Sunday Service - 2/13/2011 - Sam Wells
Published 2 years ago
A service of worship in Duke University Chapel. The Reverend Dr Samuel Wells delivers a sermon entitled "Choosing Life...and Living with Choices."
Opening excerpt from the sermon: (22:51)
"Choose life." This is God's plea to Israel on the eve of her entry into the Promised Land. "I have set before you life and death... Choose life." These are among the most powerful words in the Bible. They've also become the most divisive words in America. "Choose life." Half of America hears the word "life," and immediately identifies the plight of the unborn child. The other half of America hears the word "choose," and zeroes in on the rights of the pregnant woman. I'm talking about abortion. We are a nation of 300 million people. We have around 4 million live births a year. And we have a million abortions. However diverse the list of ethical issues of our time, abortion is always right at the top of it. On the whole the mainline church has come to a clear position on the question. That position is, "Let's not talk about it."
Closing excerpt from the sermon: (42:42)
Now we realize, once and for all, why we say "Let's not talk about abortion." How can we demand legislation, how can we call for personal responsibility, how can we expect a sacrificial choice, unless we embody the slow redemption of costly mistakes, unless we exhibit the mutual interdependence of generous friends, unless we display the transparent grace of broken-open lives? Until, that is, we become what we were saved to be -- the church? We don't want to talk about abortion because we might have to become the church. That's the choice that matters most. That's the life Jesus calls us to. Brothers and sisters, choose life. Choose God's life. Choose to become Christ's church."
Deut. 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-27
Bulletin: http://bit.ly/f5NJvQ
Sermon: http://bit.ly/hz0Tya
Opening excerpt from the sermon: (22:51)
"Choose life." This is God's plea to Israel on the eve of her entry into the Promised Land. "I have set before you life and death... Choose life." These are among the most powerful words in the Bible. They've also become the most divisive words in America. "Choose life." Half of America hears the word "life," and immediately identifies the plight of the unborn child. The other half of America hears the word "choose," and zeroes in on the rights of the pregnant woman. I'm talking about abortion. We are a nation of 300 million people. We have around 4 million live births a year. And we have a million abortions. However diverse the list of ethical issues of our time, abortion is always right at the top of it. On the whole the mainline church has come to a clear position on the question. That position is, "Let's not talk about it."
Closing excerpt from the sermon: (42:42)
Now we realize, once and for all, why we say "Let's not talk about abortion." How can we demand legislation, how can we call for personal responsibility, how can we expect a sacrificial choice, unless we embody the slow redemption of costly mistakes, unless we exhibit the mutual interdependence of generous friends, unless we display the transparent grace of broken-open lives? Until, that is, we become what we were saved to be -- the church? We don't want to talk about abortion because we might have to become the church. That's the choice that matters most. That's the life Jesus calls us to. Brothers and sisters, choose life. Choose God's life. Choose to become Christ's church."
Deut. 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-27
Bulletin: http://bit.ly/f5NJvQ
Sermon: http://bit.ly/hz0Tya
