Transcript
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UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER 1: O, everyone who thirst, come to the waters. And whoever has no money, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Come, let us worship God.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER 1: You sing good. Hearing you sing reminds me of the first time I sat in this chapel as an entering student, more years ago than I'll admit -- and remembering how overwhelmed I was by the experience. In those days, it was basically basses and baritones and tenors who sang here. And we have since improved the choir a great
deal, by adding some altos and some sopranos. But it's grand to have you here. And to all of you who are here for the first time, welcome to Princeton Seminary. And welcome to the place that is the center of its life, this chapel. Chapel is not required, at Princeton Seminary. There is no need to require it. Most of us in the administration and the faculty and student body
and the staff recognize that is required by our own needs. And so you will find that the chapel is well attended, Mondays through Fridays. And I hope it'll be a vital part of your faith development and spiritual formation, over the coming days and years of your time here. Let us now turn to God
and pray. O, living God who has given us life, not as a burden to be borne but as a gift to be enjoyed and as a responsibility to be exercised, we thank You for Your special gift.
O, loving God who has given us Your very self in the person of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and who, by the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit, indwells the human heart that opens in faith, as well as the community of faith, binding us not only to Yourself but to one another, we rejoice in this grace, in this
love which is unmerited, unearned, undeserved, which sets us free to be Your women and men in this time place, to seek here to know what it means to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ in the modern world and in anticipation of going forth from this place to be of special service, to people we have yet to meet, with
needs we have yet to experience. We pray for all who compose this Princeton Seminary campus family. We pray especially for those who teach here, asking that they may be given the grace of insight into the mysteries of Christ and the application of the mysteries
to the infinite mystery of human life. Give them the grace of communication, that the truth they know may be shared, that what inspires their own faith may indeed inspire ours, that the vision they have may become, in part at least, our vision, that we who study with them may be stretched, that our horizons may be expanded
and our effectiveness increased. We pray also for those who study here, grateful for so many whom You have called to this place at this time, either to seek clarification of vocational goals or to prepare for a vocation in ministry which has already been clarified.
We pray that each one may be, indeed, as open to new truth as faithful to old. Give each one the freedom to chew before he or she swallows. And yet, give each one the courage to taste many new dishes never tried before. Assure them that Your love is real for them, no matter how clear or how confused their heads
may become. Give them the assurance that each life is held in the hollow of Your hand and is indeed secure in faith, even while faith is seeking understanding. We pray for all others who minister here, for groundsmen, for secretaries, for
members of the administration, for the custodial staff, the people who work in the Campus Center and prepare our meals, for all who make it possible for others to teach and to learn. Grant them a sense of participation in the great mission and ministry of the school. And keep that ever before us all, that we may be bound together in the bonds of a common faith
and a common task, as each one seeks to glorify the living god, in the midst of the common life. Hear us now, as we pray in the name of him who taught us, when we pray, to say, "Our --"
CONGREGATION: "-- Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen."
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER 1: One of the special joys of life is introducing old friends to new ones. And that's my privilege today, to introduce to you the one who has come to break for us the bread of life, on this opening chapel service. There are many things that I could say about Dr. Bryant Kirkland. Pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, longtime member of the board of trustees of Princeton Theological Seminary,
former president of its Board of Trustees, author of many books, renowned preacher. Those are all things I could say about him but I won't. I want to share with you a little anecdote about this man, because I think it really does, at least to my mind and to my experience, reveal who he is. Some years ago now, my wife and I were attending a pastors' conference
at Whitworth College, in Spokane, Washington. Dr. Bryant Kirkland had been invited to be the evening preacher. You will discover here how difficult it is to preach to your peers. The most excruciating experience you will have at Princeton Seminary is standing in that pulpit and preaching to a class of your own peers. I want you to know it doesn't get easier. It gets worse. And the most difficult task is for one
pastor to preach to a congregation of pastors. Now, what often happens, in my experience, at least, at times and occasions like that, is that someone who is renowned for pulpit gifts is brought in and spends the week dazzling everyone else, who goes away wishing that they had been so gifted but realizing they have not. Dr. Kirkland, on that occasion, did not do that.
He literally preached the good news to pastors and spouses who desperately needed to hear some good news. I'll never forget the one he preached about Timothy, about being stuck on Crete. "Why me," Timothy would say, "on Crete? There are better places in the world than Crete. Why am I in Crete?" And he was speaking
to so many, to so many, who, at that moment of their lives, felt that they were on Crete. He blessed us or God blessed us through him, on that occasion. And it said a lot to me about the man. He didn't come to show us how well it can be done. He simply came to share, out of his own life and experience, the grace of God in Jesus Christ, as it has been made known to him. We were grateful for his ministry. Princeton Seminary is
grateful for his ministry. It's become a tradition to have him come here on this opening chapel service. And I'm delighted to welcome one whom I'm privileged to call a dear friend and a colleague in ministry here at this school, Dr. Bryant M. Kirkland, who will read his own Scripture and share with us the Word of God, following the singing of our second hymn.
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KIRKLAND: Before I say the welcome I feel, let me read this Scripture, Hebrews, beginning at the end of the fourth chapter, going into the fifth. "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the Heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with out weakness but one who, in every
respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace, to help in every time of need. For every high priest is chosen from among men and women and appointed to act on behalf of men and women in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for
sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he and herself are beset with weakness. Because of this, he is bound to offer sacrifices for his own sin, as well as those of the people. And one does not take this honor upon oneself but is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also, Christ did not exalt Himself when He became a high priest but was appointed, by Him who said, 'Thou art My Son. Today I have begotten Thee' or says in another place, 'Thou art a priest, after the order of Melchizedek.' In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death. And He was heard for His godly fear.
Although He was a son, He learned obedience through the suffering. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek." May God bless the inspired Word to you, on this significant day of your opening of seminary. On your behalf,
I'd like to welcome the president to the Seminary, for this is his second year, and assure him -- did you notice how he said a lo-o-ongtime trustee? -- as an old trustee, of our affection -- our affection, our regard, our confidence, and our esteem -- and wishing you and your lovely wife joy, happiness, and attainment, as you lead us as fellow students
and alumni/alumnae ministers. We are all very happy with this great tradition and seminary. And I, with Mrs. Kirkland, owe it a great deal of debt, over the years. I am almost reaching the point where I can brag about the number of years. But it's really wonderful. I've been a student. I've been an employee. I've been what they call an adjunctive teacher. I don't know what that is. I teach adjunctives.
I've been a trustee. But more than all, I have been one who loves this seminary and has been blessed more than I can ever tell you. And I just hope and pray, as I walked across the campus, that you get the same blessings that we get. They started me out in Brown Hall, which was where the regular people... I never did make it to this illustrious hall over here. I got up as far as Hodge Hall. But... What do they call it?
Alexander? Never got there. But it's a great seminary. And we just pray God's Spirit to make you happy. I'm sure you're all anxious. I'm still anxious in this thing. I remember my middler sermon. Andrew Watterson Blackwood was out there, with his pince-nez glasses. And I forgot my third point. I should never forget how long the aisle was then, as he came forward -- and shifted his papers and said, "The reason Mr. Kirkland forgot his third
point was because it had no logical --nection with the other two." I guess that sums up my theological education. My joy is freedom because of deep gratitude, the deep debt of gratitude to the president, the former president, teachers, Dean Massa, others, David Crawford, all this
illustrious family. I just hope you will soon learn to loosen up and enjoy it and get rid of your anxieties. I have so much to say. And I know the constraints of time. I think, if I had to say one sentence, I would say this. There is much more for you to stand in awe and wonder than you know. And
there's much less to fear than now you do dread. Well, that's enough. Dave Crawford prints, every year, my topic as "Public Worship and Private Devotion," which means I can do anything I want. Victor Hugo, in one of his books, said, "Bishop Bienvenu did not so
much seek to know God as to be dazzled by Him." See how that ties in what I just said? There's much more to be in wonder and awe, much more than there is to fear and dread. There never was a better time to become a minister. Even way back in the '40s, before he died slamming into a tree in an automobile
accident, Albert Camus, whom I'm sure was a Presbyterian at heart, said... And the reason I love him so much is he said so many things that, if a Presbyterian says, they don't get heard. He said, "Men and women, then and now more, are seeking absolutes, in a totally relativistic world."
I couldn't help think this morning, in my anxiety and joy to be here with you, Joe Kittinger is the first person to balloon across the Atlantic, 3,326 miles and a broken right ankle -- puh -- but in 1927, when Charles Augustus Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic to Le Bourget Field, pandemonium
broke loose. You see the difference? They'll hardly remember Joe Kittinger, except in Guinness's Book of Records. And the same thing's true of ministry. Everybody wants to be a star. And you be a star where you are. And you never know where God's star shines, because it isn't always in the bright spots. August the 9th is the feast day of
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, who's a hero to me, you'll find out, and is also the patron saint of all Roman Catholic clergy. So again, you say in your minds, "So why bring that in here?" Because he is also one of God's stars, because he flunked seminary. Now you see. He was born about the time of the French Revolution. And because of the upset-ness of the times,
he hid. He couldn't go to formal education. His folks sent him out to be with the herds. And then afterwards, he was unlicensed student in a university and was not doing well in school and was terrible in Latin. And so he was drafted. And he was absent without leave. See how all this ties into [modern move?]? Twice he missed his regimental call. And he hid up in the mountains until a general amnesty was declared. And then he came back and tried to go to school -- and
still wasn't any better with Latin, had many handicaps -- until an old Abbé Balley took him under his wing, and loved him, as this place has nurtured thousands of us, with all sorts of backgrounds. Again, he flunked, in a seminary at Lyons. That's quite a record. But Abbé Balley said,
"This man has something." So finally, with the persuasion of the beloved abbé, they ordained him, at Grenoble. And he became, naturally, the assistant minister of his dear friend, for three years. And then finally he got a great call, to a church in a village of 256 people. And it was a village that said, "Well, you're the best thing we've ever had. We never really wanted a priest anyway." So for all you luminaries of Princeton who have
stars in your eyes, have you not yet guessed who he is? He is the greatest devotional figure in the nineteenth century. And he died in August of 1859. You know him as the Cure of Ars. Because he learned how to shine where he was. He took this little background of hardship that he had. He realized the post-revolutionary period. He realized the confusion. He understood what Camus was talking about. He understood what's in your hearts and minds. He understands what's in my heart and
mind. He understand-- there is an eternal god and he doesn't come down in package form. And with a life of dignity and of love and of calling on house after house and even though... Well, one morning he went to the altar had he said, "What are you dear women praying for?" They say, "We're praying for a new priest." He said, "Let me get down and help you pray for one." What happened? Men and women who are so thirsty for God and so fed up and tired with organized, categorical church came to him in the dead of the night. And his life was burdened with
thousands of people coming for pastoral counseling. And today, Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney is a patron saint of you and of me, who aspired to speak the eternal Word of God to a troubled generation, that yearns for reality, in the kindergarten of the organized church, that's so preoccupied with buttons and embroidery and legalism.
When I get to feeling that way, dear friends, I think of T.S. Eliot's word in the play A Yard of Sun, meaning a courtyard of sun in Italy. In a yard of sun in Italy, this post-World War II character comes home and says, "There is a greater reality which will make fiction of much that we hold true today." For 400 years, universities in Europe taught that the earth was flat. Proust --
I guess he's a Congregationalist -- Proust said, "Truth never comes to you. You have to discover it after a journey into the wilderness." William James says, "Hope, risk, increase your options." I'm going around about the bush trying to say with feeling, for you, dear friends, who come here with great promise and
stability and fears, hopes, anxieties, yearnings, all that you are, that there's a great calling out there and a great god and a great lord and, underneath the mortar, a great church, one church, undivided, although we've egg-crated it. And in that power, I just pray the blessing of God on your life and your ministry. So now somebody says,
"What are you talking about?" Yes, now I get to the target. I love introductions. So I said to St. Paul, "What would you like me to tell them?" He says, "Well, tell them something from my Letter to the Philippians and some from the Letter to the Hebrews." I says, "You know, they're not going to think you wrote the Letter to the Hebrews." I says, "You know..." He said, "I know. But that's my little private joke. It publishes a lot of
books and makes many PhD dissertations. Tell them anyway. Quote that line from the fifth chapter, where it says, 'Even though Jesus Christ were divine Son of God, He had to learn obedience.' And He prayed not as Presbyterians do. He prayed, it said -- you heard me – 'loud cries and tears,' though He were a
Son. He had to learn obedience." I said, "All right. I'll do that. What else do you want me to say?" Well, he said, "Flip over to Philippians. They'll take that better." I said, "All right." And he said, "And teach them, 'I have learned to be content.'" In this wonderful "me" society, no one ever becomes content
till, through St. Paul's admonition, they learn the Word of our divine Savior, who said, "He that will seek to exalt him/herself shall be effaced." And if you want to find yourself numero uno, deny yourself and fulfill yourself. Again, if I had to stop, I would say, among the awe and fear in the beginning, I'd say learn here to be content and learn how to obey. I know obedience is a bad
word today. We have dogs in the yard who don't obey. They and their owners are miserable, go dragging through the street. There's nothing like a beautiful dog in fellowship with another person. And he said, "Well, that's too animalistic" or something. But obedience is the key to ministry. Because there is no adventure like obeying Jesus Christ in the modern world, in the spirit of Albert Camus. There is joyful obedience as the key to a richer ministry than any organized religion can give to you by your complaint that you need a better opportunity. Now you know why I talked about Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, who was in Crete and starred there. Opportunities come to you
in the costume of obedience. Because obedience is the secret of discovering life. Obedience is the secret of developing your ministry. Obedience is the secret of dedicating your career -- even if you're mid-career, post-, retirement, new career, even if you go even further, where I am. And it's still a
beginning -- at the end, a new beginning. Admiral Samuel Morrison, who wrote those great books about the men and women who discovered across the Atlantic, said of this, "Christopher Columbus," whose birthday's coming up -- "Christopher Columbus didn't know any more than anybody else. He simply believed God more than anybody else, that winds ill and fair both would bless him." And so he embarked upon his journey of discovery.
Without being a renegade too much, all the theological world in which we live, as in the scientific world in which we live, is, as St. Paul said, again, seeing through a glass dimly. Much that we hold true today is inadequate, serves His purpose. But you enter into a new theological journey into the wilderness of discovery and you learn obedience, the truths
that have not yet entered into the hearts of men and women to accept, which shall lead to the life of peace and justice and fullness and may advance the cause, as -- St. Jean-Paul [II?] again -- in your ministry, which someday shall make real the beautiful music of Mr. [Whedon?], when he plays, "The kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our God and of our King and there shall be no end to it." It's either a lot of hope and truth or it's a lot of bunkum. And we might as well
call it by its right name. And the priesthood of Aaron, which is organized religion, with its jots and tittles, will not bring it in. But the priesthood of Melchizedek, which was unorganized, spontaneous, dynamic, eternal, the striking of God in unlikely places and unlikely people and transforming their hearts and minds, those who learn through obedience
to become pastors, those who learn to be content in the spot where they were, be it small, middle, or large, past, present, or future... God has His own way of discovering you, developing you, using your dedication. And you never know the surprises that He has. I tried to be
a little erudite for you and looked up this word learning. And I'm such a good student in Greek, I have to read it. Manthano. Manthano, lovely word. But that's not my point. I chuckled when I looked in the concordance and the two Greek words that envelop it -- this is really worth it --
mamonas and [manya?]. I thought, "How perfect for us students together," Mammon and mania. In the middle, learning. And we're all tempted -- Mammon. They tried to buy ministries in St.
Paul's day. Or manic, off the deep end. Somebody said, "Many are prisoners of their own psyche, who refuse to accept the offers of love and of companionship to come into the fulfillment of life." And you and I this day, as I close, dedicate our hearts and minds to God, not so much to know God and possess Him but to be dazzled
by His wonder and awe -- of more to give and less to fear -- through you, men and women, who learn here to be content -- even though I know you don't believe that -- and learn how to obey -- even though I know that's a bad word. But through those two, matrix comes, the Spirit of a
new age. God love you. We love you. God bless you. God bless the president, all of you.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER 1: Here at Princeton Seminary, they've become accustomed spontaneously, over the years, to be seated following the [rendition?], meditate and participate in the organ postlude. And now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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