William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1986. Rev. Rev. Lovers and thinkers into the earth with you. Brett & Kate McKay March 18, 2017 Last updated: June 16, 2021. 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. 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. This is the fourth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. William Sloane Coffin. But when children die, they take away the future as well. 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. 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? So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love., Your email address will not be published. Yes, but at least, "My God, my God"; and the psalm only begins that way, it doesn't end that way. I swear to you, I wouldn't be standing here were I not upheld. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. 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. Read more. Would it be abhorrent to find that intensely funny? 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.. 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. Rev. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. Bill Coffin flourished here, in the cracked common clay of an earthly and earthy life. I swear to you, I wouldnt be standing here were I not upheld. 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 finally I know that when Alex beat me to the grave, the finish line was not Boston Harbor in the middle of the night. Every sermon constitutes a powerful reminder of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation. This reflects what that discomfort is and so nice to read it was written by a Reverend. 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). Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. Man and boy stood cheering by, -- William Sloane Coffin. 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. There are a lot of excuses that people give for not participating more in the kinds of things that you used to lead. Unfortunately he left the building April 12th, 2006. 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." And there are large accidents, like the one your dad was in. A powerful eulogy. Than by a wick that stays. Alex, as he was called, was killed in a car accident in 1983 when he was only. The older I get, the more I accept that death is the inevitable consequence of life, why can't believers? 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. And the name died before the man. They have gone to feed the roses. 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 that's what happens to the horror of all those townsfolk. For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesn't go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fists around knives, his hands on steering wheels. He was 81. . COFFIN: No. And set you at your threshold down, But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyone's protection, just for everyone's unending support. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Didnt the eagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. While the words of the Bible are true, grief renders them unreal. Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, A formula, A phrase remains.but the best is lost. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his. To-day, the road all runners come, 5 Ill say you dont, lady! I said. "Eulogy for Alex" by William Sloane Coffin William Sloane Coffin Jr. was an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. 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. First you leap, and then you grow wings." --- William Sloane Coffin. The garland briefer than a girls. Then, as I began to re-read it, I noticed that the guy's name is William Sloane Coffin. tragic death of at least 26 Polish pilgrims, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Jonathan Merritt and the ethics of "outing". The Rev William Sloane Coffin A radical preacher and antiwar activist, he took on the American establishment Christopher Reed Thu 13 Apr 2006 19.04 EDT The upbringing of William Sloane. by Rev. We all do what we know how to do, maybe. And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. And, in spite of all of this, God is wherever love can be found. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Itsjust one of those things I think is worth a read by all. It is difficult to know how to theologise about a tragedy of this order without descending into cliche, trivialisation or offensiveness. I know how lucky I am! ABERNETHY: I spoke with Coffin about growing old. That is what makes the valley of the shadow of death seem so incredibly dark and unending. As his younger brother put it simply, standing at the head of the casket at the Boston funeral, You blew it, buddy. Interview with Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. The cause of violence is not ignorance. 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). 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. See more stories about iPad, HBO, How-To. So why were they angry? The still-defended challenge-cup. Ten days after Alex's death, he delivered this extraordinary sermon to his congregation at Riverside Church in New York City. William Sloane Coffin Jr. preached these Sunday sermons from the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City. Lewis wrote, They say the coward dies many times; so does the beloved. History The company was founded as a rug importer and seller on March 2, 1843 by William Sloane who had just emigrated from Kilmarnock, Scotland, a town famous for weaving fine carpets and rugs. When parents die, as my mother did last month, they take with them a large portion of the past. 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. very good question Anne. Individual prayers and sermons can be purchased by clicking the cart icon next to each prayer or sermon title. Rememberallproceeds will go directly to support the WSC scholarships at Union Theological Seminary in N.Y.C. For instance, the Christians persecuted the Jews for nearly two thousand years because as they said, they believed the Jews killed Jesus. 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 . William Sloane Coffin Jr. offers one more complicated blessing. And Christ spent an inordinate amount of time delivering people from paralysis, insanity, leprosy, and muteness. The common attribution to the eighteenth-century statesman Alexander Hamilton was probably based on a mistaken understanding of a relatively modern citation. (Lord Byron). The Rev. When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. Q: How about your own death? Like A.E. 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. 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 too have thought Gods heart is the first to break. Apr 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. It remains a heartfelt classic in homiletics. 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. 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. All rights reserved. c a m p u s l i f e ; m e s s a g e William Sloane Coffin challenged the nation with his passionate calls for social justice. 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. Ive read and re-read this passage many times: I told them, It was an accident. 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. But its a fact: few of us are naturally profound. 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). And of course I know, even when pain is deep, that God is good. But left me none the wiser Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave. William Sloane Coffin Jr. in 1987. Coffin's son, Alex, tragic death in an automobile accident. 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. There is no god!! I did grief work. How much suffering? 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. Thousands of people have died without the benefit of a poetic father! After the death of his wife, C.S. In other word, good patriots are not nationalists. 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. BBC Northern Ireland presenter William Crawley discusses the often controversial political, religious and ethical issues of the day. 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. RN: What about the Educational system as it relates to democracy? This is the first year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. This is beautiful!!! ashington, Jan. 5--Five men, including Dr. Benjamin Spock, the author and pediatrician, and the Rev. The reality of grief is the solitude of pain, the feeling that your heart is in pieces, your mind's a blank, that "there is no joy the world can give like that it takes away." So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind. "I'll say you don't, lady!" "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. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths. 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. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. This is the sixth year of the complete ten year collection of sermons. We see acuter quite RN: Why do you think most of the anti-war groups stopped their marches in 2004 and became quiescent compared to 2003? Theres something in the flight That clarifies the sight And decks the rays. 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? Still there is much by way of consolation. The use of Gods will or God has chosen to take whatever the phrase has always made me uncomfortable. But like God herself, Scripture is not around for anyones protection, just for everyones unending support. 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. But . Either it is god's will or there is no god! When a person dies, there are many things that can be said, and there is at least one thing that should never be said. 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." 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. 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. Because there are no rankling unanswered questions, and because Alex and I simply adored each other, the wound for me is deep, but clean. It is self-interest. It just happened. ABERNETHY: Coffin rails at neglect of the poor and U.S. policies in Iraq. These are some of the popular topics this blog covers. I know how lucky I am! 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