God did not bash the truck into your fathers car. By a departing light Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. Houseman, To an Athlete Dying Young. And I wept and I wept. Last year Union Theological Seminary in New York gave him its highest medal. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. This brings up additional illogic in religion. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his peace activism during the Vietnam War and his continuing work for social justice . As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love, This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1977-1979. But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. I know. And decks the rays. Reverend William Sloane Coffin was an outspoken minister, long-time civil rights advocate, and international peace movement activist. This invaluable anthology is the first and only collection dedi Didn't the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?". The reality of grief is the absence of God "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. 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. 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. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. Either it is god's will or there is no god! Why are they unhappy if they think he is in paradise with 72 virgins or are they just feeling sorry for themselves? This is the tenth year of the complete 10 year collection of sermons. This reflects what that discomfort is and so nice to read it was written by a Reverend. 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. These days, campuses are very concerned with religious pluralism. January 6, 1968 Spock and Coffin Indicted For Activity Against Draft By FRED P. GRAHAM . 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., chaplain of Yale University, were indicted today on charges of conspiring to counsel young men to violate the draft laws. The Rev. I did grief work. William Sloane Coffin gave what would be his final sermon at Chautauqua. 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. 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Below you will find one of my favorite sermons "Preached from the Piano Bench" at Riverside Church. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyone's protection, just for everyone's unending support. 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. We all do what we know how to do, maybe. 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. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. 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. Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. Well yes this is all very well but why, then, do Christians _thank_ God when something goes right. You will also find a collection of his prayers that concluded many of his 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. Until one has personally experienced the loss of a loved one, one can not understand the feelings about the death both positive and negative. But when children die, they take away the future as well. At Riverside, the profession of faith is "Jesus is Lord." A formula, A phrase remains.but the best is lost. Quotes. what do you say? Different cultures have different views of death. Yes, but at least, "My God, my God"; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesn't end that way. tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Jonathan Merritt and the ethics of "outing". I was impressed by the Amish last year when that young girl was killed. I mentioned the healing flood of letters. No. Q: After September 11 there was a surge of patriotism. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. And home we brought you shoulder-high. 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. 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." You can purchase individual sermons for $4.42 (includes processing fees). The garland briefer than a girls. You can purchase individual prayers for $1.34 (includes processing fees). The Rev. There's something in the flight 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. Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. "The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." --- William Sloane Coffin. Rev. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. All too often we speak when we should be listening Theres such wisdom in these words that Ive found it bears re-reading from time to time. 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. -- William Sloane Coffin. "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. You gave me what God gives all of us minimum protection, maximum support. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. "Eulogy for Alex" by William Sloane Coffin William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. 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.. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave. 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. The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? I feel scorched by how much he insists on truthfulness in grief. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. by Rev. I read someone say recently that this is only a training ground for eternity. 2023 Barbara Becker / All Beings Everywhere. I do hope that many will learn what not to say to a grieving loved one. Coffin about his experiences as a Freedom Rider from NPR; Read a transcript of an interview with Rev. And [a lot of people] think that emotional mediocrity is the good life. Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! 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. But I'm an atheist. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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). 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. Rev. He attended Deerfield Academy and Phillips Academy Andover before beginning his studies at Yale University in 1942. It all makes me wonder if its not a matter of God willing or letting, but more like the laws of nature. The Blessing of Grace by The Rev. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love., Your email address will not be published. Q: We've been talking about a lot of big problems. 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. This is the first year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. "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." ABERNETHY: As he conducts what he calls his lover's quarrel with his country, Coffin acknowledges that he has to be careful not to become self-righteous himself -- perhaps especially when he is honored, as he is often. But when children die, they take away the future as well. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. RN: What do you think should be done strategically and tactically by the peace movement? 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." 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. But oh, the things I learned from her Alex, as he was called, was killed in a car accident in 1983 when he was only. 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. SERMON: Alex's Death, by William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Posted on October 6, 2013. These are all end of sermon prayers from the Sunday sermon delivered at Riverside Church. 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. And find unwithered on its curls Rev. And neer a word said she; 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 Theology of William Sloane Coffin. The title of the sermon is "Alex's Death" and it comes on the heals of Rev. I mentioned the healing flood of letters. I know that. 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). RN: What should the U.S. government do now? Nationalism at the expense of another nation, is just as wicked as racism at the expense of another race. I swear to you, I wouldn't be standing here were I not upheld. The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. 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 someone whose heart is breaking. And the wise mans gone back. 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 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. Individual prayers and sermons can be purchased by clicking the cart icon next to each prayer or sermon title. But it's a fact: few of us are naturally profound. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. It withers quicker than the rose. And that's what hundreds of you understood so beautifully. William Sloane Coffin (2003) at Chautauqua Institution 1,555 views Feb 19, 2018 On July 20, 2003, Rev. On Saturday afternoon at 1:30, the Rev. The still-defended challenge-cup. Fragrant is the blossom. Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible., I love the recklessness of faith. After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground. Another consolation, of course, will be the learning which better be good, given the price. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1980-1981. A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew, 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. 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. So what is the role of the university chaplain? Why aren't people in the streets today the way they were in the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement? While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. Shoulder-high we bring you home, That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. 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. So why were they angry? When you scroll down this page you will find all of Bill's Riverside sermons organized by year. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin Thursday, February 15, 2007 Eulogy for Alex Ten days after his son, Alex, was killed in a car accident, Reverend William Sloane Coffin delivered this sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. 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