William H. Willimon - "He Showed Them His Scars" (April 30, 1995)

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	(footsteps tapping)	0:07
-	Good morning.	0:27
	Welcome to this service of worship	0:28
	on the third Sunday of Easter here in Duke Chapel.	0:30
	We're delighted that you're with us,	0:34
	a special welcome to our visitors.	0:36
	We have been led to worship	0:39
	by the One Accord Choir of the First Baptist Church	0:42
	in Richmond, Virginia and we welcome them	0:45
	to their first visit at Duke Chapel.	0:48
	Mr. Terry Goolsby, their director	0:50
	and Ms. Sarah Williams their accompanist,	0:53
	and we thank them for their presence with us here today.	0:55
	Our lector is Dr. James Jacobs,	1:00
	who has been an active participant here	1:03
	in Duke Chapel for the years	1:05
	that he has been in medical work here,	1:07
	and we bid him farewell today	1:10
	and wish him well in his new residency program in Charlotte.	1:13
	We also remind you that the Duke Chapel Choir	1:19
	is looking for singers for the summer, our summer choir.	1:22
	If you're in Durham over the summer,	1:26
	we invite you to participate in our choir.	1:27
	Let us stand for the greeting.	1:31
	Christ is risen.	1:34
-	The Lord is risen indeed.
-	Glory and honor, dominion,	1:39
	and power be to God forever and ever.	1:40
All	Christ is risen, alleluia.	1:45
	(stately organ music)	1:49
	♪ Easter people, raise your voices ♪	2:22
	♪ Sounds of heaven in earth should ring ♪	2:27
	♪ Christ has brought us heaven's choices ♪	2:32
	♪ Heavenly music let it ring ♪	2:38
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	2:43
	♪ Easter people let us sing ♪	2:49
	♪ Fear of death can no more stop us ♪	2:56
	♪ From our pressing here below ♪	3:02
	♪ For our Lord empowered us ♪	3:08
	♪ To triumph over every foe ♪	3:13
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	3:19
	♪ On to victory now we go ♪	3:24
	♪ Every day to us is Easter ♪	3:47
	♪ With its resurrection song ♪	3:53
	♪ When in trouble move the faster ♪	3:58
	♪ To our God who rights the wrong ♪	4:03
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	4:09
	♪ See the power of heavenly throngs ♪	4:15
-	Let us pray.	4:26
	O God, our guide and guardian,	4:30
	you have led us apart from the busy world	4:33
	into the quiet of your house.	4:36
	Grant us grace to worship you in spirit and in truth,	4:39
	to the comfort of our souls and the upbuilding	4:44
	of every good purpose and holy desire.	4:47
	Enable us to do more perfectly the work	4:51
	to which you have called us,	4:54
	that we may not fear the coming of night	4:56
	when we shall resign into your hands	5:00
	the task which you have committed to us.	5:03
	So may we worship you not with our lips at this hour,	5:06
	but in word and deed all the days of our lives,	5:10
	through Jesus Christ our Savior, amen.	5:16
	You may be seated.	5:21
-	Let us pray together the prayer for illumination.	5:35
All	Open our hearts and minds,	5:39
	O God by the power of your Holy Spirit,	5:41
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed,	5:45
	we may hear your message with joy this day, amen.	5:49
-	The first lesson for this morning	5:56
	is taken from the Book of Revelation,	5:58
	the fifth chapter beginning with the 11th verse.	6:00
	Then I looked, and I heard the voice	6:06
	of many angels surrounding the throne,	6:08
	and the living creatures and elders.	6:12
	They numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,	6:15
	singing with full voice, "Worthy is the lamb	6:20
	"that was slaughtered, to receive power	6:23
	"and wealth and wisdom and might	6:27
	"and honor and glory and blessing."	6:30
	Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth	6:34
	and under the earth, and in the sea and all that is in them,	6:37
	singing, "To the one seated on the throne	6:42
	"and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory	6:46
	"and might forever and ever."	6:51
	And the four living creatures said, "Amen,"	6:54
	and the elders fell down and worshiped.	6:58
	This is the word of the Lord.	7:03
-	Thanks be to God.
-	The second lesson is taken	7:10
	from the Book of Acts in the ninth chapter,	7:11
	beginning with verse one.	7:13
	Meanwhile, Saul, still breathing threats and murder	7:17
	against the disciples of the Lord,	7:21
	went to the high priest and asked him	7:24
	for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,	7:27
	so that if he found any who belonged to the Way,	7:31
	men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.	7:34
	Now, as he was going along and approaching Damascus,	7:40
	suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.	7:44
	He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,	7:48
	"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"	7:52
	He asked, "Who are you Lord?"	7:57
	The reply came, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,	8:00
	"but get up and enter the city	8:05
	"and you will be told what you are to do."	8:08
	This is the Word of the Lord.	8:14
-	Thanks be to God.
-	The appointed psalm for today is Psalm 30,	8:25
	found on page 762 in your hymn book.	8:28
	Please stand and read responsively.	8:32
	I will extol you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up,	8:43
	and did not let my foes rejoice over me.	8:47
Congregation	O Lord, my God,	8:52
	I cried to you for help and you healed me.	8:53
-	O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol.	8:58
Congregation	Restored me to life	9:03
	from among those gone down to the pit.	9:05
-	Sing praises to the Lord, O His faithful ones,	9:08
	and give thanks to his holy name.	9:12
Congregation	Surely the Lord's anger	9:16
	is but for a moment.	9:17
	The Lord's favor is for a lifetime.	9:19
-	Weeping may tarry for the night,	9:23
	but joy comes with the morning.	9:26
Congregation	As for me, I said in my prosperity,	9:29
	"I shall never be moved."	9:33
-	By your favor, O Lord,	9:36
	you had established me as a strong mountain.	9:38
Congregation	You hid your face, I was dismayed.	9:42
-	To you, O Lord, I cried,	9:46
	and to the Lord I made my supplication.	9:48
Congregation	What profit is there in my death,	9:52
	if I go down to the pit?	9:55
-	Will the dust praise you?	9:57
	Will it tell of your faithfulness?	9:59
Congregation	Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me.	10:03
	O Lord, be my helper.	10:06
-	You have turned my mourning into dancing.	10:09
	You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness	10:12
	that my soul may praise you and not be silent.	10:16
Congregation	O Lord, my God,	10:21
	I will give thanks to you forever.	10:22
	(stately organ music)	10:27
	♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪	10:35
	♪ Praise to our Redeemer, Lord ♪	10:42
	♪ Glory be to our Sustainer ♪	10:49
	♪ Ever three and ever one ♪	10:57
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	11:04
	♪ Now and evermore shall be ♪	11:12
	(gentle organ music)	11:25
	(gentle piano music)	12:08
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be simple ♪	12:13
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be free ♪	12:15
	♪ 'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be ♪	12:17
	♪ And when we find ourselves in the place just right ♪	12:22
	♪ Will be in the valley of love and delight ♪	12:28
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be simple ♪	12:33
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be free ♪	12:36
	♪ 'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be ♪	12:37
	♪ And when we find ourselves in the place just right ♪	12:41
	♪ Will be in the valley of love and delight ♪	12:47
	♪ When true simplicity is gained ♪	12:55
	♪ To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed ♪	12:58
	♪ To turn, turn will be our delight ♪	13:04
	♪ Till by turning, turning we come round right ♪	13:08
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be simple ♪	13:20
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be free ♪	13:21
	♪ 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be ♪	13:23
	♪ And when we find ourselves in the place just right ♪	13:28
	♪ Will be in the valley of love and delight ♪	13:35
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be simple ♪	13:47
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be free ♪	13:48
	♪ 'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be ♪	13:50
	♪ And when we find ourselves in the place just right ♪	13:55
	♪ Will be in the valley of love ♪	14:02
	♪ Of love and delight ♪	14:07
	♪ When true simplicity is gained ♪	14:12
	♪ To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed ♪	14:16
	♪ To turn, turn will be our delight ♪	14:20
	♪ Till by turning, turning we come round right ♪	14:24
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be simple ♪	14:30
	♪ 'Tis the gift to be free ♪	14:31
	♪ 'Tis the gift to come down ♪	14:32
	♪ Where you ought to be ♪	14:35
	♪ And when we find ourselves in the place just right ♪	14:37
	♪ Twill be in the valley of love and delight ♪	14:43
	(choir vocalizing)	14:51
	(gentle organ music)	15:15
-	I want to mention that Debra Brazzel,	15:59
	associated dean of the chapel,	16:03
	is leaving Tuesday with a delegation from Durham	16:05
	to the Russian city of Kostroma,	16:11
	leading a delegation there and we wish her Godspeed	16:15
	on that journey to a place of great need	16:19
	and great vitality of the church.	16:23
	You may recall, those of you who are regulars here,	16:28
	last year we had such a wonderful visit	16:31
	of the choir from Kostroma,	16:33
	which is our sister city with Durham.	16:36
	I also see a number of seniors in the congregation	16:39
	who are graduating this year.	16:44
	This may be your last Sunday with us before graduation	16:48
	and we wish you Godspeed in your life endeavors.	16:51
	Remember, a number of our ushers are seniors	16:57
	and are graduating, and we thank them for their service	17:00
	here in the chapel.	17:04
	We've trained them for a lifetime	17:06
	of taking up money in the church,	17:08
	which we know that they will do well as they leave us.	17:10
	Scripture is from the Gospel of John,	17:17
	from the 20th chapter of John.	17:19
	When it was evening that day, the first day of the week,	17:24
	the doors of the house where the disciples	17:29
	had met were locked for fear of the Jews.	17:32
	Jesus came and stood among them	17:36
	and said, "Peace be with you."	17:37
	After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.	17:40
	Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.	17:46
	Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you,	17:50
	"as the Father has sent me, so I send you."	17:53
	When he said this, he breathed on them	17:58
	and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.	18:00
	"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.	18:03
	"If you retain the sins of any, they are retained."	18:06
	But Thomas, who was called the Twin,	18:10
	one of the 12, was not with them when Jesus came.	18:13
	So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord,"	18:18
	but Thomas said to them,	18:21
	"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands,	18:23
	"and put my finger into the mark of the nails	18:26
	"and my hand into his side, I will not believe."	18:30
	A week later, his disciples were again in the house	18:34
	and Thomas was with them.	18:36
	Although the doors were shut, Jesus came	18:39
	and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."	18:41
	And then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here.	18:44
	"See my hands, reach out your hand,	18:48
	"put it into my side.	18:51
	"Do not doubt, but believe."	18:52
	Thomas answered, "My Lord, and my God."	18:56
	Jesus said to them, "Have you believed	19:02
	"because you have seen me?	19:04
	"Blessed are those who have not seen	19:05
	"and yet have come to believe."	19:08
	Now Jesus did many other signs	19:13
	in the presence of his disciples	19:14
	which are not written in this book,	19:16
	but these are written	19:19
	so that you may come to believe	19:20
	that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.	19:22
	And that through believing, you may have life in his name.	19:26
	This is the Word of the Lord.	19:33
-	Thanks be to God.
-	In the Odyssey of Homer,	19:41
	there is that scene toward the end of the Odyssey	19:46
	where Odysseus, who has wandered far and wide	19:51
	throughout his life finally comes home to his wife and son.	19:54
	But they don't recognize Odysseus.	20:03
	It has been so long since they have seen him,	20:05
	and besides that he has disguised himself as an old man.	20:07
	Even when he talks with his beloved wife,	20:12
	she does not recognize him,	20:16
	until at the end of the evening,	20:19
	the aged nurse Eurycleia,	20:21
	the one who raised Odysseus from childhood,	20:25
	she bathes this stranger before retiring.	20:29
	And as she bathes this old wandering vagabond,	20:36
	she sees on his leg a scar.	20:40
	And she recognizes, it's that scar	20:45
	that she remembers from the little boy Odysseus.	20:48
	And she sees him, she recognizes him, she rejoices.	20:53
	She did not recognize him until she saw the scar.	21:01
	Well, we are now two Sundays from Easter,	21:09
	two Sundays after that great day of the triumph of God.	21:13
	Easter, that vast setting right of all that is wrong,	21:18
	death, evil, injustice.	21:24
	Easter says that God's good purposes	21:30
	will not be defeated,	21:33
	but in the resurrection of Jesus, God has triumphed.	21:35
	In today's gospel from John,	21:43
	the risen Christ slips through closed doors	21:46
	and he appears to his fearful disciples.	21:51
	But they don't know him.	21:55
	He even speaks to them as he had spoken so often to them,	21:59
	saying, "Peace be with you,"	22:03
	but they don't recognize him.	22:07
	But then, Jesus shows them his hands and his side.	22:12
	He showed them his scars.	22:18
	And don't you find it interesting	22:23
	that it is only then that his disciples see him	22:25
	and they rejoice.	22:31
	As if to drive the point home,	22:34
	Thomas shows up a little later.	22:37
	And the disciples tell Thomas, "The Lord is risen."	22:39
	Well they don't believe,	22:42
	he doesn't believe.	22:44
	And Thomas says, "I'll tell you this,	22:45
	"unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands	22:47
	"and unless I thrust my finger	22:50
	"into the mark of the nails	22:53
	"and my hand into his side, I will not believe."	22:55
	Well, a week later, the risen Christ appears	23:01
	to his disciples again.	23:03
	And Thomas is there and Jesus obliges.	23:06
	"Put your finger here," says the risen Christ,	23:12
	"Do not doubt, believe."	23:16
	And he says, "My Lord and my God."	23:22
	See, I think some kind of connection is being made here	23:27
	between belief in the risen exalted Christ	23:31
	and the scars of the crucified Jesus.	23:36
	The risen Christ has scars,	23:41
	being raised from the dead does not erase the scars.	23:47
	There's none of this, the risen Christ coming back	23:51
	to his disciples and said, look no scars, it's fixed.	23:55
	The risen Christ of Easter bears the scars of Good Friday.	24:00
	Jesus' disciples only recognize him by touching his scars.	24:06
	Easter, God's great victory over defeat	24:13
	and death doesn't erase the scars.	24:17
	I know somebody who has become a Christian,	24:24
	and someone has told her, "Now, if you are a Christian,	24:29
	"if you have real faith,	24:33
	"you will always feel joy and peace in your heart."	24:36
	But she feels great sadness,	24:42
	even after becoming a Christian.	24:45
	She's wondering, what's wrong with my faith?	24:47
	Is her faith infirm?	24:52
	Well, if you would know her, you would know, maybe,	24:56
	that she was abused as a child.	24:58
	Her Christian faith has brought her joy,	25:02
	yes, but she still bears scars.	25:04
	There is scar tissue in her life.	25:13
	And so it was also for the risen Christ.	25:18
	The risen Christ had just moved from death unto life,	25:24
	sallied forth from the tomb triumphant.	25:29
	In his exalted form, his disciples did not know him.	25:34
	It was only when he showed them his scars	25:38
	that they saw and believed.	25:43
	Don't be hard on Thomas.	25:47
	Saying I won't believe it's Jesus	25:51
	unless I can poke my fingers	25:54
	into the nail prints of his hands.	25:56
	Thomas isn't simply being obstinate.	25:58
	Thomas, maybe Thomas is saying,	26:03
	I'm not going to believe it's Jesus	26:08
	unless I touch the scars,	26:13
	because Jesus was wounded.	26:17
	I think they only knew him	26:24
	because the Jesus whom they loved didn't hover	26:28
	above the heartache of this world.	26:32
	He embraced the pain.	26:36
	He went into the sorrow and the care.	26:38
	He lived where they lived and died as they must die.	26:42
	Early on in the church,	26:48
	there was this heresy called Docetism.	26:49
	Docetism, coming from the Greek word	26:52
	dokeo, to seem,	26:55
	to appear and there were these people who said	26:57
	the Son of God, the risen Lord,	27:01
	he didn't really suffer.	27:06
	He only appeared to suffer.	27:09
	He only seemed to die and be in pain.	27:12
	No, the church said, no.	27:19
	He was God but he was fully human.	27:24
	The divinely raised Christ has human scars.	27:28
	Only a wounded God could save us.	27:36
	1 Peter goes so far to say,	27:45
	by his wounds you have been healed.	27:48
	By his wounds you have been healed.	27:52
	To be human,	27:54
	to be human is to have a lot of scar tissue.	27:57
	Inside and out, you've got your scars, human as you are.	28:02
	I've got a scar which I earned at age five.	28:07
	It's on my forehead.	28:11
	I got it playing tag one evening with some of my cousins.	28:15
	I ran into a porch.	28:18
	It hadn't been there before, and gashed open my head.	28:19
	I had to go to the hospital.	28:24
	I had to get the wound sewn up.	28:26
	Oh, the bleeding stopped.	28:31
	Eventually, the wound healed over,	28:33
	but there's still a scar.	28:37
	And interestingly enough, most of the time,	28:40
	you can't see the scar,	28:42
	but as I've gotten older, my hairline is receding,	28:44
	you can see the scar.	28:47
	Maybe there's some scars you don't see as well	28:52
	until you get older.	28:54
	Well, the risen Christ has scars.	28:59
	I've got this friend.	29:07
	He spent much of his childhood in an orphanage.	29:12
	He's an adult now.	29:17
	He's over 50, but when he was a child,	29:18
	his mother took him one day,	29:22
	she took him to this orphanage,	29:26
	and she told him, "You wait	29:27
	"under that tree until I come back."	29:29
	He waited under the tree, he played around under the tree.	29:32
	It got to be dark.	29:35
	She never came back.	29:38
	Now, my friend, as I said, is well past middle age.	29:43
	And one day, I was to meet him for lunch,	29:48
	and something happened, I got waylaid.	29:51
	I was about 15 minutes late.	29:53
	I got there, my friend was pacing around.	29:55
	He was in a sweat, he was in a highly agitated state.	29:57
	He said to me, "Don't you ever do that again.	30:01
	"You were to be here at noon."	30:03
	And I thought, this is an over-reaction	30:05
	for 15 minutes of tardiness.	30:07
	I mean, what is going on here?	30:09
	I asked him, "What in the world?	30:10
	"Why get so bent out of shape?"	30:12
	He said to me, "I'm sorry, I just can't help it.	30:16
	"I've learned later in life why I get so upset	30:22
	"when somebody I love is late.	30:25
	"'Cause my mama took me down there	30:29
	"and she told me to wait under that tree,	30:31
	"and she never came back.	30:35
	"And I just can't bear for somebody to be late."	30:38
	Isn't that interesting?	30:47
	He was all grown up.	30:47
	He was on his own, he was functioning,	30:50
	he was functioning quite well, yes.	30:52
	But he still had scars.	30:54
	Oh, there are people who think that Easter	31:01
	has overcome all of that.	31:03
	They think that just because Jesus was raised	31:07
	from the dead on Easter, the cross is set right,	31:09
	everything is overcome, fixed, forgot.	31:12
	No.	31:17
	The risen Christ still has nail prints in his hands.	31:19
	That's how they knew that this mysterious one	31:24
	who stood before them was none other than Jesus.	31:27
	Thomas touched the scars, and then he believed.	31:30
	You have to touch the scars to believe.	31:38
	The Christian faith does not deny real pain.	31:44
	It doesn't deny the reality of the wound,	31:49
	the existence of scars.	31:51
	Our faith enables us to go on,	31:53
	to rise above the pain in the name of Christ,	31:56
	even in our wounds, but there are still scars.	32:00
	The risen Christ is known by the wounds.	32:06
	I've noticed as a new pastor.	32:11
	New pastor, when I go to a church,	32:14
	I've found that there's always this string of people	32:16
	who come to me and they want to tell me	32:19
	about some past wound that they have suffered,	32:23
	something that has happened to them in the past,	32:27
	and I wonder why.	32:31
	Is it just that people enjoy wallowing	32:33
	in their painful past, they want me	32:35
	to wallow in it with them?	32:37
	Maybe there's some of that, but I think maybe	32:40
	this person is saying to me,	32:43
	pastor, I want you to know me,	32:45
	but you will never really know me	32:49
	until I can show you the scar.	32:53
	It was sort of like Jesus saying to his disciples,	32:59
	"You will know me now by my wounds."	33:03
	We're known by our scars.	33:08
	Have you ever had that impression,	33:10
	you're reading a biography of some famous person,	33:12
	some person who's achieved a lot in life,	33:14
	some person who just has it made,	33:17
	who has done so much in life,	33:19
	and you're reading this biography,	33:21
	and all of the sudden, midway through,	33:23
	this person reveals the scars.	33:24
	It would have been nice if you could have gotten	33:32
	through your life with no pain, no setbacks, no hurt.	33:34
	Yeah, it would have been fine.	33:40
	But in a funny way, the thing that makes you	33:41
	most interesting, the thing that gives you your depth	33:43
	are the scars.	33:50
	And by the wounds there is healing.	33:55
	When they touch the scars, they rejoice.	34:02
	In my last church, I had a woman who was assaulted	34:09
	in her own backyard in the middle of the morning.	34:13
	Terrible thing.	34:18
	Through a good counselor and a loving husband and family,	34:20
	she made her way back.	34:23
	One day, she called and she told me	34:26
	that she had reached a stage in her therapy,	34:28
	in her recovery, where her therapist said,	34:30
	"Now, I want you to go tell your story to somebody,	34:33
	"not your pastor, not somebody in the family,	34:36
	"somebody who doesn't know about it.	34:39
	"I want you to have the experience	34:41
	"of verbalizing what happened to you."	34:43
	As she told me this, I started thinking	34:48
	of various women in the church	34:49
	she might want to tell this to.	34:51
	And she said, "You know, I've been thinking about this,	34:53
	"and I want to tell this story to Joe Smith."	34:55
	Joe Smith?	34:59
	I thought, he was this alcoholic in our church,	35:00
	sometimes recovering, often not.	35:03
	Joe had held three different jobs	35:06
	in the four years I had been there.	35:08
	And I said, "Gosh, I wouldn't have thought of Joe.	35:11
	"I mean, why would you wanna tell Joe?	35:14
	"I thought maybe you'd like to maybe tell this	35:16
	"to some other woman who could empathize with you,	35:18
	"maybe in this, why Joe?"	35:21
	She said to me, "Because he's been to hell and come back.	35:26
	"I think Joe can understand what it's like."	35:35
	And I thought, isn't that curious?	35:43
	Isn't that curious that the one	35:47
	whom the world might regard as a failure	35:48
	becomes the very means of healing somebody	35:50
	after her confrontation with radical evil?	35:55
	Maybe there are wounds that heal.	35:58
	Maybe there are wounds that can't be healed	36:03
	except through a wounded healer.	36:05
	You can't be healed by some Docetist deity	36:09
	that doesn't know what it's like to be there.	36:13
	And so, 1 Peter says it straight out.	36:18
	By his wounds we are healed.	36:21
	And we got this kid, he was a freshman	36:27
	in the chapel choir, and I mentioned something	36:32
	in the sermon last year about how I believed	36:35
	that each of us is marked by God,	36:39
	we're just marked by God for some good thing in life.	36:42
	I said that.	36:45
	At the end of the service, this freshman's mother	36:47
	happened to be visiting that Sunday.	36:49
	At the end of the service, she's back	36:52
	at the back door, she comes pushing this freshman	36:54
	in front of her and she said to me,	36:56
	"This one has been marked."	36:59
	And he was standing there kind of grinning sheepishly,	37:02
	and she said, "Yeah, he's been marked.	37:06
	"I nearly lost him the first year of his life.	37:09
	"He spent the first six weeks of his life	37:12
	"over there in Duke Hospital,	37:14
	"just a little thing fighting for his life,	37:16
	"hanging between life and death,	37:18
	"and I came over to this chapel	37:22
	"and I prayed for him the whole time.	37:23
	"And I told God that if this baby lived,	37:26
	"I would give him to God.	37:31
	"And he's got a scar on his heel this day just to prove it.	37:35
	"He's got a scar on his heel where they fed him	37:39
	"over there in Duke Hospital intravenously	37:42
	"through his heel, you can see the scar on his heel today.	37:46
	"Take your shoe and sock off.	37:50
	"Show the minister the scar."	37:51
	(congregation laughing)	37:53
	"When he was a little boy, I would sometimes say to him,	38:01
	"I'd say, 'You see that mark?	38:06
	"'It's a sign that God's got plans for you.	38:09
	"'You've been saved.'	38:13
	"He's a gift."	38:18
	You know how you've got scars,	38:23
	some of them are visible to others,	38:26
	some are invisible.	38:27
	Some get more visible the older you grow.	38:30
	I'm telling you, these scars can be transformed	38:35
	from mere signs of human pain and misfortune	38:38
	to the very mark of God upon your life.	38:45
	The one who has called each of us here this day,	38:52
	your Savior, the risen one, he's also got scars	38:55
	just to prove his love to you.	39:01
	If you don't know him, like Thomas,	39:05
	if you're not real sure that you believe,	39:11
	he'll graciously show you those scars	39:15
	that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah,	39:20
	the Son of God, and that through believing,	39:23
	you might have life in his name.	39:26
	He showed them his scars.	39:32
	(gentle organ music)	39:42
	♪ When I survey the wondrous cross ♪	40:17
	♪ On which the Prince of Glory died ♪	40:26
	♪ My richest gain I count but loss ♪	40:36
	♪ And pour contempt on all my pride ♪	40:45
	♪ Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast ♪	40:56
	♪ Save in the death of Christ, my God ♪	41:06
	♪ All the vain things that charm me most ♪	41:15
	♪ I sacrifice them to his blood ♪	41:25
	♪ See, from his head, his hands, his feet ♪	41:36
	♪ Sorrow and love flow mingled down ♪	41:46
	♪ Did e'er such love and sorrow meet ♪	41:55
	♪ Or thorns compose so rich a crown ♪	42:05
	♪ Were the whole realm of nature mine ♪	42:17
	♪ That were an offering far too small ♪	42:27
	♪ Love so amazing, so divine ♪	42:37
	♪ Demands my soul, my life, my all ♪	42:48
-	The Lord be with you.	43:05
-	And also with you.
-	Let us pray.	43:08
	You may be seated.	43:10
	(congregation shuffling)	43:11
	O wounded Lord, we give you thanks	43:22
	that you were known not only in the beauty and joy of life,	43:26
	but also in the pain and suffering.	43:31
	You are a God who enters into the midst	43:36
	of the darkness and death to transform it	43:39
	and witness to the light and life	43:44
	made possible through your love,	43:48
	for a love which has the power to touch	43:53
	even the deepest pain, we give you thanks.	43:56
	Lord, in your mercy--	44:02
-	Hear our prayer.
-	Wounded Lord, we have needed the assurance	44:07
	that you are known in the midst of suffering,	44:12
	for during the past two weeks,	44:16
	our hearts have ached with the tragedy in Oklahoma City.	44:18
	We've been stunned by the terror	44:26
	and the capacity for human destruction,	44:28
	yet we have also been moved again and again	44:33
	by the human response of compassion.	44:37
	For the outpouring of love which witnesses	44:41
	to the triumph of good over evil,	44:45
	we give you thanks.	44:48
	Lord, in your mercy--	44:51
-	Hear our prayer.
-	Lord, as you are wounded, so we are wounded.	44:57
	Each one of us bears the scars of living,	45:04
	the scars of broken relationships,	45:08
	failed hopes,	45:13
	addictions, abuse,	45:16
	fear, illness,	45:20
	despair and grief.	45:24
	Each one of us bears scars	45:30
	and we know that you know the shape,	45:33
	the size, and the depths of our pain.	45:36
	Lord, we remember and ask for your presence	45:42
	with each one of us, that you might touch us	45:46
	in the particular ways we need to be touched.	45:49
	We lift especially the family of Angier Duke,	45:53
	who are grieving his death.	45:57
	Reach out and touch us in the places	46:00
	where we are most wounded, that we might be known by you	46:02
	and healed by you.	46:08
	Lord, in your mercy--	46:11
-	Hear our prayer.
-	As you are able to help us	46:16
	because you know our suffering,	46:18
	so enable us to help each other.	46:21
	Help us to be less reticent	46:26
	in showing one another our woundedness.	46:29
	And use our wounds to make us more compassionate	46:33
	to the suffering of others,	46:37
	that through our wounds, we might offer love to one another	46:40
	and thereby witness to your love.	46:45
	We pray all these things in your name,	46:49
	Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, amen.	46:53
	It is our privilege to share	47:03
	in the suffering of one another.	47:06
	With this offering today,	47:09
	we invite you to designate your check	47:10
	for Kostroma, Russia, and that would go	47:13
	to the people there who are suffering	47:16
	from terrible unemployment and malnutrition and poverty.	47:18
	The rest of the offering that is not designated	47:22
	will be sent to Oklahoma City	47:25
	to assist there with the tragedy.	47:27
	Let us receive our offerings.	47:30
	(majestic organ music)	47:35
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	48:38
	♪ Serve the Lord with gladness ♪	48:45
	♪ All ye lands ♪	48:47
	♪ Come before his presence with singing ♪	48:51
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	48:57
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	49:06
	♪ Serve the Lord with gladness, all ye lands ♪	49:12
	♪ Come before his presence with singing ♪	49:18
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	49:24
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	49:29
	♪ Make a joyful noise ♪	49:34
	♪ Know ye that the Lord, he is God ♪	49:41
	♪ It is he that made us, and not we ourselves ♪	49:53
	♪ We are his people ♪	50:06
	♪ And the sheep of his pasture ♪	50:12
	♪ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving ♪	50:18
	♪ With thanksgiving ♪	50:28
	♪ And his courts with praise ♪	50:31
	♪ Be thankful ♪	50:40
	♪ Be thankful unto him and bless his name ♪	50:45
	♪ For the Lord is good ♪	50:53
	♪ His mercy is everlasting ♪	50:59
	♪ And his love endures ♪	51:09
	♪ His love endures for all generations ♪	51:16
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	51:26
	♪ Serve the Lord with gladness, all ye lands ♪	51:32
	♪ Come before his presence with singing ♪	51:38
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	51:44
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	51:49
	♪ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord ♪	51:55
	(majestic organ music)	52:04
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	52:52
	♪ Praise God all creatures here below ♪	52:59
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:06
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:10
	♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly host ♪	53:14
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	53:21
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:27
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:31
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:34
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:38
	♪ Alleluia ♪	53:42
-	Almighty and most merciful God,	53:55
	from you comes every good and perfect gift.	53:58
	We give you praise and thanks for all your mercy.	54:01
	Your goodness has created us,	54:05
	your bounty has sustained us,	54:07
	your discipline has chastened us,	54:10
	your patience has born with us,	54:13
	your love has redeemed us.	54:16
	Give us a heart to love and serve you,	54:19
	and enable us to show our thankfulness	54:22
	for all your goodness and mercy	54:24
	by giving up ourselves to your service	54:27
	and cheerfully submitting in all things	54:30
	to your blessed will through Jesus Christ our Savior,	54:32
	who taught us to pray together saying--	54:37
All	Our Father, who art in heaven,	54:40
	hallowed be thy name.	54:43
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,	54:45
	on earth as it is in heaven.	54:49
	Give us this day our daily bread,	54:52
	and forgive us our trespasses	54:55
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	54:58
	And lead us not into temptation,	55:01
	but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom	55:04
	and the power and the glory forever, amen.	55:08
	(majestic organ music)	55:16
	♪ O sons and daughters, let us sing ♪	55:45
	♪ The king of heaven, the glorious king ♪	55:52
	♪ O'er death today rose triumphing ♪	55:59
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	56:07
	♪ When Thomas first the tidings heard ♪	56:17
	♪ How they had seen the risen Lord ♪	56:24
	♪ He doubted the disciples' word ♪	56:32
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	56:39
	♪ My pierced side, O Thomas, see ♪	56:49
	♪ My hands, my feet, I show to thee ♪	56:57
	♪ Not faithless but believing be ♪	57:04
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	57:12
	♪ No longer Thomas then denied ♪	57:22
	♪ He saw the feet, the hands, the side ♪	57:30
	♪ Thou art my Lord and God, he cried ♪	57:37
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	57:44
	♪ How blest are they who have not seen ♪	57:54
	♪ And yet whose faith hath constant been ♪	58:02
	♪ For they eternal life shall win ♪	58:10
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	58:17
-	And now may the risen Christ be with you,	58:31
	now even forevermore, amen.	58:34
	(stately organ music)	58:41
	(congregation chattering)	59:02

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "He Showed Them His Scars" (April 30, 1995)

Description:

Sermon start time: 19:41. Sermon end time: 39:26.
The preacher elaborates on the beauty and power of scars. He claims that scars are about identity, witness, and healing, and the fact that the risen and triumphant Jesus still has scars recognizes the reality of wounds in the world, as well as God’s presence in suffering. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r43f4m356

Date:

April 30, 1995

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Easter

Biblical Book:

John

Chapter and Verse:

John 20:19-31

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0423
ref9572_t2n
uachapelsermaud
duke:321434
dcrmv001401
ark:/87924/r43f4m356
d8ae08c1-f1f0-4b1b-8eee-659c8b951dd4

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 - "He Showed Them His Scars" (April 30, 1995)

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Item Info

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Duke University Archives