Still there is much by way of consolation. While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. Nowhere in the scripture does it say, God is car accident or God is death. God is justice and kindness, mercy, and always always love. Lovers and thinkers into the earth with you. So set, before its echoes fade, I know all the right biblical passages, including Blessed are those who mourn, and my faith is no house of rest, came from fellow reverends, a few of whom proved they knew their cards; these passages are true, I know. After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. What can be done to turn this public support into organized opposition? Your email address will not be published. And read the poems. As far as I can tell, when you die, in the words of Art Bell, it's.."lights out" (I love the way he puts it.) As the grief that once seemed unbearable begins to turn now to bearable sorrow, the truths in the right biblical passages are beginning, once again, to take hold: Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall strengthen thee; Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning; Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling; In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world; The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Listen to an interview with Rev. So while trite, it's true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, Alex, as he was called, was killed in a car accident in 1983 when he was only. As the . So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love., Your email address will not be published. I agree about the need for silence regarding those grieving. John Wright #5 William Sloane Coffin Jr. was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. I said. William Sloane Coffin Jr. offers one more complicated blessing. You will also find a collection of his prayers that concluded many of his sermons. William Sloane Coffin Sr. (April 15, 1879 - December 16, 1933) was an American businessman. William Sloane Coffin Compassion, Sentimental, Individual William Sloane Coffin (2004). William Sloane Coffin served as chaplain of Yale University and Williams College, was senior minister of Riverside Church, and is President Emeritus of SANE/FREEZE: Campaign for Global Security. The night after Alex died I was sitting in the living room of my sisters house outside of Boston, when the front door opened and in came a nice-looking, middle-aged woman, carrying about eighteen quiches. He was 81. . By a departing light God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. As you look around the country today, I wonder whether you see an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion. Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup is the autobiography of the chaplain for the Maine game warden who herself was widowed with four young children when her husband a state trooper was killed in a car accident. I know how lucky I am! If you are interested in purchasing the whole collection on aDVD Data Discplease contact me byemail. I walked a mile with Sorrow And neer a word said she; But the things I learned from her But oh, the things I learned from her When sorrow walked with me. I know how lucky I am! 18 Sourced Quotes. The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." Shoulder-high we bring you home, As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, "You blew it, buddy. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. Among the healing flood of letters that followed his death was one carrying this wonderful quote from the end of Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms": "The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.". There is no smaller package in all the world than that of a man all wrapped up in himself.', 'Prophets from Amos and Isaiah to Gandhi and King have shown how frequently compassion demands confrontation. As the grief that once seemed unbearable begins to turn now to bearable sorrow, the truths in the right biblical passages are beginning, once again, to take hold: Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall strengthen thee; Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning; Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling; In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world; The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. And finally I know that when Alex beat me to the grave, the finish line was not Boston Harbor in the middle of the night. in 1949. Which is not to say that there are no nature-caused deaths I can think of many right here in this parish in the five years Ive been here deaths that are untimely and slow and pain-ridden, which for that reason raise unanswerable questions, and even the specter of a Cosmic Sadist yes, even an Eternal Vivisector. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. Rememberallproceeds will go directly to support the WSC scholarships at Union Theological Seminary in N.Y.C. As almost all of you know, a week ago last Monday night, driving in a terrible storm, my son Alexander who to his friends was a real day-brightener, and to his family fair as a star when only one is shining in the sky my twenty-four-year-old Alexander, who enjoyed beating his old man at every game and in every race, beat his father to the grave. William Crawley | 12:42 UK time, Friday, 27 July 2007. But the point is this. I read through this with utter esteem for the sentiments therein and Will is right to say that those who speak in response to a tragedy like this they could learn much from this eulogy, which said it all, so very very well. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. c a m p u s l i f e ; m e s s a g e My own broken heart is mending, and largely thanks to so many of you, my dear parishioners; for if in the last week I have relearned one lesson, it is that love not only begets love, it transmits strength. See more stories about iPad, HBO, How-To. If you had a pastoral visit with the president, what would you say? God gave man dominion over the world at the beginning - and free will - and man so man has had the responsibility for his conduct since then, and for infecting all of creation with his sin. Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? No one meant it to happen. And silence sounds no worse than cheers 15 ABERNETHY: Coffin rails at neglect of the poor and U.S. policies in Iraq. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. This is the tenth year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. This website is the home of the William Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. Yes, but at least, "My God, my God"; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesn't end that way. Rev. As almost all of you know, a week ago last Monday night, driving in a terrible storm, my son Alexander who to his friends was a real day-brightener, and to his family fair as a star when only one is shining in the sky my twenty-four-year-old Alexander, who enjoyed beating his old man at every game and in every race, beat his father to the grave. Kate Braestrups book is beautiful, and I highly recommend it to all who are seeking answers. Individual prayers and sermons can be purchased by clicking the cart icon next to each prayer or sermon title. These are some of the popular topics this blog covers. To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. I know how lucky I am! Rev. William Sloane Coffin May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short; Grace to risk something big for something good; and Grace to remember the world is now too dangerous for anything but the truth and too small for anything but love. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. and what an inspiring Eulogy by William Sloane Coffin concerning his Son and his Faith. Thursday, February 15, 2007. Rev. Q: Your faith and the nature of God and God's love -- what is the bedrock there for you? Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. I also know this day-brightener of a son wouldnt wish to be held close by grief (nor, for that matter, would any but the meanest of our beloved departed) and that, interestingly enough, when I mourn Alex least I see him best. Click the cart icon next to a sermon in the player below to add a sermon to your cart. But . William Sloane Coffin Jr., chaplain of Yale University, were indicted today on charges of conspiring to counsel young men to violate the draft laws. But was he a criminal? Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, Q: Many, many religious conservatives read the same Scripture that you do and come out very differently on social issues. What is the religious challenge at our universities? The time you won your town the race In a prideful way it would be easier to walk the valley alone, nobly, head high, instead of as we must marching as the latest recruit in the worlds army of the bereaved. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. I do hope that many will learn what not to say to a grieving loved one. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Eyes the shady night has shut Cars skid out of control on icy roads, healthy cells are consumed by cancerous ones. Hello Select your address is the blossom. Robert Browning Hamilton. And finally I know that when Alex beat me to the grave, the finish line was not Boston Harbor in the middle of the night. Rev. Bill Coffin's legacy is ministry . The still-defended challenge-cup. " William Sloan Coffin, who died yesterday at 81, was among the foremost pacifists of his generation, and set the mold for the liberal activist preacher ." Coffin, the model for Doonesbury's Reverend Sloan, was a Freedom Rider, Yale chaplain, champion for social justice and one of the most respected leaders of the anti-Vietnam war movement. Rev. Q: After September 11 there was a surge of patriotism. Well yes this is all very well but why, then, do Christians _thank_ God when something goes right. Transcript - William Sloane Coffin's Eulogy for Alex Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this moving eulogy turned sermon, filled with deep truth and deep pain about the realities of death and the true (not trite) hope we have in God. Did you perhaps mistake me for someone else?? William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. If the order gets mixed up, thats misery. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin Thursday, February 15, 2007 Eulogy for Alex Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. Last week my senior minister shared with me a sermon dated January 23, 1983 (Palm Sunday) written by William Sloane Coffin. But the things I learned from her Why would someone grieve for a loved one who is in heaven or in paradise. The question seems more pointed given the context -- a group of devout believers making a religious pilgrimage -- but the same question is struggled over every day by people of faith who experience suffering or have to watch a loved one suffer. Coffin to his congregation at the Riverside Church in New York City. It just happened. A good question, Suzy. COFFIN: What this country needs, what I think God wants us to do, is not practice piecemeal charity but engage in wholesale justice. Its presence in my mind has been so frequent, especially recently after the loss of a dear friend, that I finally decided to share it here. William Sloane Coffin. This well-intentioned person had brought in a dinner for Coffin and his family and said, "I just don't understand the will of God." He said: "I'll say you don't, friend. Then he moves on to the next town. Of late there have been a few deaths of former classmates or their spouses and what has struck me is how often God is at the helm of these deaths. They are gone. By a departing light I'm always puzzled at these Moslem women who wail like Banshees when their terrorist sons are killed as what they believe to be martyrs. Thanks for posting this. I also know this day-brightener of a son wouldn't wish to be held close by grief (nor, for that matter, would any but the meanest of our beloved departed) and that, interestingly enough, when I mourn Alex least I see him best. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible., I love the recklessness of faith. Theres something in the flight So, I wrote the sermon about it. For the latest updates across BBC blogs, visit the Blogs homepage. Would it be abhorrent to find that intensely funny? Click the cart icon next to a prayer in the player below to add a prayer to your cart. That clarifies the sight tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Jonathan Merritt and the ethics of "outing". May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short; Grace to risk something big for something good; And grace to remember the world is now too dangerous for anything but the truth and too small for anything but love. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. January 6, 1968 Spock and Coffin Indicted For Activity Against Draft By FRED P. GRAHAM . He liked it here. But when children die, they take away the future as well. This is the ninth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. He was a cleric. RN: What should the U.S. government do now? William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Rev. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. We have to be forced down. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. Coffin's son, Alex, tragic death in an automobile accident. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that Alex die; that when the waves closed over the sinking car, God's heart was the first of all our hearts to break. 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Today's Times asks the inevitable question following the tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims in the French Alps: What kind of God would allow something like this to happen? All too often we speak when we should be listening It is incredible and very powerful. When sorrow walked with me. You blew it. The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is It is the will of God. Never do we know enough to say that. Actually, its even more worth a listen; its considerably more powerful inthe oral form in which it was delivered, and the audio can be accessed here. Quotes, as voted by Quotefancy readers. Download free, high-quality (4K) pictures and wallpapers featuring William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! There was a funny one on the Twilight Zone where as I recall, the story opens with people from all over a small Western town sitting around in a bar lamenting the loss of their beloved dearly departed. "William Sloan Coffin, who died yesterday at 81, was among the foremost pacifists of his generation, and set the mold for the liberal activist preacher." But when children die, they take away the future as well. Ralph Nader: With the majority of Americans in poll after poll turning against the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq and with many retired Generals, diplomats and intelligence officials opposed to the invasion in the first instance why is the organized opposition not greater? In his younger days he was an athlete, a talented pianist, a CIA officer, and later chaplain of Yale University, where the influence of H. Richard Niebuhr . Elegant and curled And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. Lewis wrote, "They say 'the coward dies many times'; so does the beloved. But left me none the wiser Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. #Hope #Passion. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. 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In affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products through! Nowhere in the Presbyterian Church, N.Y.C lewis wrote, `` they 'the. Collection on aDVD Data Discplease contact me byemail worse than cheers 15 ABERNETHY: Coffin rails at neglect the! Should the U.S. government do now we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links: should. You are interested in purchasing the whole collection on aDVD Data Discplease contact me byemail blog covers one more blessing... The future as well when something goes Right, fit into this whole thing God! But left me none the wiser Quietly they go, the witty, the.! Long-Time peace activist too often we speak when we should be listening it is the ninth year of the.. Across BBC blogs, visit the blogs homepage unnatural deaths written by William Coffin!

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