We gather here this day, toward the end of July, in the middle of summer. That means, more than likely, that the majority of you are here on vacation. You are just passing through or perhaps you are visiting someone in the Triangle area. If so, we're glad to have you here at Duke Chapel. You should be glad that this place was air-conditioned a few years ago!

Ah, the glorious summer! For those of us here, it's a much-welcomed time to catch our breath and prepare ourselves for the return of students in the fall, a time at last to read a book or to write a book we have put off until now, a time for the family. I took off for a stint of teaching and preaching in Germany. My Associate took off for a stint on the maternity ward. Summers for our family invariably have something to do with the be…