Sunday Service - 3/13/2011 - Clarence G. Newsome

A service of worship in Duke University Chapel. The Reverend Doctor Clarence G. Newsome delivers a sermon entitled "Something Better."

Opening excerpt from the sermon: (23:26)

"Can we imagine something better than living in the Garden of Eden? To be sure, Adam and Eve did. How else do we explain their decision to act on the privilege of free will in violation of God's will? Obviously, the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit touched a desire for something better than what they knew at the time. Whether because they didn't know how good there situation was or because they didn't care, somewhere deep inside them lurked a desire for something better. Because Adam and Eve acted on this desire all humanity became fugitive from the Garden of Eden. This is the way my good friend and former colleague at the Divinity School, Stuart Henry, use to put it. "We all are fugitives from the Garden of Eden trying to find our way back home," he used to say to me."

Closing excerpt from the sermon (45:57)

"If we look closely enough we will see that He does not move towards us with empty hands. He approaches us with "something better" than we could ever have imagined for ourselves to make our lives better. If we look closely enough we will see that He is moving toward us with the gift of unconditional Love, with the gift of Forgiveness, with the gift of Eternal Life. Why? Because of His mercy! Why? Because of His grace! Why? Because of His understanding! Why? Because of His kindness, His caring heart, His compassion! Why? Because of His desire that we should live our lives fully and abundantly throughout all eternity, eternally content. Amen."

Sermon begins at 23:26. Bulletin: http://bit.ly/f2OHxy

Category:

Education

Tags:

• duke
• university
• channel
• chapel
• Clarence
• Newsome
• garden
• of
• Eden
• Adam
• eve
• temptation
• forgiveness
• salvation
• forbidden
• fruit
• god
• authority
• obedience
• disobedience
• abandonment
• hostility
• brokenness
• betrayal
• hunger
• sorrow
• confusion
• bewilderment