William H. Willimon - "Creation... To Be Continued" (June 6, 1993)

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	(organ playing)	0:00
-	Good morning and welcome to Duke Chapel.	1:08
	This is a very special day for us	1:11
	for a number of reasons.	1:13
	First of all, this is employee Sunday	1:15
	here at Duke University.	1:18
	It follows a weekend of activities	1:20
	recognizing Duke's many employees	1:22
	and the contributions they make to university and community	1:26
	throughout the year.	1:30
	This is also special because here in Durahm, here at Duke,	1:32
	this is cancer survivorship day.	1:36
	We welcome all of you who are visiting	1:40
	who are taking part in this program.	1:42
	Appropriately, our lector for the day	1:44
	is Dr. Bill Shingleton who is director emeritus	1:47
	of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.	1:51
	He will be reading the lessons for us today	1:56
	and we welcome you and wish you the best	1:59
	during your many activities this weekend.	2:02
	Please know that if you're a cancer survivor	2:05
	that prayers are regularly offered here in this chapel	2:08
	for healing and for the struggle against illnesses	2:11
	and we welcome you among us today.	2:17
	Also this weekend has been the choir alumni weekend.	2:20
	We've had a number of choir alumni back here,	2:24
	alumni from the class of 1935 on	2:26
	have been filling the chapel with music all weekend	2:30
	and they shall also lead us in worship today	2:34
	and we welcome all of our choir alumni back.	2:38
	After this weekend, our choral director,	2:41
	Dr. Rodney Wynkoop and our assistant, Donna Sparks,	2:44
	shall both be traveling to the Soviet Union	2:49
	with the Durham City Choral where they will be singing there	2:52
	and we wish them well.	2:57
	We're glad that you're here this morning.	2:59
	And now let us worship God.	3:00
	♪ Beautiful savior ♪	3:11
	♪ Lord of the nations ♪	3:15
	♪ Son of God and son of man ♪	3:22
	♪ Glory and honor ♪	3:36
	♪ Praise, adoration ♪	3:43
	♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪	3:50
	♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪	4:01
	(organ music)	4:24
	♪ All creatures of our God and King ♪	5:20
	♪ Lift up your voice and with us sing ♪	5:25
	♪ Oh praise him, alleluia ♪	5:32
	♪ Thou burning sun with golden beam ♪	5:40
	♪ Thou silver moon with softer gleam ♪	5:46
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	5:53
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	5:59
	(congregation singing)	6:15
	♪ Oh praise him, alleluia ♪	6:28
	(congregation singing)	6:36
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	6:48
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	6:55
	(congregation singing)	7:11
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	7:24
	(congregation singing)	7:32
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	7:45
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	7:52
	(congregation singing)	8:08
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	8:21
	(congregation singing)	8:29
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	8:42
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	8:49
	(congregation singing)	9:05
	♪ Oh praise him, alleluia ♪	9:19
	(congregation singing)	9:28
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	9:42
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	9:47
	(congregation singing)	10:03
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	10:21
	(congregation singing)	10:26
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	10:38
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	10:45
	(organ playing)	10:59
	♪ Let all things their creator bless ♪	11:13
	♪ And worship him in humbleness ♪	11:20
	♪ Oh praise him, alleluia ♪	11:26
	♪ Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son ♪	11:35
	♪ And praise the Spirit, three in one ♪	11:42
	♪ Oh praise him, oh praise him ♪	11:49
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	11:56
-	Oh weaver woman God, you've rooted	12:20
	over the face of the deep	12:23
	and gave birth to a magnificent creation.	12:25
	Help us, your children created in your own image,	12:29
	to see your goodness in all things and in all people.	12:34
	May confidence that you abide with us	12:39
	develop our capacity to listen to you and to one another,	12:42
	to live in peace and to welcome opportunities	12:46
	to minister in your world, amen.	12:49
	You may be seated.	12:54
-	Let us pray together the prayer of illumination.	13:06
-	[William And Congregation] Open our hearts and minds,	13:11
	oh God, by the power of your Holy Spirit	13:13
	so that as the words are read and proclaimed,	13:17
	we may hear your message with joy this day, amen.	13:22
-	This reading, from the first two chapters of Genesis	13:29
	tell the story of the creation.	13:32
	In the beginning, when God created	13:36
	the heavens and the earth,	13:38
	the earth was formless, void, and darkness	13:40
	covered the face of the deep.	13:43
	While a wind from God swept over the face of the water.	13:45
	Then God said, "Let there be light."	13:49
	And there was light	13:54
	and God saw that the light was good,	13:56
	and God separated the light from the darkness.	13:59
	God called the light day, and the darkness he called night.	14:03
	And there was evening, and there was morning the first day.	14:08
	And God said, "Let there be a dome	14:13
	"in the midst of the waters	14:16
	"and let it separate the water from the water."	14:18
	So God made the dome and separated the waters	14:22
	that were under the dome from the waters	14:24
	from that above the dome, and it was so.	14:28
	God called the dome sky and there was evening,	14:32
	and there was morning the second day.	14:35
	And God said, "Let the waters under the sky	14:39
	"be gathered together into one place,	14:42
	"and let dry land appear," and it was so.	14:46
	God called the dry land earth,	14:50
	and the waters that were gathered together he called seas.	14:53
	And God saw that it was good.	14:57
	Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation plants,	15:00
	"yielding seeds and fruit trees of every kind	15:05
	"on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it,"	15:08
	and it was so.	15:12
	The earth brought forth vegetation,	15:14
	plants yielding seeds of every kind,	15:17
	and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it.	15:20
	And God saw that it was good.	15:24
	And there was evening, and there was morning the third day.	15:27
	And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky	15:32
	"to separate the day from the night.	15:35
	"And let them be for signs and for seasons,	15:38
	"and for days and years, and let them be lights	15:42
	"in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth."	15:46
	And it was so.	15:50
	God made the two great lights,	15:52
	the greater light to rule the day	15:55
	and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars.	15:57
	God set them in the dome of the sky	16:01
	to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day	16:04
	and over the night, and to separate the light	16:07
	from the darkness.	16:10
	And God saw that it was good.	16:12
	There was evening, and there was morning the fourth day.	16:15
	And God said, "Let the waters bring forth	16:19
	"swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly	16:21
	"above the earth across the dome of the sky."	16:24
	So God created the great monsters	16:27
	and every living creature that moves of every kind	16:30
	with which the water swarmed	16:34
	and every winged bird of every kind.	16:36
	And God saw that it was good.	16:40
	God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply	16:42
	"and fill the waters and the seas,	16:46
	"and let birds multiply on the earth."	16:48
	And there was evening, and there was morning the fifth day.	16:50
	And God said, "Let the earth bring forth	16:54
	"living creatures of every kind,	16:57
	"cattle and creeping things and wild animals	16:59
	"of the earth of every kind," and it was so.	17:02
	God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind	17:06
	and the cattle of every kind,	17:09
	and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind	17:12
	and God saw that it was good.	17:15
	Then God said, "Let us make man, humankind in our image,	17:18
	"according to our likeness,	17:23
	"and let them have dominion over the fish in the sea,	17:26
	"and over the birds in the air, and over the cattle	17:28
	"and over all the wild animals of the earth,	17:32
	"and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."	17:35
	So God created humankind in his image,	17:40
	in the image of God he created them.	17:44
	Male and female he created them.	17:48
	God blessed them and God said to them,	17:51
	"Be fruitful and multiply,	17:55
	"and fill the earth and subdue it."	17:57
	"And have dominion over the fish in the sea	17:59
	"and over the birds of the air	18:02
	"and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."	18:04
	God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed	18:08
	"that is upon the face of the earth	18:12
	"and every tree with seed and fruit,	18:15
	"you shall have them for food.	18:18
	"And to every beast of the earth	18:21
	"and to every bird of the air	18:22
	"and to everything that creeps on the earth,	18:24
	"everything that has the breath of life,	18:29
	"I have given evergreen plants for food," and it was so.	18:32
	God saw everything that he had made	18:36
	and indeed it was very good.	18:39
	And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day.	18:42
	Thus the heavens and the earth were finished	18:47
	in all of their multitude.	18:49
	And on the seventh day God finished the work	18:51
	that he had done and he rested on the seventh day	18:54
	from all of the work that he had done.	18:58
	So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it	19:00
	because on it God rested	19:05
	from all the work that he had done in creation.	19:07
	This is the word of the Lord.	19:10
-	[William And Congregation] Thanks be to God.	19:13
	(organ playing)	19:34
	(choir singing)	19:42
-	Today's Psalm is number 46 verses one through seven	22:54
	found on page 780 in the hymnal.	22:57
	Please stand and sing the psalm and the Gloria responsively.	23:00
	(organ playing)	23:06
	♪ God is our refuge and strength ♪	23:13
	♪ A very present help in trouble ♪	23:17
	♪ Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way ♪	23:21
	♪ And the mountains fall into the sea ♪	23:28
	♪ Though its waters roar and foam ♪	23:34
	♪ Though the mountains tremble with its tumult ♪	23:38
	♪ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God ♪	23:43
	♪ The holy place where the most high dwells ♪	23:50
	♪ God is in the midst of the city which shall not be moved ♪	23:57
	♪ God will help it at the dawn of the day ♪	24:02
	♪ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall ♪	24:07
	♪ God lifts his voice, the earth melts ♪	24:13
	♪ The Lord of hosts is with us ♪	24:19
	♪ The God of Jacob is our fortress ♪	24:23
	♪ All glory be to you, creator ♪	24:28
	♪ And to Jesus Christ our savior ♪	24:32
	(congregation singing)	24:36
	♪ As it was ere time began ♪	24:42
	♪ Is now and will be forevermore ♪	24:47
-	This reading is from the 28th chapter	25:14
	of the gospel according to St. Matthew,	25:17
	beginning with the 16th verse.	25:19
	Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee	25:23
	to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.	25:26
	When they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.	25:31
	And Jesus came and said to them,	25:37
	"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.	25:40
	"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,	25:45
	"baptizing them in the name of the Father	25:49
	"and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,	25:52
	"and teaching them to obey everything	25:55
	"that I have commanded you."	25:57
	"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."	25:59
	This is the word of the Lord.	26:05
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	26:07
	(choir singing)	26:27
	♪ Alleluia ♪	29:15
	♪ Amen ♪	29:40
	♪ Amen ♪	29:46
	♪ Amen ♪	29:58
	♪ Amen ♪	30:18
-	It was in a seminary preaching class,	30:50
	we had asked the students to preach a sermon	30:54
	from one of the first chapters of the book of Genesis.	30:59
	He was from the Midwest, quiet, unassuming,	31:04
	never opened his mouth in class	31:08
	and he chose to preach from Genesis seven.	31:11
	He began his sermon by reading the text that we read today	31:15
	from Genesis one, then he read from Genesis seven	31:19
	the story of the great flood and Noah.	31:23
	Reading in monotone,	31:28
	in a voice so low we could hardly hear him,	31:30
	the story of how after creation,	31:33
	not long after God's creation of the world,	31:37
	the rain came down and the waters rose,	31:40
	immeasurably rose until life was snuffed out	31:42
	of every living thing.	31:46
	Then, he began to preach	31:51
	and his sermon was a story.	31:54
	He told about how the summer before	31:57
	he had had a job as a counselor at an exclusive camp	31:59
	up in the Michigan woods	32:03
	and there at the camp he had gotten to know	32:06
	another college student,	32:08
	a young man who he realized was a kindred spirit.	32:10
	So much so that they used to take,	32:16
	after their chores were done at the camp,	32:18
	they would take these long walks in the woods,	32:20
	in the woods where the flowers were blooming	32:23
	and the dark canopy of green over them	32:27
	and they shared things and sometimes they would just walk,	32:30
	not needing to talk, such close spirits were they.	32:34
	He painted for us a, a primal image	32:39
	of, of, of a, of an Eden,	32:43
	of an Arcadia that was lush and green and beautiful	32:47
	as these two people walked and talked.	32:51
	But I thought to myself, well, that's all fine	32:56
	but what does that have to do with the scripture?	32:59
	Then he said,	33:02
	"One week,	33:04
	"I was invited to my friend's house,	33:07
	"and we went and it was a little farm house,	33:11
	"white frame, white picket fence around it,	33:13
	"white barn out back, an idyllic-looking picture also."	33:16
	And after dinner his friend said to him,	33:22
	"I've discussed something with my parents	33:28
	"and they've given me permission to share with you	33:30
	"something that means a lot to us	33:33
	"since we've become such good friends."	33:35
	And he took him out behind the farmhouse	33:39
	and out to the barn out back	33:41
	and they pushed open the big barn door	33:42
	and late afternoon sunlight	33:45
	revealed inside the barn	33:48
	stacks of books,	33:52
	and there were posters,	33:57
	and there were signs,	33:59
	pictures of Hitler,	34:03
	posters with swastikas on them, stacks of hate literature	34:06
	about Jews and about blacks.	34:11
	And,	34:14
	the student stood there paralyzed.	34:17
	And as his friend took one of the automatic weapons there	34:20
	and pulled back open its chamber he said,	34:24
	"We're storing these weapons here	34:27
	"for the coming revolution when we plan	34:29
	"to take this country back from the Jews and the [N-Word]."	34:31
	And he said it was just like	34:38
	the waters surged forth	34:42
	and they rose higher until they obliterated	34:46
	every living thing.	34:50
	The veil between creation and chaos was drawn back	34:55
	and the chaos surged forth.	35:01
	In the beginning, Genesis says,	35:08
	the earth was a formless void	35:10
	and darkness was over the face of the deep.	35:12
	And in Genesis, this word which is translated	35:16
	"formless void" in Hebrew is the	35:19
	(speaking foreign language) "chaos",	35:23
	that nothing beneath the something,	35:28
	even if you don't speak Hebrew,	35:32
	you already know what this word means,	35:34
	(speaking in a foreign language).	35:36
	Even the word sounds chaotic, forbidding,	35:38
	distorted, muddled.	35:42
	There was nothing but this (speaking in a foreign language)	35:44
	until there was God.	35:48
	God breathed over this dismal, swirling nothingness,	35:51
	this (speaking in a foreign language).	35:57
	God spoke, there was light, it was good.	36:00
	God separated the waters from the earth,	36:03
	there was dry land and it was good.	36:06
	And the land brought forth plants and fruits	36:08
	and just swarmed with living creatures.	36:11
	And then God made humanity and let humanity share	36:14
	in the tending of this good garden.	36:17
	And then God gave us a day of rest, the Sabbath	36:20
	so that we might gather and tell this ancient story	36:24
	of how, in the primal days of creation,	36:28
	God brought forth from this seething, bubbling mass	36:31
	the (speaking in a foreign language),	36:35
	God brought forth creation.	36:36
	But as you know, if you've ever heard this story before,	36:42
	you know that was not the end of the story.	36:45
	No, man and woman are given care of this good garden	36:48
	but we weren't satisfied to be creatures.	36:52
	We wanted to be like gods.	36:54
	And so we are expelled from the garden	36:57
	and we wander in a rocky, dusty world	37:00
	of thistles and briars and it's	37:04
	the (speaking in a foreign language) all over again.	37:07
	And a few chapters later humanity's become so rebellious	37:11
	it makes God wish he'd never	37:16
	even gotten into the creation business.	37:18
	And the rains come down and the waters come up	37:21
	and the (speaking in a foreign language)	37:23
	just surges forth and the waters rise, inextricably rise	37:25
	until they snuff out every living thing.	37:29
	I think this is saying that God's creation	37:35
	is decisive but it is not conclusive.	37:38
	Chaos, the (speaking in a foreign language),	37:44
	is pushed back, it's contained, it's formed	37:48
	but it is not destroyed.	37:50
	This is not creation ex-nihilo of the theologians.	37:54
	It's not creation out of nothing,	37:58
	it's creation out of something that feels like nothing,	38:00
	the (speaking in a foreign language).	38:04
	Out of this formless, dark void	38:07
	God creates something beautiful and ordered.	38:09
	But it is something which always threatens	38:16
	to bubble back up to the surface on some June afternoon	38:18
	back behind a well-ordered, nice little white,	38:22
	fenced in farm house when the door to to barn is opened	38:25
	and the (speaking in a foreign language) gushes forth	38:31
	and life is in peril.	38:35
	I think Genesis is attempting to talk about	38:40
	those times in your life	38:44
	when you're going along on some pleasant, sunny June day	38:48
	and then when your world is in order	38:52
	and things are as they should be	38:55
	and then the telephone rings	38:59
	and there's this official voice which says,	39:00
	"I'm sorry, I've got some bad news for you."	39:07
	Now how does that moment feel?	39:13
	Remember, how does it feel?	39:16
	You're paralyzed, you're in shock,	39:20
	you put back the phone on the, down the receiver	39:21
	and you, you stagger, you look out the window.	39:24
	And suddenly the world has been transformed.	39:28
	It's no longer a bright, sunny day in June.	39:30
	What once seemed an ordered, idyllic world	39:35
	is slowly sinking in the (speaking in a foreign language).	39:39
	How could the creation which seemed so good	39:43
	just five minutes ago	39:46
	seem such chaos?	39:50
	The (speaking in a foreign language)	39:55
	is only one phone call away from each of us.	39:56
	I think this is a story in Genesis about that.	40:01
	Here's how scholars think	40:05
	we got this first chapter of Genesis.	40:06
	We believe that this story about how God created the world	40:10
	out of the, the chaos and the formless void,	40:13
	the (speaking in a foreign language),	40:17
	this story we believe dates from about	40:18
	the Sixth Century B.C.	40:21
	Israel, having once been established in the Promised Land,	40:22
	has become the victims of these hoards	40:26
	that have swept through and burned and pillaged their cities	40:28
	and taken their people and shipped them off into exile.	40:31
	It was Bosnia, it was Serbia, it was Somalia.	40:36
	It was social economic (foreign language)	40:41
	sixth century B.C.,	40:45
	and to those for whom their world was literally	40:48
	falling apart, Genesis told this story	40:51
	of how God did wrestle with the	40:54
	(foreign language) and made something out of nothing.	40:56
	In Sarajevo, the site of the Olympics,	41:04
	the TV showed a man who just a year before	41:07
	had been an attorney.	41:12
	And this man was down on his knees	41:14
	ripping apart a little shrub.	41:16
	It was growing in front of the ruins	41:19
	of what used to be a multi-million dollar tourist hotel.	41:20
	And he was ripping apart this little shrub	41:25
	just to get some twigs to try	41:27
	to keep his family warm for one night.	41:29
	Oh, we're taught to call it civil unrest	41:33
	of the results of a failure of international negotiations,	41:37
	Genesis names it (speaking in a foreign language).	41:40
	We're talking about those times	41:46
	like when the prophet Jeremiah says	41:48
	that he looked upon the world	41:52
	and disaster overtakes disaster.	41:53
	The land is laid waste.	41:55
	"I looked upon the earth and lo, it was,"	41:57
	the Hebrew word (speaking in a foreign language).	42:00
	Cancer, I read recently,	42:08
	cancer is basically the normal reproductive processes	42:14
	of the body gone crazy for some inexplicable reason.	42:18
	Normal cells go crazy,	42:24
	normal cellular checks and balances malfunction	42:26
	and the destruction begins.	42:31
	Your doctor called it melanoma,	42:35
	Genesis names it (speaking in a foreign language).	42:40
	After your annual physical, you know,	42:48
	the one that is always so hard to work into your schedule,	42:50
	you come home, the phone rings,	42:54
	the doctor says, "A little something showed up	42:56
	"in the blood work, nothing over which to be alarmed.	42:59
	"But could you come in first thing tomorrow morning?"	43:04
	And though your doctor shows a studied lack of alarm,	43:10
	you can smell it, you can smell it creeping up	43:15
	through the planks in the floor,	43:18
	the silent rumbling underneath.	43:20
	And what began as a normal, orderly day,	43:23
	it is the dreaded (speaking in a foreign language).	43:30
	How can a day that seems so definite and orderly,	43:35
	such a clockwork, cause effect universe,	43:40
	begin to malfunction as gears grind	43:45
	and things fall apart and we are impressed	43:48
	with the utter fragility of it all?	43:50
	In moments like that,	43:54
	when the earth shakes and mountains crumble	43:58
	and chaos bubbles forth, we are rendered	44:00
	into vulnerable, fragile children	44:04
	and it's in times like this that,	44:10
	as children we ought to turn to a story	44:12
	that we learned in childhood by heart as children,	44:14
	the story of the day when there was nothing	44:19
	but the (speaking in a foreign language).	44:21
	But God created the heavens and the earth	44:23
	and the earth was just a formless void	44:25
	and darkness was upon the face of the deep.	44:27
	And God said, "Let there be light,"	44:30
	and there was and it was good.	44:31
	And did you know that this, in the beginning	44:38
	when God created the heavens and the earth	44:40
	can also be rendered, when God began creating	44:43
	the heavens and the earth?	44:48
	When God began creating, in other words,	44:50
	it can also be rendered that creation	44:55
	is not something that is fixed,	44:57
	finished a billion years back like Carl Sagan says.	44:59
	No, creation is just going on now.	45:03
	It is right here, God never stops being creative,	45:05
	never stops wrestling	45:09
	with the (speaking in a foreign language).	45:11
	Keeps bringing creation out of chaos.	45:13
	Jews in exile having lost everything they had,	45:18
	having had the whole world pull lose,	45:22
	needed to be reminded that God was still God,	45:24
	still battling chaos in all of its forms, still wrestling	45:29
	with the dark (speaking in a foreign language).	45:33
	And therefore this story was told.	45:36
	And I'm saying this morning that you need to be reminded,	45:39
	you, almost breathing easy again	45:44
	after your fourth successive good report	45:46
	since your cancer surgery,	45:48
	you on whom the sun shines this June day,	45:52
	but for whom darkness is only a telephone call away.	45:57
	You need to hear the message of God's continuing creativity.	46:03
	That this earth, your life would degenerate	46:09
	into a watery abyss if it not for the good God.	46:13
	And the good news is, God didn't just create the world	46:17
	and then walk off and leave it like a clock.	46:21
	God continues to create, it's still going on	46:25
	in your life and mine	46:28
	and the (speaking in a foreign language)	46:30
	is no match for a living God.	46:32
	Here is a story that says in all days in your life,	46:34
	whether they be sunny or dark,	46:38
	we should be able to sing with the psalmist,	46:42
	God is our refuge and strength,	46:45
	a very present help in time of trouble.	46:48
	Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,	46:51
	though mountains shake into the heart of the sea,	46:54
	though waters roar and foam,	46:57
	though mountains tremble,	47:00
	the Lord of hosts is with us.	47:02
	As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,	47:06
	Amen.	47:12
	(organ music)	47:16
	(congregation singing)	47:57
-	The Lord be with you.	51:07
Congregation	And also with you.	51:09
-	Let us pray.	51:10
	Almighty God, the Alpha and the Omega,	51:24
	mysterious indeed is this vast universe	51:27
	into which you have ushered us.	51:32
	As you brooded over the face of the deep,	51:36
	you overwhelmed darkness with light	51:38
	and brought order out of chaos.	51:41
	We stand in awe before your power	51:44
	which is beyond our ability to measure.	51:47
	Yet even as we fail to comprehend	51:51
	the magnitude of your glory,	51:53
	we acknowledge you have known us and loved us	51:55
	since you knit us together in our mothers' wombs.	52:01
	Therefore we lift these prayers unto you,	52:05
	trusting in your power to prevail over chaos	52:08
	in its myriad forms.	52:13
	Most gracious God, you call us into the church	52:15
	that with women and men of different races,	52:20
	color, language, experiences and traditions,	52:24
	we may be one body to the glory of Christ on earth.	52:28
	Inspire our witness to him, that all may know	52:32
	the power of his forgiveness	52:36
	and the hope of his resurrection.	52:38
	Let the church always be faithful, oh God.	52:40
	Lord, in your mercy.	52:45
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Hear our prayer.	52:46
-	Let us pray for peace in our world.	52:50
	Disarm weapons and silence ancient hate	52:52
	that smolders around the globe.	52:57
	Create goodwill among every nation, religion, and race	52:59
	and enlighten the leaders of our world governments	53:04
	with a vision for living together in harmony.	53:07
	Bring peace to earth, oh God.	53:10
	Lord, in your mercy.	53:13
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Hear our prayer.	53:15
-	Let us pray for those who have survived	53:18
	or continue to battle life-threatening illness.	53:20
	Strengthen them in their times of weakness,	53:24
	encourage them in their times of doubt.	53:27
	Especially we pray for cancer survivors	53:30
	gathered here for worship this day.	53:33
	Open their eyes to the beauty	53:37
	of your creation which surrounds us,	53:38
	that every day might be a day	53:41
	of thanksgiving for your loving care.	53:43
	Care for those who turn to you for help, oh God.	53:45
	Lord in your mercy.	53:50
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Hear our prayer.	53:51
-	Let us pray for the dying who face the final mystery.	53:54
	May they enjoy light and life intensely.	53:58
	Preserve their dignity and greet death unafraid.	54:03
	Have mercy on the dying, oh God.	54:08
	Lord in your mercy.	54:11
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Hear our prayer.	54:13
-	Let us pray for all who labor.	54:16
	Grant a sense of fulfillment to any who feel empty,	54:19
	frustrated, or alone.	54:22
	We pray for those whose work has ended by retirement,	54:25
	illness, or other circumstances.	54:29
	And for those who are unable to find employment	54:31
	due to lack of opportunity.	54:34
	Today we pray in thanksgiving	54:36
	especially for all employees of Duke University,	54:38
	that their contributions may be duly recognized	54:41
	and rewarded.	54:44
	Give us meaningful work, oh God.	54:47
	Lord, in your mercy.	54:50
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Hear our prayer.	54:51
-	Let us pray for all who bear witness to their faith	54:54
	through artistic expressions,	54:58
	especially as we worship you through music	55:00
	in this holy place.	55:03
	We thank you for those students, faculty,	55:05
	and community members who have given freely of their talents	55:08
	to glorify you as members of our chapel choir.	55:12
	Through their offerings, may we be restored	55:16
	to the hope of perfection which will be ours	55:19
	as we stand before your glory.	55:21
	Bless those who witness to your greatness	55:24
	through music, oh God.	55:27
	Lord in your mercy.	55:29
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Hear our prayer.	55:31
-	All these things and whatever else you see that we need,	55:33
	grant us oh God, for the sake of him who died and rose again	55:37
	and now lives and reigns with you	55:43
	in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.	55:44
	(organ playing)	56:13
	(choir singing)	56:19
	God has created a beautiful world	58:31
	and entrusted it to our care.	58:33
	Therefore let us offer the gifts of our life and our labor	58:36
	unto the Lord with thanksgiving.	58:39
	(organ playing)	58:44
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	58:52
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	58:54
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	58:56
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	59:01
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	59:03
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	59:05
	♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪	59:10
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	59:17
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	59:21
	♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪	59:23
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	59:29
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	59:33
	♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪	59:36
	♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪	59:42
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	59:50
	♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪	59:54
	♪ And He shall reign forever Jesus shall reign forever ♪	1:00:14
	♪ And He shall reign forever ♪	1:00:23
	♪ And He shall reign forever ♪	1:00:30
	♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪	1:00:35
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:00:41
	♪ He shall reign ♪	1:00:48
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:00:50
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:00:54
	♪ He shall reign ♪	1:00:57
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:00:58
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:01:01
	♪ King of kings ♪	1:01:03
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:05
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:01:08
	♪ And Lord of Lords ♪	1:01:10
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:13
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:15
	♪ King of kings ♪	1:01:18
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:19
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:22
	♪ King of kings ♪	1:01:24
	♪ And Lord of Lords ♪	1:01:27
	♪ He shall reign ♪	1:01:32
	♪ He shall reign ♪	1:01:34
	♪ He shall reign forever ♪	1:01:37
	♪ King of kings ♪	1:01:44
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:46
	♪ And Lord of Lords ♪	1:01:48
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:01:51
	♪ King of kings and Lord of Lords ♪	1:01:53
	♪ King of kings and Lord of Lords ♪	1:02:01
	♪ King of kings and Lord of Lords ♪	1:02:06
	♪ And he shall reign forever ♪	1:02:10
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:17
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:20
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:22
	♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪	1:02:24
	♪ Hallelujah ♪	1:02:29
	(organ playing)	1:02:47
	(congregation singing)	1:03:53
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:04:04
	(congregation singing)	1:04:12
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:04:28
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:04:32
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:04:39
-	Eternal God, creator of the universe,	1:04:53
	you have called the world into being	1:04:56
	and the creatures which inhabit it	1:04:58
	and you have pronounced it good.	1:05:01
	So we pray that we too	1:05:03
	may acknowledge the goodness of your world	1:05:05
	and learn to cherish it as a divine gift from you.	1:05:08
	We thank you for your entire creation	1:05:12
	and for the opportunities for service which it affords us,	1:05:15
	singing hallelujah, king of kings and Lord of Lords,	1:05:19
	accept these gifts as signs of our gratitude	1:05:23
	and our endless longing for you.	1:05:26
	This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ,	1:05:30
	who taught us to pray with confidence.	1:05:32
-	[Speaker And Congregation] Our Father	1:05:35
	who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.	1:05:36
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done	1:05:40
	on earth as it is in heaven.	1:05:43
	Give us this day our daily bread	1:05:46
	and forgive us our trespasses	1:05:48
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:05:50
	And lead us not into temptation	1:05:54
	but deliver us from evil.	1:05:56
	For thine is the kingdom, the power,	1:05:59
	and the glory forever, amen.	1:06:02
	(organ playing)	1:06:08
	(congregation singing)	1:06:44
-	May the grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ,	1:10:11
	the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit	1:10:15
	be with you now and always.	1:10:17
	♪ Amen ♪	1:10:24
	♪ Amen ♪	1:10:30
	♪ Amen ♪	1:10:35
	♪ Amen ♪	1:10:46
	♪ Amen ♪	1:10:51
	♪ Amen ♪	1:10:59
	♪ Amen ♪	1:11:16
	(organ playing)	1:11:40

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "Creation... To Be Continued" (June 6, 1993)

Description:

Sermon start time: 30:50. Sermon end time: 47:16.
From the creation story and the flood story, the preacher concludes that God always creates order and something beautiful out of chaos; likewise, salvation and redemption can also happen in the midst of suffering. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4891258z

Date:

June 6, 1993

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Biblical Book:

Genesis

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0322
ref9265_cq9
uachapelsermaud
duke:321651
dcrmv001308
ark:/87924/r4891258z
e722ab3f-127d-4910-8880-6c66addbe250

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

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

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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William H. Willimon - "Creation... To Be Continued" (June 6, 1993)

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Duke University Archives