You Tube Theology

A service of worship in Duke University Chapel. The Reverend Dr Samuel Wells delivers a sermon entitled "Dwelling In the Comma." Opening excerpt from the sermon: (26:30) "If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" It's an old question, but it's still a good one. Of course the answer rather depends on what you think being a Christian means. Let's look at three kinds of answers. One answer says, "God comes to visit us when we're on our last dime, when we have nothing and no one to turn to." So being a Christian means saying, "I am naked before God. But I spend my life pretending otherwise. I want to be at home with those whose nakedness, fragility and pain is no secret." Jesus' life is shaped around people whose tears have flowed so long they've run dry, around those who'd scream out loud if they could any longer find the voice or the words, around all whose prayer is simply, "Lord, give me strength to get through today." Closing excerpt from the sermon: ( 43:44) What does it look like to be a Christian? Jesus is saying, the people who know are those who are closest to my cross. The closer you get to my cross, the closer you get to resurrection. If you're one of those people, happy are you. If you're not one of those people, start hanging around with those who are. That's what it means to dwell in the comma. Jesus is the place where cross and resurrection meet. So are you. It's time to stop limiting ourselves to just one third of the gospel. It's time to live the whole thing. It's time to dwell in the comma, where the cross meets the resurrection. This is where we meet Jesus. This is what Christianity is. This is where to find it. This is how to live it. This is blessedness. Blessed, blessed are you. Sermon begins at 26:30. Matthew 5:1-12 Bulletin: http://bit.ly/hWsxkX Sermon: http://bit.ly/ecjpzy