00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. 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.) I was impressed by the Amish last year when that young girl was killed. tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Jonathan Merritt and the ethics of "outing". So. By a departing light But when children die, they take away the future as well. Less sceptical commentators may point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road. William Sloane Coffin Jr., was arrested several times during the civil rights movement. William Sloane Coffin Jr., a United Church of Christ minister known globally for his peace and justice advocacy, died April 12 at his home in rural Strafford, Vermont. And early though the laurel grows This is the last year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. The best of William Sloane Coffin, Jr. The recipient of the Coffin award will be someone who shares Coffin's passionate and prophetic witness, a courageous devotion to the dignity and worth of . He liked it here. William Sloane Coffin Jr., chaplain of Yale University, were indicted today on charges of conspiring to counsel young men to violate the draft laws. This is the tenth year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." I was moved to tears, to be perfectly honest. Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. RN: Any comparisons between the domestic opposition to the Iraq War/Occupation with the domestic opposition to the Vietnam War? You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. But I think much of our exasperation could be tempered if we could see our lives more from God's perspective than our own. 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. 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. Justice is at the heart of religious faith. " 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. Cars skid out of control on icy roads, healthy cells are consumed by cancerous ones. Get All Beings Everywhere delivered to your inbox. 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 . What should churches be doing in the face of whats going on in our country right now? 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. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. #Hope #Passion. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Not because our diverse readership will agree with all of its theological underpinnings, but because I think it offers wise advice on what to say (and not say) when someone dies tragically, a poignant window on the human experience, and a lesson in the art of effective rhetoric(hence why we were discussing it in a communications class). I know how you feel I think you raise an important point when you say There are many kinds of silence, and one of them is a humbled, respectful listening silence When she saw me, she shook her head, then headed for the kitchen, saying sadly over her shoulder, I just dont understand the will of God. Instantly I was up and in hot pursuit, swarming all over her. 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. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. I know how lucky I am! Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. Details are given further below. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Would it be abhorrent to find that intensely funny? William Sloane Coffin (2003) at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 views Feb 19, 2018 On July 20, 2003, Rev. How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? For. Coffin to his congregation at the Riverside Church in New York City. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. The reality of grief is the absence of God "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" 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. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his. There are small accidents, like knocking over your milk at the dinner table. I have a little sentence or two, about the Chinese Emperor who sent his wise man off for a month, to figure out, what is happiness? This is beautiful!!! Ten days after Alex's death, he delivered this extraordinary sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. This is the eighth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. A Prayer by William Sloan Coffin Jr., 1983. Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. A Eulogy for Alex Editor's note: Ten days after his son, Alex, drove off a bridge and was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered the following sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. But oh, the things I learned from her What is the religious challenge at our universities? 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. 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. Lewis wrote, "They say 'the coward dies many times'; so does the beloved. In 1983, Dr Coffin's son Alex was killed in a car accident. The prayers are presented in several multi-year collections. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. -- William Sloane Coffin. Hello Select your address I do hope that many will learn what not to say to a grieving loved one. Among the healing flood of letters that followed his death was one carrying this wonderful quote from the end of Hemingways A Farewell to Arms: The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.. While I could never presume to know the answer, I do take comfort in this passage from the author Kate Braestrup, which I wrote in my final post on this blog (below). There is no god!! William Sloane Coffin Jr. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. (born 1924) was a Yale University chaplain who spoke out against the Vietnam War and was indicted as a criminal by the United States government for conspiring to aid young men to avoid the military draft.. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born to considerable wealth and social position on June 1, 1924, in New York City. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. Updated February 2023. 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. very good question Anne. 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. They said it was god's will, that she is in heaven now and they moved on without the tearjerking remorse many who call them true believers in a faith feel. ), Podcast #858: The Affectionate, Ambiguous, and Surprisingly Ambivalent Relationship Between Siblings, How to Fight Entitlement and Develop Gratitude in Your Kids, How and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage Meeting, You Dont Have to Be Your Dad: How to Become Your Familys Transitional Character, Podcast #810: How to Turn a Boy Into a Man, Sunday Firesides: Climb the Ladder of Love, Podcast #865: How to Win Friends and Influence People in the 21st Century, Podcast #863: Key Insights From the Longest Study on Happiness, Podcast #875: Authority Is More Important Than Social Skills, Podcast #874: Throw a 2-Hour Cocktail Party That Can Change Your Life, 9 Mental Distortions That Are Sabotaging Your Social Life, How to Make the Perfect Snowball: An Illustrated Guide, Podcast #869: The Survival Myths That Can Get You Killed, Skill of the Week: Survive Falling Through Ice, Podcast #848: The 5 Priorities of Short-Term Survival, William Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project, Man Knowledge: Legends of the Northwest Mountain Men, A Simple Guide to Writing and Delivering a Eulogy, A Kind of, Sort of Eulogy for the Declarative Sentence, 30 Days to a Better Man Day 21: Write Your Own Eulogy, Man Knowledge: 5 Pirates Every Man Should Know. 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's social philosophy led him to . To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. Read more. Thursday, February 15, 2007. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. This is the second year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. ABERNETHY: I asked Coffin to think back on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped lead. William Sloane Coffin challenged the nation with his passionate calls for social justice. William Sloane Coffin Jr. offers one more complicated blessing. I know how lucky I am! And neer a word said she; Than by a wick that stays. Thanks for posting this. January 6, 1968 Spock and Coffin Indicted For Activity Against Draft By FRED P. GRAHAM . But left me none the wiser For the latest updates across BBC blogs, visit the Blogs homepage. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. 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. 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. The title of the sermon is "Alex's Death" and it comes on the heals of Rev. William Sloane Coffin. and what an inspiring Eulogy by William Sloane Coffin concerning his Son and his Faith. You can stay up to date with Will & Testament via these feeds. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Instantly I was up and in hot pursuit, swarming all over her. Rev. Do you think about that? William Sloane Coffin. 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. God does not spill milk. So I shall so let us all seek consolation in that love which never dies, and find peace in the dazzling grace that always is. Theres such wisdom in these words that Ive found it bears re-reading from time to time. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his anti-war and peace activism, dies at the age of 81. Man and boy stood cheering by, William Sloane Coffin also wrote about this in his eulogy for his son, Alex, who was killed in a car accident at age 24. Additionally, a 301 Moved Permanently error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. 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. @art-of-manliness / art-of-manliness.tumblr.com, Editors note: Ten days after his son, Alex, drove off a bridgeand was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered the following sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. The use of Gods will or God has chosen to take whatever the phrase has always made me uncomfortable. Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. I feel scorched by how much he insists on truthfulness in grief. But when children die, they take away the future as well. By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death, Joan Halifax, Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communicatoins of the Dying, How Can I Help? 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. You can purchase individual sermons for $4.42 (includes processing fees). My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. When you scroll down this page you will find all of Bill's Riverside sermons organized by year. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. Nationalism at the expense of another nation, is just as wicked as racism at the expense of another race. April 12, 2006 / 7:32 PM / AP. In your prayer life do you tend to direct your prayer life to Jesus or God? Not because our diverse readership will agree with all of its theological underpinnings, but because I think it offers wise advice on what to say (and not say) when someone dies tragically, a poignant window on the human experience, and a lesson in the art of effective rhetoric(hence why we were discussing it in a communications class). William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his peace activism during the Vietnam War and his continuing work for social justice . 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