William H. Willimon - "Not One of Us" (September 25, 1994)

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	(test tone)	0:00
-	Here we warm welcome to our guest musicians,	0:52
	and also to our alumni who are in reunion	0:56
	here at Duke this weekend.	1:00
	Remind you that next Sunday afternoon at 2,	1:02
	will be our annual St. Francis Day service	1:06
	and the blessing of the animals.	1:09
	Today at two o'clock in the chapel	1:11
	the Nicaraguan Youth Choir will be performing.	1:13
	There's a note about that in the bulletin.	1:17
	On East Campus this afternoon	1:20
	the Chapel is helping to sponsor	1:22
	the Pan-African Music Festival	1:24
	beginning at one o'clock.	1:26
	Now let us stand for the greeting.	1:30
	The grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you.	1:36
Congregation	And also with you.	1:39
-	The risen Christ is with us.	1:41
Congregation	Praise the Lord.	1:43
	(organ music)	1:46
	♪ All people that on Earth do dwell ♪	2:28
	♪ Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice ♪	2:36
	♪ Him serve with fear, His praise forthtell ♪	2:45
	♪ Come ye before Him and rejoice ♪	2:54
	♪ Know that the Lord is God indeed ♪	3:06
	♪ Without our aid He did us make ♪	3:14
	♪ We are his folk, he doth us feed ♪	3:23
	♪ And for His sheep he doth us take ♪	3:32
	♪ Oh, enter then His gates with praise ♪	3:44
	♪ Approach with joy His courts unto ♪	3:53
	♪ Praise, laud and bless His name always ♪	4:02
	♪ For it is seemly so to do ♪	4:11
	(joyful organ music)	4:21
	♪ Because he Lord our God is good ♪	6:18
	♪ His mercy is forever sure ♪	6:25
	♪ His truth at all times firmly stood ♪	6:33
	♪ And shall from age to age endure ♪	6:42
-	Let us pray.	7:04
	Oh God,	7:10
	by the resurrection of your son Jesus Christ	7:12
	on the day of the first week you conquered sin,	7:16
	put death to flight,	7:20
	and gave us the hope of life everlasting.	7:22
	Redeem all our days by this victory.	7:26
	Forgive us our sins,	7:31
	banish our fears,	7:33
	and make us bold to praise you	7:36
	and do you will.	7:38
	Lead us in this hour of worship.	7:41
	Grant us the fullness of your grace,	7:45
	that we're ready to obtain your promises,	7:48
	may become partakers of your heavenly treasure.	7:52
	These are our prayers,	7:56
	through Jesus Christ, who lives	7:58
	and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit,	8:00
	now and forever, amen.	8:03
Congregation	Amen.	8:04
-	Let us pray together the prayer for illumination.	8:18
Everybody	Open our hearts and minds, oh God,	8:24
	by the power of your Holy Spirit,	8:27
	so that as word is read and proclaimed,	8:30
	we might hear your message with joy this day.	8:34
	Amen.	8:38
-	The Old Testament reading is taken from	8:40
	the Book of Esther,	8:43
	chapter 7, verses 1 to 6, 9 to 10,	8:44
	and chapters 9 verses 20 to 22.	8:49
	So the king and Haman went in to feast	8:55
	with Queen Esther.	8:59
	On the second day, as they were drinking wine,	9:01
	the king again said to Esther,	9:04
	What is your petition, Queen Esther?	9:07
	It shall be granted you.	9:11
	And what is your request?	9:14
	Even to the half of my kingdom,	9:17
	it shall be fulfilled.	9:20
	Then Queen Esther answered,	9:23
	If I have won your favor, oh king,	9:26
	and if it please the king,	9:29
	let my life be given me.	9:32
	That is my petition.	9:35
	And the lives of my people,	9:37
	that is my request.	9:40
	For we have been sold,	9:43
	I and my people,	9:45
	to be destroyed, and to be killed,	9:48
	and to be annihilated.	9:51
	If we had been sold merely as slaves,	9:54
	men and women,	9:58
	I would held my peace,	9:59
	but no enemy can compensate	10:02
	for the damage to the king.	10:05
	Then King Asheramus said to Queen Esther,	10:08
	who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?	10:13
	Esther said,	10:19
	a foe and enemy, this wicked Haman.	10:22
	Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.	10:26
	Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs	10:31
	in attendance on the king, said,	10:33
	Look, the very gallows that Haman	10:36
	has prepared for Mordecai,	10:39
	whose word saved the king,	10:42
	stands at Haman's house,	10:45
	50 cubits high.	10:48
	And the king said,	10:50
	hang him on that.	10:53
	So they hanged Haman on the gallows	10:55
	that he had prepared for Mordecai.	10:58
	Then the anger of the king abated.	11:02
	Mordecai recorded these things	11:05
	and sent letters to all the Jews	11:08
	who were in all the provinces of King Asheramus,	11:11
	both near and far,	11:15
	enjoining them that they should keep	11:17
	the 14th day of the month of Adar	11:20
	and also the 15th day of the same month,	11:23
	year by year, as the days on	11:27
	which the Jews gained relief	11:29
	from their enemies,	11:32
	and as the month that had been turned	11:34
	for them from sorrow into gladness,	11:37
	and from mourning into a holiday.	11:40
	That they should make them days of feasting and gladness.	11:43
	Days for sending gifts of food to one another	11:48
	and presents to the poor.	11:52
	This is the word of the Lord.	11:55
Everybody	Thanks be to God.	11:58
-	Today's psalm is number 124,	12:07
	found on page 846 in the hymnal.	12:11
	Please stand and sing the psalm	12:14
	and Gloria responsively.	12:16
	♪ If it had not been the Lord who was on our side ♪	12:28
	♪ Let Israel now say ♪	12:34
	♪ If it had not been the Lord who was on our side ♪	12:38
	♪ When foes rose up against us ♪	12:44
	♪ Then they would have swallowed us up alive ♪	12:50
	♪ When their anger was kindled against us ♪	12:55
	♪ Then the flood would have swept us away ♪	13:02
	♪ The torrent would have gone over us ♪	13:07
	♪ Then the raging waters ♪	13:11
	♪ Would have gone over us ♪	13:15
	♪ Blessed be the Lord ♪	13:21
	♪ Who has not given us as prey to their teeth ♪	13:24
	♪ We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers ♪	13:30
	♪ The snare is broken and we have escaped ♪	13:37
	♪ Our help is in the name of the Lord ♪	13:43
	♪ Who made heaven and earth ♪	13:49
	♪ Oh, glory be to you, creator ♪	13:54
	♪ And to Jesus Christ our savior ♪	13:57
	♪ And to the Holy Spirit has given me ♪	14:01
	♪ As it was at a time began ♪	14:08
	♪ Is now, and will be, and forevermore ♪	14:13
-	Please be seated.	14:22
-	The second lesson is taken from	14:32
	the fifth chapter of James, verses 13 through 20.	14:34
	Are any among you suffering?	14:40
	They should pray.	14:44
	Are any cheerful?	14:47
	They should sing songs of praise.	14:49
	Are any among you sick?	14:53
	They should call for the elders of the church	14:56
	and have them pray over them,	14:59
	anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.	15:01
	The prayer faith will save the sick.	15:06
	And the Lord will raise them up.	15:10
	And anyone who has committed sins	15:13
	will be forgiven.	15:16
	Therefore, confess your sins to one another,	15:19
	and pray for one another	15:23
	so that you may be healed.	15:26
	The prayer of the righteous is powerful	15:29
	and effective.	15:33
	Elijah was a human being like us,	15:36
	and he prayed fervently that it might not rain.	15:38
	And for three years and six months	15:43
	it did not rain on the earth.	15:46
	Then he prayed again,	15:49
	and the heaven gave rain and	15:52
	the earth yielded its harvest.	15:54
	My brothers and sisters,	15:58
	if anyone among you wanders from the truth,	16:00
	and is brought back by another,	16:05
	you should know that whoever brings back	16:08
	a sinner from wandering will save	16:11
	the sinner's soul from death,	16:14
	and will cover a multitude of sins.	16:16
	This is the word of the Lord.	16:22
Congregation	Praise be to God.	16:25
	(organ music)	16:30
	(singing in foreign language)	16:48
-	Hear today's gospel	19:37
	from the 9th chapter of the gospel of Mark.	19:39
	John said to him,	19:47
	teacher, we saw someone who is not following	19:49
	us casting out demons in your name,	19:53
	and we tried to stop him because	19:58
	he was not following us.	20:00
	But Jesus said, do not stop him,	20:04
	for no one who does a deed of power in my name	20:08
	will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.	20:11
	Whoever is not against us is for us.	20:16
	For truly I tell you whoever gives	20:21
	a cup of water to drink because you bear	20:23
	the name of Christ	20:25
	will by no means lose the reward.	20:28
	This is the word of the Lord.	20:33
Congregation	Praise be to God.	20:35
-	Now, Matthew's gospel,	20:40
	scholars believe,	20:43
	was derived in great part by a reworking	20:47
	of Mark's gospel.	20:51
	Mark's earlier gospel.	20:52
	If you take a New Testament course in	20:56
	the Duke Department of Religion,	20:58
	I'm sure they will confirm that.	20:59
	They will tell you that Mark was	21:01
	the earliest of the gospels.	21:04
	And so Matthew takes over	21:08
	large portions of Mark,	21:11
	including Mark's 9th chapter.	21:14
	When Matthew, though,	21:20
	reworks this particular block of material	21:22
	out of the earlier gospel of Mark,	21:26
	Matthew virtually copies that.	21:28
	He virtually takes it all wholesale,	21:31
	just as received,	21:34
	except for this story that I have just read you,	21:36
	today's gospel,	21:41
	the story of the unknown exorcist.	21:43
	The disciples come to Jesus saying,	21:49
	Jesus, we saw a man who was casting out demons	21:51
	in your name,	21:56
	and we rebuked him because	21:58
	he wasn't one of us.	21:59
	But Jesus said, don't stop him,	22:02
	because anybody who does a work of power in my name	22:06
	will not be able to speak evil against us.	22:12
	Whoever isn't against us is for us.	22:17
	Anybody got any idea why Matthew didn't want	22:24
	to include this story in his gospel?	22:29
	Anybody? Anybody got an idea of that?	22:31
	In this exchange between Jesus	22:36
	and his disciples is all a bit ironic	22:39
	because, I didn't read you this,	22:43
	but shortly before this episode,	22:45
	the disciples had been confronted	22:49
	by a young boy who is possessed of a demon.	22:51
	And the disciples try to heal this young boy,	22:53
	but they fail.	22:57
	They are unable to heal him.	22:58
	See?	23:02
	These disciples are criticizing	23:05
	this unknown exorcist	23:09
	for doing what they, themselves, as disciples of Jesus	23:12
	were unable to do.	23:15
	Namely, to cure somebody.	23:17
	Let's say that these disciples had been	23:19
	with Jesus throughout his ministry.	23:21
	Let's say that they had seen	23:23
	him heal somebody maybe a hundred times.	23:24
	They had heard the right words,	23:27
	they had seen the moves,	23:28
	and yet when it came time for them,	23:30
	as disciples to do some good,	23:32
	they failed.	23:34
	So when they ran across this uneducated,	23:37
	uncredentialed, unlicensed	23:39
	exorcist running loose out there curing people,	23:41
	they ran to Jesus	23:45
	to tell him all about it.	23:48
	Teacher, we saw this man casting out demons in your name,	23:51
	and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us.	23:55
	But Jesus said, aw, don't stop him,	24:03
	'cause nobody who does a deed of power in my name	24:07
	will be able to speak evil of me,	24:10
	'cause whoever isn't against us is for us.	24:13
	And it's affirming,	24:20
	and it's inclusive,	24:22
	and it's gracious,	24:24
	and why wouldn't Matthew include	24:27
	this simple little story in his gospel?	24:28
	I was teaching out in California.	24:35
	You know California.	24:39
	I was teaching in a United Methodist seminary,	24:41
	visiting churches of my denomination.	24:43
	United Methodists are having a tough time in California.	24:47
	We've suffered great decline.	24:51
	Now why have we suffered decline?	24:55
	That's what I asked many of the pastors	24:56
	with whom I visited.	24:58
	Why, I asked my fellow United Methodist,	25:00
	are we declining in Southern California?	25:02
	We are declining because United Methodist	25:07
	are so socially concerned.	25:10
	We're always out front on those tough social issues.	25:13
	And that angers conservative people.	25:17
	And that's why we're in decline.	25:19
	In other words,	25:25
	we're declining because we're so	25:26
	theologically sophisticated	25:27
	and socially progressive.	25:29
	And that certainly sounded reasonable to me.	25:33
	After all, I'm one of them.	25:35
	(congregation laughs)	25:37
	My last Sunday in Southern California,	25:40
	we visited the renowned Crystal Cathedral.	25:44
	Now there's a place that is not	25:49
	theologically sophisticated.	25:51
	(scattered laughter)	25:53
	Mrs. Schuller has helpful rewritten	25:55
	all of the hymns,	25:57
	and she's taken out any depressing	25:59
	references to sin, or suffering,	26:00
	or guilt, or blood,	26:03
	or the cross.	26:05
	Everybody is very upbeat,	26:07
	and smiling, and you got these	26:09
	depressingly attractive clergy.	26:10
	And when the organ plays it's just wonderful.	26:13
	They have a huge fountain down	26:16
	the middle of the sanctuary,	26:17
	and it dances to the beat of the organ.	26:19
	(congregation laughs)	26:21
	And right in the middle of the service	26:24
	they have a children's sermon.	26:26
	Something about how good it was	26:28
	to be an American,	26:30
	because it was the 4th of July.	26:32
	And it was a children's sermon delivered	26:33
	by a small gray rat.	26:35
	Actually, it was a rat puppet,	26:38
	which one of the clergy operated.	26:40
	You know California.	26:43
	(congregation laughs)	26:45
	And I hate children's sermons.	26:48
	(congregation laughs)	26:50
	I told you it wasn't theologically sophisticated,	26:52
	but on my way out of the building,	26:58
	after having been back-slapped	27:00
	and glad-handed by some grinning,	27:03
	impertinent usher,	27:04
	(congregation laughs)	27:05
	on my way out I walked past	27:07
	the Sunday School.	27:10
	The Sunday School was in session at	27:12
	the Crystal Cathedral.	27:14
	And walking by, and looking in,	27:17
	I saw at least 300 young adults.	27:19
	They all looked to be about college age	27:26
	or just past college age,	27:28
	sitting in rapt attention at bible study.	27:32
	Tough age to reach.	27:36
	300! And I tell you, in a dozen	27:40
	or so visits to churches	27:44
	of my denomination,	27:46
	theologically sophisticated,	27:48
	socially concerned,	27:49
	right on the forefront of the latest issues,	27:51
	I hadn't seen that many young adults	27:55
	in all of those churches combined.	27:58
	I'll admit it.	28:06
	Last summer I got hooked on religious TV.	28:07
	And there's this program,	28:12
	which appears about 10 in the evening on Sundays,	28:13
	which emanates from Creedmoor, North Carolina.	28:17
	And it's a church.	28:21
	Well, they don't call themselves a church,	28:23
	they call themselves something like	28:25
	the Creedmoor Christian Center.	28:27
	And they have a TV program,	28:30
	and they have a Lucite pulpit,	28:32
	and they have two large wing chairs behind it,	28:34
	and they've got this profusion	28:37
	of plastic plants behind the pulpit.	28:39
	And at this Creedmoor Christian Center,	28:43
	they have a husband and wife team of preachers,	28:47
	who energetically engage in what I call	28:50
	tag-team preaching.	28:53
	He preaches a while,	28:55
	and then when his enthusiasm begins to flag,	28:56
	he reaches over and tags her,	29:00
	and then she gets up and she starts to preach.	29:02
	(congregation laughs)	29:05
	And I started watching this every Sunday night.	29:07
	And their theology is a sort of mix	29:10
	of African-American,	29:13
	Pentecostal,	29:14
	Norman Vincent Peale,	29:15
	pop psychology,	29:16
	Merrill Lynch.	29:18
	(congregation laughs)	29:19
	Let's just say it is very eclectic.	29:22
	(congregation laughs)	29:25
	And, my favorite sermon this summer	29:26
	was a sermon delivered primarily by	29:29
	the female part of the team,	29:32
	and it was on the ideal husband.	29:35
	And I remember a great line from the sermon,	29:38
	she said, "A good wife	29:40
	"is like an Everyready battery.	29:43
	Wives, you need a new lamp for the living room?	29:47
	"You be every ready,	29:50
	"your man will buy you that lamp."	29:51
	And then she went on into some detail	29:54
	about the effective husband,	29:57
	and how effective her husband had been.	29:58
	And he was sitting in the wing chair	30:01
	during the sermon shouting amen,	30:02
	you got that right,	30:05
	to these marital accolades.	30:06
	Let's just say that out at Creedmoor	30:10
	they do church just a little differently	30:12
	than we do it here at Duke Chapel.	30:15
	And yet,	30:19
	I happened to mention to a man	30:21
	who was working on my car the other day	30:23
	that I had actually watched	30:25
	the Creedmoor Christian Center	30:27
	on more than one occasion.	30:30
	He lives in Creedmoor.	30:31
	And he put down his wrench	30:34
	and he said to me with an infinite seriousness,	30:38
	Those two preachers out there	30:46
	have taught me how to be	30:49
	a good father.	30:51
	Teacher, we saw this man who	30:58
	was casting out demons in your name,	31:00
	but we rebuked him because he wasn't following us.	31:03
	Jesus said don't stop him,	31:08
	because nobody who does a deed of power	31:11
	in my name will be able to speak evil of me,	31:14
	'cause whoever isn't against us	31:20
	is for us.	31:25
	I was in a dormitory one night,	31:30
	group of us were talking,	31:34
	and I said something about how Christians	31:35
	should be noted for their ability to reach out	31:40
	to people in need.	31:42
	And this young man spoke up and said,	31:46
	I have not been reached out to by Christians in need.	31:52
	But there was this guy,	31:57
	during midterm exam week,	32:00
	fall semester,	32:03
	my freshman year, just about this time of the year,	32:05
	he said, my old man came to college to see me,	32:10
	I had no idea he was coming,	32:16
	I didn't know why he was coming here.	32:18
	And he walked in my room	32:21
	and he sat down and he told me	32:22
	that he and my mom were getting a divorce.	32:25
	And we were both in tears,	32:29
	it was a big blow,	32:31
	I was totally unprepared for it.	32:31
	Wham!	32:35
	Right there in the middle of midterm exams.	32:36
	And I was about to go under with	32:39
	a couple of killer courses,	32:41
	and then he came up and told me this.	32:42
	I had just gone through this	32:46
	big emotional blowout with my girlfriend	32:47
	that I'd been in love with for a year,	32:50
	and I was in a situation that	32:53
	I knew I could go down and sink.	32:56
	There was this guy in my class	33:01
	who found out about this.	33:04
	And one day on the way out of class,	33:08
	he just came up to me and said	33:10
	don't worry about it.	33:12
	I'll cover for you in this class.	33:15
	And we sat down on the bench outside	33:18
	Allen Building and we talked about it,	33:20
	and I could tell he had no idea what to say,	33:22
	what to do,	33:24
	he was just like me, you know, a freshman.	33:26
	He had no experience with this type of thing.	33:28
	He was basically kinda lighthearted,	33:30
	partying kinda guy,	33:32
	but when the chips were down,	33:35
	he was there.	33:38
	I tell you, for the rest of my life,	33:42
	any time if I were ever in a real jam,	33:44
	he's the guy I would call.	33:47
	'Cause I was touched	33:52
	by the fact that he knew I was in pain	33:54
	and I needed him.	33:57
	Jesus said don't stop him,	34:05
	because whoever isn't against us	34:09
	is for us.	34:13
	Now I teach in a school of theology here.	34:18
	And you know what we do over there.	34:21
	We're in the business of credentialing,	34:23
	and accrediting, and licensing.	34:25
	I've given most of my adult life	34:28
	to working in mainline Protestantism.	34:30
	Helping people achieve appropriate	34:33
	theological sophistication.	34:35
	Helping people make proper distinctions,	34:37
	thinking things through,	34:41
	advocating high standards.	34:42
	Yet this story,	34:47
	Jesus' rebuke of his disciples' rebuke of	34:49
	the unknown exorcist,	34:52
	this story suggests that God's boundaries	34:55
	are considerably more expansive than my boundaries.	35:00
	Is it possible	35:08
	that there is divinely sanctioned space,	35:10
	that there's room enough for God beyond	35:18
	the confines of my chosen	35:23
	credentialed,	35:26
	accredited view?	35:27
	Can it be that Jesus' work may	35:31
	be taking place even beyond	35:34
	the confines of those who confess his name?	35:36
	Is there a wideness in God's mercy?	35:40
	Not being one of us is not	35:47
	the sole criterion of judgment	35:50
	on a person's deeds,	35:53
	this story suggests.	35:56
	Tell me if you think otherwise.	35:58
	And here we are, the chosen, what,	36:02
	12, 13 hundred?	36:05
	And we've gotten out of bed	36:07
	on a dreary Sunday morning,	36:08
	no matter what did at the party last night.	36:12
	We are those who know the difference between	36:16
	a doxology and a skin disorder.	36:18
	(congregation laughs)	36:21
	You can find your way around this sophisticated service	36:23
	and you know when to stand up,	36:27
	and you know when to sit down on cue.	36:30
	Can it be that Jesus' goodness to	36:33
	the world is not limited to us?	36:37
	Matthew, a gospel of proper distinctions, and	36:43
	the separation of the sheep from the goats,	36:48
	the saved from the damned.	36:50
	If you've ever read Matthew's gospel,	36:52
	separation of the insiders from the outsiders.	36:54
	Well, I think you know	37:00
	why Matthew failed to include	37:08
	this little story in his gospel.	37:11
	You know there's a wideness of God's mercy.	37:16
	And that just irks the hell out of us!	37:22
	(congregation laughs)	37:25
	(organ music)	37:32
	♪ There's a wideness in God's mercy ♪	38:48
	♪ Like the wideness of the sea ♪	38:55
	♪ There's a kindness in God's justice ♪	39:02
	♪ Which is more than liberty ♪	39:08
	♪ There is welcome for the sinner ♪	39:17
	♪ And more graces for the good ♪	39:24
	♪ There is mercy with the Savior ♪	39:30
	♪ There is healing in his blood ♪	39:37
	♪ For the love of God is broader ♪	39:46
	♪ Than the measure of our mind ♪	39:52
	♪ And the heart of the Eternal ♪	39:59
	♪ Is most wonderfully kind ♪	40:06
	♪ If our love were but more simple ♪	40:15
	♪ We should rest upon God's word ♪	40:22
	♪ And our lives would be illumined ♪	40:28
	♪ By the presence of our Lord ♪	40:35
Brenda	The Lord be with you.	40:49
Congregation	And also with you.	40:51
-	Let us pray.	40:53
	Precious God,	41:10
	He are humble people coming to your presence,	41:13
	realizing, oh God, that we know not how to pray.	41:19
	But we thank you that you have called us	41:25
	to be a part of your community.	41:29
	Today, as we bow in your presence,	41:35
	we pray for your Holy Catholic Church.	41:38
	We pray today that your church might	41:43
	be filled with truth and love,	41:45
	and be found without fault at the day of your coming.	41:48
	We pray for all who fear you, God,	41:53
	and believe in Jesus Christ.	41:56
	Help us, oh God, to cease from divisions,	41:59
	and help us, oh God,	42:04
	that as we seek to serve you	42:05
	that we might seek to be one with you,	42:07
	even as you are one with the Father.	42:12
	Lord, in your mercies.	42:15
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	42:18
-	We pray for the mission of the church.	42:20
	Bless your church that she might be faithful in witness.	42:23
	And that she may preach your gospel	42:27
	to all the ends of the earth.	42:29
	We remember today the church in Nicaragua,	42:33
	in Haiti, in Zimbabwe, in Sheffera	42:37
	Lord, in your mercies.	42:45
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	42:47
-	We pray today for the peace of the world.	42:50
	Grant, oh god, that the spirit of respect	42:54
	and forbearance may grow among nations and people.	42:57
	We remember today your people in Cuba,	43:04
	in Israel, in India,	43:10
	Rwanda, and Bosnia.	43:15
	Lord, in your mercies.	43:20
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	43:22
-	We pray for the poor,	43:25
	the persecuted,	43:28
	the sick and all who suffer.	43:30
	For refugees, prisoners,	43:34
	and all who are in danger.	43:38
	Grant your relief and protection.	43:42
	This morning we lift before you patients	43:46
	in the Duke hospital.	43:49
	Those, who Lord, are sick	43:52
	but have no means get medical care.	43:54
	Touch, we pray, with your healing power,	44:00
	and sustain with your presence	44:04
	in these difficult times.	44:07
	Lord, in your mercy.	44:10
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	44:12
-	We pray for this congregation.	44:15
	We thank you, oh God,	44:18
	that you have called us to be members of your church.	44:19
	Help us to be so faithful in service to you	44:23
	that our lives would be a testimony	44:28
	of your inclusiveness.	44:31
	Forgive us of our sins,	44:34
	and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit	44:37
	to amend our lives.	44:40
	Lord, in your mercy.	44:42
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	44:45
-	We pray for those who commend themselves	44:47
	to our prayers,	44:49
	for our families, friends, and neighbor.	44:51
	Grant them freedom from anxiety	44:56
	so that they may live in joy and peace.	44:58
	We lift before you this institution,	45:03
	Duke University,	45:06
	and ask you blessing upon the students,	45:08
	faculty, administrators, and staff.	45:12
	Today we give you special thanks for	45:17
	the alumni that have returned to celebrate	45:19
	community and relationship.	45:22
	Bless them and fill them with your presence.	45:26
	Lord, in your mercies.	45:29
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	45:31
-	Oh Lord, grant and accept	45:34
	the fervent prayer of your people.	45:35
	In the multitude of your mercies,	45:38
	look with compassion upon all of us,	45:40
	and grant us, oh God, your peace.	45:45
	This we pray, amen.	45:49
	Let us worship God with the giving of our gifts.	45:55
	(organ music)	46:02
	♪ Thanks be to God, He laveth the thirsty land ♪	47:00
	♪ Thanks be to God, He laveth the thirsty land ♪	47:07
	♪ The thirsty land ♪	47:14
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	47:18
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land, thanks be to God ♪	47:21
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	47:27
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	47:29
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	47:29
	♪ The waters gather, they rush along ♪	47:37
	♪ They are making their voices ♪	47:45
	♪ The waters gather, they rush along` ♪	47:49
	♪ They rush along, they rush along ♪	47:55
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	48:03
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	48:07
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	48:10
	♪ They rush along ♪	48:15
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	48:25
	♪ The waters gather, they rush along ♪	48:27
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	48:31
	♪ He laveth the land thirsty land ♪	48:35
	♪ The stormy billows are high ♪	48:41
	♪ Their fury is mighty ♪	48:45
	♪ The stormy billows are high ♪	48:49
	♪ Their fury is mighty ♪	48:53
	♪ Mighty their fury. ♪	48:57
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:03
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:05
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:07
	♪ Is above them and almighty ♪	49:09
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	49:19
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	49:20
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	49:22
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	49:25
	♪ The stormy billows are high ♪	49:28
	♪ Their fury is mighty ♪	49:32
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:37
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:39
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:40
	♪ Is above them and almighty ♪	49:43
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:53
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:57
	♪ But the Lord ♪	49:59
	♪ But the Lord ♪	50:00
	♪ Is above them and almighty ♪	50:03
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:13
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:14
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	50:16
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	50:18
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:20
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	50:23
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:28
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	50:31
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:40
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:43
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:47
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	50:51
	♪ The waters gather, they rush along ♪	50:57
	♪ The waters gather, they rush along ♪	51:00
	♪ They rush along ♪	51:04
	♪ They rush along ♪	51:06
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	51:12
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	51:15
	♪ Thanks be to God ♪	51:20
	♪ He laveth the thirsty land ♪	51:23
	(organ music)	51:38
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	51:58
	♪ Praise God, all creatures here below ♪	52:05
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:10
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:14
	♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly host ♪	52:18
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	52:24
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:30
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:34
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:37
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:40
	♪ Alleluia ♪	52:44
-	Let us pray.	52:56
	Oh mighty God,	52:59
	giver of every good and perfect gift,	53:01
	Teach us to render to you all that we have	53:06
	and all that we are.	53:10
	That we may praise you,	53:13
	not with our lips only,	53:15
	but with our whole lives.	53:17
	Turning the duties of sorrows	53:20
	and joys of all our days	53:22
	into living sacrifice for you.	53:25
	Through Jesus Christ we pray,	53:28
	who taught us when we pray to say	53:31
Everybody	Our Father, who art in heaven	53:35
	hallowed be thy name.	53:38
	Thy kingdom come.	53:40
	Thy will be done	53:42
	on earth, as it is in heaven.	53:44
	Give us this day our daily bread,	53:46
	and forgive us our trespasses,	53:49
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	53:51
	And lead us not into temptation,	53:55
	but deliver us from evil.	53:58
	For thine is the kingdom,	54:00
	the power,	54:02
	and the glory,	54:03
	forever. Amen.	54:04
	(organ music)	54:08
	♪ Oh God of every nation ♪	54:51
	♪ Of every race and land ♪	54:56
	♪ Redeem the whole creation ♪	55:01
	♪ With your almighty hand ♪	55:07
	♪ Where hate and fear divide us ♪	55:12
	♪ And bitter threats are hurled ♪	55:18
	♪ In love and mercy guide us ♪	55:23
	♪ And heal our strife torn world ♪	55:29
	♪ From search for wealth and power ♪	55:35
	♪ And scorn of truth and right ♪	55:41
	♪ From trust in bombs that shower ♪	55:47
	♪ Destruction through the night ♪	55:52
	♪ From pride of race and station ♪	55:58
	♪ And blindness to your way ♪	56:03
	♪ Deliver every nation ♪	56:09
	♪ Eternal God, we pray ♪	56:15
	♪ Lord, strengthen all who labor ♪	56:21
	♪ That hope may find release ♪	56:27
	♪ From fear of rattling saber ♪	56:32
	♪ From dread of war's increase ♪	56:38
	♪ When hope and courage falter ♪	56:44
	♪ Lord let your voice be heard ♪	56:49
	♪ With faith that none can alter ♪	56:55
	♪ Your servants undergird ♪	57:00
	♪ Keep bright in us the vision ♪	57:08
	♪ Of days when war shall cease ♪	57:13
	♪ When hatred and division ♪	57:19
	♪ Give way to love and peace ♪	57:24
	♪ Till dawns the morning glorious ♪	57:30
	♪ When truth and justice reign ♪	57:35
	♪ And Christ shall rule victorious ♪	57:41
	♪ O'er all the world's domain ♪	57:47
-	And now may the grace of our Lord and savior,	57:57
	Jesus Christ,	58:00
	the love of God,	58:02
	and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit	58:03
	be with you now and always.	58:05
	♪ God be in my head ♪	58:10
	♪ And in my understanding ♪	58:18
	♪ God be in mine eyes ♪	58:28
	♪ And in my looking ♪	58:35
	♪ God be in my mouth ♪	58:47
	♪ And in my speaking ♪	58:54
	♪ God be in my heart ♪	59:07
	♪ And in my thinking ♪	59:15
	♪ God be at mine end ♪	59:26
	♪ And at my departing ♪	59:37
	(organ music)	1:00:06

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "Not One of Us" (September 25, 1994)

Description:

Sermon start time: 20:40. Sermon end time: 37:25.
The preacher argues that Jesus rebuked his disciples who rebuked the "unknown exorcist" because God's boundaries are considerably more expansive than our. Because "Not being one of us" is not the sole criterion of judgement on a person's deeds, the preacher highlights various evangelic approaches to being open-minded. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “This story, Jesus’ rebuke of his disciples’ rebuke of the unknown exorcists, this story suggests that God’s boundaries are considerably more expansive than my boundaries. Is it possible that there is divinely sanctioned space, that there’s room enough for God beyond the confines of my chosen credentialed, accredited view? Can it be that Jesus’ work may be taking place even beyond the confines of those who confess his name? Is there a wideness in God’s mercy?”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r49p2wn37

Date:

September 25, 1994

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Ordinary Time

Biblical Book:

Mark

Chapter and Verse:

Mark 9:38-40

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0391
ref9474_xlw
uachapelsermaud
duke:321782
dcrmv001373
ark:/87924/r49p2wn37
98e80250-2791-4a10-af98-5d6a5512a74a

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Related Resources:

See below

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

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

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

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

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William H. Willimon - "Not One of Us" (September 25, 1994)

Transcript

Item Info

Related Item

Duke University Archives