William H. Willimon - "The Gifted" (December 25, 1988)

Download
- Rights
- Limited Re-Use
  CC BY-NC 4.0
  More Rights Info
- Files (1)
- MP4
- Please be patient with media downloads. They are often large files.
Share

Embed Code
<iframe src='//idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4cv4c639?embed=true' height='500px' width='100%' frameborder='0' marginwidth='0' marginheight='0' scrolling='no' allowfullscreen></iframe>
Permalink

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4cv4c639
Skip to Item Info

Loading the media player...

Files for this Item

Transcript

Transcripts may contain inaccuracies.

	(somber music)	0:00
	("Joy to the World")	3:18
	("O Come, Let Us Adore Him")	3:53
	("Hark, the Herald Angels Sing")	4:23
	("Good Christian Men, Rejoice")	4:36
	("Hark, the Herald Angels Sing")	4:56
	("O Come, All Ye Faithful)	5:19
	("Good Christian Men, Rejoice")	5:37
	("O Come, All Ye Faithful")	5:54
	("Suite No. 2 in F Major, Op. 28" by Gustav Holst)	6:12
	("Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head")	7:28
	♪ Jesus, Jesus rest Your head ♪	7:34
	♪ You have got a manger bed ♪	7:40
	♪ All the evil folks on earth ♪	7:47
	♪ Sleep in feathers at their birth ♪	7:52
	♪ Jesus, Jesus rest Your head ♪	8:00
	♪ You have got a manger bed ♪	8:07
	♪ Have you heard about our Jesus ♪	8:15
	♪ Have you heard about His fate ♪	8:19
	♪ How His mother came to the stable ♪	8:24
	♪ On that Christmas Eve so late ♪	8:28
	♪ Winds were blowing ♪	8:33
	♪ Cows were lowing ♪	8:36
	♪ Stars were glowing ♪	8:39
	♪ Glowing, glowing ♪	8:42
	♪ Jesus, Jesus rest Your head ♪	8:47
	♪ You have got a manger bed ♪	8:54
	♪ All the evil folks on Earth ♪	9:01
	♪ Sleep in feathers at their birth ♪	9:07
	♪ Jesus, Jesus rest Your head ♪	9:15
	♪ You have got a manger bed ♪	9:23
-	A merry Christmas to all of you who worship	9:46
	with us on this bright Christmas day.	9:48
	We have been	9:50
	summoned to worship through the solo of Laura Baxter	9:52
	and our visiting brass ensemble.	9:56
	We're glad that you're with us today	10:00
	and we particularly welcome those who worship with us	10:02
	in the patient rooms of the Duke Hospitals,	10:06
	and a reminder that this service is rebroadcast now	10:09
	each Sunday afternoon at two p.m.	10:12
	on channel eight Durham Cablevision.	10:15
	We're glad that you're with us.	10:19
	Come, let us worship the newborn king.	10:21
	("O Come, All Ye Faithful")	10:26
	♪ O, come all ye faithful ♪	11:16
	♪ Joyful and triumphant ♪	11:21
	♪ O, come ye, o, come ye ♪	11:25
	♪ To Bethlehem ♪	11:31
	♪ Come and behold him ♪	11:37
	♪ Born the King of angels ♪	11:42
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	11:47
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	11:52
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	11:57
	♪ Christ, the Lord ♪	12:03
	♪ Sing choirs of angels ♪	12:09
	♪ Sing in exultation ♪	12:15
	♪ O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above ♪	12:20
	♪ Glory to God ♪	12:31
	♪ Glory in the highest ♪	12:37
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	12:41
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	12:46
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	12:51
	♪ Christ, the Lord ♪	12:57
	♪ Yea, Lord, we greet thee ♪	13:55
	♪ Born this happy morning ♪	14:00
	♪ Jesus, to Thee be all glory given ♪	14:06
	♪ Word of the Father ♪	14:17
	♪ Now in flesh appearing ♪	14:23
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	14:28
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	14:33
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	14:39
	♪ Christ, the Lord ♪	14:46
-	Oh Lord our God, most merciful and mighty,	14:57
	fill our hearts with joy and our tongues with praise	15:02
	as this day we celebrate our Savior's birth.	15:06
	May your Holy Spirit come upon us	15:10
	as we approach the mystery of His appearing	15:12
	in the flesh as a little child.	15:15
	Stir up in our hearts the precious gift	15:18
	of faith that He may be born anew	15:20
	in us, and that his presence may shed abroad	15:23
	in our hearts the light of heavenly joy and peace.	15:27
	Grant this, oh God, we beseech Thee,	15:32
	for the love of Christ Thy Son, our only Savior, amen.	15:35
James	Let us pray.	15:52
All	Open our hearts and minds, oh God,	15:54
	by the power of your Holy Spirit	15:57
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed,	16:00
	we might hear what you say to us this joyful day, amen.	16:03
-	The first lesson is taken from the ninth chapter	16:10
	of the book of Isaiah, beginning at the second verse.	16:13
	The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.	16:18
	Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,	16:22
	on them has light shined.	16:25
	Thou has multiplied the nation,	16:28
	thou hast increased its joy.	16:30
	They rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest,	16:33
	as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.	16:36
	For the yoke of his burden	16:40
	and the staff for his shoulder,	16:42
	the rod of his oppressor Thou hast broken	16:44
	as on the day of Midian.	16:47
	For every boot of the tramping warrior	16:50
	and battle tumult, and every garment rolled in blood	16:52
	will be burned as fuel for the fire.	16:56
	For to us, a child is born,	16:59
	to us, a son is given,	17:02
	and the government will be upon His shoulder	17:05
	and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,	17:08
	Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.	17:11
	Of the increase of His government	17:17
	and of peace, there will be no end.	17:19
	Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom	17:22
	to establish it and to uphold it	17:25
	with justice and with righteousness	17:27
	from this time forth and forevermore.	17:29
	The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this.	17:33
	Here ends the reading of the first lesson.	17:37
	Thanks be to God.	17:40
	("Go Tell It on the Mountain")	17:43
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	17:52
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	17:55
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	17:59
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	18:03
	♪ While shepherds kept their watching ♪	18:07
	♪ Over silent flocks by night, ♪	18:12
	♪ Behold throughout the heaven ♪	18:17
	♪ There shone a holy light ♪	18:22
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	18:28
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	18:32
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	18:36
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	18:40
	♪ While shepherds feared and trembled ♪	18:45
	♪ When lo, above the earth ♪	18:50
	♪ Rang out the angel chorus ♪	18:55
	♪ That hailed our Savior's birth ♪	19:00
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	19:07
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	19:12
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	19:16
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	19:20
	♪ Down in a lowly manger ♪	19:25
	♪ The humble Christ was born ♪	19:31
	♪ And God sent us salvation ♪	19:36
	♪ That blessed Christmas morn ♪	19:41
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	19:49
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	19:53
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	19:58
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	20:01
-	The second lesson is taken from the second chapter	20:21
	of Paul's letter to Titus,	20:25
	beginning at the 11th verse.	20:27
	For the grace of God has appeared	20:30
	for the salvation of all men,	20:32
	training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions,	20:35
	and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world,	20:39
	awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory	20:43
	of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,	20:47
	who gave Himself for us to redeem us	20:50
	from all iniquity and to purify for Himself	20:53
	a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds.	20:57
	Here ends the reading of the second lesson.	21:02
	Thanks be to God.	21:05
	("God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen")	21:14
	♪ Good Christian men rejoice ♪	21:48
	♪ With heart and soul and voice ♪	21:52
	♪ Give ye heed to what we say ♪	21:57
	♪ Jesus Christ is born today ♪	22:01
	♪ Ox and ass before Him bow ♪	22:05
	♪ And He is in the manger now ♪	22:09
	♪ Christ is born today ♪	22:13
	♪ Christ is born today ♪	22:18
	♪ Good Christian men, rejoice ♪	22:23
	♪ With heart and soul and voice ♪	22:27
	♪ Now ye hear of endless bliss ♪	22:32
	♪ Jesus Christ was born for this ♪	22:36
	♪ He hath opened the heavenly door ♪	22:40
	♪ And man is blessed evermore ♪	22:44
	♪ Christ was born for this ♪	22:48
	♪ Christ was born for this ♪	22:53
	♪ Good Christian men, rejoice ♪	22:58
	♪ With heart and soul and voice ♪	23:02
	♪ Now ye need not fear the grave ♪	23:06
	♪ Jesus Christ was born to save ♪	23:10
	♪ Calls you one and calls you all ♪	23:15
	♪ To gain His everlasting hall ♪	23:19
	♪ Christ was born to save ♪	23:23
	♪ Christ was born to save ♪	23:28
-	Hear the Gospel from Luke for this Christmas day.	23:46
	In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus	23:50
	that all the world should be enrolled,	23:53
	and this was the first enrollment,	23:57
	when Quirinius was governor of Syria.	23:59
	And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.	24:03
	And Joseph also went up from Galilee,	24:08
	from the city of Nazareth, to Judea,	24:10
	to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,	24:13
	because he was of the house and lineage of David,	24:18
	to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.	24:21
	And while they were there,	24:27
	the time came for her to be delivered.	24:28
	And she gave birth to her firstborn son	24:32
	and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,	24:35
	and laid him in a manger,	24:37
	because there was no place for them in the inn.	24:39
	And in that region there were shepherds in the field,	24:43
	keeping watch over their flock by night.	24:46
	And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,	24:50
	and the glory of the Lord shone round about them,	24:52
	and they were filled with fear.	24:54
	And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid,	24:57
	"for behold, I bring you good news	25:02
	"of great joy which shall come to all people.	25:04
	"For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,	25:09
	"who is Christ the Lord.	25:13
	"And this will be a sign for you:	25:16
	"you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes	25:19
	"and lying in a manger."	25:22
	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude	25:25
	of the heavenly host praising God and saying,	25:28
	"Glory to God in the highest,	25:31
	"and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!"	25:33
	When the angels went away from them into heaven,	25:39
	the shepherds said to one another,	25:42
	"Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing	25:45
	"which has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."	25:47
	And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph,	25:51
	and the babe lying in a manger.	25:55
	And when they saw it they made known	25:58
	the saying which had been told them concerning this child,	26:00
	and all who heard it wondered	26:04
	at what the shepherds told them.	26:06
	But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.	26:09
	And the shepherds returned,	26:14
	glorifying and praising God for all they had heard	26:16
	and seen, as it had been told to them.	26:19
	Have any of you had the experience this Christmas?	26:29
	I'm betting that some of you have	26:33
	of having your teenage daughter	26:35
	come in with a very expensive present	26:39
	from a teenage male that she met last weekend?	26:43
	Say your daughter is just an average student	26:48
	at Northern High and has received the average gift	26:50
	of $150 and if you're a responsible parent,	26:53
	what do you say?	26:59
	Now, you cannot accept that gift.	27:03
	You take that gift back to whatever his name is	27:07
	and tell him you cannot accept an expensive gift	27:11
	from somebody you'd don't even know.	27:13
	But your daughter wants the gift.	27:17
	It's a very nice gift and she persists.	27:18
	Why, why can't I keep the gift?	27:21
	And so you tell her.	27:23
	You say, look, people don't give	27:25
	perfect strangers expensive gifts like that	27:29
	unless they want something out of them.	27:33
	That gift has got to be returned	27:38
	because you see, it makes you indebted	27:40
	to that other person,	27:45
	this stranger.	27:48
	That person, in giving you that nice gift,	27:50
	has power over you.	27:52
	You take that back.	27:55
	Now it may well be in Jesus' mind	28:00
	that it is more blessed to give than to receive,	28:03
	but life teaches us that it is	28:05
	tougher to receive.	28:09
	Just watch how people blush when they're given	28:14
	a compliment and you'll know what I mean.	28:16
	And also watch what we do to Christmas,	28:21
	Christmas, the season of giving.	28:24
	We enjoy thinking of ourselves	28:30
	as basically generous, beneficent, giving people.	28:32
	And I think that's one reason why	28:36
	on Christmas everybody,	28:39
	even nominally religious people,	28:42
	gets excited about Christmas,	28:45
	because Christmas is the Christian season	28:46
	par excellence to celebrate our alleged generosity.	28:50
	The newspaper keeps us posted	28:55
	on how many less fortunate people than ourselves	28:57
	we have been able to help this December.	29:00
	The Salvation Army kettle set up	29:04
	at the grocery store enables us	29:06
	to give a little something for the less fortunate	29:08
	as we're buying groceries for ourselves.	29:10
	Or the kettles at the shopping malls	29:14
	enable us to give a small gift	29:17
	to somebody else as we're buying gifts for our families.	29:19
	People at the office who balk at taking up	29:25
	a collection for the morning coffee break	29:29
	just fall all over themselves on Christmas	29:31
	to show how generous they are to provide	29:34
	something for those who might not have anything	29:38
	without our generosity.	29:41
	We love Christmas	29:44
	because we say Christmas brings out	29:47
	the best in us.	29:49
	Everyone becomes a giver at Christmas,	29:52
	even the stingiest among us,	29:56
	even the Ebeneezer Scrooges of the world.	29:59
	Probably Charles Dickens' story	30:04
	of the transformation of the miser, Ebeneezer Scrooge,	30:07
	has done more to form our notions	30:11
	of Christmas than Luke's account	30:14
	of the nativity which we just read.	30:16
	For whereas Luke tells of God's gift to us,	30:21
	Dickens told a story	30:27
	of how we can give to others.	30:30
	Dickens' Christmas Carol is therefore	30:33
	more congenial to our ideal images of ourselves.	30:36
	Dickens suggests in A Christmas Carol	30:41
	that down deep even the worst of us is capable	30:44
	of becoming a generous, giving person,	30:49
	just like Ebeneezer Scrooge.	30:52
	Yet I am suggesting to you this morning	30:57
	that we are better	31:00
	givers than getters,	31:04
	not because we are generous people	31:09
	but because we are also proud, arrogant people	31:12
	for whom it is easier to give than to receive.	31:18
	The Christmas story according to to Gospel of Luke,	31:25
	rather than Charles Dickens,	31:28
	is not about how blessed it is for you	31:31
	and me to be givers,	31:33
	but how essential it is for you and me	31:37
	to see ourselves as receivers.	31:41
	And if you've ever been given a gift,	31:47
	I mean a really good gift,	31:49
	from a person whom you hardly even know,	31:52
	I think you know what I'm talking about.	31:56
	Oh, we like to think of ourselves	31:59
	as givers, powerful, competent, self-sufficient,	32:00
	capable people for whom goodness consists	32:04
	of our being motivated to employ	32:07
	a little of our power, our competence,	32:10
	and our gifts and our talents for the benefit	32:12
	of those who are less fortunate than we.	32:15
	So every Christmas, the Durham Morning Herald	32:18
	sets aside a few weeks to focus our attention	32:22
	upon the less fortunate among us.	32:24
	In so doing, the poor perform a valuable function	32:28
	in this society,	32:31
	namely to remind us	32:34
	of how fortunate we are,	32:39
	that is how powerful, competent, capable,	32:42
	and self-sufficient we are,	32:45
	unlike the powerless, incompetent,	32:47
	incapable, and dependent	32:49
	who are dependent upon somebody else	32:53
	to have a merry Christmas.	32:56
	But the trouble is, I think that is	33:00
	a direct contradiction to the Biblical account	33:02
	of the first Christmas,	33:06
	because there, I think I could argue,	33:08
	the story is not about how we are givers	33:10
	but how we are receivers.	33:17
	Listen again to Luke's, or for that matter,	33:21
	Matthew's, account of the nativity at Bethlehem,	33:23
	and I think you'll be struck	33:27
	by how the stories of Jesus' birth	33:28
	go to great lengths to demonstrate	33:32
	that we, our power, our talents,	33:37
	our capabilities, had little to do	33:40
	with God's work in Jesus.	33:44
	God wanted to do something so strange,	33:48
	so utterly beyond the bounds of imagination	33:51
	that God had to result to the strangest	33:55
	of means, pregnant virgins and angels	33:58
	and stars in the sky to get it done.	34:02
	We didn't think about it,	34:07
	we didn't approve it,	34:09
	we didn't project it or even understand it.	34:11
	All we could do at Bethlehem was	34:15
	to receive it.	34:17
	A gift from a God that we hardly even knew.	34:20
	I think this hit me a few years ago as a pastor.	34:26
	I was doing some counseling	34:29
	with a person in my congregation.	34:32
	It was December, and she was telling me	34:35
	about the worry and the confusion,	34:37
	the depression in her life.	34:40
	Now because I had had a number	34:44
	of counseling courses in seminary,	34:45
	I knew how to be a good counselor,	34:48
	that is, I knew how to keep my mouth shut	34:50
	and just to listen patiently,	34:53
	to ask questions, but never to offer	34:55
	any advice or any opinions, just to listen.	34:57
	I spoke to her as I had been taught.	35:04
	I said, now I really believe that you have	35:06
	the solution to what ails you in your life within you.	35:11
	I believe that down deep within you,	35:16
	you know what your real problems are	35:20
	and you have the resources to handle them.	35:23
	Don't ask me what you should do.	35:28
	You have within you the solution	35:32
	to what ails you.	35:36
	But then it hit me!	35:40
	Wait a minute.	35:42
	Wait a minute, it was the middle of December.	35:44
	In less than two weeks, I was due	35:48
	to stand up in a pulpit in front of a congregation	35:50
	like you, read the story of the nativity	35:52
	as told in Luke, demonstrating	35:56
	through a very strange story	35:59
	of the virgin birth to a peasant couple in Judea	36:03
	that the solution to what ails us	36:08
	has very little to do with us.	36:12
	After having tried for generations	36:17
	upon generation to cure what ails us,	36:20
	God reached for something strange	36:23
	and odd, radical, inconceivable.	36:26
	Pun.	36:32
	God put a solution on our back doorstep	36:33
	so strange, so radical that most of us missed it.	36:36
	And we still miss it.	36:42
	My point is this.	36:47
	The faith that arises out of so strange a story	36:50
	as the birth in Bethlehem is training	36:56
	in the art of how to be a good receiver.	37:00
	The first word to the church,	37:07
	the people born out of this strange story is	37:09
	that the most important thing for you	37:16
	to know in life about you is	37:18
	that you are a getter rather than a giver.	37:21
	Discipleship is training in the art	37:26
	of seeing our lives as gifts,	37:29
	as gifts, and I tell you, that's tough.	37:34
	It's tough, because I would rather see myself	37:39
	as a giver, I want power,	37:41
	power to stand on my own two feet,	37:46
	be on my own, I don't like picturing myself	37:48
	as dependent, needy, empty-handed.	37:51
	Being here at a university and working	37:58
	with a lot of students, I've decided	38:00
	that this is a major reason why some children come	38:04
	to despise their parents.	38:06
	Because it's sorta humbling in our society	38:10
	to wake up one day, say, at 23,	38:14
	and realize that your life,	38:16
	your talents, your capabilities,	38:20
	your values, your weaknesses,	38:23
	and your strengths have come as gifts	38:24
	from your parents.	38:30
	We would rather picture ourselves	38:33
	as self-made men and women,	38:34
	standing on our own two feet,	38:37
	striding bravely into a totally new world	38:39
	solely of our own creation.	38:42
	It is humbling to look in the mirror,	38:45
	say, at 23, and say, my god, I look just like my old man!	38:47
	I'm a receiver.	38:52
	I suspect this is one reason why marriage	38:57
	has fallen on hard times	39:01
	because it's just painful to be thrust	39:05
	into such close proximity	39:09
	with another human being day after day, year after year	39:11
	until I gradually come to see that I am	39:14
	what I am to an alarming degree	39:17
	because of this other human being,	39:23
	because of what she has given me.	39:27
	Marriage is everyday ordinary human experience	39:32
	of living our lives in the red, as debtors	39:35
	to this stranger we've just begun to know.	39:41
	Ask anybody on welfare who the enemy is,	39:47
	it's always the Federal government.	39:51
	Ask the Gift Records Office here at Duke	39:55
	who some of our stingiest	39:57
	and most antagonistic alumni are.	40:00
	They're people who were here on a full scholarship.	40:03
	It's tough to be on the receiving end	40:08
	of somebody else's love,	40:11
	particularly when that somebody else is God,	40:14
	because it requires us to see our lives,	40:18
	not as achievements or possessions, but as gifts.	40:21
	It's tough to admit that most	40:27
	of the things that are important to me	40:30
	have come to me, not as a result of my programs,	40:32
	projects, or striving, but because of God's gracious giving.	40:37
	John Wesley said a long time ago	40:43
	in a sermon, "Nothing is more repugnant	40:45
	"to capable, modern people than grace."	40:48
	One of the most familiar of all Christmas texts	40:57
	from the Old Testament is from Isaiah 7.	41:00
	It says, therefore the Lord Himself will give you,	41:04
	give you a sign, behold a young woman shall conceive	41:08
	and bare a son and you shall call His name Emmanuel,	41:13
	Isaiah 7:14.	41:17
	Now less familiar to us is the context	41:20
	of that passage.	41:22
	Isaiah has been pleading with King Ahaz	41:26
	to put his trust, not in his chariots	41:30
	and his foreign alliances and with stronger military powers,	41:33
	but to put his trust in God and God alone.	41:38
	If you will believe, Isaiah tells him,	41:43
	you will be established.	41:46
	And then Isaiah tells the fearful king	41:52
	that God is going to give him a sign.	41:55
	I'll give you a sign, God'll give you a sign,	41:59
	that you shall triumph,	42:03
	and Ahaz says, what will be the sign?	42:06
	And Isaiah says, the sign will be	42:09
	a young woman shall conceive and have a baby.	42:12
	And I bet Ahaz probably thought to himself,	42:19
	isn't that just like God?	42:21
	I mean, what I need right now is a durn good army,	42:24
	so God gives me a baby, that's great.	42:27
	But that's often the way God loves us,	42:32
	with gifts that we thought we didn't need	42:36
	which transform us into people we don't	42:42
	necessarily like to be.	42:45
	With our advanced degrees	42:49
	and our sophisticated weapons systems	42:51
	and our government programs	42:56
	and our material comforts,	42:57
	and our self-fulfillment techniques,	42:58
	we assume that religion is giving a little	43:03
	from our abundance in order to confirm	43:06
	to ourselves that we are indeed	43:09
	as powerful and self-sufficient as we claim.	43:11
	And then on Christmas day,	43:18
	this stranger comes to us	43:22
	and blesses us with a baby,	43:26
	and thus calls us to see ourselves	43:32
	for who we really are,	43:34
	empty-handed recipients	43:38
	of a gracious God who,	43:42
	rather than leave us to our own devices,	43:46
	gave us a gift.	43:51
	Amen.	43:57
	("Hark, the Herald Angels Sing")	44:03
	♪ Hark the herald angels sing ♪	44:25
	♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪	44:30
	♪ Peace on earth and mercy mild ♪	44:36
	♪ God and sinners reconciled ♪	44:41
	♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise ♪	44:46
	♪ Join the triumph of the skies ♪	44:51
	♪ With the angelic host proclaim ♪	44:56
	♪ Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪	45:01
	♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪	45:06
	♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪	45:12
	♪ Christ by highest heaven adored ♪	45:19
	♪ Christ the everlasting Lord ♪	45:24
	♪ Late in time behold Him come ♪	45:29
	♪ Offspring of a virgin's womb ♪	45:35
	♪ Veiled in flesh the Godhead see ♪	45:40
	♪ Hail the incarnate Deity ♪	45:45
	♪ Pleased as man with man to dwell ♪	45:50
	♪ Jesus, our Emmanuel ♪	45:55
	♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪	46:00
	♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪	46:05
	♪ Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace ♪	46:25
	♪ Hail the Son of righteousness ♪	46:31
	♪ Light and life to all He brings ♪	46:36
	♪ Risen with healing in His wings ♪	46:42
	♪ Mild He lays His glory by ♪	46:47
	♪ Born that man no more may die ♪	46:52
	♪ Born to raise the sons of earth ♪	46:57
	♪ Born to give them second birth ♪	47:03
	♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪	47:08
	♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪	47:13
-	The Lord be with you.	47:25
Congregation	And also with you.	47:26
-	Let us pray.	47:28
	Oh God, the ruler of ages eternal,	47:39
	You are without beginning or end,	47:42
	yet we celebrate this day	47:46
	that You choose to be born an infant	47:48
	within the bounds of time.	47:51
	Oh God, the all-powerful,	47:54
	You hold the mountains in the palm of Your hand,	47:57
	yet You come to us wrapped in swaddling clothes.	48:01
	Oh God, the universal provider,	48:06
	You feed every creature that lives,	48:09
	yet You choose to hunger for the milk of Your mother.	48:12
	Oh God, the infinite,	48:17
	heaven and earth cannot contain You,	48:19
	yet You rest in the arms of Mary.	48:22
	Oh God, the perfect joy,	48:26
	You give us all happiness and heaven and earth,	48:29
	yet You cry like a tiny baby.	48:32
	Oh God, the eternal Word,	48:36
	You are the source of all wisdom,	48:39
	yet You sleep in the cattle's manger	48:42
	and cannot even speak.	48:45
	We pray this day, ever-living God,	48:48
	for all those who serve as living reminders	48:52
	of Your incarnation in our world,	48:55
	for all who give You a face	48:59
	by spreading Your love in the world,	49:01
	for all who give You hands by serving	49:04
	their brother and sister,	49:06
	for all who give You a mouth	49:09
	by defending the weak and the oppressed,	49:11
	for all who give You eyes by seeing	49:15
	the true worth of every man, woman, and child.	49:18
	We pray especially for those who know little joy	49:23
	on this day of joy, for those who are aged and alone,	49:27
	for those who are hungry and oppressed,	49:33
	for those who are poor and without hope,	49:37
	for those who have lost dear ones,	49:41
	especially the families of the victims	49:45
	of the Pan American Flight 103 crash,	49:47
	and for the congregation of Trinity United Methodist Church.	49:51
	We pray, oh ever-living God, that on this birthday	49:57
	of the Prince of Peace, Your peace might reign	50:01
	throughout the earth and that as the brokenness	50:05
	of the world is bound up, it may serve	50:08
	as a shining witness of Your healing love.	50:11
	This we ask for Thy Son's sake, amen.	50:16
	And now as we joyfully accept	50:22
	the gift of God's love for us,	50:25
	let us give of ourselves and our gifts to God.	50:27
	("I Wonder As I Wander")	50:35
	♪ I wonder as I wander ♪	51:23
	♪ Out under the sky ♪	51:30
	♪ Why Jesus the Savior ♪	51:36
	♪ Came down for to die ♪	51:42
	♪ For poor on'ry people ♪	51:48
	♪ Like you and like I ♪	51:54
	♪ I wonder as I wander ♪	52:00
	♪ Out under the sky ♪	52:10
	♪ When Mary birthed Jesus ♪	52:17
	♪ 'Twas in a cow's stall ♪	52:21
	♪ With shepherds and wise men ♪	52:26
	♪ And angels and all ♪	52:30
	♪ When out of God's heaven ♪	52:35
	♪ A star's light did fall ♪	52:39
	♪ And the promise of the ages ♪	52:44
	♪ We then did recall ♪	52:51
	♪ If Jesus had wanted ♪	52:58
	♪ For any wee thing ♪	53:01
	♪ A star in the sky ♪	53:05
	♪ Or a bird on the wing ♪	53:08
	♪ Or all of God's angels ♪	53:13
	♪ In heaven to sing ♪	53:17
	♪ He surely could have it ♪	53:22
	♪ For he was the King ♪	53:29
	♪ I wonder as I wander ♪	53:37
	♪ Out under the sky ♪	53:44
	♪ Why Jesus our Savior ♪	53:49
	♪ Did come for to die ♪	53:55
	♪ For poor on'ry people ♪	54:00
	♪ Like you and like I ♪	54:04
	♪ I wonder as I wander ♪	54:10
	♪ Out under the sky ♪	54:21
	("Angels We Have Heard on High")	54:29
	♪ Angels we have heard on high ♪	54:45
	♪ Sweetly singing over the plains ♪	54:51
	♪ And the mountains in reply ♪	54:55
	♪ Echoing their joyous strains ♪	55:00
	♪ Gloria ♪	55:05
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	55:14
	♪ Gloria ♪	55:18
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	55:27
	♪ Shepherds why this jubilee ♪	55:35
	♪ Why your joyous strains prolong ♪	55:40
	♪ What the gladsome tidings be ♪	55:45
	♪ Which inspire your heavenly song ♪	55:49
	♪ Gloria ♪	55:54
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	56:04
	♪ Gloria ♪	56:09
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	56:18
	♪ Come to Bethlehem to see ♪	56:37
	♪ Him whose birth the angels sing ♪	56:42
	♪ Come adore on bended knee ♪	56:47
	♪ Christ the Lord the newborn King ♪	56:52
	♪ Gloria ♪	56:57
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	57:07
	♪ Gloria ♪	57:12
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	57:21
	♪ See Him in a manger laid ♪	57:29
	♪ Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth ♪	57:34
	♪ Mary, Joseph, lend your aid ♪	57:39
	♪ With us sing our Savior's birth ♪	57:44
	♪ Gloria ♪	57:50
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	58:00
	♪ Gloria ♪	58:05
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	58:15
-	Most merciful God, we thank Thee	58:28
	for this season of love,	58:29
	for gifts given and gifts received,	58:32
	for family gatherings of those who live	58:35
	far and near, for the spirit of goodwill	58:37
	throughout the land, most especially,	58:40
	we thank Thee for our greatest	58:43
	and best gift, Jesus Christ our Lord,	58:45
	who took our common life upon Him	58:48
	that He might make us what He is.	58:50
	This we ask for Thy love's sake,	58:53
	our Father, who art	58:56
-	[Nancy And Congregation] in heaven,	58:58
	hallowed be Thy name.	58:59
	Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done	59:01
	on earth as it is in heaven.	59:04
	Give us this day our daily bread	59:06
	and forgive us our trespasses	59:09
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	59:11
	And lead us not into temptation,	59:14
	but deliver us from evil,	59:16
	for Thine is the kingdom, the power,	59:18
	and the glory forever, amen.	59:21
	("Joy to the World")	59:26
	♪ Joy to the world the Lord is come ♪	59:57
	♪ Let earth receive her King ♪	1:00:03
	♪ Let every heart ♪	1:00:07
	♪ Prepare Him room ♪	1:00:11
	♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪	1:00:14
	♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪	1:00:17
	♪ And heaven ♪	1:00:20
	♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪	1:00:22
	♪ Joy to the world, the Savior reigns ♪	1:00:28
	♪ Let men their songs employ ♪	1:00:35
	♪ While fields and floods ♪	1:00:40
	♪ Rocks, hills, and plains ♪	1:00:43
	♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪	1:00:46
	♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪	1:00:49
	♪ Repeat ♪	1:00:53
	♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪	1:00:54
	♪ No more let sins and sorrows grow ♪	1:01:02
	♪ Nor thorns infest the ground ♪	1:01:08
	♪ He comes to make His blessings flow ♪	1:01:14
	♪ Far as the curse is found ♪	1:01:20
	♪ Far as the curse is found ♪	1:01:24
	♪ Far as ♪	1:01:27
	♪ Far as the curse is found ♪	1:01:28
	♪ He rules the world with truth and grace ♪	1:01:36
	♪ And makes the nations prove ♪	1:01:42
	♪ The glories of His righteousness ♪	1:01:48
	♪ And wonders of His love ♪	1:01:54
	♪ And wonders of His love ♪	1:01:58
	♪ And wonders ♪	1:02:01
	♪ Wonders of His love ♪	1:02:03
-	And now may the grace of the Christ child	1:02:16
	of Bethlehem bless your life with the gifts	1:02:19
	of peace and joy this Christmas day	1:02:23
	and always, amen.	1:02:27
	(jubilant music)	1:02:41
Man	Bravo! (claps)	1:06:50
	Thank you so much you do, for everything,	1:06:52
	everything you do.	1:06:54
Man	Almost everything.	1:06:57

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "The Gifted" (December 25, 1988)

Description:

Sermon start time: 26:29. Sermon end time: 43:59.
In this Christmas Eve sermon, the preacher argues that God shows love and care to humanity by becoming a man and being identified with humanity. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “The faith that arises out of so strange a story as the birth in Bethlehem is training in the art of how to be a good receiver.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4cv4c639

Date:

December 25, 1988

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Christmas

Biblical Book:

Luke

Chapter and Verse:

Luke 2:1-14

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0113
ref8548_yte
uachapelsermaud
duke:321472
dcrmv001110
ark:/87924/r4cv4c639
8485e582-8929-48df-98f9-372dd19fe4ac

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Related Resources:

See below

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.

Sponsor:

Sponsor this Digital Collection

William H. Willimon - "The Gifted" (December 25, 1988)

Transcript

Item Info

Related Item

Duke University Archives