and God's Son. | 41:43 | |
| To love as God loves was no easier for the early Christians | 41:46 | |
| than it is for us. | 41:51 | |
| It was not long before Paul would write to his Corinthians, | 41:54 | |
| you come together not for better, but for worse. | 41:59 | |
| For first of all, I hear that when you come together | 42:03 | |
| in church, there are divisions among you. | 42:07 | |
| Our Lord Jesus Christ called us not to be Christians | 42:13 | |
| but to become his body and to continue to the end of time | 42:17 | |
| his work of revealing the boundless love of the Father | 42:22 | |
| for all people, so that human life could be lived | 42:27 | |
| in the fullness of its God given maturity | 42:32 | |
| and that the kingdom would be perfected in our midst. | 42:35 | |
| We who are the body of Christ are called to share | 42:42 | |
| in that work, to be servants of that kingdom, | 42:47 | |
| no less than our Lord and savior was. | 42:51 | |
| The kingdom exists wherever the power of God is operative, | 42:56 | |
| wherever the will of God is done. | 43:02 | |
| To commit ourselves to loving service of our sisters | 43:06 | |
| and our brothers, is indeed to do the will of God. | 43:11 | |
| "I hear there are divisions among you", Paul said. | 43:19 | |
| Nowadays, there seem to be nothing but divisions. | 43:24 | |
| We who claim a common Lord, don't speak to each other. | 43:29 | |
| We often don't listen to each other. | 43:35 | |
| We seem often to be resigned to a lonely isolation, | 43:38 | |
| to an uneasy, if quiet peace. | 43:43 | |
| We perform the rights of sharing the signs of solidarity | 43:47 | |
| and exchange all the ceremonies | 43:52 | |
| and the amenities yet too often, | 43:54 | |
| these become a substitute for the truth | 43:58 | |
| instead of leading us to it. | 44:01 | |
| The demanding and dominant truth | 44:05 | |
| that through the death and resurrection of Jesus | 44:07 | |
| we have become one in Christ is forgotten | 44:11 | |
| and lost sight of. | 44:16 | |
| We ignore the startling fact that we are as near to God | 44:18 | |
| as we are to each other. | 44:23 | |
| That we serve God to the degree, that we serve the needs | 44:25 | |
| of our sisters and our brothers here. | 44:30 | |
| Our commitment to love all people is or should be | 44:35 | |
| independent of the barriers that exist between Christians | 44:40 | |
| who are believers and non-believers. | 44:45 | |
| Christians must greet the world, | 44:49 | |
| not only armed with condemnation for injustice | 44:52 | |
| and immorality, | 44:55 | |
| but with enthusiastic support and congratulations | 44:57 | |
| for those who are living for each other | 45:01 | |
| who are forgetful of self in their service. | 45:03 | |
| Fidelity to the call of Christ, | 45:08 | |
| will bring us into collaboration | 45:11 | |
| with everyone of good will | 45:13 | |
| not simply with those who share the same hopes | 45:16 | |
| and the same beliefs that we do. | 45:20 | |
| In this way, the greatest number of people may be served | 45:23 | |
| and the will of God be done. | 45:28 | |
| What we need to realize | 45:32 | |
| and to affirm with faith is the belief | 45:35 | |
| that our loving and serving others is truly incarnating | 45:38 | |
| God's own love for them here and now. | 45:43 | |
| It is our own corporate witness | 45:48 | |
| that makes visible the saving love of Jesus Christ | 45:51 | |
| to the people of our own time and our own world. | 45:55 | |
| If we believe this to be true, and we do, | 46:01 | |
| then our common testimony to this fact, | 46:05 | |
| will be much stronger from our deeds | 46:08 | |
| than simply from our words. | 46:11 | |
| The church lives, in order that the world | 46:15 | |
| may know its true meaning | 46:19 | |
| and believe that the end of the world | 46:21 | |
| will not be destruction and meaninglessness. | 46:24 | |
| But the victory of the love revealed to us, on the cross. | 46:27 | |
| I believe that our dividedness stands in painful conflict | 46:35 | |
| with the will of God. | 46:41 | |
| Our unlovingness before the world, | 46:44 | |
| toward our brothers and sisters in the faith | 46:47 | |
| is a stumbling block to hope | 46:50 | |
| and a scandal to the faith of others. | 46:53 | |
| The theological and sacramental differences that divide us | 46:59 | |
| and the difficulties that exist in resolving them, | 47:03 | |
| should not be minimized. | 47:07 | |
| It is not my intention today to enumerate these | 47:09 | |
| or deposit solutions, | 47:13 | |
| but I would call attention to the fact | 47:15 | |
| that countless men and women of all denominations | 47:18 | |
| are prayerfully and steadfastly pursuing the scholarship | 47:23 | |
| and the dialogue necessary to resolve the problems | 47:28 | |
| that these differences pose to our complete oneness. | 47:32 | |
| Such patient persistence on their part, | 47:37 | |
| gives hopeful witness to the power of God | 47:43 | |
| and to the inspiration of the holy spirit. | 47:46 | |
| But we are called no less than these experts | 47:51 | |
| to work toward unity. | 47:55 | |
| I pray also for those who believe in me | 47:58 | |
| that they may be one is the prayerful response of Jesus | 48:02 | |
| to the will of his Father, | 48:07 | |
| it must be our prayer as well. | 48:10 | |
| This work of ours for unity will indeed, must take place | 48:14 | |
| in the concrete daily situations | 48:19 | |
| in which all of us find ourselves. | 48:22 | |
| In our families, | 48:25 | |
| in our professions, | 48:27 | |
| in our society, | 48:29 | |
| in our churches. | 48:31 | |
| I do not know nor can I predict | 48:33 | |
| what shape our ultimate unity will take | 48:37 | |
| or when it will come, | 48:40 | |
| or if the work is in our hands, | 48:43 | |
| the time for its completion is in God's hands. | 48:46 | |
| But work we must and if our union as Christians | 48:50 | |
| will ultimately exist | 48:55 | |
| not to create some esoteric circle | 48:57 | |
| but is rather intended to serve the whole of humanity | 49:01 | |
| to stand not against the world, but for it, | 49:05 | |
| than in this, | 49:09 | |
| we can begin to be united right now. | 49:11 | |
| In every age, in every generation | 49:17 | |
| the spirit has inspired in one form or another | 49:20 | |
| the desire to share, to be united in common and together. | 49:25 | |
| We, here and now, in our own time, in our place | 49:32 | |
| we must be attentive and responsive | 49:38 | |
| to the promptings of the befriending spirit. | 49:41 | |
| We need to join wherever possible | 49:46 | |
| in proclaiming the word of God, given in Christ, | 49:49 | |
| in common prayer and public witness. | 49:53 | |
| To perform together works of love and service | 49:57 | |
| for those in need, without asking for thanks | 50:00 | |
| or expecting a response. | 50:04 | |
| We need to do things of this kind in imitation of Jesus | 50:07 | |
| who perform such works of love for those who neither knew | 50:11 | |
| or revered him. | 50:15 | |
| We can recognize without apology, that as Christian people | 50:18 | |
| we represent a minority of humanity. | 50:22 | |
| We can joyfully accept the role that God has given | 50:26 | |
| and affirm our scattered and dispersed condition | 50:30 | |
| for such it is | 50:33 | |
| and we can find new ways to serve each other | 50:35 | |
| and the wider community. | 50:38 | |
| This is an age of the Aspara for us who follow Jesus, | 50:42 | |
| a time for sowing in hope for sacrifice | 50:46 | |
| and self-surrender. | 50:51 | |
| We live in an age when minorities are gaining awareness | 50:53 | |
| and being recognized for the richness | 50:56 | |
| of their own diversity. | 50:59 | |
| The diversity of our gifts and our skills should be shared | 51:02 | |
| so that we know a become a model of real unity, | 51:07 | |
| of continuing dialogue and loving creative service. | 51:11 | |
| Ac humanism means recruitment to the mission of God | 51:17 | |
| which we all share and which Christ Jesus | 51:21 | |
| has already lived out in openness to the world. | 51:24 | |
| My call, is that we rededicate ourselves | 51:29 | |
| to live our lives together in such a way | 51:33 | |
| that our conviction can be seen and believed by others. | 51:37 | |
| That together we offer our belief that in the death | 51:42 | |
| and resurrection of Jesus is found the answer | 51:47 | |
| to every problem, challenge and difficulty | 51:50 | |
| which we experience as believing people in the world today. | 51:55 | |
| Let us pray. | 52:03 | |
| Oh God, our Father | 52:16 | |
| we truly desire the unity of your church. | 52:19 | |
| Help us to find your way to achieve it. | 52:24 | |
| Pour your holy spirit of love into our hearts. | 52:29 | |
| So that listening to each other, | 52:34 | |
| without prejudice or mistrust | 52:36 | |
| and knowing that we have nothing to fear from the truth | 52:39 | |
| together, we may find that truth which is one. | 52:43 | |
| Help us to go forward day by toward that perfect unity | 52:50 | |
| prayed for by Christ your son, when he said, | 52:56 | |
| "May they all be one father, may they be one in us | 53:01 | |
| as you are in me and I am in you | 53:06 | |
| so that the world may believe it was you who sent me". | 53:10 | |
| Amen. | 53:16 | |
| (church organ playing) | 53:21 | |
| (orchestral music playing) | 53:56 |
| (calm instrumental music) | 0:15 | |
| ♪ He comes to us as one unknown, ♪ | 1:19 | |
| ♪ Without a name, ♪ | 1:27 | |
| ♪ Without a name, as of old, by the lakeside, ♪ | 1:31 | |
| ♪ He came ♪ | 1:40 | |
| ♪ He came to those men who knew Him not. ♪ | 1:43 | |
| ♪ He speaks to us ♪ | 1:54 | |
| ♪ He speaks the same words ♪ | 1:57 | |
| ♪ Follow ♪ | 2:02 | |
| ♪ Thou ♪ | 2:07 | |
| ♪ Follow thou me! ♪ | 2:11 | |
| ♪ And sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill ♪ | 2:19 | |
| ♪ for our time. ♪ | 2:27 | |
| (lively instrumental music) | 2:35 | |
| ♪ He commands ♪ | 2:39 | |
| ♪ And to those who obey Him, ♪ | 2:45 | |
| ♪ Whether they be wise or simple, ♪ | 2:55 | |
| ♪ He will reveal himself ♪ | 3:04 | |
| ♪ In the ♪ | 3:12 | |
| ♪ In the ♪ | 3:15 | |
| ♪ In the toils, ♪ | 3:21 | |
| ♪ the conflicts, ♪ | 3:25 | |
| ♪ the sufferings ♪ | 3:29 | |
| ♪ which they shall pass through ♪ | 3:38 | |
| ♪ in His fellowship ♪ | 3:46 | |
| ♪ And as an ineffable mystery, ♪ | 4:02 | |
| ♪ they shall learn, ♪ | 4:20 | |
| ♪ shall learn ♪ | 4:25 | |
| ♪ shall learn in their own experience ♪ | 4:30 | |
| ♪ who He is. ♪ | 4:41 | |
| (lively instrumental music) | 5:06 | |
| (lively instrumental music) | 7:04 | |
| ♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 7:26 | |
| ♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below, ♪ | 7:32 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 7:38 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 7:41 | |
| ♪ Praise Him above, ye heavenly host, ♪ | 7:45 | |
| ♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! ♪ | 7:52 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 7:57 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 8:00 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 8:03 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 8:06 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 8:10 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 8:18 | |
| - | Accept oh God, these precious gifts. | 8:28 |
| Precious not because of what they are | 8:33 | |
| because of what they can do in the name | 8:36 | |
| and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ to serve you | 8:39 | |
| and to love your children. | 8:43 | |
| So, oh God multiply their benefits and bring hope | 8:46 | |
| and healing to others through these gifts | 8:51 | |
| and through us in Christ's holy name we pray, Amen. | 8:56 | |
| And now as both an individual and a corporate witness | 9:25 | |
| to our oneness in Christ, will you share with me | 9:28 | |
| in this service of the renewal of our baptismal promises? | 9:32 | |
| We were buried with Christ in baptism so that | 9:38 | |
| as Christ was raised from the dead | 9:42 | |
| by the father's glory, we too might walk in newness of life. | 9:44 | |
| You are God's people so | 9:50 | |
| that you may declare the wonderful deeds | 9:53 | |
| of God who called you out of darkness into marvelous light. | 9:55 | |
| There is one body and one spirit just | 10:00 | |
| as you we're called to the one hope | 10:04 | |
| that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, | 10:06 | |
| one God and father of us all. | 10:13 | |
| Therefore, will you again renew the promises made | 10:16 | |
| in your baptism? | 10:19 | |
| Will you accept again the new life which God gives us | 10:21 | |
| in Christ and will you continue to serve God faithfully | 10:25 | |
| in his holy church? | 10:29 | |
| Together, let us affirm our faith in the Nicene creed. | 10:32 | |
| We believe in one God, the father, the almighty, | 10:37 | |
| maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. | 10:42 | |
| We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, | 10:47 | |
| the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, | 10:50 | |
| God from God, Light from Light, | 10:55 | |
| True God from True God, begotten not made, | 10:58 | |
| one in being with the father | 11:02 | |
| through whom all things were made | 11:05 | |
| for all of us and for our salvation, Jesus came down | 11:08 | |
| from heaven. | 11:12 | |
| By the power of the Holy Spirit he was born | 11:13 | |
| of the Virgin Mary and became a human being. | 11:16 | |
| For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. | 11:20 | |
| He suffered, died and was buried. | 11:24 | |
| On the third day he rose again in fulfillment | 11:27 | |
| of the scriptures. | 11:31 | |
| He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand | 11:32 | |
| of the Father. | 11:36 | |
| He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead | 11:37 | |
| and his kingdom will have no end. | 11:41 | |
| We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, | 11:44 | |
| the giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son. | 11:47 | |
| With the Father and the Son, he is worshiped and glorified. | 11:52 | |
| He has spoken through the prophets. | 11:56 | |
| We believe in one holy Catholic and apostolic church. | 11:58 | |
| We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. | 12:03 | |
| We look for the resurrection of the dead | 12:07 | |
| and the light of the world to come, Amen. | 12:09 | |
| Together, let us renew and accept our baptismal promises. | 12:13 | |
| We accept a new Christ Jesus as our savior and Lord, | 12:23 | |
| we acknowledge and affirm the faith | 12:28 | |
| by which the church lives. | 12:31 | |
| We celebrate our unity with all who share in the one baptism | 12:33 | |
| We love and trust God who loves us | 12:38 | |
| and gave us our Lord Jesus Christ. | 12:41 | |
| By grace we are made God's people. | 12:44 | |
| To the Lord be glory forever, Amen. | 12:48 | |
| (gentle instrumental music) | 12:53 | |
| Let us bless the Lord. | 17:21 | |
| May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you | 17:26 | |
| to live in such harmony with one another, | 17:31 | |
| in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may | 17:34 | |
| with one voice glorify the God and father | 17:39 | |
| of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen. | 17:43 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 17:48 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 17:53 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 17:58 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 18:04 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 18:11 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 18:19 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 18:31 | |
| (lively instrumental music) | 18:50 | |
| (congregation chattering) | 24:09 |
