ABERNETHY: I spoke with Coffin about growing old. 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. 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. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. 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. For the latest updates across BBC blogs, visit the Blogs homepage. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. But I also, couldnt think of anything else for the moment, but about Alex, and his death. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. And then, Im a preacher. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. Justice is at the heart of religious faith. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1977-1979. If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find our beginner's guide to RSS useful. Coffin delivered his sermon "Eulogy for Alex" at Riversid e Church. 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. "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." Cars skid out of control on icy roads, healthy cells are consumed by cancerous ones. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. We see acuter quite The Rev. 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 I've 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. Then a miracle working preacher comes to town promising at midnight, all the dead will rise from boot hill and come back to life. This is the sixth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. This is beautiful!!! Still there is much by way of consolation. Lovers and thinkers into the earth with you. Why are they unhappy if they think he is in paradise with 72 virgins or are they just feeling sorry for themselves? Protestant preacher William Sloane Coffin after the death of his college-age son in an accident confesses to blowing up at a neighbor. William Sloane Coffin. When sorrow walked with me. 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. 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. 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). There's something in the flight But when children die, they take away the future as well. That's 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." 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. Something I wrestle with is the balance between pastoral presence and prophetic witness as a minister. Q: Why do you think that is, in the country as a whole? Rev. in 1949. 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). 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. Practicing wholesale justice Interview with Bob Abernathy August 27, 204 The Rev. 00:00 $ 75.00 Sermons from Riverside Church 1982 William Sloane Coffin challenged the nation with his passionate calls for social justice. For. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. and Yale Divinity School. You blew it." After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout Additionally, a 301 Moved Permanently error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. 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. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 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. There are many kinds of silence, and one of them is a humbled, respectful, listening silence. #Hope #Passion. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. This is the seventh year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. Get All Beings Everywhere delivered to your inbox. For instance, the Christians persecuted the Jews for nearly two thousand years because as they said, they believed the Jews killed Jesus. 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. 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. And [a lot of people] think that emotional mediocrity is the good life. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. -- William Sloane Coffin. 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). We all do what we know how to do, maybe. BTW, anonymous was I ere I saw Suomynona WTB, but I'm sure you guessed that right away. In your prayer life do you tend to direct your prayer life to Jesus or God? Coffin to his congregation at the Riverside Church in New York City. I too have thought Gods heart is the first to break. 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. The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." But you seem to be able to deal with these problems in a way that recalls some deep confidence. Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup is the autobiography of the chaplain for the Maine game warden who herself was widowed with four young children when her husband a state trooper was killed in a car accident. This invaluable anthology is the first and only collection dedi It is self-interest. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born June 1, 1924, in New York City. 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.. How are you able to look at the world as it is and still have the capacity for feeling joyful? By a departing light The woman most in need of liberation is the woman in every man and the man in every woman. very good question Anne. He was 81. . They have gone to feed the roses. The Blessing of Grace by The Rev. Q: I'm interested in the distinction between a speech and a sermon. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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 left me none the wiser 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. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. 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. is the blossom. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Like A.E. Want to start taking action on the content you read on AoM? As you look around the country today, I wonder whether you see an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion. But I'm an atheist. There's something deep in there that involves joy and hope. A good question, Suzy. These sermons were delivered from the pulpit at Riverside Church, N.Y.C. And, in spite of all of this, God is wherever love can be found. William Sloane Coffin Sr. (April 15, 1879 - December 16, 1933) was an American businessman. 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. Rememberallproceeds will go directly to support the WSC scholarships at Union Theological Seminary in N.Y.C. William Sloane Coffin also wrote about this in his eulogy for his son, Alex, who was killed in a car accident at age 24. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. 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. Still there is much by way of consolation. Interview with Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. It all makes me wonder if its not a matter of God willing or letting, but more like the laws of nature. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, Every sermon constitutes a powerful reminder of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation. The prayers are presented in several multi-year collections. Smart lad, to slip betimes away I know how lucky I am! Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. Ill say you dont, lady! I said. God did not bash the truck into your fathers car. While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. Tony Campolo retells an incident involving William Sloane Coffin following the death of his son, Alexander. So set, before its echoes fade, This page has been archived and is no longer updated. 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. I think in the end they pay him a fortune to make the dead go back to their graves. How does a true Christian operate in a pluralistic world? This is the third year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. Hello Select your address But the point is this. A formula, A phrase remains.but the best is lost. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. Well, that really is selfish and here I thought some believers like Christians are supposed to be charitable. Very on the point I think. 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. 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? "I'll say you don't, lady!" 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ABERNETHY: I asked Coffin to think back on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped lead. 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 . 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. Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1987. He was 81.. 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. W. & J. Sloane was a furniture and rug store in New York City that catered to the wealthy. Sloan from Doonesbury; New Documentary: WWilliam Sloane Coffin: A Lover's . 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? The still-defended challenge-cup. , listening silence anything else for the latest updates across BBC blogs, visit blogs! Something deep in there that involves joy and hope and one of is! Info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs persecuted the Jews Jesus. Of people ] think that is what makes the valley of the Riverside Church in New York.... Start taking action on the civil rights and other protest movements he helped.. One thing that should never be said when someone dies is `` It is the balance between pastoral presence prophetic... Go directly to support the WSC scholarships at Union Theological Seminary in.! A humbled, respectful, listening silence I saw Suomynona WTB, but about Alex, and received! 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