Nancy Ferree-Clark - "Hope in Christ" (April 9, 1989)

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	(reverential organ music)	0:00
-	Good morning, and welcome to this service of worship	2:15
	here at Duke University Chapel	2:17
	on this third Sunday of Easter.	2:19
	We are delighted to see each of you here,	2:21
	and we extend special greetings to those alumni	2:24
	who are returning for class reunions this weekend.	2:26
	We also extend greetings to those of you	2:29
	in our radio and television audiences.	2:31
	Our appreciation goes to the Reverend Doctor Paula Gilbert,	2:34
	assistant dean for planning and special projects	2:37
	at Duke Divinity School	2:39
	for serving as our presiding minister	2:41
	in this morning service.	2:43
	We also thank Mr. John Forlines,	2:44
	president of the class of 1939	2:46
	for serving as our lector today.	2:49
	This Friday and Saturday evening, you are invited	2:52
	to attend a performance by the José Limón Dance Company	2:55
	in concert with the Duke Chapel Choir	2:58
	and the Duke University Choral.	3:00
	These three groups will join forces	3:03
	in a performance of Kodály's Missa Brevis.	3:04
	Tickets are available at Page Box Office.	3:08
	Please note the remaining announcements	3:11
	as they are printed in your bulletins.	3:13
	And now let us continue our worship.	3:15
	♪ Beautiful ♪	3:19
	♪ Savior ♪	3:23
	♪ Lord ♪	3:28
	♪ Of all nations ♪	3:30
	♪ Son ♪	3:37
	♪ Of God ♪	3:39
	♪ And Son ♪	3:43
	♪ Of man ♪	3:47
	♪ Oh ♪	3:52
	♪ Glory ♪	3:54
	♪ And honor ♪	3:57
	♪ Praise, adoration ♪	4:03
	♪ Now and forevermore ♪	4:10
	♪ Be ♪	4:19
	♪ Thine ♪	4:23
	(grand organ music)	4:34
	♪ Sing praise to God ♪	5:16
	♪ Who reigns above ♪	5:19
	♪ The God of all creation ♪	5:22
	♪ The God of power ♪	5:28
	♪ The God of love ♪	5:31
	♪ The God of our salvation ♪	5:34
	♪ With healing balm ♪	5:40
	♪ My soul He fills ♪	5:43
	♪ And every faithless ♪	5:46
	♪ Murmur stills ♪	5:50
	♪ To God all praise ♪	5:53
	♪ And glory ♪	5:56
	♪ What God's almighty ♪	6:02
	♪ Power hath made ♪	6:06
	♪ His gracious mercy ♪	6:08
	♪ Keepeth ♪	6:12
	♪ By morning glow ♪	6:14
	♪ Or evening shade ♪	6:17
	♪ His watchful eye ♪	6:20
	♪ Never sleepeth ♪	6:24
	♪ Within the kingdom ♪	6:27
	♪ Of His might ♪	6:31
	♪ Lo, all is just ♪	6:33
	♪ And all is right ♪	6:36
	♪ To God all praise ♪	6:39
	♪ And glory ♪	6:42
	♪ The Lord is never ♪	6:48
	♪ Far away ♪	6:53
	♪ But through all grief distressing ♪	6:55
	♪ An ever-present ♪	7:01
	♪ Help and stay ♪	7:05
	♪ Our peace and joy and blessing ♪	7:07
	♪ As with a mother's ♪	7:13
	♪ Tender hand ♪	7:17
	♪ He leads His own ♪	7:19
	♪ His chosen band ♪	7:22
	♪ To God all praise ♪	7:26
	♪ And glory ♪	7:29
	♪ Thus all my toilsome ♪	7:35
	♪ Way along ♪	7:39
	♪ I sing aloud ♪	7:41
	♪ Thy praises ♪	7:44
	♪ That men may hear ♪	7:48
	♪ The grateful song ♪	7:51
	♪ My voice unwearied ♪	7:54
	♪ Raises ♪	7:58
	♪ Be joyful ♪	8:00
	♪ In the Lord ♪	8:02
	♪ My heart ♪	8:04
	♪ Both soul and body ♪	8:06
	♪ Bear your part ♪	8:10
	♪ To God all praise ♪	8:12
	♪ And glory ♪	8:15
	♪ All ye who name ♪	8:22
	♪ Christ's holy name ♪	8:25
	♪ Give God all praise ♪	8:28
	♪ And glory ♪	8:31
	♪ All ye who own ♪	8:35
	♪ His power, proclaim ♪	8:37
	♪ Aloud the wondrous ♪	8:40
	♪ Story ♪	8:44
	♪ Cast each false idol ♪	8:47
	♪ From its throne ♪	8:51
	♪ For God is love ♪	8:53
	♪ And He alone ♪	8:55
	♪ To God all praise ♪	8:59
	♪ And glory ♪	9:02
-	Let us pray.	9:12
	Oh God, who through the resurrection of Jesus Christ	9:15
	has freed us from the power of darkness	9:20
	and brought us into the Kingdom of your love,	9:22
	grant, we beseech Thee, that as by His death	9:26
	He has recalled us into life, so by His abiding presence	9:29
	He may bring us to the joys eternal.	9:34
	Through whom who for our sakes died and rose again	9:38
	and is ever with us in power,	9:42
	the same Jesus Christ our Lord.	9:44
	Amen.	9:48
-	Let us pray in unison, please.	10:04
	Open our hearts and minds, oh God,	10:08
	by the power of your Holy Spirit,	10:12
	so as the Word is read and proclaimed,	10:14
	we might hear with joy what you say to us this day.	10:18
	Amen.	10:24
	The first lesson	10:30
	is taken from Acts.	10:32
	But Saul, still breathing treats and murder	10:38
	against the disciples of the Lord,	10:41
	went to the high priest and asked for letters	10:44
	to the synagogues at Damascus	10:48
	so that if he found any belonging to the way,	10:52
	men or women,	10:56
	he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.	10:58
	Now as he journeyed, he approached Damascus,	11:04
	and suddenly a light flashed from Heaven,	11:09
	and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,	11:13
	"Saul.	11:19
	"Saul, why do you persecute me?"	11:20
	And he said, "Who are you, Lord?"	11:24
	And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.	11:28
	"But rise and enter the city,	11:33
	"and you will be told what you are to do."	11:36
	The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,	11:42
	hearing a voice but seeing no one.	11:47
	Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened,	11:52
	he could see nothing.	11:57
	So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus,	12:00
	and for three days, he was without sight	12:05
	and neither ate nor drank.	12:09
	Now, there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias.	12:13
	The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias."	12:19
	And he said, "Here I am, Lord."	12:23
	And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street	12:27
	"called Straight and inquire in the house of Judas	12:31
	"for a man of Tarsus named Saul.	12:37
	"For behold, he is praying,	12:40
	"and he has seen a man named Ananias	12:43
	"come in and lay his hands on him	12:47
	"so that he might regain his sight."	12:49
	But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many	12:55
	"about this man and how much evil he has done	12:58
	"to Thy saints at Jerusalem.	13:01
	"And here he has authority from the chief priests	13:05
	"to bind all who call upon Thy name."	13:08
	But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument	13:13
	"of mine, to carry my name before the Gentiles	13:18
	"and the kings and the children of Israel.	13:22
	"For I will show him how much he must suffer	13:27
	"for the sake of my name."	13:30
	So Ananias departed and entered the house,	13:34
	and laying his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul,	13:38
	"the Lord Jesus who appeared to you	13:44
	"on the road by which you came	13:47
	"has sent me that you might regain your sight	13:51
	"and be filled with the Holy Spirit."	13:55
	And immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes,	13:59
	and he regained his sight.	14:04
	Then he rose and was baptized	14:07
	and took food and was strengthened.	14:11
	For several days, he was with disciples at Damascus	14:15
	and in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus,	14:20
	saying,	14:25
	"He is the Son of God."	14:27
	This ends the reading of the first lesson.	14:32
-	Our psalter lesson this morning is selected verses	14:46
	taken from Psalm 30.	14:49
	Will you please stand and join me	14:51
	in the psalter reading for today?	14:53
	Sing praises to you, oh you saints of God,	15:00
	and give thanks to God's holy name.	15:04
	For God's anger is but for a moment,	15:07
	and God's favor is for a lifetime.	15:10
	Weeping may tarry for the night,	15:13
	but joy comes with the morning.	15:16
	As for me, I said in my prosperity,	15:19
	"I shall never be moved."	15:22
	By your favor, oh God,	15:25
	you had established me as a strong mountain.	15:27
	You hid your face; I was dismayed.	15:31
	To you, oh God, I cried, and to God I made supplication.	15:35
	What profit is there in my death if I go down to the pit?	15:40
	Will the dust praise you?	15:45
	Will it tell of your faithfulness?	15:47
	Hear, oh God, and be gracious to me.	15:50
	Oh God, be my helper.	15:53
	You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.	15:56
	You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness	16:00
	that my soul may praise you and not be silent.	16:05
	Oh Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.	16:09
	(solemn organ music)	16:15
	♪ Glory be ♪	16:23
	♪ To our Creator ♪	16:26
	♪ Praise to our ♪	16:30
	♪ Redeemer Lord ♪	16:34
	♪ Glory be ♪	16:38
	♪ To our Sustainer ♪	16:41
	♪ Ever three ♪	16:45
	♪ And ever one ♪	16:48
	♪ As it was ♪	16:53
	♪ In the beginning ♪	16:56
	♪ Now and evermore ♪	17:00
	♪ Shall be ♪	17:05
-	The second lesson is taken	17:23
	from the Revelation to Saint John the Divine.	17:25
	Then I looked, and I heard around the throne,	17:30
	and the living creatures and the elders,	17:34
	the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads	17:36
	and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,	17:42
	"Worthy is the Lamb who is slain	17:48
	"to receive power and wealth and wisdom	17:51
	"and might and honor	17:56
	"and glory and blessing."	17:59
	And I heard every creature in Heaven, and on earth,	18:03
	and under the earth, and in the sea, and all therein saying,	18:06
	"To the One who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb	18:12
	"be blessing, and honor, and glory, and might	18:17
	"forever and ever."	18:22
	And the four living creatures said, "Amen."	18:26
	And the elders fell down and worshiped.	18:30
	This ends the reading of the second lesson.	18:35
	(uplifting organ music)	18:39
	(choir sings)	19:11
-	Please stand for the reading of the Gospel.	26:06
	A reading from the Gospel according to Saint John.	26:18
	After this, Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples	26:24
	by the Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way.	26:27
	Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,	26:33
	Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee,	26:37
	and two others of His disciples were together.	26:40
	Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."	26:44
	They said to him, "We will go with you."	26:47
	They went out and got into the boat,	26:50
	but that night they caught nothing.	26:53
	Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach,	26:56
	yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.	26:59
	Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?"	27:03
	They answered Him, "No."	27:07
	He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat	27:09
	"and you will find some."	27:13
	So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in	27:15
	for the quantity of fish.	27:19
	That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter,	27:21
	"It is the Lord."	27:24
	When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,	27:26
	he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work,	27:28
	and sprang into the sea.	27:31
	But the other disciples came in the boat	27:34
	dragging the net full of fish,	27:36
	for they were not far from the land but about 100 yards off.	27:38
	When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there	27:43
	with fish lying on it and bread.	27:47
	Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish	27:50
	"that you have just caught."	27:53
	So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore,	27:55
	full of large fish, 153	27:58
	of them.	28:01
	And although there were so many, the net was not torn.	28:02
	Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."	28:06
	Now, none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are you?"	28:10
	They knew it was the Lord.	28:15
	Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them	28:17
	and so with the fish.	28:19
	This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed	28:21
	to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.	28:24
	When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,	28:29
	"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"	28:32
	He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."	28:37
	He said to him, "Feed my lambs."	28:42
	A second time He said to him,	28:45
	"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"	28:46
	He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."	28:50
	He said to him, "Tend my sheep."	28:54
	He said to him the third time,	28:57
	"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"	28:58
	Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,	29:02
	"Do you love me?"	29:05
	And he said to Him, "Lord, you know everything.	29:07
	"You know that I love you."	29:10
	Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.	29:12
	"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young,	29:16
	"you girded yourself and walked where you would,	29:19
	"but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands	29:23
	"and another will gird you and carry you	29:26
	"where you do not wish to go."	29:28
	This He said to show by what death he was to glorify God.	29:30
	And after this He said to him, "Follow me."	29:36
	This is the Word of the Lord.	29:41
	Please be seated.	29:44
	I once lived within a stone's throw of an abandoned house.	29:56
	In fact, it sat right on the edge of my own backyard.	30:01
	Any time I looked out my bedroom window,	30:06
	I couldn't help noticing that little gray cottage	30:08
	with blue shutters surrounded by a white picket fence	30:11
	with ruffled curtains still hanging at the windows.	30:15
	When I first moved to the neighborhood,	30:19
	I imagined that the owner might simply be away	30:20
	on an extended vacation, and that upon his or her return,	30:24
	I might make the acquaintance of a world traveler	30:28
	who could tell tales of exotic places and high adventure.	30:31
	But the longer I waited	30:36
	for this mysterious inhabitant to return,	30:37
	the clearer it became that this pleasant little abode,	30:40
	obviously once loved by someone, had been abandoned.	30:44
	And so it stood empty day in and day out,	30:49
	unkempt and unnoticed until someone finally broke in	30:53
	and ransacked everything.	30:57
	I always felt a little sad	31:00
	when I looked at this abandoned house,	31:01
	for what I imagined must have been filled with happy sounds	31:04
	and pleasant activity at one time was now only silent	31:08
	and disheveled.	31:12
	It seemed to embody an air of death, a form of hoplessness.	31:14
	Left to stand just as a shell of what was once good	31:19
	and life-giving and now was forgotten.	31:22
	This little house started me thinking	31:27
	about what it is that ever prompts us	31:28
	to leave behind something which once was precious to us.	31:31
	An abandoned house seems insignificant	31:36
	in comparison to an abandoned friend, an abandoned spouse,	31:39
	or worst of all, an abandoned child.	31:44
	Yet we hear of it so frequently	31:47
	as to almost accept it as the usual.	31:48
	Of course, we all assume that we could never do such a thing	31:51
	but then so did Peter.	31:57
	Simon Peter, son of John,	32:00
	renamed Cephas the Rock by Jesus the first time they met.	32:02
	At the time, Peter was a law-abiding middle-class citizen	32:07
	living with his wife in Capernaum,	32:11
	where they shared a house with his mother-in-law	32:13
	and his brother Andrew,	32:15
	and where he and Andrew were in business for themselves	32:16
	as fishermen.	32:19
	When Jesus named Peter the Rock, He said a lot about him.	32:21
	We all know that a rock isn't the prettiest thing	32:26
	in the world, or the most elegant, or even the smartest.	32:28
	If it gets rolling in the wrong direction, watch out.	32:32
	But once it settles down, it's pretty much there to stay.	32:36
	There's not a lot you can do to change a rock	32:41
	or improve its image, but barring an avalanche,	32:43
	you can depend on it	32:47
	about as much as you can depend on anything.	32:48
	Peter, the Rock.	32:51
	He had giving up fishing for fish	32:53
	and had started fishing for people,	32:56
	just as Jesus had instructed him to do.	32:58
	Understood in that context,	33:02
	today's Gospel lesson is especially poignant.	33:03
	It happened only a few days	33:07
	past the events of the upper room in Gethsemane	33:09
	when Jesus had told the disciples that He had a place to go	33:12
	where the disciples could not follow.	33:15
	But the Rock had defiantly replied,	33:18
	"Lord, why can't I follow you?	33:20
	"I will lay down my life for you."	33:22
	And it was only a few hours later	33:25
	that on three different occasions,	33:28
	Peter denied having any knowledge of who Jesus was.	33:29
	It's difficult for us to imagine	33:34
	just how anguished Peter must have felt	33:35
	when he heard the cock crow that bleak Good Friday morning.	33:38
	For him, it was not only the dawning of a new day	33:41
	but also of the realization that even he was capable	33:45
	of abandonment.	33:48
	All the emptiness, hopelessness,	33:51
	the feeling of being out of joint	33:54
	that accompany any act of desertion were now his to bear.	33:56
	No wonder Peter wanted to go fishing.	34:01
	He remembered it as somehow comfortable, like an old shoe,	34:03
	nonthreatening, secure.	34:07
	He could do it and do it well.	34:09
	And so in an attempt to get back on track,	34:11
	Peter immersed himself in familiar activity.	34:14
	The problem was,	34:17
	even the familiar things just weren't the same.	34:19
	There were no fish.	34:22
	At least, not until a stranger on the shore	34:24
	yelled out instructions to them to lower the net	34:27
	off the port beam, and they hauled in 153	34:30
	big ones.	34:34
	"It is the Lord," the beloved disciple whispered to Peter,	34:36
	and quicker than anyone could say,	34:39
	"But what about your clothes?"	34:41
	Peter jumped into the water with all of them on	34:43
	and headed for shore to greet the risen Lord.	34:45
	No amount of despair could overwhelm this boundless love	34:49
	which he felt for Christ.	34:53
	For whatever remorse over his earlier experience	34:55
	of abandonment may have lingered,	34:58
	Peter's hopelessness gave way to a genuine hope	35:00
	that was all the more real	35:04
	because of the places they both had been.	35:05
	This new hope in Christ was tangible and life-giving.	35:09
	And as a sign of what this hope represented,	35:13
	there stood Jesus before them,	35:16
	ready to serve breakfast, no less.	35:18
	Isn't it typical of Jesus	35:22
	to care for His followers in this way?	35:23
	I'm certainly grateful that Jesus never attempted	35:26
	to proclaim His Kingdom simply by words but with actions.	35:28
	He pointed to their gnawing, empty stomachs,	35:32
	and invited them to a meal.	35:36
	If there had been any doubt about the resurrection before	35:38
	among these disciples, there wasn't anything left	35:41
	in the minds of those disciples	35:45
	as they shared that bony fish and hard bread	35:46
	while huddling around a charcoal fire.	35:50
	This was indeed the Lord.	35:52
	In an experience as ordinary yet as important	35:55
	as sharing a meal,	35:58
	Jesus revealed to the disciples the manner	36:00
	in which He would continue to be present among them	36:02
	and to nourish them in their work,	36:05
	but He also showed them the way they were to minister	36:08
	to the needs of others.	36:10
	So Peter once again became the example	36:13
	by which the others could learn.	36:15
	After the meal was over, Jesus turned to Peter	36:18
	to ask a question.	36:20
	"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"	36:21
	And Peter said that he did.	36:24
	Then Jesus asked the same question a second time	36:27
	and a third time.	36:30
	"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"	36:32
	Each time, Peter said he loved him,	36:36
	though he was understandably grief-stricken	36:39
	by the last time that Jesus continued to ask this question.	36:41
	Each time, as Peter said he loved Him, Jesus then replied,	36:45
	"Feed my lambs; tend my sheep; feed my sheep."	36:50
	He concluded by reminding Peter	36:55
	that this would spell trouble,	36:57
	namely that he would die a martyr's death.	36:59
	Nevertheless, Jesus' final command was to follow Him.	37:02
	You get the feeling	37:07
	that Peter couldn't miss the point any longer.	37:08
	Just as he was hoping to forget	37:11
	about his earlier abandonment of Jesus at Gethsemane,	37:13
	he had to be asked three times,	37:16
	a mirror of his three denials, if he truly loved Jesus.	37:19
	"Yes, Lord, you know everything.	37:23
	"You know that I love you."	37:24
	What else could he say to prove it?	37:26
	Precisely.	37:30
	That was Jesus' point.	37:31
	Words, in and of themselves, don't tell the whole story.	37:33
	For all of one's ability to talk about commitment	37:37
	or even to elucidate fine points of theology,	37:41
	it's only in obedience that genuine faith is revealed.	37:44
	Anything less is an abandonment of God.	37:48
	Now, these are strong words for us to hear,	37:53
	especially in an academic community such as our own.	37:56
	Words are our lifeblood.	37:59
	One's verbal ability	38:02
	provides one of the most important standards	38:03
	by which we can measure competence.	38:05
	Can she write well?	38:08
	Is he articulate?	38:09
	Has she published?	38:11
	Are important questions for us.	38:13
	But not necessarily for Jesus.	38:15
	Rather, Jesus' fair warning to us as well as to Peter	38:18
	is that words simply aren't enough in the Kingdom of Heaven	38:22
	even when they are earnestly or eloquently proclaimed.	38:25
	The act of feeding a hungry lamb, as dirty, as thankless,	38:29
	even as dangerous as that might be,	38:35
	is a much clearer indication of one's love of God	38:38
	than a mere profession of faith	38:41
	when it is unaccompanied by such an act of mercy.	38:43
	To turn away from that need is just as great an act	38:47
	of abandonment as Peter's original denial of Christ	38:50
	in His darkest hour of need.	38:54
	On Tuesday night of this past week,	38:59
	students and faculty gathered here in the chapel	39:01
	for the annual Holocaust Remembrance service.	39:05
	This is part of an attempt to establish a time	39:08
	in our own liturgical calendar	39:10
	when the events of the Holocaust will be remembered	39:13
	by Christians, as the Jewish community does each year	39:15
	in the observance of Yom HaShoah.	39:18
	At this service, we heard the words of Elie Wiesel,	39:21
	the great voice of the Jew in the Western world,	39:24
	read by our rabbi to the Duke community.	39:27
	He said,	39:30
	"We need, above all, to be shaken out of our indifference,	39:32
	"the greatest source of danger in the world.	39:35
	"For remember, the opposite of love is not hate	39:38
	"but indifference.	39:42
	"The opposite of faith is not arrogance but indifference.	39:44
	"The opposite of art is not ugliness but indifference.	39:48
	"And the opposite of peace is indifference	39:53
	"to both peace and war,	39:56
	"indifference to hunger and persecution,	39:58
	"to imprisonment and humiliation,	40:01
	"to torture and persecution."	40:02
	It is painful for Christians to remember our own abandonment	40:05
	of the Jews when we failed to speak out sufficiently	40:09
	and stand against the evils of the Nazi regime.	40:12
	But as a part of our remembrance, we are instructed	40:16
	by stories of those faithful Christians	40:19
	who did not turn away.	40:22
	The city of Assisi, home of Saint Francis, as an example,	40:25
	turned itself into a place of clandestine refuge for Jews.	40:28
	Organized by a priest of peasant stock,	40:33
	Padre Rufino Niccacci, hundreds of Jews were hidden	40:36
	in the town's ancient monasteries and convents	40:40
	and provided with fake identity papers.	40:43
	The Germans raided the religious houses,	40:46
	searching for the Jewish refugees	40:48
	who were dressed in religious habits, given rosaries,	40:50
	and temporarily transformed into monks and nuns,	40:54
	piously saying their prayers.	40:58
	A small printing press in the town's pharmacy at night	41:01
	cranked out false documents which were then smuggled	41:03
	to Jewish survivors throughout Italy.	41:07
	In all 32,000 Italian Jews,	41:10
	representing 80% of Italian Jewry	41:13
	and thousands of foreign Jews, were hidden successfully	41:15
	by Christians, many in religious houses.	41:18
	Or there's the story of the Belgian family, the De Smets,	41:23
	who received a phone call from a convent in Brussels.	41:25
	"Were they willing to hide another Jewish child?"	41:29
	The caller asked.	41:32
	This particular convent had hidden 15 little Jewish girls	41:34
	until their hiding place was betrayed to the Gestapo.	41:38
	Just hours before the Gestapo's truck arrived	41:42
	to take the children to their death,	41:44
	the nuns had gotten word to the underground.	41:46
	The children had been hastily moved under cover of darkness	41:49
	and then placed in safe but temporary homes.	41:52
	Now, it was essential to find a permanent hiding place	41:56
	for each of them.	41:59
	These nuns knew that the De Smets, George, his wife Martha,	42:01
	and four children of their own	42:06
	were already hiding a three-year-old Jewish child, Regina.	42:08
	Nonetheless,	42:12
	they felt the De Smets would not turn them down,	42:13
	and they were right.	42:15
	At the risk of their own lives and those of their children,	42:17
	they took another three-year-old, Yvette,	42:20
	into their household,	42:21
	soon to be followed by an infant, Lillian.	42:23
	From that time on, the De Smets embarked on a course	42:26
	of active opposition to the Nazi's plan	42:29
	for extermination of all Jews.	42:32
	After the war, they refused all remuneration	42:35
	and asked only for the continued friendship	42:38
	of the families for whom they had risked their lives.	42:41
	"Feed my lambs; tend my sheep," said the Lord.	42:45
	I can relate to Peter's struggle.	42:51
	He knew the tension so very well between abandoning hope	42:53
	in Christ and risking his life to live it.	42:57
	Even though we stand 2,000 years on this side	43:02
	of Easter morning, and he stood in the middle of it,	43:05
	we are still united in our mission to feed every lamb	43:08
	and tend every sheep which the Lord God has made.	43:12
	Yes, Lord, we say that we love you.	43:17
	Now, let us show you.	43:20
	Amen.	43:23
	(worshipful organ music)	43:27
	♪ The King of love ♪	43:54
	♪ My Shepherd is ♪	43:56
	♪ Whose goodness faileth never ♪	43:59
	♪ I nothing lack ♪	44:05
	♪ If I am His ♪	44:08
	♪ And He is mine forever ♪	44:11
	♪ Where streams of living water ♪	44:20
	♪ Flow ♪	44:25
	♪ My ransomed soul He leadeth ♪	44:26
	♪ And where the verdant pastures ♪	44:32
	♪ Grow ♪	44:37
	♪ With food celestial feedeth ♪	44:38
	♪ Perverse and foolish ♪	44:47
	♪ Oft I strayed ♪	44:51
	♪ But yet in love ♪	44:53
	♪ He sought me ♪	44:56
	♪ And on His shoulder gently ♪	45:00
	♪ Laid ♪	45:05
	♪ And home rejoicing ♪	45:06
	♪ Brought me ♪	45:10
	♪ In death's dark vale ♪	45:15
	♪ I fear no ill ♪	45:18
	♪ With Thee, dear Lord ♪	45:22
	♪ Beside me ♪	45:25
	♪ Thy rod and staff ♪	45:28
	♪ My comfort still ♪	45:31
	♪ Thy Cross before ♪	45:34
	♪ To guide me ♪	45:38
	♪ Thou spreadest a table ♪	45:44
	♪ In my sight ♪	45:47
	♪ Thy unction grace bestoweth ♪	45:50
	♪ And oh, what transport ♪	45:56
	♪ Of delight ♪	46:00
	♪ From Thy pure chalice floweth ♪	46:03
	♪ And so through all ♪	46:12
	♪ The length of days ♪	46:16
	♪ Thy goodness faileth ♪	46:19
	♪ Never ♪	46:23
	♪ Good Shepherd ♪	46:26
	♪ May I sing Thy praise ♪	46:28
	♪ Within Thy house forever ♪	46:33
-	The Apostle's Creed is number 738	46:48
	in the back of your hymnal.	46:52
	Let us unite in this historic confession	46:55
	of the Christian faith.	46:58
	I believe in God the Father Almighty,	47:00
	maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Son,	47:03
	our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,	47:08
	born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,	47:13
	was crucified, dead, and was buried.	47:17
	The third day, He rose from the dead.	47:20
	He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand	47:23
	of God the Father Almighty.	47:27
	From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.	47:30
	I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church,	47:34
	the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,	47:38
	the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.	47:42
	Amen.	47:47
	The Lord be with you.	47:49
Congregation	And also be with you.	47:50
-	Let us pray.	47:52
	Almighty God who broke the power of sin and death	48:04
	in the resurrection of Jesus Christ,	48:09
	and who appeared as the risen Christ	48:12
	to the disciples so long ago,	48:14
	draw near and join Thyself to us	48:17
	and give us a knowledge of Thyself.	48:21
	Even as the disciples that morning by the Sea of Tiberias	48:25
	did not initially recognize Thee,	48:28
	even so be merciful to those	48:32
	who are slow of heart to believe	48:34
	and grant to them the eyes of faith.	48:37
	By the compassion with which,	48:41
	amid the joy of Thy resurrection,	48:43
	Thou didst seek them out who were caught up with concerns	48:46
	for daily food and work,	48:49
	so endow us with compassion for those who are hungry	48:52
	or in any need	48:56
	or who are imprisoned in their daily lives.	48:58
	By the patience with which beginning with Moses,	49:03
	Thou didst expound unto men and women all things	49:05
	concerning Thyself,	49:08
	open Thou the understanding of women and men today	49:11
	and grant to every seeking heart understanding and insight.	49:16
	Even as Thou didst kindle a fire on the seashore	49:23
	and didst kindle a fire in the hearts of the disciples,	49:26
	so inflame with devotion every heart	49:30
	that is not always burning with the love of Thee	49:33
	and consume with zeal those that those hast kindled.	49:36
	As Thou didst question Simon Peter	49:42
	concerning his love for Thee,	49:44
	even so question each of Thy children	49:46
	scattered across this land and world	49:49
	that none may forget that Thy love is meant	49:52
	to elicit love in us,	49:54
	love for Thee,	49:58
	love for Thy children near and far,	49:59
	and love for Thy whole creation.	50:02
	Even as Thou didst charge the disciples to tend	50:06
	and feed Thy sheep, so help us to hear in our day	50:09
	Thy charge to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry,	50:13
	to visit those in prison, and to comfort the afflicted.	50:17
	By the blessing wherewith Thou didst manifest Thyself	50:23
	to Thy disciples in the breaking of bread,	50:26
	let every act of Thine, whether of nature or of grace,	50:29
	be to us a sacrament, opening the eyes of our faith	50:34
	that we may know Thee, and in knowing, love and serve Thee	50:39
	faithfully in the world.	50:43
	In the name of the risen Christ we pray.	50:46
	Amen.	50:49
	Let us now worship God	50:52
	with the offering of ourselves and our gifts.	50:54
	(stately organ music)	50:58
	(choir sings)	51:34
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:03:43
	♪ Praise God, all creatures here below ♪	1:03:49
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:55
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:03:59
	♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly host ♪	1:04:03
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	1:04:09
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:14
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:18
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:21
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:24
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:27
	♪ Amen ♪	1:04:35
-	Let us pray.	1:04:47
	All that we have, we have of Thee,	1:04:50
	creator and preserver of humankind.	1:04:53
	Accept these gifts which we now bring before Thee	1:04:56
	and help us to make the whole of life an offering	1:05:00
	and every thought a prayer.	1:05:03
	We would seal this, our worship, in a renewed consecration	1:05:06
	of ourselves and our coming days to Thy service.	1:05:09
	Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lived and died	1:05:14
	and rose again, and who taught us to pray saying,	1:05:17
	Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.	1:05:21
	Thy Kingdom come.	1:05:27
	Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.	1:05:29
	Give us this day our daily bread	1:05:33
	and forgive us our trespasses	1:05:35
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:05:38
	And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.	1:05:42
	For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory,	1:05:46
	forever.	1:05:50
	Amen.	1:05:52
	(majestic organ music)	1:05:54
	♪ All praise to Thee ♪	1:06:31
	♪ For Thou, O King divine ♪	1:06:34
	♪ Didst yield the glory ♪	1:06:38
	♪ That of right was Thine ♪	1:06:44
	♪ That in our troubled ♪	1:06:48
	♪ Hearts ♪	1:06:52
	♪ Thy grace might shine ♪	1:06:53
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:06:56
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:07:01
	♪ Thou cam'st to us ♪	1:07:07
	♪ In lowliness of thought ♪	1:07:11
	♪ By Thee ♪	1:07:15
	♪ The outcast ♪	1:07:17
	♪ And the poor were sought ♪	1:07:20
	♪ And by Thy death ♪	1:07:25
	♪ Sas God's salvation wrought ♪	1:07:29
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:07:33
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:07:38
	♪ Let this mind be ♪	1:07:44
	♪ In us which was in Thee ♪	1:07:48
	♪ Who wast a servant ♪	1:07:52
	♪ That we might be free ♪	1:07:57
	♪ Humbling Thyself ♪	1:08:02
	♪ To death on Calvary ♪	1:08:06
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:08:10
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:08:15
	♪ Wherefore by God's ♪	1:08:21
	♪ Eternal purpose ♪	1:08:24
	♪ Thou ♪	1:08:27
	♪ Art exalted ♪	1:08:30
	♪ Over all creatures now ♪	1:08:34
	♪ And given the name ♪	1:08:39
	♪ To which all knees shall bow ♪	1:08:43
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:08:47
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:08:52
	♪ Let every tongue ♪	1:08:59
	♪ Confess with one accord ♪	1:09:02
	♪ In Heaven and earth ♪	1:09:07
	♪ That Jesus Christ is Lord ♪	1:09:12
	♪ And God eternal ♪	1:09:17
	♪ Be by all adored ♪	1:09:21
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:09:25
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:09:30
-	And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,	1:09:41
	the love of God, and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit	1:09:44
	be with you now and always.	1:09:48
	Amen.	1:09:51
	♪ Beautiful ♪	1:09:53
	♪ Savior ♪	1:09:57
	♪ Lord ♪	1:10:01
	♪ Of all nations ♪	1:10:03
	♪ Son ♪	1:10:10
	♪ Of God ♪	1:10:12
	♪ And Son ♪	1:10:16
	♪ Of man ♪	1:10:21
	♪ Oh ♪	1:10:25
	♪ Glory ♪	1:10:27
	♪ And honor ♪	1:10:30
	♪ Praise, adoration ♪	1:10:36
	♪ Now and forevermore ♪	1:10:43
	♪ Be ♪	1:10:51
	♪ Thine ♪	1:10:54
	♪ Now and forevermore ♪	1:10:58
	♪ Be ♪	1:11:13
	♪ Thine ♪	1:11:17
	(rousing organ music)	1:11:25

Item Info

Title:

Nancy Ferree-Clark - "Hope in Christ" (April 9, 1989)

Description:

Sermon start time: 29:56. Sermon end time: 43:24.
A proper and faithful response to Jesus' question of whether we love him is not primarily found in elegant, theological words. Rather, it is through faithful obedience to his command to feed his sheep that we demonstrate the truth of our love for him. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “Words, in and of themselves, don’t tell the whole story. For all of one’s ability to talk about commitment or even to elucidate fine points of theology, it’s only in obedience that genuine faith is revealed. Anything less is an abandonment of God.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4fq9qm2g

Date:

April 9, 1989

Speaker:

Ferree-Clark, Nancy

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0129
ref8600_pkq
uachapelsermaud
duke:321540
dcrmv001125
ark:/87924/r4fq9qm2g
e3cf6fee-4817-4922-b2dd-84f3b30caf9b

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

Unknown Rights-Holder

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