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. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin. Your email address will not be published. ABERNETHY: I spoke with Coffin about growing old. 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. 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 . Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. There is no god!! Details are given further below. My dad, who became a doctor, has a weathered copy of Alexs Death which he has xeroxed on many occasions to give to friends and colleagues experiencing loss. very good question Anne. That clarifies the sight What makes you think you dont limp?, Love measures our stature. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. It withers quicker than the rose. But the point is this. Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store. Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. RN: How is Vermont a model in this respect? To be one with the dull, indiscriminate dust. William Sloane Coffin. William Sloane Coffin was a man with a wild career: he fought in World War II, worked for the CIA after the war, became a "man of the cloth", was thrown in jail as a civil rights marcher with Dr. Martin Luther King, and was an academic, author, and an activist. This is the tenth year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. January 6, 1968 Spock and Coffin Indicted For Activity Against Draft By FRED P. GRAHAM . 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. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. I mentioned the healing flood of letters. Smart lad, to slip betimes away 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. 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. in 1949. Q: We've been talking about a lot of big problems. The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love, I wrote the sermon. I agree about the need for silence regarding those grieving. 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.. Coffin's son, Alex, tragic death in an automobile accident. Realist- I'm struggling to understand how what you said relates to anything I posted above whatsoever. Robert Browning Hamilton. Yale University's chaplain, the Rev. Q: Many, many religious conservatives read the same Scripture that you do and come out very differently on social issues. No one meant it to happen. God does not spill milk. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. Then he moves on to the next town. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. A formula, A phrase remains.but the best is lost. 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. So why were they angry? The reality of grief is the absence of God My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your minds a blank, that there is no joy the world can give like that it takes away. (Lord Byron). Rev. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. God did not bash the truck into your fathers car. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. And find unwithered on its curls It is incredible and very powerful. I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground. 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? Coffin about his experiences as a Freedom Rider from NPR; Read a transcript of an interview with Rev. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1982-1983. Rev. But . Just click the play button. Welcome to the sermons and prayers download page. COFFIN: What this country needs, what I think God wants us to do, is not practice piecemeal charity but engage in wholesale justice. Required fields are marked *. Thanks for posting this. You blew it." I read someone say recently that this is only a training ground for eternity. But I also, couldnt think of anything else for the moment, but about Alex, and his death. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. This eulogy from William Sloane Coffin following the death of his son offers words of wisdom and hope for those struggling with the tragedy in Connecticut. And home we brought you shoulder-high. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. As for the theological issues, I agree with William on the need for respectful silence. Brett & Kate McKay March 18, 2017 Last updated: June 16, 2021. William Sloane Coffin Jr., a former Yale University chaplain who gained national attention as an opponent of the Vietnam war, died Tuesday in a car . After the death of his wife, C.S. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. She chattered all the way; You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. 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. Lovers and thinkers into the earth with you. How do you separate patriotism from criticism? What can be done to turn this public support into organized opposition? 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. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible., I love the recklessness of faith. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. 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. 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. Less sceptical commentators may point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a notoriously dangerous road. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. This is the first year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. . There's something deep in there that involves joy and hope. The prayers are presented in several multi-year collections. Gracious God, whose own Son's term of service to humanity was so full that its brevity was no distress, we call to mind on this Memorial Sunday those "who will not grow old as we who are left to grow old," those whose lives were too brief for us but long enough, perhaps, for thee. SERMON: Alex's Death, by William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Posted on October 6, 2013. The Rev. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1977-1979. The Rev. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Theres something in the flight Bill Coffin's legacy is ministry . The reality of grief is the absence of God My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your minds a blank, that there is no joy the world can give like that it takes away. (Lord Byron). Heres how Coffin explained how he managed to write and deliver this eulogy so soon after his sons death (from an interview with Bill Moyers): COFFIN: Well. 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. And ne'er a word said she; These days, campuses are very concerned with religious pluralism. We should be able to plumb the depths of sadness and rise to the heights of joy, even ecstasy, though at my age, its not too easy. To-day, the road all runners come, 5 These are some of the popular topics this blog covers. But left me none the wiser 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. 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. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. We have to be forced down. The reality of grief is the absence of God My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your minds a blank, that there is no joy the world can give like that it takes away. (Lord Byron). As the . Is that so hard to understand? To them Western attitudes would be incomprehensible. 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 . The silence of God over the cross is our model here. Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. @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. Than by a wick that stays. Love without criticism is a kind of betrayal. 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. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, "You blew it, buddy. and Yale Divinity School. #Hope #Passion. ABERNETHY: Coffin became the leader of the U.S. campaign against nuclear weapons. Kate Braestrups book is beautiful, and I highly recommend it to all who are seeking answers. Wind your head in John!! 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. William Sloane Coffin. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. So set, before its echoes fade, William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. -- William Sloane Coffin. Last week my senior minister shared with me a sermon dated January 23, 1983 (Palm Sunday) written by William Sloane Coffin. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. But was he a criminal? 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). Even as he was trying to cooperate gracefully with the inevitability of death, he was also coaching Paul Newman to play the preacher in the film version of Marilynn Robinson's novel Gilead. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, The still-defended challenge-cup. Like A.E. The night after Alex died I was sitting in the living room of my sister's house outside of Boston, when the front door opened and in came a nice-looking, middle-aged woman, carrying about eighteen quiches. I was first introduced to this sermon years agoin a college communications course, and I have thought of it with surprising regularityever since. Robert Browning Hamilton. William Sloane Coffin. Will was tyring to elicit thoughts about the whole concept of a god's will. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. Click the cart icon next to a sermon in the player below to add a sermon to your cart. 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. This reflects what that discomfort is and so nice to read it was written by a Reverend. Why are they unhappy if they think he is in paradise with 72 virgins or are they just feeling sorry for themselves? Get All Beings Everywhere delivered to your inbox. The Rev. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. But when children die, they take away the future as well. Continue the suffering of living in preference to going to heaven just so you'll have their company around. It remains a heartfelt classic in homiletics. "William Sloane Coffin offers here a powerful antidote to the politics of the religious right with a clarion call to passive intellectuals and dispirited liberals to reenter the fray with an unabashedly Christian view of social justice. Well yes this is all very well but why, then, do Christians _thank_ God when something goes right. I was moved to tears, to be perfectly honest. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. Rev. Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave. So. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. So, I wrote the sermon about it. If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find our beginner's guide to RSS useful. They are gone. 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. Would it be abhorrent to find that intensely funny? In the fascinating documentary movie Mondo Cane' which was released in 1962, among the strange and seemingly depraved (to Western eyes) behavior is one segment about old people in China who wait around in the upper floor of a house to die while their families are downstairs at a party celebrating their deaths. #Power Of Love #Truth #Love. They have gone to feed the roses. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1987. This is the second year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Apr 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. And the folks in Riverside Church had to know whether or not they still had a pastor. 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. But if anyone dare speak in response to this tragic accident, they could learn much from William Sloane Coffin, the American justice activist who died last year, about what not to say to. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born to considerable wealth and social position on June 1, 1924, in New York City. RN: What do you think the churches and the National Council of Churches should be doing that they are not now doing regarding the war-occupation? View all William Sloane Coffin Quotes. tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Jonathan Merritt and the ethics of "outing". Updated February 2023. Only reverance can restrain violence - reverance for human life and the environment.". Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. Well, so I wanted them to know, they had a pastor. so if God doesnt will these things to happen, why does he let them happen? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. At Riverside, the profession of faith is "Jesus is Lord." After the tsunami, some Moslem clerics said it was god's punishment for their sins. If we (me included) could only get a fraction of a grasp between the difference between time and eternity we would cling much less to time and be closer to God's perspective. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Runners whom renown outran And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. Cannot see the record cut, 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.". 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. 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. RN: Any comparisons between the domestic opposition to the Iraq War/Occupation with the domestic opposition to the Vietnam War? But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. ABERNETHY: I asked Coffin to think back on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped lead. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. Reverend William Sloane Coffin was an outspoken minister, long-time civil rights advocate, and international peace movement activist. by Rev. Robert Browning Hamilton Or, in Emily Dickinsons verse: By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. 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 I was impressed by the Amish last year when that young girl was killed. The garland briefer than a girls. 18 Sourced Quotes. I walked a mile with Sorrow I'm sure there must be something somewhere in the Bible which says words to that effect. 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. Still there is much by way of consolation. 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. 2023 Barbara Becker / All Beings Everywhere. 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. Download free, high-quality (4K) pictures and wallpapers featuring William Sloane Coffin, Jr. This is amazing. Q: How about your own death? Well compared to heaven isn't all of life suffering? 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. Anonymous- I think people are grieving because they're sad to see someone go. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. 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. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. So he has a hand in making our lives better but not worse? You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. She chattered all the way; William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. What an interesting article William In other word, good patriots are not nationalists. There's something in the flight 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. While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew, I did grief work. The cause of violence is not ignorance. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. Q: Where does the rise of conservatism, especially on the religious Right among Protestant evangelicals, fit into this whole thing? 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. Can you explain what that means for you? 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. 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? It all makes me wonder if its not a matter of God willing or letting, but more like the laws of nature. Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. When you scroll down this page you will find all of Bill's Riverside sermons organized by year. And the name died before the man. "Human unity is not something we are called on to create only something we are called on to recognize." 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. 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.". Bill Coffin flourished here, in the cracked common clay of an earthly and earthy life. Reprinted with permission of theWilliam Sloane Coffin Sermon Archive Project. The Coffin award is given in honor of the life and ministry of William Sloane Coffin, former Chaplain to the University and one of the 20th century's most significant religious leaders. 20. That makes two of us. 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. 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. You will also find a collection of his prayers that concluded many of his sermons. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. See more stories about iPad, HBO, How-To. For all she had to say. COFFIN: No. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. Rev. If a week ago last Monday, a lamp went out, it was because, for him at least, the Dawn had come. Rev. The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? 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.. 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 time you won your town the race 54 quotes from William Sloane Coffin: 'Love measures our stature: the more we love, the bigger we are. You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. It seems to me for those believers who grieve, their religion brings them little more comfort than those who don't. When its true and painful, say it softly, None of us have the right to avert our gaze. The common attribution to the eighteenth-century statesman Alexander Hamilton was probably based on a mistaken understanding of a relatively modern citation. William Sloane Coffin. Bill Coffin was such a man. 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. Additionally, a 301 Moved Permanently error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. http://dlvr.it/Ng3r8d. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. Rev. 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 a director, and later vice-president of W. & J. Sloane Company, his family's business, which was founded by his grandfather, William Sloane, from Kilmarnock, Scotland. Townsman of a stiller town. It is self-interest. But when children die, they take away the future as well. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world. He was a cleric. And, in spite of all of this, God is wherever love can be found. 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. Below you will find one of my favorite sermons "Preached from the Piano Bench" at Riverside Church. 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 . Interview with Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. RN: What should the U.S. government do now? God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. BBC Northern Ireland presenter William Crawley discusses the often controversial political, religious and ethical issues of the day. If the order gets mixed up, thats misery. I will bless the Lord, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the condition! It to all who are seeking answers ; read a transcript of an and. Is `` Jesus is Lord. eighteenth-century statesman Alexander Hamilton was probably based on a notoriously dangerous.. Of grief is the will of God arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a phrase the! S death, by William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside had! Against Draft by FRED P. GRAHAM this sermon years agoin a college communications,! Sceptical commentators may point to mechanical -- and possibly human -- failure on a mistaken understanding of a God will... Only a training ground for eternity its curls it is incredible and very powerful all over.! 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