William H. Willimon - "On Our Behalf" (October 16, 1994)

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-	Good morning.	0:10
	Welcome to Duke Chapel for this service of worship.	0:11
	We're particularly glad to have	0:15
	in the congregation this morning, those alumni who are here	0:17
	for various reunions.	0:21
	The board of directors of the alumni associations.	0:23
	Also those of you who are with us	0:26
	for the Davison Club weekend.	0:28
	We also welcome our guest organist and other guest musicians	0:31
	who are here while our choir is off on fall break.	0:37
	We're glad that you're with us this morning.	0:42
	Our service is led by Dr. Maurice Richie	0:44
	from the Field Education office at the Divinity School	0:48
	and our lecturer is Natalie Gould,	0:52
	a member of the congregation.	0:54
	Let us stand for the greeting!	0:56
	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.	1:00
Congregation	And also with you.	1:04
-	The risen Christ is with us.	1:06
Congregation	Praise the Lord!	1:08
	(organ music)	1:11
	♪ Come Christians join to sing ♪	1:47
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:50
	♪ Amen ♪	1:52
	♪ Loud praise to Christ our King ♪	1:55
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:59
	♪ Amen ♪	2:01
	♪ Let all with heart and voice ♪	2:04
	♪ Before His throne rejoice ♪	2:08
	♪ Praise is His gracious choice ♪	2:12
	♪ Alleluia ♪	2:17
	♪ Amen ♪	2:19
	♪ Come lift your hearts on high ♪	2:24
	♪ Alleluia ♪	2:29
	♪ Amen ♪	2:31
	♪ Let praises fill the sky ♪	2:34
	♪ Alleluia ♪	2:39
	♪ Amen ♪	2:41
	♪ He is our Guide and Friend ♪	2:44
	♪ To us He'll condescend ♪	2:50
	♪ His love shall never end ♪	2:55
	♪ Alleluia ♪	3:00
	♪ Amen ♪	3:03
	♪ Praise yet our Christ again ♪	3:09
	♪ Alleluia ♪	3:13
	♪ Amen ♪	3:15
	♪ Life shall not end the strain ♪	3:18
	♪ Alleluia ♪	3:23
	♪ Amen ♪	3:25
	♪ On heaven's blissful shore ♪	3:27
	♪ His goodness we'll adore ♪	3:32
	♪ Singing forever more ♪	3:37
	♪ Alleluia ♪	3:41
	♪ Amen ♪	3:44
-	Let us bow in prayer.	3:51
	With all our heart we take refuge in you, oh God most high,	3:54
	who created all things.	3:58
	The merciful Father, source of all goodness.	4:00
	With all our heart we take refuge in you, oh Christ.	4:03
	The Redeemer from sin, who restores our true nature.	4:07
	The perfect and mysterious Word.	4:11
	With all our heart, we take refuge in you,	4:14
	the one who embraces the universe.	4:17
	Who at all times and in all places responds to our needs.	4:19
	The pure and tranquil Holy Spirit.	4:24
	Amen.	4:27
	Please be seated.	4:29
-	Let us pray together the Prayer for Illumination.	4:39
	Open our hearts and minds, oh God.	4:44
	By the power of your Holy Spirit,	4:48
	so that as the word is read and proclaimed	4:51
	we might hear your word with joy this day.	4:54
	Amen.	4:59
	The Old Testament reading	5:01
	is taken from the book of Job.	5:03
	Chapter 38:1-7 and verses 16 and 17.	5:06
	Then the Lord answered Job, out of the whirlwind:	5:16
	"Who is this that darkens counsel	5:21
	by words without knowledge?	5:24
	Gird up your loins like a man,	5:27
	I will question you, and you shall declare to me.	5:30
	Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?	5:36
	Tell me, if you have understanding.	5:40
	Who determined its measurements - surely you know!	5:44
	Or who stretched the line upon it?	5:49
	On what were its bases sunk,	5:52
	or who laid its cornerstone	5:55
	when the morning stars sang together	5:57
	and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?"	6:00
	This is the word of the Lord.	6:05
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	6:07
-	Will you stand for the reading of the Psalter?	6:18
	Bless the Lord, O my soul.	6:29
Congregation	O Lord my God, you are very great.	6:31
-	You are clothed with honor and majesty,	6:35
	and cover yourself with light as with a garment.	6:37
Congregation	You stretch out the heavens like a tent,	6:41
	you set the beams of your chambers on the waters.	6:44
-	You make the clouds your chariot,	6:47
	and ride on the wings of the wind.	6:49
Congregation	You make the winds your messengers,	6:52
	fire and flames your ministers.	6:54
-	You set the earth on its foundations,	6:57
	so that it should never be shaken	6:59
Congregation	You cover it with the deep	7:02
	as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.	7:03
-	At your rebuke, they fled.	7:08
Congregation	At the sound of your thunder	7:10
	they take to flight.	7:12
-	They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys,	7:14
	to the place where you appointed for them.	7:17
Congregation	You set a boundary that they may not pass,	7:19
	so that they might not again cover the earth.	7:23
	(organ music)	7:29
	♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪	7:42
	♪ Praise to our Redeemer ♪	7:50
	♪ Glory be to our Sustainer ♪	7:56
	♪ Ever three and ever one ♪	8:03
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	8:10
	♪ Ever shall be ♪	8:17
-	Please be seated.	8:26
-	The Gospel lesson is from the book of Mark.	8:39
	Chapter 10, verses 35 through 45.	8:42
	James and John, the sons of Zebedee,	8:50
	came forward to him and said to him,	8:54
	"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."	8:58
	And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?"	9:03
	And they said to him,	9:08
	"Grant us to sit, one at your right hand	9:10
	and one at your left, in your glory."	9:14
	But Jesus said to them,	9:18
	"You do not know what you are asking.	9:20
	Are you able to drink the cup that I drink,	9:23
	or be baptized with the baptism	9:27
	that I am baptized with?"	9:29
	They replied, "We are able."	9:32
	Then Jesus said to them,	9:36
	"The cup that I drink you will drink;	9:38
	and with the baptism with which I am baptized,	9:42
	you will be baptized;	9:45
	but to sit at my right hand or at my left	9:48
	is not mine to grant,	9:51
	but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."	9:54
	When the ten heard this,	9:58
	they began to be angry with James and John.	10:00
	So Jesus called them and said to them,	10:04
	"You know that among the Gentiles	10:07
	those whom they recognize as their rulers	10:10
	lord it over them,	10:13
	and their great ones are tyrants over them.	10:15
	But it is not so among you;	10:19
	but whoever wishes to become great among you	10:22
	must be your servant,	10:26
	and whoever wishes to be first among you	10:28
	must be slave of all.	10:31
	For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,	10:34
	and to give his life as a ransom for many."	10:39
	This is the word of the Lord.	10:44
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	10:47
	(orchestra playing)	10:54
	The epistle lesson is from a letter to the Hebrews.	13:43
	Every high priest, chosen from among mortals,	13:52
	is put in charge of things pertaining	13:56
	to God on their behalf,	13:58
	to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.	14:02
	He is able to deal gently with the ignorant	14:07
	and the wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness;	14:10
	and because of this he must offer sacrifice	14:15
	for his own sins as well as for those of the people.	14:18
	One does not presume to take this honor,	14:22
	but takes it only when offered by God, just as Aaron was.	14:26
	So also Christ.	14:31
	Christ did not glorify himself	14:34
	in becoming a high priest,	14:36
	but was appointed by the one who said to him,	14:38
	"You are my son; today I have begotten you";	14:41
	and it says in another place,	14:46
	"You are a priest forever,	14:48
	according to the order of Melchizedek."	14:50
	In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers	14:54
	and supplications with loud cries and tears,	14:57
	to the one who was able to save him from death,	15:02
	and he was heard because of his reverent submission.	15:05
	Although he was a Son, he learned obedience	15:09
	through what he suffered;	15:13
	and having been made perfect,	15:15
	he because the source of eternal salvation	15:16
	for all who obey him, having been designated by God	15:19
	a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.	15:24
	This is the word of the Lord.	15:31
Congregation	Praise be to God.	15:33
-	Not long ago, my wife was on jury duty,	15:38
	doing her democratic responsibility on jury duty.	15:41
	And after a week of hearing important cases	15:46
	like two leash law violations,	15:50
	she said that one thing she learned from the experience was,	15:55
	that whenever you go to court,	15:58
	it makes a lot of difference who your lawyer is.	16:01
	She had seen an inept attorney lose a case for a client.	16:06
	That the jury might have voted the other way	16:11
	had the attorney been more adept.	16:13
	It makes a lot of difference, when you stand before the bar,	16:16
	who is representing you.	16:20
	Now in the shadowy, primordial days of Israel's history,	16:26
	3000 years ago, ordinary Israelites	16:32
	offered sacrifice for themselves.	16:38
	They climbed up to some high mountain	16:41
	and they built an altar, and they laid a fire	16:44
	and they made sacrifice themselves to God.	16:48
	They went up on a high mountain so they could be closer,	16:52
	higher up to God.	16:56
	And God smelled the sweet offering	16:58
	and God heard and God acted.	17:01
	And yet as Israel developed into a more structured society,	17:07
	a class of priests arose.	17:12
	Sons of Aaron.	17:14
	They were not allowed to own land,	17:17
	to engage in ordinary affairs of business.	17:19
	These sons of Aaron were kept distant from ordinary folk.	17:22
	When Israel returned from exile in the 6th century B.C.,	17:28
	a great temple was rebuilt	17:35
	and a huge class of priests arose.	17:38
	And by the time of Jesus,	17:41
	these priests dominated the political	17:43
	and religious life of the nation.	17:46
	It was the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies	17:49
	on the most sacred day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur.	17:56
	And the priest there made sacrifice to God.	18:01
	Blood was sprinkled upon the altar.	18:06
	Portions of an animal were burnt.	18:10
	On the day of atonement, the whole nation of Israel	18:15
	gathered before the temple and the priest,	18:18
	a man without spot or blemish, entered the Holy of Holies	18:24
	and made sacrifice to God for the sin of the whole nation.	18:28
	Priests were the ones, who in the end of the service,	18:32
	blessed the people.	18:36
	Literally laid God's name on the people.	18:37
	As trumpets blared and the shophar was blown,	18:41
	this ram's horn trumpet.	18:45
	In other words,	18:50
	the priest was a specially designated human being,	18:51
	who offered gifts to God.	18:55
	As the expiation of sin and guilt,	18:59
	the priest, more than a mere mortal.	19:01
	If the relationship between Israel its God had been severed,	19:06
	it was the high priest who was supposed	19:10
	to restore that relationship through the offerings for sin.	19:12
	The priest bore the awesome responsibility	19:18
	to bring God's people before the very throne of God,	19:21
	in the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifice.	19:26
	When a person was ill, it was the priest who knew how	19:32
	to conduct the complex offerings for healing.	19:36
	If you were perplexed about some difficult decision,	19:43
	you could go to the temple and consult the brass plates,	19:46
	the Urim and the Thummim on the chest of the priest	19:50
	over his heart.	19:54
	It was like going and consulting the very heart of God.	19:56
	In other words, it was the priest who gave ordinary,	20:03
	every day people access to almighty God.	20:06
	Now this passage from Hebrews seems a bit strange to us	20:14
	because, well, as Christians we don't have priests	20:18
	in the Old Testament sense of the word.	20:23
	Today we have no temple, we have no Holy of Holies.	20:27
	Jews do not have priests today.	20:33
	Jesus was not a priest.	20:40
	You recall that Jesus was sometimes called Rabbi,	20:45
	which means teacher, but nobody every called Jesus a priest.	20:48
	A rabbi was like a learned lay person,	20:52
	Jesus was a lay person.	20:56
	He was not priest.	20:58
	But furthermore, as Protestant Christians,	21:01
	we have something that we call	21:04
	the priesthood of all believers.	21:06
	The doctrine, a priesthood of all believers.	21:09
	We don't have any hierarchy.	21:13
	We don't have any priest who stands at the altar	21:15
	in our behalf, making sacrifice for us.	21:18
	When you sin, you don't have to go to some priest	21:22
	in a confessional.	21:25
	You yourself can go directly to God.	21:26
	You can make your intercession.	21:29
	You can be your own priest.	21:32
	But can you?	21:39
	There is my question.	21:42
	Can you?	21:45
	Can you enter the Holy of Holies,	21:47
	your life held out to God in the palm of your hand?	21:51
	Can you lift that up to God on your own?	21:56
	Can you?	21:59
	Can you tell all that you know about you to God?	22:04
	I don't even think you can tell all that you know about you	22:13
	to your very best friend.	22:16
	I suppose it was Freud who first noted	22:20
	the phenomenon of resistance.	22:24
	Resistance in the patients whom he treated	22:26
	for various psychological disorders.	22:29
	Here, before Freud, were people in obvious psychic pain.	22:34
	People who at last summoned up the courage	22:39
	to go talk to a therapist about their problem.	22:41
	They came to the therapist saying,	22:44
	"I've got a problem. I want help with it.	22:45
	I want you to help me."	22:48
	And yet, when the therapist began talking	22:51
	to people about their problems,	22:53
	it was as if the people wanted to do anything	22:55
	but talk about their problem!	22:59
	They would do everything to evade, deceit, outright lying,	23:00
	evasiveness, deflection, transference.	23:06
	The therapist continually faced the exasperation	23:10
	of moving toward an honest discussion	23:16
	of the person's problem, only to have that same person	23:19
	do everything possible to avoid talking about the problem.	23:24
	The patient would have great difficulty staying	23:29
	on the subject.	23:31
	Might get extremely angry when the therapist tried	23:33
	to discuss the problem.	23:38
	Blamed, excused, transferred responsibility	23:39
	for the burden of the problem	23:44
	to everybody else in the patient's life.	23:45
	All the while insisting I want to get better.	23:48
	I want to work on the problem.	23:52
	Psychotherapists call this phenomenon resistance.	23:56
	I've seen resistance in myself.	24:04
	How many times have I gone to a good friend and I said,	24:07
	"I want you to help me think through this problem.	24:10
	I want you to help me to decide what I need	24:13
	to do in this situation."	24:15
	And then my poor, naive, well-meaning friend will say,	24:17
	"Well, um, you could try to, um..."	24:22
	"No, no!", I say. "That wouldn't work because...	24:27
	Then you see, I would need to..."	24:30
	"Well", my friend continues,	24:32
	"Um, maybe you could think about the possibility of..."	24:33
	"No!", I said. "That wouldn't work either because,	24:37
	then I would be forced to, um..."	24:40
	One more earnest attempt by my friend to help.	24:42
	After all, didn't I say I wanted help?	24:46
	"Did you ever consider, that perhaps you could..."	24:50
	"Can't you think of anything?", I ask.	24:54
	"What kind of friend are you?	24:57
	I thought I could come to you for some good advice.	24:58
	Can't you think of anything?"	25:00
	You see, our powers of resistance,	25:04
	our amazing ability to thwart all honest attempts to help,	25:07
	to look at the problem, to do something about the problem.	25:12
	They're just limitless.	25:18
	Deceit may be too strong a word	25:22
	for our psychological defense mechanisms.	25:24
	We are frail, we are vulnerable creatures	25:28
	who encounter sometimes threatening, difficult world.	25:32
	And you grow up, you learn to get a shell around yourself.	25:37
	You develop these defense mechanisms.	25:41
	We learn to protect ourselves.	25:45
	And so G.K. Chesterton said,	25:51
	"I do not know much about psychoanalysis, but I do know	25:53
	that it seems to require a great deal more	25:57
	than the old confessional was always criticized	26:00
	for demanding."	26:04
	And the executives of all the major U.S. tobacco companies,	26:10
	after holding up their hand and swearing to tell the truth,	26:15
	stood in front of a Senate committee,	26:18
	staring straight into the camera and said,	26:20
	"You know, we have no data that smoking harms people."	26:22
	Human kind cannot stand too much reality,	26:31
	says the poet T.S. Elliot.	26:35
	And I remember from this pulpit,	26:40
	a great preacher, Fred Craddock, stood up here	26:41
	and said that he had found it helpful always	26:43
	to weigh himself on the bathroom scales	26:49
	in the morning, fully clothed.	26:51
	You look down at the bathroom scales and you said,	26:55
	"My! These are heavy clothes this morning!"	26:57
	(congregation laughs)	27:00
	"These clothes are four pounds heavier	27:02
	than the clothes I had on this time last week!"	27:04
	There's a way to find out	27:10
	if a guy is honest, says Groucho Marx.	27:12
	Ask him.	27:14
	If he says yes, you know he's a crook.	27:16
	(congregation laughs)	27:18
	Our president was telling the assembled freshman	27:22
	this year at freshman convocation	27:26
	a story about a memorable Duke chemistry professor	27:29
	who was confronted by a group of students	27:34
	for the big midterm exam.	27:38
	They had thought they would study for the midterm exam	27:41
	that weekend but somebody said,	27:43
	"Let's go up to the University of Virginia	27:45
	and have a good weekend and then we can come back	27:47
	and study."	27:50
	Well, they planned to come home on Saturday night,	27:51
	but there was this party.	27:53
	And then they planned to come home on Sunday	27:55
	and there was this party.	27:57
	They didn't make their way home from Charlottesville	27:58
	'till dark Monday morning.	28:00
	Well, they arrived at the classroom	28:06
	and just before the exam, they said to the professor,	28:07
	"We're sorry.	28:13
	A terrible thing has happened to us.	28:14
	We were not able to study for the exam.	28:16
	We wanted to study, but we were coming home	28:18
	from the University of Virginia	28:21
	and, uh, a tire blew on the car.	28:22
	Yes, a tire blew on the car and we couldn't...	28:26
	We have just arrived back on campus.	28:28
	Is there any way we can take the exam tomorrow?"	28:32
	The professor said,	28:34
	"All right, you can take the exam tomorrow."	28:35
	They walked in on Tuesday for the exam.	28:39
	The blue books were handed out	28:42
	to the four of them by the professor.	28:43
	There were just two questions on the exam.	28:45
	First question had to do with some chemistry formula,	28:47
	something to explain about the laws of chemistry.	28:51
	Turn the page over, the second question: which tire?	28:55
	(congregation laughs)	29:00
	When questioned about his friendship with Richard Nixon,	29:10
	the Reverend Billy Graham said,	29:15
	"Hey, look.	29:17
	Everybody's got a little Watergate in him."	29:19
	Now let me understand you correctly on this,	29:24
	because a great deal is at stake in your answer.	29:27
	You say, I have no priest.	29:30
	I have no need of a priest.	29:34
	No need for a mediator.	29:36
	No need of intercessor or representative	29:38
	to present me to God.	29:41
	I believe in the priesthood of believers,	29:45
	each person his or her own priest.	29:47
	But my question: can you?	29:54
	Can you enter the Holy of Holies?	30:01
	Your life, held out in the palm of your hand	30:04
	and lift that up to God?	30:08
	On your own?	30:12
	Can you?	30:15
	The letter to the Hebrews says Jesus was a priest.	30:19
	No, no, no, no.	30:28
	We've already said, no, Jesus was not a priest.	30:29
	He was a rabbi.	30:32
	He was a learned layperson.	30:33
	He was not a priest.	30:34
	Look more closely at the text.	30:37
	The letter to Hebrews says Jesus is a priest.	30:40
	Every high priest chosen from among mortals	30:51
	is put in charge of things pertaining to God	30:54
	on their behalf.	30:57
	To offer gifts and sacrifice for sins.	31:00
	He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward.	31:04
	One does not presume to take on this honor,	31:08
	but takes it only when called by God,	31:11
	just as Aaron was.	31:13
	So also Christ.	31:15
	Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.	31:17
	Melchizedek, you've never heard of him before.	31:23
	That shadowy, primordial figure, priest.	31:26
	He was half King, half priest.	31:29
	It was said Melchizedek was one without father,	31:32
	without mother, without children,	31:35
	other than the children of Israel,	31:37
	whom he represented before the throne of God	31:40
	in the Holy of Holies.	31:42
	You're priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.	31:44
	Of Jesus Hebrews says,	31:51
	"He became the source of eternal salvation	31:53
	for all who obey him.	31:56
	Having been designated by God, priest forever	31:58
	after the order of Melchizedek."	32:02
	Jesus is a priest.	32:08
	The priest.	32:14
	Your priest.	32:17
	Oh you may, from time to time, serve as priest	32:22
	to another person.	32:26
	You may pray for another person.	32:29
	You may bless them, attempt to touch them and heal them,	32:31
	but you can't be a priest for yourself.	32:36
	You may from time to time pray for somebody else.	32:42
	You may lift somebody else up before the throne of God,	32:45
	but as Paul says, we don't know how to pray.	32:50
	We don't know how to pray for ourselves.	32:55
	You may go into that hospital room.	33:02
	You may face the pain of another and offer God's word,	33:05
	but you can't do that for yourself.	33:11
	And that's what the priesthood of believers really means.	33:16
	The doctrine of the priesthood of the believers	33:20
	doesn't say everybody his or her own priest.	33:22
	It says each person can be priest to another.	33:26
	You can be a priest for somebody else.	33:33
	You can't be priest for yourself.	33:38
	So what do you do?	33:45
	When because of your sin, the relationship between you	33:48
	and God is severed.	33:50
	What can you do when God seems far, far away?	33:55
	You can't, like the ancient Hebrews,	34:02
	you can't climb up some Mount Everest and build an altar	34:04
	and light a fire and offer a ram and set things right.	34:08
	How are things going to be set right?	34:12
	You can't barge into the Holy of Holies,	34:16
	your hands spotted and tainted as they are.	34:19
	Your hands dare not touch that holy altar.	34:22
	You bundle of psychological defense mechanisms.	34:28
	You can't explain yourself to God.	34:33
	How?	34:38
	When you need a priest?	34:41
	A few years ago I appeared... I was summoned to appear	34:48
	before the IRS for an audit.	34:51
	This audit lasted for three days.	34:55
	Nearly three entire days.	34:58
	I was in there with check stubs and receipts	35:00
	and explanations.	35:03
	It was a person auditing me, a tight sort of person.	35:06
	The person that always did well in math classes.	35:11
	(congregation laughs)	35:14
	The sort of person I always hated in high school.	35:15
	That kind of person.	35:17
	(congregation laughs)	35:19
	She said to me, "You know, by the way,	35:20
	this is what we call here a general audit.	35:22
	It's a complete audit."	35:25
	I said, "The only thing you don't know about me right now	35:27
	is under these clothes."	35:30
	But after about three days, she said to me,	35:35
	"You know, uh, my husband and I have been alienated	35:38
	from the church for some time, since we were young.	35:41
	But I told my husband about my meeting you	35:45
	and about how much I had enjoyed getting to know you."	35:49
	(congregation laughs)	35:53
	And I said, "Well, I could really be more charming	35:55
	under other circumstances."	35:57
	(congregation laughs)	35:59
	And she said, "Of course it would be inappropriate	36:00
	'till these matters are settled,	36:05
	but after all this is settled,	36:06
	we would probably like to visit your church."	36:09
	And I said, "Well, we would just be thrilled."	36:13
	(congregation laughs)	36:16
	"Because", I said, "You know, after all,	36:19
	Jesus had a real soft spot in his heart	36:21
	for people like you."	36:23
	(congregation laughs)	36:25
	She said, "What do you mean by that?"	36:29
	And I said, "Yes! Jesus got in all kind of trouble	36:30
	for hanging out with tax collectors	36:33
	and fraternizing with tax collectors,	36:35
	eating with tax collectors.	36:38
	Jesus just thought the world of tax collectors."	36:40
	I said, "Of course, he also felt the same way	36:45
	about prostitutes."	36:47
	(congregation laughs)	36:48
	At that moment she said to me,	36:53
	"If you have an accountant, it's my duty to suggest to you,	36:56
	you get him in here."	37:00
	(congregation laughs)	37:01
	"You're going to need someone to represent you."	37:04
	Who is going to represent you?	37:12
	Who can explain?	37:16
	After all the secret places in your heart	37:19
	have been rummaged around and brought out.	37:22
	All of the sins of commission and omission.	37:24
	Who is going to intercede for you?	37:29
	Every high priest is put in charge of things	37:40
	pertaining to God on our behalf,	37:44
	to offer gifts, sacrifice for sin.	37:50
	So also Christ.	37:56
	Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.	38:00
	(organ music)	38:18
	♪ My faith looks up to Thee ♪	38:59
	♪ Thou Lamb of Calvary ♪	39:05
	♪ Savior Divine ♪	39:11
	♪ Now hear me while I pray ♪	39:16
	♪ Take all my guilt away ♪	39:22
	♪ Oh, let me from this day ♪	39:28
	♪ Be wholly Thine ♪	39:34
	♪ May Thy rich grace impart ♪	39:42
	♪ Strength to my fainting heart ♪	39:48
	♪ My zeal inspire ♪	39:55
	♪ As Thou hast died for me ♪	40:02
	♪ Oh, may my love to Thee ♪	40:08
	♪ Pure, warm, and changeless be ♪	40:15
	♪ A living fire ♪	40:22
	♪ While life's dark maze I tread ♪	40:31
	♪ And grief's around me spread ♪	40:37
	♪ Be Thou my Guide ♪	40:43
	♪ Bid darkness turn to day ♪	40:49
	♪ Wipe sorrow's tears away ♪	40:55
	♪ Nor let me ever stray ♪	41:01
	♪ From Thee aside ♪	41:06
	♪ When ends life's transient dream ♪	41:14
	♪ When death's cold, sullen stream ♪	41:21
	♪ Shall o'er me roll ♪	41:26
	♪ Blest Savior, then in love ♪	41:32
	♪ Fear and distrust remove ♪	41:37
	♪ O bear me safe above ♪	41:44
	♪ A ransomed soul ♪	41:49
-	The Lord be with you	42:00
Congregation	And also with you.	42:02
-	Let us pray.	42:03
	O God, our God, how wonderful are your ways	42:14
	in all the universe?	42:16
	When you hung out the heaven like a tent	42:18
	and the morning stars sang together, you were there.	42:20
	When the world was destroyed by flood,	42:25
	you were there to save and redeem your faithful.	42:27
	When the time was right you condescended	42:31
	to become our high priest in Jesus Christ,	42:33
	the righteous, our true guide and friend.	42:36
	In his visitation among us	42:41
	and in his continuing presence with us,	42:43
	his grace and Holy Spirit mysteriously strengthen	42:47
	our fainting hearts and turn our darkness into day.	42:50
	You have visited and redeemed us and given us the gift	42:55
	of your precious church; yet, your world waits	43:00
	in suffering for your appearance in glory.	43:03
	Jesus Christ our high priest is our advocate, our strength	43:07
	and our comfort.	43:12
	Through him we pray for the people of Haiti,	43:15
	their grinding poverty, their deep political	43:19
	and economic suffering.	43:23
	For our military and political leaders	43:26
	who strive to minister to them in their hour of need.	43:29
	Lord, in your mercy...	43:34
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	43:37
-	We pray for the Middle East.	43:39
	For the labors for peace in that region.	43:43
	For inspiration of world leaders to assist	43:47
	in the peace process in Iraq, in Israel, in Lebanon	43:51
	and other nations in that area.	43:58
	Lord, in your mercy...	44:03
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	44:05
-	We pray for elections this day in Germany.	44:08
	That that nation may find her way to strong and inspired	44:13
	leadership in critical transitional years in her history.	44:17
	Lord in your mercy...	44:26
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	44:28
-	We pray for our students, faculty, staff, alumni.	44:32
	Wherever they may be in this fall break,	44:38
	that they may rediscover you	44:42
	in the beauty of this autumn season.	44:43
	Lord, in your mercy...	44:48
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	44:51
-	And we pray for all those we love.	44:53
	Wherever they may be, that they may abide in your love	44:57
	and know you, our great high priest,	45:03
	in the depths of their soul, and may stay fixed on you,	45:07
	our guide and our friend.	45:14
	Lord, in your mercy...	45:18
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	45:20
-	Amen.	45:22
	The scriptures tell us that the Lord loves a cheerful giver;	45:25
	Therefore, let us continue our worship	45:30
	with our gifts and tithes.	45:31
	(orchestra music)	45:38
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	51:16
	♪ Praise God, all creatures here below ♪	51:22
	♪ Alleluia ♪	51:28
	♪ Alleluia ♪	51:31
	♪ Praise God above ye heav'nly host ♪	51:34
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ♪	51:40
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	51:46
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	51:51
-	Let us pray.	52:07
	O Lord, our God, the author and giver of all good things,	52:09
	we thank you for all your mercies and for your loving care	52:12
	over all your creatures.	52:15
	We bless you for the gift of life, for your protection	52:18
	round about us.	52:21
	For your guiding hand upon us	52:22
	and for the tokens of your love within us.	52:25
	We thank you for friendship and duty,	52:28
	for good hopes and precious memories.	52:31
	For the joys that cheer us and, yes,	52:34
	for the trials that teach us to trust in you.	52:38
	Most of all, we thank you for the saving knowledge	52:42
	of your Son, our Savior.	52:44
	For the living presence of your Spirit, the comforter.	52:46
	For your church, the body of Christ.	52:50
	For the ministry of word and sacrament,	52:53
	and for all the means of grace.	52:56
	You have blessed us through these gifts we bring to you.	52:59
	In these and all things, O heavenly God, make us wise	53:04
	for a right use of your benefits	53:09
	that we may render an acceptable thanksgiving unto you,	53:12
	all the days of our lives.	53:15
	Through Jesus Christ our Lord,	53:18
	who taught us to say when we pray:	53:20
	Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.	53:23
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,	53:28
	on earth as it is in heaven.	53:32
	Give us this day our daily bread,	53:34
	and forgive us our trespasses,	53:37
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	53:40
	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	53:44
	For thine is the kingdom and the power	53:48
	and the glory forever.	53:51
	Amen.	53:54
	(organ music)	53:58
	♪ I sing the mighty power of God ♪	54:35
	♪ That made the mountains rise ♪	54:40
	♪ That spread the flowing seas abroad ♪	54:45
	♪ And built the lofty skies ♪	54:49
	♪ I sing the wisdom that ordained ♪	54:55
	♪ The sun to rule the day ♪	55:00
	♪ The moon shines full at God's command ♪	55:04
	♪ And all the stars obey ♪	55:09
	♪ I sing the goodness of the Lord ♪	55:15
	♪ That filled the earth with food ♪	55:20
	♪ He formed the creatures with the Word ♪	55:25
	♪ And then pronounced them good ♪	55:30
	♪ Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed ♪	55:36
	♪ Where'er I turn my eye ♪	55:41
	♪ If I survey the ground I tread ♪	55:46
	♪ Or gaze upon the sky ♪	55:51
	♪ There's not a plant or flower below ♪	55:59
	♪ But makes Thy glories known ♪	56:04
	♪ And clouds arise and tempests blow ♪	56:08
	♪ By order from Thy throne ♪	56:14
	♪ While all that borrows life from Thee ♪	56:19
	♪ Is ever in Thy care ♪	56:24
	♪ And ev'rywhere that man can be ♪	56:29
	♪ Thou, God, art present there ♪	56:34
-	May the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,	56:46
	the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,	56:49
	be with you now and always.	56:52
	Amen.	56:56
	(organ music)	57:16
	(congregation talking)	58:52

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "On Our Behalf" (October 16, 1994)

Description:

Sermon start time: 15:38. Sermon end time: 38:05.
After introducing the development and role of priesthood in the Bible, the preacher argues that we cannot really be our own priest due to our self-deceptive nature; only Jesus Christ can be the high priest and mediator for us all. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “You can be a priest for somebody else. You can’t be priest for yourself.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4qv3cj7f

Date:

October 16, 1994

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Ordinary Time

Biblical Book:

Hebrews

Chapter and Verse:

Hebrews 5:1-10

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0394
ref9484_qdv
uachapelsermaud
duke:321749
dcrmv001376
ark:/87924/r4qv3cj7f
ad7cf043-0e5a-4081-8cc3-70b18e867932

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Related Resources:

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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 - "On Our Behalf" (October 16, 1994)

Transcript

Item Info

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Duke University Archives