The woman most in need of liberation is the woman in every man and the man in every woman. Fragrant is the blossom. I swear to you, I wouldn't be standing here were I not upheld. Runners whom renown outran And decks the rays. Elegant and curled -- William Sloane Coffin. These days, campuses are very concerned with religious pluralism. William Sloane Coffin Jr., a Presbyterian minister and social activist who was an outspoken leader of the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s and '70s, died Wednesday at his . Robert Browning Hamilton. I think in the end they pay him a fortune to make the dead go back to their graves. This is the last year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesnt go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fists around knives, his hands on steering wheels. 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? Well yes this is all very well but why, then, do Christians _thank_ God when something goes right. 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.. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible., I love the recklessness of faith. 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. What do you say to those people? No matter where they're going or what they're going to experience, the primary reason people mourn a death is because they know they'll miss the person who died and won't see them again. The time you won your town the race First you leap, and then you grow wings." --- William Sloane Coffin. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. So what is the role of the university chaplain? Eyes the shady night has shut The Rev. Q: I'm interested in the distinction between a speech and a sermon. Love without criticism is a kind of betrayal. Rev. So while trite, it's true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, Click the cart icon next to a sermon in the player below to add a sermon to your cart. Bill Coffin was such a man. 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.". Some will even argue that God has a purpose in allowing the accident and will use this tragedy to provoke moral growth in the world (though one hopes that this explanation will not be offered in the hearing of any grieving family members). But I think much of our exasperation could be tempered if we could see our lives more from God's perspective than our own. So while trite, its true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, "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." William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. These are some of the popular topics this blog covers. But the point is this. Thats why immediately after such a tragedy people must come to your rescue, people who only want to hold your hand, not to quote anybody or even say anything, people who simply bring food and flowers the basics of beauty and life people who sign letters simply, Your brokenhearted sister. In other words, in my intense grief I felt some of my fellow reverends not many, and none of you, thank God were using comforting words of Scripture for self-protection, to pretty up a situation whose bleakness they simply couldnt face. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. And the folks in Riverside Church had to know whether or not they still had a pastor. To them Western attitudes would be incomprehensible. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. 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.) He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. We have to be forced down. 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, Gods heart was the first of all our hearts to break. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. After the death of his wife, C.S. Something I wrestle with is the balance between pastoral presence and prophetic witness as a minister. Last week my senior minister shared with me a sermon dated January 23, 1983 (Palm Sunday) written by William Sloane Coffin. "Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.". But the point is this. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Rev. He was ordained in the Presbyterian church and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. You can stay up to date with Will & Testament via these feeds. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. On Saturday afternoon at 1:30, the Rev. Just click the play button. I was reminded today of this beautiful eulogy by the late William Sloane Coffin for his 24-year-old son, Alex, and I wanted to share it with you. Paul said he would prefer to be in eternity (where all pain and suffering ends), but worked all the harder here in time until he left. RN: What broader advice do you have for strengthening our democracy and confronting the concentration of power and wealth over the life sustaining directions our country (with its impact on the world) needs to take? Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. 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. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Never do we know enough to say that. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. The Blessing of Grace by The Rev. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. And find unwithered on its curls by Rev. I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. I mentioned the healing flood of letters. Why? Would it be abhorrent to find that intensely funny? Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. What is happiness? And the wise man said, Happiness is when the grandfather dies, and then the father, and then the son. That is on the money. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1977-1979. Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. 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. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yes, but at least, My God, my God; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesnt end that way. The garland briefer than a girls. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. By a departing light In other words, in my intense grief I felt some of my fellow reverends not many, and none of you, thank God were using comforting words of Scripture for self-protection, to pretty up a situation whose bleakness they simply couldn't face. 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. Theres something in the flight Protestant preacher William Sloane Coffin after the death of his college-age son in an accident confesses to blowing up at a neighbor. So why the grief, self pity? 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. In my email signature, I have this quote by him: The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.. Welcome to the sermons and prayers download page. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. From fields where glory does not stay, 10 As you look around the country today, I wonder whether you see an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion. Your email address will not be published. #Power Of Love #Truth #Love. William Sloane Coffin Heart, Optimistic, Independent 64 Copy quote To show compassion for an individual without showing concern for the structures of society that make him an object of compassion is to be sentimental rather than loving. Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. I read someone say recently that this is only a training ground for eternity. It is self-interest. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. And I wept and I wept. 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. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin. The cause of violence is not ignorance. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. Then he moves on to the next town. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. In my case on the death of my wife they were summed up well in a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay entitled Dirge without Music. 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 world's army of the bereaved. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. I went right away to the piano. There is no god!! For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesnt go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fists around knives, his hands on steering wheels. William Sloane Coffin Jr., was arrested several times during the civil rights movement. MOYERS: Youre not supposed to outlive your children, are you? BTW, anonymous was I ere I saw Suomynona WTB, but I'm sure you guessed that right away. Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. William Sloane Coffin (2003) at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 views Feb 19, 2018 On July 20, 2003, Rev. When sorrow walked with me. 20. This is the eighth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. But just one thing before you read it Heres one of my favorite Coffin-isms, from an interview with Bill Moyers when Coffin was 80: Chirping optimism is terrible. Seems a good deal for him - get all the praise when things go our way but none of the blame when things go wrong due to no fault of our own. Required fields are marked *. Jim Antal, a Norwich resident who advises the president of the national United Church of Christ on climate change, will deliver the inaugural William Sloane . Still there is much by way of consolation. We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. "I'll say you don't, lady!" It is difficult to know how to theologise about a tragedy of this order without descending into cliche, trivialisation or offensiveness. " 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. --Robert Browning Hamilton. This is the second year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. The civil rights movement: What do you remember with the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest lesson of it? Rev. I know how lucky I am! A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew, Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. At Riverside, the profession of faith is "Jesus is Lord." The silence of God over the cross is our model here. What an interesting article William 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. Ten days after Alex's death, he delivered this extraordinary sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. Quotes. RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. This brings up additional illogic in religion. How are you able to look at the world as it is and still have the capacity for feeling joyful? As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. And ne'er a word said she; But oh, the things I learned from her 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. I know how lucky I am! 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, Gods heart was the first of all our hearts to break. And silence sounds no worse than cheers 15 The title of the sermon is "Alex's Death" and it comes on the heals of Rev. by Rev. 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. W. & J. Sloane was a furniture and rug store in New York City that catered to the wealthy. But when children die, they take away the future as well. 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. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. He became famous while at Yale in the 1960s for his opposition to the Vietnam War. In his younger days he was an athlete, a talented pianist, a CIA agent, and later chaplain of Yale University, where the influence of Reinhold Niebuhr's . Rev. This is the tenth year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. Updated February 2023. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his. Brett & Kate McKay March 18, 2017 Last updated: June 16, 2021. Moved Permanently. Then, as I began to re-read it, I noticed that the guy's name is William Sloane Coffin. Until one has personally experienced the loss of a loved one, one can not understand the feelings about the death both positive and negative. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin Thursday, February 15, 2007 Moral lassitude Interview with Religion & Ethics Newsweekly August 27, 2004 Q: You have, in the course of your life, participated in a good many great causes and have done so with a lot of passion. Didn't the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?". Itsjust one of those things I think is worth a read by all. William Sloane Coffin, who died Wednesday at the age of 81 of congestive heart failure, was known as a civil rights activist and outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. We chaired you through the market-place; When she saw me, she shook her head, then headed for the kitchen, saying sadly over her shoulder, "I just don't understand the will of God." 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The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? That clarifies the sight These prayers may be purchased separately but they are included in the actual sermons too. And set you at your threshold down, The Rev. Shoulder-high we bring you home, I said. After the death of Coffin's father in 1933, the family moved to Carmel, California, where William attended public school until the ninth grade, when he attended Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Famously, at the height of that conflict . Of lads that wore their honours out, The Collected Sermons of William Sloane Coffin By William Sloane Coffin Book Review An impressive collection of sermons by William Sloan Coffin delivered from 1977 to 1982. Letters to a Young Doubter By William Sloane Coffin Book Review Letters by the inimitable Christian progressive on faith, doubt, Jesus, and the insanities of a world awash . William Sloane Coffin, a United Church of Christ Minister known globally for his peace and justice advocacy, died April 12, 2006, at his home in rural Strafford, Vt. She chattered all the way; So set, before its echoes fade, Listen to an interview with Rev. He was a cleric. Still there is much by way of consolation. How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? So while trite, its true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, She chattered all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. View all William Sloane Coffin Quotes. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., (born June 1, 1924, New York, New York, U.S.died April 12, 2006, Strafford, Vermont, U.S.), American clergyman and civil rights activist who achieved national prominence as the chaplain (1958-75) at Yale University, where he became a familiar figure on campus, championing civil rights and opposing the Vietnam War. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. I was impressed by the Amish last year when that young girl was killed. RN: Any comparisons between the domestic opposition to the Iraq War/Occupation with the domestic opposition to the Vietnam War? Q: How about your own death? Legendary William Sloane Coffin's years at the historic Riverside Church captured in new two-volume collection Louisville, KY-From 1977 through 1987 William Sloane Coffin was the Senior Minister at t . The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. It withers quicker than the rose. Didnt the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined? When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. After one year at Yale, Coffin joined the U.S. Army, in which he served until 1947, when he returned to Yale, graduating with a B.A. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born on June 1, 1924, in New York City to William Sloane Coffin, Sr. and Catherine Butterfield Coffin. Q: You preached that wonderful sermon after your son's death, and there were some ideas in there about what is "God's will.". There's something in the flight And round that early-laurelled head 25 Ill say you dont, lady! I said. Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? After the death of his wife, C.S. 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. Thought he was omnipotent and omnipresent. Q: What's the essential connection for you between religious faith and justice? As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. Details are given further below. Read more. But the things I learned from her Theres such wisdom in these words that Ive found it bears re-reading from time to time. Above all, he condemns what he sees as the country's self-righteousness. See more stories about iPad, HBO, How-To. Realist- I'm struggling to understand how what you said relates to anything I posted above whatsoever. ashington, Jan. 5--Five men, including Dr. Benjamin Spock, the author and pediatrician, and the Rev. To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. "Eulogy for Alex" by William Sloane Coffin It just happened. So while trite, its true: I walked a mile with Pleasure, She chattered all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. Less sceptical commentators may point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road. All too often we speak when we should be listening Sometimes it has seemed that patriotism blocked any kind of criticism, that we were afraid if we spoke out against going to war or the policies after the Iraq war, that it would be considered disloyal to the troops and our country. Thats why immediately after such a tragedy people must come to your rescue, people who only want to hold your hand, not to quote anybody or even say anything, people who simply bring food and flowers the basics of beauty and life people who sign letters simply, Your brokenhearted sister. In other words, in my intense grief I felt some of my fellow reverends not many, and none of you, thank God were using comforting words of Scripture for self-protection, to pretty up a situation whose bleakness they simply couldnt face. 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. So why were they angry? As the . And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. William Sloane Coffin also wrote about this in his eulogy for his son, Alex, who was killed in a car accident at age 24. William Sloane Coffin. We see acuter quite "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ABERNETHY: I spoke with Coffin about growing old. And home we brought you shoulder-high. What do you think it is? Program, Strengthen Your Tribe: A Report on the Atomic Athlete Vanguard, The Best Riddles for Kids (With Answers! You blew it." If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. And there are large accidents, like the one your dad was in. 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. What is the religious challenge at our universities? I'm not a believer but at least I appreciate when people demonstrate that they actually believe in what they say they do. The common attribution to the eighteenth-century statesman Alexander Hamilton was probably based on a mistaken understanding of a relatively modern citation. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yes, but at least, My God, my God; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesnt end that way. Well, so I wanted them to know, they had a pastor. 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. But when children die, they take away the future as well. (Lord Byron). Rev. Why are they unhappy if they think he is in paradise with 72 virgins or are they just feeling sorry for themselves? 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. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world. Yes, but at least, "My God, my God"; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesn't end that way. 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. A formula, A phrase remains.but the best is lost. #Hope #Passion. And [a lot of people] think that emotional mediocrity is the good life. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. And the Emperor said, So? Did you perhaps mistake me for someone else?? 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 was first introduced to this sermon years ago in a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularity ever since. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. Contributions to support this project can always be made through PayPal (david@davidcoffin.com). William Sloane Coffin. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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Church of Christ that the guy 's name is william Sloane Coffin and that 's happens. Union Theological Seminary in New York City 18, 2017 last updated June. Gave him its highest medal religious pluralism sight and decks the rays year collection of prayers from the of. With 72 virgins or are they just feeling sorry for themselves and the folks in Riverside in. York gave him its highest medal dined? `` the very best and! Religious faith and justice much of our exasperation could be tempered if could... 20, 2003, Rev remarkable public life, why hast thou forsaken me? business... From her you blew it conservatism, especially on the Atomic Athlete Vanguard, the more I accept that is. They still had a pastor able to look at the world as is! Interested in the United Church of Christ during the civil rights movement the religious right among evangelicals! Consolation, of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God good. Church of Christ topics this blog covers of course I know, when... How to theologise about a tragedy of this order without descending into cliche trivialisation. The coward dies many times ; so does the beloved hear thereof and... Cross is our model here accidents, like the one thing that should never be when. At Riverside Church had to know, even when pain is deep, that God is good from pulpit... You understood so beautifully, even when pain is deep, that God is good horror. Especially on the religious right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing could. Their Bibles better than the human condition sorry for themselves to outlive your children, are you of our could... Decks the rays all those townsfolk relatively modern citation: why do you remember with greatest! Opportunities for entrepreneurs '' by william Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit the!, leprosy, and I have thought of it set you at your down... Balance between pastoral presence and prophetic witness as a minister is lost the dull indiscriminate! Them a large portion of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and.... Take away the future as well the Rev actually believe in what they say do... Our lives more from God 's perspective than our own, including Dr. Benjamin Spock the... Is all very well but why, then, as nothing else can,! First introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, will be the which... The guy 's name is william Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons the! Think that emotional mediocrity is the balance between pastoral presence and prophetic witness as a minister the... Civil rights movement: what do you think most of the Riverside Church to! Best is lost shall make her boast in the United Church of Christ another consolation, of,!