Karen Westerfield Tucker - Sermon Untitled (June 16, 1996)

Download
- Rights
- Limited Re-Use
  Educational Use Permitted
  More Rights Info
- Files (1)
- MP4
- Please be patient with media downloads. They are often large files.
Share

Embed Code
<iframe src='//idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4n873d9b?embed=true' height='500px' width='100%' frameborder='0' marginwidth='0' marginheight='0' scrolling='no' allowfullscreen></iframe>
Permalink

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4n873d9b
Skip to Item Info

Loading the media player...

Files for this Item

Transcript

Transcripts may contain inaccuracies.

	(organ music playing)	0:02
-	Good morning, we'd like to welcome you to Duke Chapel.	3:05
	We are pleased to welcome to our pulpit today	3:08
	Karen Westerfield Tucker, Assistant Professor of Liturgics	3:11
	at Duke Divinity School.	3:16
	She has preached here before and we are glad	3:17
	to see her again this morning.	3:19
	This afternoon we'd like to invite you to return	3:23
	for the Vocal Art's Ensemble Concert	3:26
	directed by Dr. Rodney Wynecoop	3:28
	presenting "Songs of a Summer Night" at 5:00 p.m.	3:31
	and we hope you'll be able to return for that.	3:34
	I'd like to call to your attention	3:38
	the announcement in the Bulletin	3:40
	about next Sunday's service, this is a special service.	3:41
	As some of you may know the Olympic Torch	3:46
	is going to be coming through Durham	3:48
	and is scheduled to arrive at the Chapel 11:53.	3:51
	And so Bishop Carlton Minnick will be preaching,	3:57
	we'll have the service as normal for the first part,	4:00
	and then we will move outside	4:04
	for the passing of the Olympic Torch,	4:06
	and then we will complete the service	4:08
	with a service for unity and peace outside.	4:11
	We hope you'll be able to return for that.	4:15
	And now let us continue with the call to worship,	4:17
	please stand.	4:20
	Let us offer to God our praise and thanksgiving.	4:27
	(congregation responding)	4:32
	We will pay our vows to God.	4:34
Congregation	Praise the Lord.	4:37
	(organ music playing)	4:40
	(all signing)	5:20
	(organ music playing)	8:11
	(all singing)	8:25
-	Let us pray.	9:12
	God of eternity, before You	9:15
	lips are silenced in awe and wonder.	9:18
	Mere words fail to praise the fullness of Your Word for us	9:24
	spoken in Jesus Christ.	9:30
	Let our lives reflect his love and so return to You	9:34
	all praise and glory by all we say and do.	9:39
	Amen.	9:44
	You may be seated.	9:46
-	Let us pray for illumination.	9:54
All	Open our hearts and minds, oh God,	9:58
	by the power of Your Holy Spirit,	10:01
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed,	10:04
	we may hear Your message with joy this day.	10:07
	Amen.	10:12
-	Here begins the 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis.	10:15
	"And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre	10:20
	"as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.	10:24
	"He lifted up his eyes and looked,	10:28
	"and behold, three men stood in front of him.	10:30
	"When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them,	10:33
	"and bowed himself to the earth, and said,	10:37
	"'My Lord, if I have found favor in Your sight,	10:40
	"do not pass by Your servant.	10:44
	"Let a little water be brought and wash your feet,	10:46
	"and rest yourselves under the tree	10:50
	"while I fetch a morsel of bread,	10:52
	"that you may refresh yourselves,	10:55
	"and after that you may pass on	10:57
	"since you have come to your servant.'	11:00
	"So they said, 'Do as you have said.'	11:02
	"And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said,	11:06
	"'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal.	11:10
	"Knead it, and make cakes.'	11:14
	"And Abraham ran to the herd,	11:16
	"and took a calf tender and good,	11:18
	"and gave it to the servant who hasted to prepare it.	11:21
	"Then he took curds, and milk,	11:25
	"and the calf which he had prepared,	11:27
	"and set it before them, and he stood by them	11:30
	"under the tree while they ate.	11:33
	"They said to him, 'Where is Sarah your wife?'	11:36
	"And he said, 'She is in the tent.'	11:41
	"The Lord said, 'I will surely return to you	11:45
	"in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.'	11:48
	"And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.	11:53
	"Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age.	11:57
	"It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.	12:02
	"So Sarah laughed to herself, saying,	12:06
	"'After I have grown old and my husband is old	12:08
	"shall I have pleasure?'	12:12
	"The Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say,	12:15
	"'Shall I indeed bear a child now that I am old?'	12:20
	"Is anything too hard for the Lord?	12:25
	"At the appointed time I will return to you in the spring	12:28
	"and Sarah shall have a son.'	12:33
	"But Sarah denied saying, 'I did not laugh,'	12:37
	"for she was afraid.	12:41
	"He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'"	12:43
	This is the Word of the Lord.	12:47
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	12:50
-	The Psalm appointed for this Sunday is number 116,	13:01
	verses one through four, and 12 through 19.	13:05
	You may find it in your hymnal on pages 837 and 838.	13:08
	Together let us praise God by singing	13:14
	the Psalm and the Gloria responsively.	13:15
	Please rise.	13:17
	(organ music playing)	13:20
	♪ I love the Lord who has heard ♪	13:26
	♪ My voice and my supplications ♪	13:30
	♪ And has inclined His ear to me whenever I call ♪	13:34
	(congregation singing)	13:41
	♪ Then I called on the name of the Lord ♪	13:56
	(congregation singing)	14:02
	♪ What shall I return to the Lord ♪	14:09
	♪ For all my benefits ♪	14:14
	(congregation singing)	14:19
	♪ I repay my vows to the Lord ♪	14:30
	♪ in the presence of all His people ♪	14:35
	(congregation singing)	14:41
	♪ Oh Lord, I am Your servant ♪	14:52
	♪ I am Your servant, the child of Your hand made ♪	14:56
	♪ You have loosed my bonds ♪	15:01
	(congregation singing)	15:06
	♪ I will pay my vows to the Lord ♪	15:19
	♪ In the presence of all His people ♪	15:24
	(congregation singing)	15:30
	♪ Oh glory be to You, Creator ♪	15:45
	♪ And to Jesus Christ our Savior ♪	15:49
	(congregation singing)	15:53
	♪ As it was a time began ♪	16:00
	(congregation singing)	16:05
	Please be seated.	16:16
-	Here begins the fifth chapter of the letter	16:25
	sent Paul the Apostle to the Romans.	16:28
	"Therefore since we are justified by faith	16:33
	"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.	16:37
	"Through him we have obtained access	16:42
	"to this grace in which we stand	16:44
	"and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.	16:47
	"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings	16:52
	"knowing that suffering produces endurance,	16:55
	"and endurance produces character,	17:00
	"and character produces hope,	17:03
	"and hope does not disappoint us	17:06
	"because God's love has been poured into our hearts	17:08
	"through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.	17:12
	"While we were yet helpless, at the right time,	17:17
	"Christ died for the ungodly	17:21
	"while one would hardly die for a righteous man,	17:23
	"though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.	17:27
	"But God shows His love for us	17:31
	"and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."	17:35
	This is the Word of the Lord.	17:42
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	17:45
	(organ music playing)	18:13
	(chorus singing)	18:42
	(organ music playing and chorus singing continues)	21:40
-	Here begins the 35th verse of the ninth chapter	22:35
	of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew.	22:38
	"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,	22:42
	"teaching in their synagogues,	22:45
	"and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom,	22:47
	"and healing every disease and every infirmity.	22:50
	"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,	22:54
	"because they were harassed and helpless,	22:57
	"like sheep without a shepherd.	22:59
	"Then he said to his disciples,	23:02
	"'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.	23:04
	"Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest,	23:08
	"to send out laborers into His harvest.'	23:10
	"And he called to him his 12 disciples	23:15
	"and gave them authority over unclean spirits	23:18
	"to cast them out, and to heal every disease	23:20
	"and every infirmity.	23:24
	"The names of the 12 Apostles are these,	23:26
	"first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,	23:29
	"James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,	23:34
	"Peter and Bartholomew,	23:38
	"Thomas and Matthew the tax collector,	23:40
	"James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus,	23:43
	"Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.	23:46
	"These 12 Jesus sent out charging them,	23:53
	"'Go nowhere among the Gentiles	23:56
	"and enter no town of the Samaritans,	23:58
	"but go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel	24:01
	"and preach as you go saying,	24:05
	"'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'	24:07
	"Heal the sick, raise the dead,	24:10
	"cleanse lepers, and cast out demons.	24:13
	"You'll receive without pay, give without pay.	24:16
	"Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts,	24:21
	"no bag for your journey, nor two tunics,	24:25
	"nor sandals, nor a staff for the laborer deserves his food.	24:28
	"And whatever town or village you enter,	24:33
	"find out who is worthy in it	24:36
	"and stay with him until you depart.	24:39
	"As you enter the house, salute it.	24:41
	"And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it,	24:44
	"but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.	24:49
	"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words,	24:54
	"shake off the dust from your feet	24:58
	"as you leave that house or town.	25:00
	"Truly I say to you, it shall be more tolerable	25:03
	"on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah	25:06
	"than for that town.	25:11
	"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.	25:14
	"So be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.	25:18
	"Beware of men for they will deliver you	25:22
	"up to the councils and flog you in their synagogues.	25:25
	"And you will be dragged before governors and kings	25:28
	"for my sake to bare testimony before them and the Gentiles.	25:31
	"When they deliver you up, do not be anxious	25:37
	"how you are to speak or what you are to say,	25:40
	"for what you are to say will be	25:44
	"given to you in that hour, for it not you who speak,	25:45
	"but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.	25:50
	"Brother will deliver up brother to death,	25:55
	"and the father his child,	25:57
	"and children will rise against parents	26:00
	"and have them put to death.	26:03
	"And you will be hated by all for my name's sake,	26:06
	"that he who endures to the end will be saved.	26:11
	"When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next,	26:15
	"for truly I say to you, you will not have gone	26:19
	"through all the towns of Israel	26:23
	"before the Son of Man comes.'"	26:26
	This is the Word of the Lord.	26:30
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	26:33
-	Now that the school year is over for many of our children	26:46
	attention turns to that institution of summer.	26:51
	No, not baseball, but summer camp.	26:55
	This is certainly true in my house.	26:59
	When my son received verification of his camp registration,	27:03
	he also received a list of items	27:08
	that are appropriate and inappropriate for camp.	27:11
	The most clearly marked item on that list was a warning	27:17
	you must carry to the campsite everything that you bring.	27:22
	Vehicles are not allowed	27:28
	to help you transport your belongings.	27:30
	So now the matter of packing for his trip	27:35
	becomes a little more complicated.	27:38
	What is the survival gear?	27:42
	What are the essential items needed for his days at camp?	27:44
	Toothbrush?	27:50
	Socks?	27:52
	And since it's North Carolina, insect repellent?	27:55
	And what is the excess baggage?	28:00
	Those items that are left at home.	28:03
	I think it is remarkable how the art of camping	28:08
	has changed over the years, and how our understanding	28:11
	of survival gear for camping has also changed.	28:16
	When I started camping at the age of eight	28:22
	it was my job to dip the matchsticks	28:26
	into hot paraffin to waterproof them	28:29
	for the rainy days we knew we'd have in the tent.	28:33
	If we had no usable matches we'd have no hot water,	28:38
	we'd have no hot food.	28:43
	Camping in a tent in a remote area	28:47
	required serious consideration of the essentials.	28:51
	Today most would-be campers arrive at the campsite	28:57
	in their air conditioned RVs	29:00
	furnished with microwave ovens, dishwashers and VCRs.	29:03
	The essentials for these campers include	29:10
	an electrical outlet and a place to dump sewage.	29:14
	When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples to preach and heal,	29:21
	he had a definite idea of what was survival gear	29:26
	and what was excess baggage.	29:31
	He instructed the disciples to take no money,	29:35
	no nap sack, no change of clothing,	29:38
	no shoes, not even a walking stick.	29:41
	Instead they were to travel light	29:45
	by taking with them only words and actions,	29:48
	God's words and actions,	29:52
	and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.	29:56
	Now, as a minister, and as a wife of a minister,	30:02
	these words really bother me, especially now.	30:06
	My husband will begin serving a new congregation	30:12
	in less than two weeks, and we are packing for the move.	30:14
	Should I be tempted to take Jesus' words quite literally	30:22
	and chuck the many boxes?	30:26
	Perhaps also the computer and the answering machine	30:28
	and show up in the new community with nothing	30:31
	but the clothes on my back, and the shoes on my feet?	30:34
	I think not.	30:39
	But how then should I,	30:42
	how then should you understand Jesus' words?	30:44
	And to whom are these words addressed?	30:49
	Certainly to the 12 disciples	30:52
	whom the Gospel writer identifies by name,	30:55
	and just as certainly to those of us, who by our baptisms,	30:59
	have become Jesus' disciples, his followers,	31:03
	and are thereby charged to make disciples of all nations.	31:09
	So we need to look stereoscopically	31:15
	at this lesson from Saint Matthew's Gospel.	31:17
	We need to look through two different lenses at once,	31:21
	for the Gospel writer would have us read this text	31:25
	both as Jesus' words addressed to the 12 disciples,	31:29
	and as Jesus' words addressed to those disciples	31:34
	who would come after the initial 12.	31:37
	In hearing Jesus' words to his disciples	31:42
	we are hearing Jesus' words to us.	31:45
	When Jesus gave his traveling restrictions	31:52
	to the 12 disciples, he had one purpose in mind.	31:55
	To demonstrate graphically the message of Good News.	32:00
	It was simply not enough to tell people about the Gospel,	32:04
	everything about the messengers	32:09
	had to embody the contents of the message,	32:11
	the urgency of the message, and the demands of the message.	32:14
	What was important was to communicate clearly	32:21
	and concisely the Good News	32:25
	that the Kingdom of Heaven had come near,	32:29
	all else was excess baggage.	32:33
	And so Jesus himself issued the survival gear	32:39
	for his disciples as he sent them forth into ministry.	32:42
	And what are those essential items that Jesus gives?	32:47
	First, Jesus provided them with the content of the work.	32:51
	Second, Jesus informed them of the urgency of the work.	32:57
	And third, Jesus prepared them for the demands	33:02
	and the obstacles that they would face when doing his work.	33:06
	First, Jesus provided them with the content of the work.	33:14
	Jesus was not requesting the impossible of his disciples	33:21
	by his imposition of travel restrictions,	33:25
	though it must have seemed so to the 12.	33:28
	Jesus was asking of his hand-picked disciples	33:31
	nothing more than had been asked of him.	33:35
	The disciples were commissioned into the ministry	33:40
	that had been pioneered by Jesus himself.	33:43
	The Gospel writer makes this clear	33:48
	in the verses that immediate preceded chapter 10.	33:50
	These verses which detailed Jesus' own job description.	33:54
	Saint Matthew writes, "And Jesus went about	33:59
	"all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues,	34:03
	"and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom,	34:07
	"and healing every disease and every infirmity."	34:10
	Matthew then goes on to say	34:16
	at the very beginning of chapter 10	34:18
	that Jesus called the 12 and gave them authority,	34:20
	Jesus' own authority, to perform ministries of healing.	34:25
	Their work, the disciples' work,	34:31
	was to be an imitation of Jesus' own ministry.	34:36
	It was also to be more than imitation, however.	34:41
	Ministry was to be rendered and received	34:45
	as if Jesus himself was giving it.	34:48
	The disciples' hands were Jesus' hands,	34:53
	their feet his feet,	34:57
	as he ministered among the poor and the outcast.	34:59
	By their works of mercy and charity	35:05
	the disciples were not only	35:09
	to perform a service for needy persons,	35:11
	they were to also embody the contents of the message	35:14
	that God's day of promise was dawning in their midsts.	35:18
	They were to be living signs,	35:24
	their actions were to reinforce the contents of the message.	35:27
	But the ministry of the disciples	35:35
	was not just one of healing.	35:36
	The disciples were also called upon	35:39
	to mirror Jesus' preaching vocation.	35:41
	Care for the sick and the distressed	35:45
	required the accompaniment of an explanation,	35:48
	the sign needed words.	35:52
	Like Jesus, the disciples were to spread the word	35:56
	that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.	36:00
	Yet on this matter of preaching,	36:04
	the disciples were to got beyond simply mimicking Jesus.	36:06
	After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection	36:11
	it would become clear to them that Jesus himself	36:14
	was to be the subject of their preaching,	36:19
	for in Jesus God had acted decisively in history,	36:23
	reconciling the world through the life,	36:27
	death, and resurrection of the Son.	36:31
	The Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven had drawn near	36:35
	was realized in the person of Jesus Christ.	36:39
	Therefore the disciples, in their imitation of Jesus,	36:44
	were not simply to emulate his work,	36:49
	they were to bear his likeness, his image.	36:53
	As it was for the 12,	37:01
	so it is for us who would be Jesus' disciples.	37:03
	Jesus calls us to act out the message of God's Good News	37:12
	by being agents of healing and caretakers of the distressed.	37:17
	Jesus calls us to proclaim the message, to be the message,	37:23
	so to live that Jesus himself	37:29
	is reflected in our lives.	37:33
	To be a follower of Jesus Christ means more	37:37
	than to show up in church on Sunday morning,	37:40
	means more than to read the Bible once or twice a week.	37:43
	It means to be Christ's representative,	37:48
	to represent Christ for the world.	37:52
	The second item of survival gear given to the disciples,	38:00
	Jesus instructed them about the urgency of the work.	38:05
	The work of discipleship was to be anything but causal.	38:11
	Jesus' packing list did not include	38:16
	folding chairs and beach umbrellas.	38:18
	Rather, Jesus told the disciples to take nothing with them,	38:22
	for to travel around with one's possessions, even money,	38:27
	was to convey an attitude that was counter	38:33
	to the message that was to be preached.	38:36
	The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand	38:40
	and the in-bringing of the Kingdom	38:42
	required that persons act quickly,	38:44
	both preachers and hearers.	38:48
	The disciples were to trust	38:52
	the message they were to proclaim,	38:53
	so much so that they were to embody the message,	38:55
	that urgency, by taking nothing with them.	38:59
	True discipleship, as Jesus defined it,	39:04
	required that those who would be disciples trust in God	39:08
	to provide everything for their everyday needs.	39:11
	Just as Jesus himself was poor in material things,	39:17
	the disciples too were to be dependent	39:21
	on the riches given from God.	39:25
	Their work, their words, even their very lives	39:28
	were to be regarded as gifts from God.	39:33
	For this reason the disciples were not to receive	39:38
	compensation or any benefit beyond minimal subsistence	39:40
	for their words and their work.	39:46
	Instead they were to bless those	39:50
	who had received God's Word,	39:53
	and those who had in turn	39:55
	received the disciples into their homes.	39:59
	As it was for the 12, so it is for us	40:05
	who would be Jesus' faithful disciples.	40:09
	But today how do we measure Jesus' instruction	40:16
	about the urgency of spreading the Word	40:20
	concerning the nearness of God's Kingdom?	40:23
	So many centuries have passed,	40:26
	so many faithful Christians have died,	40:28
	and the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus proclaimed	40:32
	seems more remote than near.	40:35
	Is there the same urgency that there was	40:40
	for those first disciples?	40:44
	Yes, for how will we know when the time has come	40:47
	for the Kingdom of Heaven to be fulfilled in our midsts?	40:52
	We are to live as if that new day will dawn tomorrow.	40:56
	We are to be ever watchful as faithful bridesmaids	41:01
	who await the bridegroom,	41:05
	who will come to the marriage feast,	41:08
	but who's arrival has yet to be announced.	41:12
	Yes, there is still an urgency in witnessing to the Gospel.	41:16
	That urgency is present among some new Christians	41:25
	I recently visited in Southeast Asia.	41:29
	One man I met, a practicing physician who also	41:33
	has teaching responsibilities in a local university,	41:37
	has made it his ministry to proclaim	41:41
	the urgency of the message in cyberspace.	41:44
	He is convinced that to be a true disciple	41:50
	he must give testimony to the Gospel	41:53
	and his medium is email and the world-wide web.	41:57
	Now to many of us here he might seem to be a fanatic,	42:03
	but it seems that many Christians in the United States,	42:09
	in North Carolina, in Durham, even here in Duke Chapel	42:12
	have become rather complacent about the message	42:17
	that was entrusted to us when we were baptized.	42:20
	There is a casualness rather than an urgency	42:25
	about spreading the Good News of God's Kingdom.	42:28
	Our Christianity has become more of an institution,	42:32
	a label instead of a calling.	42:36
	Jesus gives us the survival gear, but we are slowed	42:42
	by all the excess baggage we carry around with us.	42:46
	Such items as the fear of	42:49
	appearing to be a religious zealot,	42:51
	the concern that we might offend someone,	42:54
	and perhaps even disbelief that God's Word is true.	42:58
	This excess baggage inhibits or prohibits us	43:04
	from the work of discipleship.	43:09
	Jesus' instructions to the first disciples in chapter 10	43:13
	comes to us then as a startling reminder	43:17
	of the tasks present day disciples are to undertake,	43:20
	and the responsibilities we are to assume.	43:25
	And now the third item of survival gear	43:32
	given to the disciples.	43:34
	Jesus prepared them for the demands and obstacles	43:37
	that they would face in doing his work.	43:40
	The picture that is painted for the disciples	43:46
	is not a pleasant one.	43:49
	They will be like sheep attacked by ravenous wolves.	43:52
	Hatred, persecution, family division,	43:57
	all these are to be the lot of the persistent disciple	44:00
	who is willing to be vulnerable,	44:05
	who is willing to face danger,	44:07
	who is willing to be clothed in nothing	44:10
	but the armor of God.	44:12
	In this they will share the same fate as Jesus,	44:16
	they will be treated as he was treated.	44:21
	For this reason the disciples are advised	44:27
	to be both subtle and uncorrupt in their work.	44:29
	They are to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.	44:33
	But the disciples are also assured that they	44:41
	will not be abandoned in their work for Jesus' sake.	44:43
	They should not be afraid, for God will be with them.	44:48
	Even if their tongues are speechless,	44:53
	God will provide the words.	44:57
	And though faithfulness to the message is its own reward,	45:01
	God promises to save those who endure to the end.	45:07
	As it was for the 12,	45:16
	so it is for us even today.	45:19
	The kind of persecution described in chapter 10	45:25
	is probably foreign to most of us,	45:29
	and what might that say about our faithfulness	45:33
	to the message we are to deliver?	45:36
	Not that anyone should look for trouble,	45:38
	but are we willing to give testimony,	45:42
	to profess our faith, to witness to the Good News	45:45
	no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the cost?	45:50
	Persecution and family division for the sake of the Gospel	45:57
	might seem a thing of a bygone age.	46:02
	Perhaps that is true in the North American context	46:06
	but that certainly is not true	46:10
	for first generation Christians	46:12
	of Chinese descent living in Asia, as I recently discovered.	46:14
	Several times I heard stories from persons,	46:20
	particularly the eldest sons in Chinese families,	46:24
	who were disowned when they professed faith in Jesus Christ.	46:29
	By becoming Christians they had to give up	46:36
	the Chinese religion in which one's parents	46:39
	are virtually worshiped as gods.	46:42
	Because they had abandoned the traditional family structure,	46:46
	they were regarded as non-existent	46:51
	or dead by their families of origin.	46:54
	In the case of one man I met, he had not seen,	47:00
	spoken to, or corresponded with any member	47:04
	of his immediate or extended family	47:07
	in the 20 years since he had become a Christian.	47:10
	How seriously are we willing to take our tasks	47:17
	as disciples of Jesus Christ?	47:22
	Are we willing to pay the price for our faith	47:26
	knowing that we need not fear, for God is with us?	47:31
	Jesus calls to us just as he called	47:39
	to the 12 disciples so long ago.	47:43
	He bids us to take up our cross, to be his disciples,	47:47
	and to make disciples of others.	47:53
	He gives us the survival gear,	47:58
	everything we need for the journey of faith.	48:01
	He charges us to proclaim the Good News	48:07
	and to care for others in his name.	48:11
	He compels us to recognize the urgency	48:16
	of the work that must be done.	48:19
	And he warns us that discipleship may be difficult,	48:23
	but he promises to be with us throughout any ordeal.	48:28
	These are the essentials of discipleship,	48:34
	this is all we need.	48:38
	All else is excess baggage.	48:41
	Are you willing to make the journey?	48:47
	(organ music playing)	48:55
	(all singing)	49:32
-	You may be seated.	52:12
	The Lord be with you.	52:18
Congregation	And also with you.	52:20
-	Let us pray.	52:22
	Almighty God who hears our voices and answers prayer	52:29
	accept our praise this day.	52:36
	You have blessed us, your servants, with freedom,	52:40
	freedom to serve You and freedom to turn away.	52:44
	We pray that You would help us to see	52:49
	that serving You in freedom and love	52:51
	is the way to peace, justice and abundant life,	52:55
	for You desire to bless us	53:01
	in surprising and unexpected ways.	53:03
	Like Sarah, we may laugh at	53:07
	the impossibilities You lay before us,	53:09
	but help us to trust You in spite of our misgivings.	53:13
	For You are the God who makes a way out of no way,	53:18
	You are the God who makes the impossible, possible.	53:22
	For this and all Your mercies we give You thanks.	53:27
All	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	53:32
-	God of the harvest,	53:37
	equip us for our labors in Your Kingdom.	53:40
	Help us discern what is essential for life,	53:45
	and what is excess baggage that gets in the way	53:48
	of our service in Your Kingdom.	53:52
	Remind us that we are not dependent	53:55
	upon our own powers, but Your power,	53:58
	for You both prepare the way	54:02
	and undergird us with Your strength and blessings	54:05
	so we might embody the way of Your salvation.	54:09
	Grant us eyes and ears attuned to Your compassion	54:14
	and to Your children's needs.	54:18
	May we discern in the distressed and helpless	54:21
	an opportunity for discipleship.	54:25
	May we reach out in love and compassion	54:29
	so that in us they may glimpse Your love and compassion	54:32
	revealed in Christ our Lord.	54:36
All	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	54:40
-	You have taught us to pray for and to serve one another,	54:45
	You have invited us to trust You when we face difficulties,	54:49
	so we lift up to You in silence our needs	54:54
	and the needs of those who are dear to us.	54:58
	We pray for those who suffer trauma in body or mind,	55:13
	that they may be healed.	55:18
	For those who's livelihood is insecure,	55:20
	the overworked, the unemployed, those burdened by debt,	55:24
	that they may know security of body and mind.	55:30
	For little children who's surroundings	55:35
	hide from them Your love and beauty,	55:38
	that they may be valued as Your own beloved children.	55:41
	For those who have to bear their burdens alone,	55:46
	that they may know Christian fellowship	55:50
	and a communion of Your spirit.	55:52
	For those who have lost loved ones,	55:56
	that they may be comforted	55:59
	and know the hope of eternal life.	56:01
	For those who are in doubt and anguish of soul,	56:06
	that they may find peace.	56:10
All	Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.	56:15
-	Come among us, Lord, come that we might be	56:20
	filled with Your Spirit and bound with Your love.	56:23
	Like Sarah, give us laughter as we glimpse	56:27
	the power of Your grace to remove impossible barriers.	56:30
	Give us courage to follow, even when it is costly to do so	56:35
	knowing that You go with us every step of the way.	56:41
	Transform our lives from barrenness to fullness,	56:45
	that we might bear fruit as Your people	56:50
	and Your servants for a hurting world,	56:52
	and send us forth as Your disciples,	56:55
	that we might share Your love and grace with all the world	56:58
	so that people everywhere might know	57:02
	the glory of Your salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.	57:04
	Amen.	57:09
	Let us offer ourselves and our gifts	57:13
	in thanksgiving to the Lord.	57:15
	(organ music playing)	57:19
	(chorus singing)	58:39
	(organ music playing)	1:00:49
	(chorus singing)	1:01:28
	Let us pray.	1:02:29
	Holy God, we praise You.	1:02:32
	Let the heavens be joyful and the Earth be glad.	1:02:35
	We bless You for creating the whole world,	1:02:41
	for Your promises to Your people, Israel,	1:02:45
	and for the life we know in Jesus Christ Your son.	1:02:49
	Born of Mary, he shares our life.	1:02:54
	Eating with sinners, he welcomes us.	1:02:58
	Leading his followers, he guides us.	1:03:02
	Dying on the cross, he rescues us.	1:03:06
	Risen from the dead, he gives new life.	1:03:10
	Send us Your Holy Spirit, that Your people may become one.	1:03:15
	Unite us in faith, inspire us to love,	1:03:21
	encourage us with hope that being made one with Christ	1:03:26
	we may be one with each other,	1:03:31
	and one in ministry to all the world	1:03:34
	until Christ comes in final victory.	1:03:37
	We praise You, Almighty Father, through Christ Your son	1:03:41
	in the Holy Spirit who taught us to pray together saying,	1:03:45
	"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.	1:03:50
	"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done	1:03:55
	"on Earth as it is in Heaven.	1:03:59
	"Give us this day our daily bread	1:04:01
	"and forgive us our trespasses	1:04:04
	"as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:04:07
	"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	1:04:11
	"For thine is the Kingdom, and the power,	1:04:16
	"and the glory forever.	1:04:19
	"Amen."	1:04:21
	(organ music playing)	1:04:24
	(all singing)	1:05:10
	And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,	1:08:32
	the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit	1:08:35
	be with you and keep you always.	1:08:38
	♪ Alleluia ♪	1:08:43
	♪ Amen ♪	1:08:46
	♪ Amen ♪	1:08:47
	(organ music playing)	1:08:53

Item Info

Title:

Karen Westerfield Tucker - Sermon Untitled (June 16, 1996)

Description:

Sermon start time: 26:46. Sermon end time: 48:51.
To be a disciple of God means is to put God first and to carry the weight of God's word in our lives. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “[To be a follower of Jesus] means to be Christ’s representative, to re-present Christ for the world.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4n873d9b

Date:

June 16, 1996

Speaker:

Westerfield Tucker, Karen B. (Karen Beth), 1954-

Liturgical Calendar:

Ordinary Time

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0480
ref9754_96u
uachapelsermaud
duke:321507
dcrmv001455
ark:/87924/r4n873d9b
ec217c9f-02e1-4f0f-884a-a3bde9ff7518

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

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

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

Educational Use Permitted

Rights Note:

This material is made available for educational and non-commercial use. This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the license indicated here. Copyright in this material has not been transferred to Duke University. For other reuses of this material beyond those permitted by fair use or otherwise allowed under the Copyright Act, please see our page on copyright and citations https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

Sponsor:

Sponsor this Digital Collection