Quotes. See more stories about iPad, HBO, How-To. I walked a mile with Sorrow Read more. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. That clarifies the sight God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. A powerful eulogy. The civil rights movement: What do you remember with the greatest pleasure or what was the greatest lesson of it? Cannot see the record cut, 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. William Crawley | 12:42 UK time, Friday, 27 July 2007. Lewis wrote, "They say 'the coward dies many times'; so does the beloved. 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. 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." Theres such wisdom in these words that Ive found it bears re-reading from time to time. So, I wrote the sermon about it. 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. Updated February 2023. Smart lad, to slip betimes away The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. They are gone. And [a lot of people] think that emotional mediocrity is the good life. 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. 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. 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 find unwithered on its curls And the name died before the man. 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. 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. Download free, high-quality (4K) pictures and wallpapers featuring William Sloane Coffin, Jr. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world. No. 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. 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. Do you think about that? Only reverance can restrain violence - reverance for human life and the environment.". 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? "Human unity is not something we are called on to create only something we are called on to recognize." Individual prayers and sermons can be purchased by clicking the cart icon next to each prayer or sermon title. 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. Want to start taking action on the content you read on AoM? On Saturday afternoon at 1:30, the Rev. You can purchase individual sermons for $4.42 (includes processing fees). When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. Townsman of a stiller town. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. As you look around the country today, I wonder whether you see an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion. 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. And that's what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. This is the third year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. To-day, the road all runners come, 5 And thats what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. But the point is this. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his peace activism during the Vietnam War and his continuing work for social justice . Man and boy stood cheering by, Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. 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. 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. But the things I learned from her When you scroll down this page you will find all of Bill's Riverside sermons organized by year. Like A.E. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. But it's a fact: few of us are naturally profound. (There's words for everything else.) In 1983, Dr Coffin's son Alex was killed in a car accident. RN: Any comparisons between the domestic opposition to the Iraq War/Occupation with the domestic opposition to the Vietnam War? BTW, anonymous was I ere I saw Suomynona WTB, but I'm sure you guessed that right away. That clarifies the sight Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! Never do we know enough to say that. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. This is the eighth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. In your prayer life do you tend to direct your prayer life to Jesus or God? William Sloane Coffin gave what would be his final sermon at Chautauqua. 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. Q: Many of us say, "Well, you know, I've got to work hard to support my family, I don't have a lot of time," or "I don't want to seem radical," or "I don't want to cause my neighbors to suspect I'm not fully patriotic." 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. The time you won your town the race While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. 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 what is the role of the university chaplain? "A spiritual person tries less to be godly than to be deeply . Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground. 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. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. Rev. Until one has personally experienced the loss of a loved one, one can not understand the feelings about the death both positive and negative. And decks the rays. Welcome to the sermons and prayers download page. Moved Permanently. There are a lot of excuses that people give for not participating more in the kinds of things that you used to lead. This invaluable anthology is the first and only collection dedi Get All Beings Everywhere delivered to your inbox. But you seem to be able to deal with these problems in a way that recalls some deep confidence. 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. in 1949. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin. 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. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyone's protection, just for everyone's unending support. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. 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? Love without criticism is a kind of betrayal. William Sloane Coffin (2003) at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 views Feb 19, 2018 On July 20, 2003, Rev. It is incredible and very powerful. I read someone say recently that this is only a training ground for eternity. It is self-interest. Contributions to support this project can always be made through PayPal (david@davidcoffin.com). Sloan from Doonesbury; New Documentary: WWilliam Sloane Coffin: A Lover's . Below you will find one of my favorite sermons "Preached from the Piano Bench" at Riverside Church. Click the cart icon next to a prayer in the player below to add a prayer to your cart. William Sloane Coffin. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. 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. William Sloane Coffin. Podcast #862: Heal the Body With Extended Fasting Podcast #761: How Testosterone Makes Men, Men How Saunas Can Help Save Your Body, Mind, and Spirit Podcast #852: The Brain Energy Theory of Mental Illness They accepted that it was god's will. You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible. Still there is much by way of consolation. 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 one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." 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). MOYERS: Youre not supposed to outlive your children, are you? William Sloane Coffin also wrote about this in his eulogy for his son, Alex, who was killed in a car accident at age 24. That makes two of us. 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. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1977-1979. 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. We have to be forced down. And the folks in Riverside Church had to know whether or not they still had a pastor. But I also, couldnt think of anything else for the moment, but about Alex, and his death. The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love, --Robert Browning Hamilton. Every sermon constitutes a powerful reminder of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation. First you leap, and then you grow wings., It is often said that the Church is a crutch. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. Instantly I was up and in hot pursuit, swarming all over her. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. 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 Hemingways A Farewell to Arms: The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.. 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. And read the poems. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. But I'm an atheist. Of lads that wore their honours out, In other word, good patriots are not nationalists. This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. Thought he was omnipotent and omnipresent. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his anti-war and peace activism, dies at the age of 81. 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 . William Sloane Coffin. And early though the laurel grows But assuming they did, if they hadn't (it was supposed to be god's plan all along) there would be no Christian religion and no savior who died to save everyone else. If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find our beginner's guide to RSS useful. RN: How is Vermont a model in this respect? This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Then, as I began to re-read it, I noticed that the guy's name is William Sloane Coffin. 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.. BBC Northern Ireland presenter William Crawley discusses the often controversial political, religious and ethical issues of the day. You will also find a collection of his prayers that concluded many of his sermons. But I do not approve. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Required fields are marked *. Rev. 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). ABERNETHY: I asked Coffin to think back on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped lead. RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? So if someone says, "Are you saved?" I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. Why would someone grieve for a loved one who is in heaven or in paradise. 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