William H. Willimon - "Day of Joy, Day of Fear" (December 26, 1993)

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-	A joyous Christmas to you all.	0:09
	We've been led in worship by our guests,	0:12
	Ensemble the Crown Chamber Brass.	0:14
	Presiding in today's service will be	0:18
	the Reverend Nancy Ferree-Clark,	0:20
	the pastor of the congregation at Duke Chapel	0:23
	and our elector is Kelly Sprinkle,	0:25
	who is an intern in campus ministry here at Duke Chapel.	0:28
	And now let us stand, join together in the call of worship.	0:34
	We who knelt in the stable	0:43
	let our hearts give thanks and our hands rejoice.	0:48
	(Congregation reply)	0:52
	Oh, children, enter the house of the Lord.	0:55
	(Congregation reply)	0:58
	(organ music)	1:01
-	(Congregation singing) Oh come all ye faithful.	1:51
	Joyful and triumphant.	1:57
	O come ye, o come ye	2:02
	to Bethlehem.	2:06
	Come and behold Him.	2:12
	Born the King of Angels.	2:17
	O, come let us adore Him.	2:21
	O, come let us adore Him.	2:26
	O, come let us adore Him.	2:31
	Christ the Lord.	2:36
	Sing choir of angels.	2:43
	Sing in exultation.	2:48
	O come ye, o come ye, to Bethlehem.	2:52
	Come and behold Him.	3:03
	Born the King of angels.	3:07
	O come let us adore Him.	3:12
	O come let us adore Him.	3:17
	O come let us adore Him.	3:22
	Christ the Lord.	3:27
	(organ music)	3:34
	O come let us adore Him.	4:04
	O come let us adore Him.	4:08
	O come let us adore Him.	4:13
	Christ the Lord.	4:18
	(trumpets playing)	4:27
	(organ music)	5:16
	(trumpets playing)	6:10
-	O Comforter of the world's peoples.	7:08
	Singing adeste fidelis we tarry	7:12
	in Your Holy temple awaiting a sign.	7:15
	You have long promised that those	7:19
	who hunger for righteousness	7:21
	shall not taste death before their deliverance.	7:23
	Yet, the spector of death haunts us	7:27
	in our own neighborhoods and around the globe.	7:29
	Redeem us, Oh God.	7:33
	Send Your life in to our midst.	7:35
	Deliver Your Spirit in to our hearts.	7:38
	Then, we who once were feeble will be	7:41
	enabled to praise Your name, Gracious God.	7:44
	We who once were feeble will become your children.	7:47
	We who once were feeble will take Your Holy name.	7:52
	Amen.	7:56
-	Let us pray together the prayer for illumination.	8:09
	Open our hearts and mind, O God, by the power	8:13
	of Your Holy Spirit	8:17
	so that as the word is read and proclaimed	8:19
	we may hear Your message with joy this day.	8:22
	Amen.	8:26
	This reading is selected verses from	8:29
	the prophecy of Isaiah.	8:31
	Chapters 61 and 62.	8:33
	I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.	8:39
	My whole being shall exalt in my God.	8:41
	For he has clothed me with garments of salvation.	8:44
	He has covered me with a robe of righteousness.	8:48
	As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland	8:51
	and as a bride adorns herself with jewels	8:54
	as the earth brings forth its shoots	8:58
	and as the garden causes what is sown in it	9:00
	to spring up	9:03
	so the Lord God will cause righteousness	9:04
	and praise to spring up before all the nations.	9:06
	For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent.	9:10
	And, for Jerusalem's sake, I will not rest.	9:13
	Until her vindication shines out like the dawn,	9:16
	her salvation like a burning torch,	9:19
	the nations shall see your vindication	9:22
	and all the kings your glory	9:25
	and you shall be called by a new name	9:26
	that the mouth of the Lord will give.	9:29
	You shall be crowned a beauty in the hand of the Lord.	9:31
	And a royal diadem in your hand.	9:35
	This is the word of the Lord.	9:38
	(congregation reply)	9:41
	(trumpets playing)	9:47
-	This reading is from the gospel according to Saint Luke.	12:17
	Chapter two beginning with the 22nd verse.	12:21
	When the time came for their purification	12:27
	according to the law of Moses,	12:29
	they brought him up to Jerusalem	12:31
	to present him to the Lord.	12:33
	As it is written, the law of the Lord	12:35
	every firstborn male shall be designated	12:37
	as holy to the Lord.	12:40
	They offered a sacrifice according to	12:42
	what is stated in the law of the Lord.	12:44
	A pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.	12:46
	Now, there was a man in Jerusalem	12:50
	whose name was Simeon.	12:52
	This man was righteous and devout	12:54
	looking forward to the consolation of Israel.	12:56
	And, the Holy Spirit rested on him.	12:59
	It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit	13:02
	that he would not see death before he had seen	13:05
	the Lord's Messiah.	13:07
	Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came in to the temple.	13:09
	And, when the parents brought in the child, Jesus	13:12
	to do for him what was customary under the law,	13:14
	Simeon took him in his arms and praised God saying,	13:17
	Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace	13:21
	according to Your word.	13:24
	For my eyes have seen Your salvation that	13:26
	You have prepared in the presence of all peoples.	13:28
	A light for revelation to the Gentiles	13:31
	and for glory to Your people Israel.	13:33
	And, the child's father and mother were amazed	13:37
	at what was being said about him.	13:39
	And Simeon blessed him and said to his mother Mary	13:41
	this child is destined for the falling and rising	13:45
	of many in Israel	13:47
	and to be a sign that will be opposed	13:49
	that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed	13:51
	and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.	13:54
	There was a prophet, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel,	13:57
	the tribe of Asher.	14:00
	She was of great age, having lived with her husband	14:02
	seven years after her marriage.	14:04
	Then as a widow to the age of 84.	14:07
	She never left the temple	14:09
	but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.	14:11
	At that moment, she came and she began to praise God	14:14
	and to speak about the child to all who were looking	14:18
	for the redemption of Jerusalem.	14:20
	When they had finished everything required	14:22
	by the law of the Lord	14:24
	they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.	14:25
	The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom	14:29
	and the favor of God was upon him.	14:32
	This is the word of the Lord.	14:35
	(congregation reply)	14:37
	(organ music)	14:42
	(congregation singing)	15:04
-	We have begun this service	16:07
	by singing a favorite Christmas hymn	16:11
	O Come All Ye Faithful.	16:16
	Come let us adore Him.	16:19
	And you have come here to church this Christmas Sunday	16:23
	coming to adore the newborn King.	16:27
	And, yet you will note that that hymn	16:32
	is best sung not at the beginning of a service	16:34
	but at the end because the hymn	16:37
	is beckoning us to come and adore the Lord	16:40
	not in the church, not in the temple	16:43
	but in the world.	16:47
	Come, let us adore Him.	16:48
	Come, let us go see in the manger	16:50
	and where the shepherds are in the world.	16:53
	It is a hymn sung going out of church	16:56
	and in to the world where the Lord is born.	16:59
	And the world, that is the problem often	17:05
	between us and Christmas.	17:09
	Where do we adore the Lord?	17:13
	And, how do we adore the Lord?	17:16
	A number of years ago, a group of merchants	17:21
	at the shopping mall asked the counsel	17:25
	of churches if we would set up an	17:28
	appropriate seasonal display at the mall.	17:30
	And, so a committee was appointed and	17:34
	some creative person on the committee	17:36
	suggested that we take as the theme	17:39
	the words from the beloved Christmas carol	17:42
	Christ was born for this.	17:46
	Christ was born for this.	17:50
	And, so we set up a slide projector	17:52
	and a screen and this slide projector	17:56
	showed continuously on this screen	17:59
	scenes of current events.	18:02
	There were scenes from war and poverty	18:04
	and people in the streets	18:08
	and also scenes of families around	18:10
	the Christmas tree and people	18:12
	singing Christmas carols.	18:14
	And, then a tape played continuously	18:16
	Christ was born for this.	18:20
	Christ was born for this.	18:22
	About a day after the display went up,	18:26
	we got a call from the person who	18:29
	administered the mall and he asked us to take	18:32
	the seasonal display down.	18:36
	People just don't like to come to a Christmas shopping	18:41
	and see scenes of war and poverty and	18:45
	things like that.	18:47
	It's just not appropriate for Christmas.	18:49
	And you can see the merchant's point.	18:54
	We have come here to rejoice in	18:56
	the birth of the Christ child.	18:58
	We have not come to talk about things	19:00
	like war and poverty and riots and--	19:02
	We've come to adore the baby.	19:06
	And, joy and babies go together.	19:10
	For what is any longer anticipated and	19:14
	what is greeted with unrestrained joy anymore	19:19
	than the birth of a baby.	19:22
	Babies and joy.	19:24
	And, yet	19:28
	what is more frightening than the birth of a baby?	19:30
	Frightening.	19:35
	Oh, there is joy for the young parents.	19:37
	Joy at the first.	19:40
	But, then eventually come other days	19:42
	and there are bills to be paid	19:45
	and clothing to be bought	19:47
	and education to be financed.	19:48
	And it's interesting that it's sort of there	19:52
	that we encounter Mary and Joseph today.	19:55
	Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus come	19:59
	to the temple at Jerusalem for the dedication.	20:02
	And the prescribed offering	20:08
	for the day of dedication of the firstborn	20:11
	male child in Leviticus is a young lamb.	20:13
	And yet the law says that if you are too poor	20:19
	to afford a lamb, a couple of turtle doves,	20:23
	a couple of pigeons would do.	20:26
	You note in the story that Mary and Joseph	20:29
	offer a couple of birds.	20:32
	What does that tell you about Mary and Joseph's	20:37
	economic situation?	20:39
	What does that tell you about the challenges	20:42
	these parents will face in the future of this child?	20:44
	We sometimes refer to children as gifts of God.	20:49
	But, there are many parents here that can testify	20:54
	they are some of the most expensive gifts	20:56
	God ever gives to us in many different ways.	20:59
	You hold this baby in your arms and you cherish	21:04
	it and you rejoice.	21:07
	And, yet any parent knows that there will be other days	21:10
	there will be long late nights	21:14
	pacing the floor until that little one returns.	21:16
	As one woman told me, you can wear out your knees	21:21
	in prayer when that little one turns 16 and	21:25
	begins to drive the car.	21:30
	There will be disappointments.	21:33
	There will be fierce disagreements.	21:35
	There will be words exchanged.	21:36
	There will be paths taken and not.	21:38
	Hold that baby in your arms and cherish it	21:42
	and rejoice because there will be other days	21:45
	not so joyful.	21:49
	Beneath proud parental joy,	21:53
	there runs another current.	21:57
	Fearful anticipation for what the future may hold.	22:00
	Babies bring joy but babies also thrust us forward	22:05
	beyond today into tomorrow.	22:11
	Today there is joy but what of tomorrow?	22:13
	But, why on this great day of celebration and joy,	22:19
	mention fear?	22:24
	We have waited for this day, day of nativity.	22:27
	The day when Isaiah the prophet at last sings	22:31
	I will rejoice in the Lord.	22:35
	The white upon our altar is reserved by the church	22:38
	for only the most extravagantly joyful days	22:42
	of the liturgical year.	22:45
	Christmas day of unrestrained joy.	22:47
	And we come to the temple in Jerusalem	22:54
	with Mary and Joseph	22:56
	for their celebration of the nativity.	22:59
	But in today's gospel, we meet on the way to the temple	23:04
	a couple of old people hanging out down at the temple.	23:08
	A couple of old people.	23:13
	Simeon and Anna who have been waiting a long time for joy.	23:15
	And, like many old people, we can tell that they	23:21
	just cherish babies.	23:23
	Simeon takes the baby Jesus	23:26
	out of Mary's hands and praises God for	23:29
	the gift of this fresh life.	23:33
	And the old man says at last thy servant is	23:36
	ready to depart in peace.	23:39
	I'm ready to die.	23:41
	I have seen salvation.	23:43
	And Mary and Joseph are amazed at what Simeon	23:45
	tells them about their baby.	23:48
	And Simeon then blesses the baby and his parents.	23:51
	My Aunt was dying of cancer.	23:58
	And she was hanging on to life but she told	24:03
	everybody who visited	24:05
	I am going to wait until I see my first grandchild.	24:07
	And when the grandchild was born,	24:12
	he was taken over to the hospital	24:14
	and to where she was	24:17
	and placed in her arms.	24:18
	And she visibly improved.	24:22
	It was amazing.	24:25
	And yet the night afterwards, she quietly died.	24:29
	She had seen new life into her family.	24:34
	She had held this baby in her arms	24:37
	and then she departed in peace.	24:39
	And that's the way Simeon said it was for him	24:44
	when he held the new baby.	24:48
	Simeon blessed the parents.	24:51
	But, it was a strange blessing.	24:54
	When Simeon blessed the child, he said	24:56
	this child is going to cause the rise	24:58
	and the fall of many in Israel.	25:01
	This child will be resisted	25:05
	and then he looked	25:09
	Mary straight in the eye and he said	25:10
	a sword shall also pierce your heart.	25:12
	That's a strange thing to say about a baby	25:19
	and a strange thing to say to a couple of new parents.	25:21
	Opposition, falling, rising, piercing with a sword.	25:25
	Is that appropriate baby talk?	25:31
	Is that appropriate Christmas talk?	25:33
	We have come to church to celebrate the	25:38
	birth of the baby Jesus.	25:40
	To sing the Christmas songs we love to sing.	25:42
	But, have you noted there are less people	25:47
	here on the Sunday after Christmas	25:48
	than there were here on the services before Christmas.	25:51
	Now, why is that?	25:55
	The church in its wisdom on this Sunday	26:00
	has us read of this strange encounter between	26:02
	a prophetic old man and woman and	26:06
	the baby Jesus and his parents.	26:09
	As if to say, people after we've gotten rid	26:12
	of all the shopping mall jingles and all of	26:15
	the fake ersatz Christmas joy,	26:18
	now at last we are ready to talk about real joy.	26:21
	Old Simeon knew	26:28
	that in this life any new	26:31
	child brings about as much pain as joy.	26:33
	We come to church and we're confronted	26:38
	by a couple of old people.	26:40
	The baby says to us life.	26:42
	Simeon speaks of death.	26:45
	The glorious temple in Jerusalem with all of	26:49
	it's opulence becomes a stark backdrop	26:52
	for this poor peasant couple with nothing	26:55
	to offer for their baby but a couple of pigeons.	26:58
	Today's scripture is full of conflict and contrast	27:02
	and the warm lovely light of the manger	27:08
	is contrasted with the dark cold cross on a hill.	27:10
	This is not the message that the world wants to hear.	27:16
	The world wants to celebrate	27:20
	to dance to Christmas jingles	27:23
	to overspend in shopping malls.	27:25
	Untruthfully to envision itself as happy and peaceful	27:28
	and generous and good.	27:32
	But now on December 26 after the shopping mall jingles	27:35
	is silent after we've had the office parties	27:39
	and the buying and the giving	27:41
	the church gathers to talk about joy, real joy.	27:42
	Christmas joy is not some fantasy trip	27:48
	into some never never land.	27:51
	It's about a God that loves us so much	27:54
	that becomes one of us.	27:57
	Looks like us.	28:00
	Feels like us.	28:02
	Hurts and dies like us.	28:03
	A God who comes to us	28:07
	has got to be a God willing to get his hands	28:11
	dirty in the conflicted human condition.	28:13
	A God who comes to tell the truth about us	28:18
	has got to be a God that	28:20
	is willing to cause the fall and the rising of many.	28:24
	He shall be a sword piercing our hearts	28:30
	as much as a comfort.	28:34
	Old Simeon had lived long enough to know	28:37
	that if this God wants to save and bless us	28:39
	somehow this God must confront the worst about us.	28:43
	The bad things we do to one another.	28:47
	The terrible things we do to ourselves.	28:49
	This confrontation would not be cheap.	28:54
	This cuddly baby Jesus in Simeon's old	28:58
	wrinkled arms would grow up	29:00
	would speak the truth about us	29:03
	would die for us.	29:05
	And that's why the cross stands over	29:08
	the manger this morning.	29:10
	And Christmas is also about Good Friday.	29:12
	Jesus is joy.	29:16
	But he is no simple joy.	29:19
	So if you want an image of Christmas,	29:23
	let it be this.	29:26
	An old man holding in his arms a baby.	29:28
	Simeon's words challenge our notion of blessing.	29:34
	This babe in the old man's arms will be our salvation.	29:38
	But, all this talk about swords and sadness	29:43
	and people rising and falling,	29:46
	remind us that our salvation won't be cheap.	29:49
	If we are to be saved, if God wants to do	29:54
	something about us and our world,	29:58
	about our cruelty and our fear and our confusion	30:02
	and our sin,	30:05
	it will be salvation with pain.	30:10
	Something has got to die	30:15
	in order for something to be born.	30:18
	Real joy is joy which is honest and truthful	30:24
	and does something about the pain.	30:29
	Joy which comes in the middle of realism	30:33
	about what ails us.	30:36
	Joy which does not flinch in the face	30:39
	of the facts of life.	30:42
	One Christmas Eve, I came to the service	30:48
	at our little church	30:51
	and I looked up and found that the altar guild	30:53
	had just banked dozens and dozens of poinsettias	30:55
	all over the altar.	30:59
	And, I knew something was wrong and I look	31:02
	and, despite all these beautiful poinsettias,	31:04
	I realized what was wrong.	31:07
	All the poinsettias were over--	31:09
	they were all covering the cross.	31:11
	And I said to the altar guild chairperson	31:14
	I said isn't there a rule in the altar guild book	31:17
	that nothing is to cover the cross?	31:19
	That you're to put nothing on the altar	31:21
	in front of the cross.	31:24
	And she said well yeah but we decided that it's Christmas	31:28
	and we thought it would be better to focus	31:32
	on the beautiful flowers rather than the cross	31:34
	and besides the cross is so out of place	31:38
	this time of year.	31:41
	Don't you think so?	31:42
	It was only later that I read that one of the reasons	31:48
	that the poinsettia was chosen as the flower of Christmas	31:52
	was not only because it bloomed in certain countries	31:58
	during this time of the year	32:02
	but that its blossoms are red.	32:05
	Blood red.	32:09
	Rejoice.	32:15
	Christ was born	32:18
	for this.	32:22
	(trumpets playing)	32:34
-	(Congregation singing) Joy to the world.	32:58
	The Lord is come.	33:01
	Let earth receive her King.	33:03
	Let every heart prepare Him room.	33:09
	And heaven and nature sing.	33:14
	And heaven and nature sing.	33:17
	And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.	33:20
	Joy to the world.	33:28
	The Savior reigns.	33:29
	Let men their songs employ.	33:32
	While fields and flocks, rocks hills and plains	33:37
	repeat the sounding joy.	33:42
	Repeat the sounding joy.	33:45
	Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.	33:47
	(trumpets playing)	33:54
	He rules the world with truth and grace.	33:56
	And makes the nations prove	33:58
	the glory of His righteousness.	34:03
	And wonders of His love.	34:07
	And wonders of His love.	34:10
	And wonders, wonders of His love.	34:12
-	The Lord be with you.	34:52
-	(Congregation reply) And also with you.	34:53
-	Let us pray.	34:54
	Oh, eternal God who brought forth all worlds	35:08
	from the womb of your Being and nurtured	35:11
	creation to splendor in the cradle of Your care.	35:14
	We give thanks to You this day for we have	35:18
	come seeking a sign and have not been disappointed.	35:22
	A tiny babe has come to show us the way of salvation.	35:26
	We rejoice at the sight.	35:31
	Yet, for all the joy there is in seeing	35:33
	so often we do not see.	35:37
	Not because of tired eyes but because of	35:40
	weary spirits.	35:42
	Not for lack of vision but because of cynicism	35:45
	and distrust.	35:47
	Forgive our hearts hardened by the anxieties	35:50
	of aging, Oh God.	35:53
	And restore in us	35:56
	the trust of a child.	35:57
	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	36:00
	Oh, God of love.	36:05
	You have shown us through the incarnation	36:07
	that love is revealed in particular acts of mercy	36:10
	and not in abstract ideas.	36:14
	We pray for all those who serve as living reminders	36:17
	of Your incarnation in our world.	36:20
	For all who give you hands by serving a sister or a brother.	36:24
	For all who give You a mouth by defending the	36:29
	weak and the oppressed.	36:31
	For all who give You eyes by seeing the true	36:33
	worth of every woman, man and child.	36:36
	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	36:41
	Oh, God of peace,	36:46
	You came in to the world	36:48
	not to save a particular people but all	36:49
	the children of God.	36:51
	Deliver us, Oh Lord, from the sinfulness	36:54
	that divides nation against nation	36:57
	and sets ourselves apart as the righteous.	36:59
	Grant us the wisdom to become true peacemakers	37:03
	in these complex times in which we live.	37:06
	Do not turn away from us when we place our trust	37:10
	in armaments or feel discouraged by the	37:14
	challenge of working for reconciliation	37:17
	among the world's peoples.	37:19
	Teach us and empower us to live in the way of peace.	37:22
	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	37:28
	Oh, God of justice	37:32
	as an infant cradled in Your mother's arms	37:34
	You hungered for food.	37:37
	Help us always to remember that it is You	37:39
	whom we behold in the weakened bodies	37:42
	and hopeless faces of the hungry of the world.	37:44
	Grant that we may not turn away from them.	37:49
	That we may receive Your blessing as we	37:52
	minister to the least of our brothers and sisters.	37:55
	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	37:58
	Oh, God of compassion.	38:03
	As a messenger sent to proclaim God's love	38:05
	for the humble and the weak, You know the	38:08
	needs of the sick.	38:11
	Comfort and relieve those stricken with illness and disease	38:13
	and give Your power of healing to those who attend	38:17
	to their needs.	38:20
	May those for whom our prayers our offered be	38:22
	strengthened in their weakness and comforted	38:25
	in Your loving care.	38:28
	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	38:30
	Oh, God of hope.	38:34
	You came to us as a member of a human family.	38:36
	We pray for all families this Christmas tide.	38:40
	That Your love might restore broken bonds	38:44
	and strengthen those fragile relationships	38:47
	which are bowed down by the stress of daily living.	38:50
	We pray for all who are worried or grief stricken	38:53
	over the plight of a loved one.	38:57
	Due to illness, difficulties in school or at work,	38:59
	financial crisis, substance abuse,	39:03
	or any other reason.	39:05
	Enable us to trust in Your loving presence	39:08
	in the midst of our most difficult times.	39:11
	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	39:14
	Our redeeming God as we receive the good news	39:18
	of Your plan for our salvation	39:21
	lift the scales from our eyes	39:24
	that we might behold the people for whom	39:26
	Christ became flesh.	39:29
	As the word became flesh for us	39:31
	let the word become flesh through us.	39:34
	Amen.	39:38
	As we rejoice at the good news of our Savior's birth,	39:42
	let us offer our gifts and ourselves unto God	39:45
	with thanksgiving.	39:48
	(trumpets playing)	40:07
	(organ music)	45:13
-	As parents of Jesus brought sacrifices	46:47
	to honor you, Oh God, we would give our best	46:50
	for the witness and the outreach of your church.	46:53
	May these gifts be a channel for Your	46:57
	continuing revelation of Your love for the world.	46:59
	And, may all our actions praise and glorify Your name	47:03
	as we go forth singing glory to God in the highest.	47:06
	These things we pray in the name of the One	47:11
	who taught us to pray in trust and in confidence.	47:13
	Our Father, who art in Heaven.	47:17
	Hallowed be Thy name.	47:20
	Thy kingdom come.	47:22
	Thy will be done	47:23
	on earth as it is in Heaven.	47:25
	Give us this day our daily bread	47:27
	and forgive us our trespasses	47:30
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	47:32
	And, lead us not in to temptation	47:35
	but deliver us from evil.	47:38
	For Thine is the kingdom and the power	47:40
	and the glory forever.	47:42
	Amen.	47:44
	(organ music)	47:47
	Hark the herald angels sing.	48:37
	Glory to the newborn King.	48:42
	Peace on earth	48:47
	and mercy mild	48:49
	God and sinner reconciled.	48:52
	Joyful all ye nations rise.	48:57
	Join the triumph of the sky.	49:02
	With angelic hosts proclaim	49:07
	Christ is born in Bethlehem.	49:12
	Hark the herald angels sing.	49:18
	Glory to the newborn King.	49:23
	(organ music)	49:30
	Hark the herald angels sing.	50:12
	Glory to the newborn King.	50:17
	Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace.	50:25
	Hail the Son of Righteousness.	50:30
	Light and life to all He brings	50:35
	Risen with healing in His wings.	50:40
	Mild He lays His glory by	50:45
	born that man no more may die	50:50
	born to raise the sons of earth	50:56
	born to give them second birth.	51:01
	Hark the herald angels sing.	51:06
	Glory to the newborn King.	51:12
-	The grace of our Lord and Savior	51:24
	Jesus Christ be with you now and always.	51:26
	Amen.	51:30
	(trumpets playing)	51:42

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "Day of Joy, Day of Fear" (December 26, 1993)

Description:

Sermon start time: 16:07. Sermon end time: 32:25.
Like any new child brings about as much pain as joy, the nativity of Jesus brings a true joy that comes with pain. The joy is God empties himself to identify with humanity for the sake of our salvation. The pain is God’s confrontation of our sin with God’s holiness. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “Christmas joy is not some fantasy trip into some never-never land. It’s about a God that loves us so much that becomes one of us. Looks like us. Feels like us. Hurts and dies like us. A God who comes to us has got to be a God willing to get his hands dirty in the conflicted human condition. A God who comes to tell the truth about us has God to be a God that is willing to cause the fall and the rising of many. He shall be a sword piercing our hearts as much as a comfort.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r47941858

Date:

December 26, 1993

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Christmas

Biblical Book:

Luke

Chapter and Verse:

Luke 2:22-40

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0350
ref9352_2wi
uachapelsermaud
duke:321393
dcrmv001335
ark:/87924/r47941858
6529dd2c-31af-4dd9-ab44-31ca8569c219

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

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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