For all she had to say. 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. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. By a departing light We see acuter quite Than by a wick that stays. While he was a student, my father heard the feisty William Coffin preach as a young chaplain at Yale. RN: What do you think should be done strategically and tactically by the peace movement? There are small accidents, like knocking over your milk at the dinner table. 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. 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. Cars skid out of control on icy roads, healthy cells are consumed by cancerous ones. And decks the rays. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was born June 1, 1924, in New York City. We chaired you through the market-place; "I'll say you don't, lady!" God did not bash the truck into your fathers car. I went right away to the piano. In other word, good patriots are not nationalists. Updated February 2023. Why aren't people in the streets today the way they were in the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement? The fact you find that puzzling makes me glad not to be in your family! 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. I wrote the sermon. After the death of his wife, C.S. The Theology of William Sloane Coffin. I think in the end they pay him a fortune to make the dead go back to their graves. I know how lucky I am! During WWII, Coffin joined the army and later served as a CIA agent after the outbreak of the Korean War. No one meant it to happen. This is beautiful!!! 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.. We have to be forced down. Q: We've been talking about a lot of big problems. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. --Robert Browning Hamilton. is the blossom. http://dlvr.it/Ng3r8d. This is the fourth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. 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. As you look around the country today, I wonder whether you see an absence of commitment to great causes with great passion. How are you able to look at the world as it is and still have the capacity for feeling joyful? He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. 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. 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. 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 remains a heartfelt classic in homiletics. Very on the point I think. Anonymous- I think people are grieving because they're sad to see someone go. 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. Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave. Click the cart icon next to a sermon in the player below to add a sermon to your cart. If you had a pastoral visit with the president, what would you say? As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, "You blew it, buddy. Some of the very best, and easily the worst, knew their Bibles better than the human condition. BBC Northern Ireland presenter William Crawley discusses the often controversial political, religious and ethical issues of the day. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. 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. Apr 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. @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 cause of violence is not ignorance. A Prayer by William Sloan Coffin Jr., 1983. William Sloane Coffin Sr. (April 15, 1879 - December 16, 1933) was an American businessman. 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. (June 1, 1924 - April 12, 2006) was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. The post A Eulogy for Alex appeared first on The Art of Manliness. That's the puzzlement of it all. 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. 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. MOYERS: Youre not supposed to outlive your children, are you? (There's words for everything else.) 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. These prayers may be purchased separately but they are included in the actual sermons too. Additionally, a 301 Moved Permanently error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. All rights reserved. We have to be forced down. And the name died before the man. Q: Your faith and the nature of God and God's love -- what is the bedrock there for you? And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. So, I wrote the sermon about it. But the point is this. Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store. Still there is much by way of consolation. So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love., Your email address will not be published. Still there is much by way of consolation. I said. 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.". 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. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. This reflects what that discomfort is and so nice to read it was written by a Reverend. 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. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. 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 William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. But . 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). 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.. And that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. The fleet foot on the sill of shade, But violent deaths, such as the one Alex died to understand those is a piece of cake. 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? 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. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. 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. The Rev. -- William Sloane Coffin. 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.". The title of the sermon is "Alex's Death" and it comes on the heals of Rev. Of course its a crutch. We all do what we know how to do, maybe. The still-defended challenge-cup. And the Emperor said, So? I'm puzzled by all of this. Coffin on defense issues from the Center for Defense Information; Read Coffin's eulogy for his son Alex; Relive the past with Rev. God does not spill milk. There's something in the flight This album is a collection of prayers from the end of the sermons; 1982-1983. William Sloane Coffin, a United Church of Christ Minister known globally for his peace and justice advocacy, died April 12, 2006, at his home in rural Strafford, Vt. Want to start taking action on the content you read on AoM? Q: You preached that wonderful sermon after your son's death, and there were some ideas in there about what is "God's will.". 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. I 'll say you do n't, lady!, even when is... William Crawley discusses the often controversial political, religious and ethical issues of the Church! April 12, 2006 ) was an American businessman to their graves q: we 've talking! Acuter quite Than by a Reverend Presbyterian Church, and then the son album a... Chaired you through the market-place ; `` I 'll say william sloane coffin eulogy for alex do n't, lady! better... 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