﻿WEBVTT

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<v ->Thanksgiving service, Thursday November 22nd, 1979,</v>

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Duke Chapel.

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(slow organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(dramatic organ music)

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(gentle organ music)

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(upbeat organ music)

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<v ->Please stand.</v>

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(congregation shuffling)

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God, be merciful unto us and bless us.

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<v ->Cause your face to shine on us, oh Lord.</v>

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<v ->Then, let us worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.</v>

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<v ->Let us worship God in spirit and in truth.</v>

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<v ->Our hymn is Number 21 from our hymn book,</v>

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please join us in singing this hymn.

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(upbeat organ music)

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(congregation softly singing)

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Let us pray from our bulletin in our hands.

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Most Gracious God,

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by who's appointment the seasons come and go.

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And, who makes the fruits of the earth

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to minister to the needs of all people.

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We offer You our thanksgivings,

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that You have brought us through the course of another year.

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And, that according to Your promise,

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seed time and harvest have not failed.

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At the remembrance of Your life-sustaining power,

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we offer unto You ourselves,

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and pray that as we are fed by Your Spirit,

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we may be instruments of love throughout the world.

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Oh, God, we praise You and give thanks to You

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for Your bountiful providence.

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For all the blessings, and all the hopes of life,

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above all we praise and adore You,

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for the light which shines in the darkness.

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Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Let the memory of Your goodness fill our hearts with joy

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and thanks, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

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Let us hear the lessons as our outline

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on our bulletin before us.

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From the Old Testament:

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Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He's good,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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Oh, give thanks to the God of gods,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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To Him alone does great wonders,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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To Him, who by understanding made the heavens,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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To Him who spread out the earth upon the waters,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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It is He who remembered us in our low estate,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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And, rescued us from our fools,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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He who gives food to all flesh,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven,

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for His steadfast love endures forever.

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And, from the epistle:

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So we are always of good courage,

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for we know that while we are at home in the body,

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we are away from the Lord.

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For, we walk by faith and not by sight,

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we are of good courage.

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And, we would rather be away from the body,

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and at home with the Lord.

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So, whether we are at home or away,

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we make it our aim to please him.

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For, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,

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so that each one may receive good or evil,

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according to what he has done in the body.

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Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord,

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we persuade men, but what we are is known to God.

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And, I hope is known also to your conscious.

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We are not commending ourselves to you again,

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but giving you cause to be proud of us,

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so that you may be able to answer those

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who pride themselves on man's position,

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and not on his heart.

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And, please stand for the reading from the Gospel:

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And, he told them a parable, saying,

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"The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully,

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"and he thought to himself,

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"'What shall I do?

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"'I have nowhere to store my crops.'

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"And, he said, 'I will do this.

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"'I will pull down my barns and build larger ones,

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"'and there I will store my grain and my goods.

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(baby crying)

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"'And, I will say to my soul,

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"'"Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years,

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"'"Take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'

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"But, God said to him,

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"'Fool, this night your soul is required of you.

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"'And, the things you have prepared, whose will they be?

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"'So is he who lays up treasure for himself,

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"'and is not rich toward God.'

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And he said to his disciples,

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"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,

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"what you shall eat, about your body what you shall put on,

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"for life is more than food,

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"and the body more than clothing.

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"Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap.

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"They have neither storehouse nor barn,

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"yet God fees them.

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"Of how much more value are you than birds?

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"And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit

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"to his span of life?

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"If then, you are not able to do as small a thing as that,

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"why are you anxious about the rest?

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"Consider the lilies, how they grow.

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"They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you,

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"even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed

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"like one of these.

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"But, if God so clothes the grass which is alive

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"in the field today, and tomorrow is gone into the oven,

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"how much more will he clothe you, oh men of little faith?

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"And, do not seek what you are to eat

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"and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind,

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"for all the nations, the world, seek these things,

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"and your Father knows you need them.

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"Instead, seek His Kingdom,

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"and these things shall be yours as well."

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We shall sing now from 792 in our hymnbook,

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the Gloria Patri.

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(upbeat organ music)

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(congregation softly singing)

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<v ->Be seated, please.</v>

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(priest clearing throat)

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In view of circumstances,

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as they have changed significantly

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in the last few days,

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I share with you this morning not a meditation entitled,

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"Thank God, Thank God for Life."

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But, a meditation simply entitled,

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"Thanksgiving Meditation,

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November 22, 1979."

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The verse of scripture that I would like to use

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is found in Psalms 24, verse one.

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"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.

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"The world and those who dwell therein."

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In the name of the Lord our God who creates us,

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redeems us, and sustains us, Amen.

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Thanksgiving Day 1979 is a grave moment for all of us

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in the United States.

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This day, indeed, is a serious and perilous moment

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for all of us on the earth.

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We have not lived in such a volatile, threatening,

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dangerous moment as this, since World War Two ended.

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Surely, life-threatening forces

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are swirling around us,

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threatening to overpower us and engulf us

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in frightening, fearful ways.

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Thanksgiving Day, for those who have lived before us,

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and for us, has been a time for giving thanks.

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So it is, today.

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But we come to give thanks today

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with fresh and disturbing scenes in our minds,

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and deep heaviness on our heart.

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Thanksgiving for us in this country is a national holiday,

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it is a time for both sacred and secular remembrance

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and recommitment.

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Remembrance of how God has blessed us and sustained us

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in the past, and recommitment to the heritage

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and values that have had and still have

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ultimate significance to us:

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freedom, human dignity, sacrifice.

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Thanksgiving Day 1979 is a time of remembrance.

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A time for us to remind ourselves

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of our heritage as Americans,

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our personal, political and spiritual heritage.

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This is, still, the land of the free,

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and the home of the brave.

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Our heritage has assured us of freedom,

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freedom of speech, freedom of press,

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freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.

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Our heritage is great,

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it is important to all of us, to each of us.

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It is our very life, our past, our present and our future.

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We know and experience freedom, freedom as a people,

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in this country as in no other country

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on the face of the earth today.

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So let us, one-by-one and altogether, give thanks to God

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for the freedoms we are privileged to know and to live.

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Thanksgiving Day 1979 is a moment of national concern.

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Concern not just over the burning of our flags,

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though that has not been seen without resentment.

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Concern not just over the epithets thrown at our president

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and our country, though that has been embarrassing.

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Concern not just over the hatred and venom

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that have poured out toward us,

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though that has been disturbing.

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Concern, surely, not just over the loss of 5% of our oil

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and energy supplies, though there was a point

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just a few days ago,

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when that seemed awfully, awfully important.

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Concern not just over the violation of international law

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and the breach of international agreements,

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though that may indeed be threatening to the whole world.

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Concern not just over the seizure of buildings

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and grounds and records, though that may be

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both revealing and damaging.

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My friends in Christ, Thanksgiving Day 1979

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is a moment of national concern for us, for all of us.

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Concern because the very lives and wellbeing of our people

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have been threatened.

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Concern, surely, for the 13 who, some of you may have seen

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on television, and some of us heard on the radio,

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have just landed and been welcomed home

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by the Secretary of State at Andrews Air Force Base.

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But more importantly, concern for the 49,

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who still live in fear and terror.

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Concern because many of our fellow human beings

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have been trapped, have had their freedoms taken away,

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and their very lives jeopardized.

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Concern because many of us feel victimized,

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insulted, and degraded by the impetuous tirades

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of self-seeking political leaders.

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Concern because many Americans feel that we as a people

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have been vilified, castigated, put down, defamed,

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used, abused, accused,

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and feel that our patience

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and goodwill have been taken advantage of.

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Concern because, not only are the lives

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of our fellow citizens in mortal danger,

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but who we are as a people,

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and what we stand for as a nation,

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are being disgraced and defamed.

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As a people, individual men, women, boys and girls,

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we are not a war-mad, power-hungry, manipulating,

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self-seeking, take advantage of our neighbors,

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put down others for the sake of ourselves kind of people.

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And I think we all resent being wildly

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and madly portrayed this way.

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Thanksgiving Day 1979 is a somber,

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grave moment for us.

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It is a moment for giving thanks for the heritage we have,

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a heritage of freedom, human rights and human dignity.

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A moment for remembering that our freedoms have come

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at great sacrifice for those who have lived and died

261
00:31:34.520 --> 00:31:39.520
before us, our heritage and freedom have come at great cost,

262
00:31:39.560 --> 00:31:41.573
if not to us, then to others.

263
00:31:43.110 --> 00:31:46.470
A moment for us as Christians, and for us as Americans,

264
00:31:46.470 --> 00:31:49.280
not only to remember and give thanks,

265
00:31:49.280 --> 00:31:52.283
but also a moment for us to come together in unity.

266
00:31:53.580 --> 00:31:56.273
A unity important for us to show,

267
00:31:57.220 --> 00:31:59.003
for our leaders to know,

268
00:31:59.940 --> 00:32:02.390
and for the rest of the world to be cognizant of.

269
00:32:04.510 --> 00:32:09.510
Thanksgiving Day 1979, as we give thanks,

270
00:32:10.610 --> 00:32:15.123
we also need to share and to show a unity of purpose.

271
00:32:16.460 --> 00:32:19.190
That we will indeed protect and support one another

272
00:32:19.190 --> 00:32:21.133
in time of threat and adversity,

273
00:32:22.120 --> 00:32:24.600
and that the life of any one of our fellow Americans

274
00:32:24.600 --> 00:32:27.633
is of ultimate importance to all of us.

275
00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:31.160
And our purpose is to safeguard the wellbeing

276
00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:34.493
of any one or all who belong to us.

277
00:32:36.560 --> 00:32:38.718
A unity of will,

278
00:32:39.943 --> 00:32:42.760
that when pushed and pushed and pushed,

279
00:32:42.760 --> 00:32:45.940
or when embarrassed over and over and over,

280
00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:48.570
or when threatened again and again and again,

281
00:32:48.570 --> 00:32:51.880
our will as a people, as individuals, and as one people,

282
00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:54.783
can become united and unflinching.

283
00:32:55.670 --> 00:32:57.883
We will stand together.

284
00:33:00.260 --> 00:33:02.343
A unity of sacrifice.

285
00:33:03.950 --> 00:33:05.660
That when necessary and essential,

286
00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:09.390
we can and will sacrifice in any and every way necessary

287
00:33:09.390 --> 00:33:11.440
to preserve life and human dignity,

288
00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:14.530
and the freedom we feel is essential for us,

289
00:33:14.530 --> 00:33:16.143
and for all God's children.

290
00:33:17.040 --> 00:33:20.700
When sacrifice is required, any sacrifice,

291
00:33:20.700 --> 00:33:24.150
we as a people can and will respond as one people,

292
00:33:24.150 --> 00:33:25.743
in word and deed.

293
00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:30.603
A unity in prayer.

294
00:33:32.380 --> 00:33:34.710
Because, very simply, my friends,

295
00:33:34.710 --> 00:33:39.223
we as Christians do believe that God answers prayers.

296
00:33:41.830 --> 00:33:44.880
A unity that says to ourselves and to all the world

297
00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:48.980
that we really are a God-fearing, God-loving people.

298
00:33:48.980 --> 00:33:52.483
That we really do believe that God is the ruler, even yet.

299
00:33:53.530 --> 00:33:56.270
That prayer and praise and worship really do belong,

300
00:33:56.270 --> 00:33:59.460
ultimately, to God and to God alone.

301
00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:02.050
And, that prayer, when earnestly and faithfully offered

302
00:34:02.050 --> 00:34:04.073
to God, is answered.

303
00:34:08.140 --> 00:34:09.473
And so, we come today,

304
00:34:11.260 --> 00:34:13.510
at a terrifying and threatening moment

305
00:34:13.510 --> 00:34:16.243
in the life and history of our nation and world,

306
00:34:17.770 --> 00:34:22.563
to bow down and to give thanks to God.

307
00:34:24.460 --> 00:34:29.250
To remember and celebrate our freedom and our heritage,

308
00:34:29.250 --> 00:34:32.580
dealing with human dignity, a freedom and a heritage

309
00:34:32.580 --> 00:34:34.053
that have blessed us all.

310
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:38.900
We come together to bow down to express our concern

311
00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:41.770
about what is happening to our people and to us as a nation,

312
00:34:41.770 --> 00:34:43.233
and indeed, to the world.

313
00:34:45.370 --> 00:34:47.660
We come together to demonstrate our unity,

314
00:34:47.660 --> 00:34:52.243
our oneness of purpose, of will, of sacrifice and of prayer.

315
00:34:53.190 --> 00:34:55.873
We come remembering and giving thanks.

316
00:34:56.840 --> 00:35:00.390
We come pleading

317
00:35:00.390 --> 00:35:03.998
that God will deliver all peoples caught up

318
00:35:03.998 --> 00:35:07.013
in the frenzied, frightening, mad turmoil,

319
00:35:08.200 --> 00:35:13.200
and pleading that God's Spirit of peace and goodwill

320
00:35:13.700 --> 00:35:17.820
and reconciliation, in some miraculous way,

321
00:35:17.820 --> 00:35:22.220
in which perhaps only God's power can

322
00:35:22.220 --> 00:35:23.853
rescue us.

323
00:35:25.130 --> 00:35:28.543
That power will become manifest in our world.

324
00:35:31.550 --> 00:35:34.973
Let me close with some words from the Psalmist.

325
00:35:37.567 --> 00:35:41.259
"The earth is the Lord's

326
00:35:41.259 --> 00:35:44.567
and the fullness thereof,

327
00:35:45.856 --> 00:35:50.841
"and the world and all who dwell therein.

328
00:35:52.617 --> 00:35:55.073
"Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord?

329
00:35:56.187 --> 00:35:59.493
"And who shall stand in his Holy Place?

330
00:36:00.917 --> 00:36:04.193
"He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

331
00:36:05.037 --> 00:36:07.387
"he will receive blessing from the Lord,

332
00:36:07.387 --> 00:36:10.777
"and vindication from the God of his salvation."

333
00:36:14.410 --> 00:36:16.093
And from Psalms 44,

334
00:36:17.727 --> 00:36:20.573
"We have heard with our ears, oh God,

335
00:36:21.427 --> 00:36:26.427
"our fathers have told us what deeds Thou didst perform

336
00:36:26.427 --> 00:36:29.577
"in their days, in the days of old."

337
00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:34.983
And from Psalms 22,

338
00:36:36.727 --> 00:36:39.593
"In Thee, oh God, our fathers trusted,

339
00:36:40.747 --> 00:36:43.963
"they trusted and Thou didst deliver them.

340
00:36:45.037 --> 00:36:48.183
"To Thee, they cried and were saved,

341
00:36:49.087 --> 00:36:53.517
"in Thee, they trusted and were not disappointed."

342
00:36:57.530 --> 00:37:00.163
Truly as John Donne once wrote,

343
00:37:01.527 --> 00:37:06.527
"No man, that is, no one is an island,

344
00:37:06.751 --> 00:37:09.590
entire of itself."

345
00:37:09.590 --> 00:37:13.373
No one stands alone, especially today.

346
00:37:14.470 --> 00:37:18.070
Everyone is a piece of the same continent,

347
00:37:18.070 --> 00:37:20.493
a part of the mainland.

348
00:37:22.370 --> 00:37:25.894
We are all God's children,

349
00:37:25.894 --> 00:37:29.360
this is God's earth.

350
00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:33.060
Let us together with one voice today pray,

351
00:37:33.060 --> 00:37:37.713
and pray fervently that God's will will be done.

352
00:37:39.296 --> 00:37:42.183
And that we will become one family under God,

353
00:37:43.330 --> 00:37:45.453
living in peace and goodwill,

354
00:37:46.450 --> 00:37:50.023
from this time forth and forevermore.

355
00:37:51.130 --> 00:37:54.503
And to God be the praise and the glory,

356
00:37:55.630 --> 00:38:00.433
world without end, Amen and Amen.

357
00:38:16.748 --> 00:38:19.831
(upbeat organ music)

358
00:41:39.967 --> 00:41:43.763
<v ->Remain standing for the affirmation of faith.</v>

359
00:41:44.680 --> 00:41:47.837
Number 740 from our hymnbooks.

360
00:41:49.080 --> 00:41:50.653
It's a morning affirmation.

361
00:41:55.717 --> 00:41:57.833
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is,

362
00:41:59.037 --> 00:42:00.867
"there is one true church,

363
00:42:03.408 --> 00:42:05.823
"an apostolic church and universal,

364
00:42:06.937 --> 00:42:09.433
"whose Holy Faith let us now declare.

365
00:42:10.637 --> 00:42:15.467
"We believe in God, the Father, infinite in wisdom,

366
00:42:15.467 --> 00:42:20.323
"power and love, whose mercy is over His works,

367
00:42:21.157 --> 00:42:25.003
"and whose Will is ever directed to His children's good.

368
00:42:26.037 --> 00:42:31.037
"We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man,

369
00:42:32.197 --> 00:42:35.927
"the gift of the Father's unfailing grace,

370
00:42:35.927 --> 00:42:40.007
"the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance

371
00:42:40.007 --> 00:42:41.393
"from sin and death.

372
00:42:42.587 --> 00:42:45.077
"We believe in the Holy Spirit,

373
00:42:45.077 --> 00:42:47.733
"as a divine presence in our lives.

374
00:42:48.807 --> 00:42:51.637
"Whereby, we are kept in perpetual remembrance

375
00:42:51.637 --> 00:42:55.977
"of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help

376
00:42:55.977 --> 00:42:57.423
"in time of need.

377
00:42:58.467 --> 00:43:02.447
"We believe that this faith should manifest itself

378
00:43:02.447 --> 00:43:06.827
"in the service of love, as set forth in the example

379
00:43:06.827 --> 00:43:11.577
"of our blessed Lord, to the end that the Kingdom of God

380
00:43:11.577 --> 00:43:15.257
"may come upon earth, amen."

381
00:43:17.300 --> 00:43:18.303
You may be seated.

382
00:43:37.580 --> 00:43:38.993
The Lord be with you.

383
00:43:40.342 --> 00:43:42.350
(congregation murmuring)

384
00:43:42.350 --> 00:43:43.909
And, let us pray.

385
00:43:43.909 --> 00:43:46.659
(paper rustling)

386
00:43:49.540 --> 00:43:52.323
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father,

387
00:43:54.970 --> 00:43:58.923
the God of all nations, all tongues,

388
00:44:01.030 --> 00:44:06.030
all peoples, yea of the haves and the have-nots,

389
00:44:08.326 --> 00:44:10.473
of the learned and the unlearned,

390
00:44:12.200 --> 00:44:15.903
Thou who has called us out of the darkness,

391
00:44:17.200 --> 00:44:22.200
into Thy marvelous light, we give Thee thanks and praise,

392
00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:28.913
on this Thanksgiving Day, 1979.

393
00:44:32.510 --> 00:44:34.560
And, let us pray prayers of thanksgiving.

394
00:44:35.770 --> 00:44:37.863
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father,

395
00:44:39.580 --> 00:44:43.363
we thank Thee for the faith of our Founding Fathers,

396
00:44:45.210 --> 00:44:48.000
who somehow risked their lives

397
00:44:49.620 --> 00:44:51.320
through the wilderness of the sea,

398
00:44:52.820 --> 00:44:57.820
amongst wild beasts, with the cold, the heat, and the chill,

399
00:45:00.860 --> 00:45:04.493
we thank Thee for their stick-to-itiveness.

400
00:45:06.360 --> 00:45:09.623
We thank Thee for the freedom of worship,

401
00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:15.920
of assembly, of the press, and yea,

402
00:45:16.790 --> 00:45:19.693
for the freedom in our religious persuasions.

403
00:45:21.546 --> 00:45:23.807
We thank Thee for health, for jobs,

404
00:45:27.260 --> 00:45:32.260
for the skills which make us useful and helpful

405
00:45:32.560 --> 00:45:34.163
in this land of ours.

406
00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:39.440
We thank Thee for the educational and other institutions

407
00:45:40.700 --> 00:45:43.253
which help in our growth and development.

408
00:45:45.230 --> 00:45:48.603
We thank Thee for the faith, and the toil,

409
00:45:48.603 --> 00:45:53.363
and the sacrifice of the disinherited,

410
00:45:55.728 --> 00:45:57.683
of the blacks and other minorities,

411
00:45:59.350 --> 00:46:04.350
of women and other persons against whom we discriminate.

412
00:46:06.320 --> 00:46:09.253
We thank You for those who built bridges,

413
00:46:10.350 --> 00:46:14.333
and the canals, cleared the land,

414
00:46:15.930 --> 00:46:20.093
and gave this nation years of free labor.

415
00:46:22.609 --> 00:46:25.540
And, we thank Thee for the defenders of freedom.

416
00:46:27.630 --> 00:46:32.630
We thank Thee for Sojourner Truth, for James Reed,

417
00:46:34.780 --> 00:46:39.053
for Martin Luther King, Jr., for Harriet Tubman,

418
00:46:40.997 --> 00:46:44.973
for Mr. Till, for Mr. Evers.

419
00:46:46.310 --> 00:46:48.593
We thank Thee for Levi Kauffman,

420
00:46:50.340 --> 00:46:53.433
one of the major characters in the Underground Railroad.

421
00:46:55.120 --> 00:46:57.463
For Andy Young, for Booker Washington.

422
00:46:58.910 --> 00:47:03.910
For others who held high, and for some who hold high,

423
00:47:06.640 --> 00:47:08.683
the torch of freedom.

424
00:47:10.610 --> 00:47:12.683
Let us pray prayers of confession.

425
00:47:14.130 --> 00:47:19.130
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we confess

426
00:47:20.940 --> 00:47:25.807
that we do not take all of our resources seriously.

427
00:47:28.010 --> 00:47:32.293
And, that silence is often our only way of speaking.

428
00:47:34.370 --> 00:47:38.430
We confess our dedication to a fake neutrality,

429
00:47:41.300 --> 00:47:45.980
taking sides for good nor evil,

430
00:47:45.980 --> 00:47:48.543
and thereby allowing evil its way.

431
00:47:50.650 --> 00:47:55.650
We confess a lifestyle based upon caste, race, age and sex,

432
00:48:02.280 --> 00:48:05.373
and even sometimes our favorite religion.

433
00:48:06.770 --> 00:48:11.770
We confess the lack of thanksgiving in our hearts,

434
00:48:13.450 --> 00:48:18.450
and thankfulness for the variety of persons

435
00:48:19.930 --> 00:48:21.543
You've put upon this land.

436
00:48:22.930 --> 00:48:27.783
We confess our raping of our environment,

437
00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:32.493
poisoning our air and our water,

438
00:48:33.750 --> 00:48:37.703
and wasting our human and natural resources.

439
00:48:39.740 --> 00:48:44.740
We confess that we come together, often only to worship,

440
00:48:47.730 --> 00:48:51.203
but live and work miles apart.

441
00:48:52.830 --> 00:48:57.080
Forgive us, we pray, for our waywardness,

442
00:48:57.080 --> 00:49:01.913
and our sinfulness on this, Thy Thanksgiving Day.

443
00:49:04.150 --> 00:49:07.713
And, let us send up petitions unto God.

444
00:49:08.630 --> 00:49:10.913
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father,

445
00:49:12.390 --> 00:49:17.390
grant unto us this day a deeper sense of thankfulness,

446
00:49:19.500 --> 00:49:22.993
sympathy for the weak and defenseless,

447
00:49:24.100 --> 00:49:26.843
freedom for those who are held hostage,

448
00:49:28.620 --> 00:49:31.253
justice in the universities.

449
00:49:32.610 --> 00:49:37.123
Save us from war and even another war.

450
00:49:39.210 --> 00:49:43.220
And, save us from the passions and fears,

451
00:49:43.220 --> 00:49:47.673
and all which would make us less servants,

452
00:49:49.070 --> 00:49:52.663
and less ambassadors of Thine.

453
00:49:54.680 --> 00:49:57.883
And, let us rededicate ourselves under God.

454
00:49:59.460 --> 00:50:01.673
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father,

455
00:50:03.220 --> 00:50:05.983
we offer Thee, on this Thanksgiving Day,

456
00:50:07.280 --> 00:50:12.280
our talents, our money, our sacrifice of time and energy,

457
00:50:15.850 --> 00:50:19.030
to the end that Thy Will will be known,

458
00:50:19.030 --> 00:50:24.030
and Thy Will will be accepted unto the ends of the earth.

459
00:50:25.907 --> 00:50:30.010
Accept this, our praise, accept these, our gifts,

460
00:50:30.010 --> 00:50:34.623
accept this, our sacrifice, for we offer it,

461
00:50:35.860 --> 00:50:40.453
acknowledging Thee as the true giver of all.

462
00:50:42.660 --> 00:50:43.716
And, in dedication unto Thee:

463
00:50:43.716 --> 00:50:48.716
Stony the road we trod,

464
00:50:51.130 --> 00:50:53.340
bitter the chastening rod,

465
00:50:53.340 --> 00:50:57.483
felt in the days when hope unborn had died.

466
00:50:59.730 --> 00:51:02.880
Yet, with a steady beat,

467
00:51:02.880 --> 00:51:07.160
have not our weary feet come to the place,

468
00:51:07.160 --> 00:51:10.033
for which our fathers sighed?

469
00:51:12.030 --> 00:51:17.030
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,

470
00:51:19.250 --> 00:51:24.050
we have come, treading our path

471
00:51:24.050 --> 00:51:26.633
through the blood of the slaughtered,

472
00:51:28.470 --> 00:51:33.470
out of the gloomy past, till we now stand at last,

473
00:51:35.700 --> 00:51:40.700
where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

474
00:51:43.010 --> 00:51:45.423
God of our weary years,

475
00:51:47.120 --> 00:51:49.303
God of our silent tears,

476
00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:56.000
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way,

477
00:51:57.640 --> 00:52:02.640
Thou has by Thy might, lead us into the light.

478
00:52:03.540 --> 00:52:07.623
Keep us forever in the path, we pray,

479
00:52:09.200 --> 00:52:14.200
lest our feet stray from the places where we met Thee.

480
00:52:16.560 --> 00:52:20.560
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world,

481
00:52:20.560 --> 00:52:21.683
we forget Thee.

482
00:52:36.960 --> 00:52:41.960
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand

483
00:52:46.650 --> 00:52:51.650
true to our God, true to our native land.

484
00:52:56.120 --> 00:53:00.193
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

485
00:53:01.940 --> 00:53:06.353
who taught us to pray this prayer,

486
00:53:08.102 --> 00:53:09.502
that we shall pray together,

487
00:53:10.370 --> 00:53:14.683
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name,

488
00:53:15.900 --> 00:53:20.900
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

489
00:53:23.000 --> 00:53:25.513
Give us today our daily bread,

490
00:53:26.650 --> 00:53:31.650
forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

491
00:53:33.580 --> 00:53:38.580
Save us for the time of trial, and deliver us from evil,

492
00:53:41.210 --> 00:53:46.210
for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours,

493
00:53:47.160 --> 00:53:50.223
now and forever, amen.

494
00:53:53.530 --> 00:53:56.207
Let us worship God with our offerings.

495
00:53:59.219 --> 00:54:01.481
(baby crying)

496
00:54:01.481 --> 00:54:04.564
(upbeat organ music)

497
01:01:12.570 --> 01:01:17.570
Accept these, our gifts, and may they bring hope

498
01:01:18.100 --> 01:01:23.100
and joy and encouragement to those who receive them,

499
01:01:23.430 --> 01:01:26.903
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.

500
01:01:35.312 --> 01:01:38.145
(lectern echoing)

501
01:02:01.090 --> 01:02:02.033
Let us pray.

502
01:02:03.730 --> 01:02:08.083
Oh, Lord, for all Your blessings in creation,

503
01:02:09.610 --> 01:02:12.603
for all the beauty of earth and sky and sea,

504
01:02:14.270 --> 01:02:17.060
for Your manifold works,

505
01:02:17.060 --> 01:02:21.294
and the wisdom with which You have made them all.

506
01:02:21.294 --> 01:02:22.444
<v ->We thank You, oh God.</v>

507
01:02:23.883 --> 01:02:26.803
<v ->For all the happiness of our earthly life,</v>

508
01:02:28.120 --> 01:02:31.543
for our peaceful homes and healthful days,

509
01:02:32.950 --> 01:02:36.023
for our powers of mind and body,

510
01:02:37.320 --> 01:02:39.273
for our faithful friends,

511
01:02:40.160 --> 01:02:42.883
for the joy of loving and being loved.

512
01:02:44.458 --> 01:02:46.657
<v ->We thank You, oh God.</v>

513
01:02:46.657 --> 01:02:48.790
<v ->For the revelation of Your love,</v>

514
01:02:48.790 --> 01:02:51.993
and for the newness of life in our Savior,

515
01:02:53.140 --> 01:02:57.093
for the blessings brought to us by Your Holy Church,

516
01:02:58.200 --> 01:03:01.453
and for our fellowship with You in Christ.

517
01:03:02.695 --> 01:03:05.083
<v ->We thank You, oh God.</v>

518
01:03:05.083 --> 01:03:08.000
<v ->Strengthen and encourage all who,</v>

519
01:03:08.000 --> 01:03:13.000
by reason of temptation, hardness of circumstances,

520
01:03:13.537 --> 01:03:18.070
or personal loss, find it difficult to be thankful

521
01:03:18.070 --> 01:03:19.583
and praise Your Holy Name.

522
01:03:21.123 --> 01:03:24.353
<v ->We beseech You, oh Lord.</v>

523
01:03:24.353 --> 01:03:27.863
<v ->Inspire all who are seeking to improve life,</v>

524
01:03:29.010 --> 01:03:33.750
and to give courage and devotion to all who do the work

525
01:03:33.750 --> 01:03:38.750
of everyday, and all who seek to restore prosperity

526
01:03:38.850 --> 01:03:41.013
and peace to our world.

527
01:03:42.194 --> 01:03:44.361
<v ->We beseech You, oh Lord.</v>

528
01:03:45.570 --> 01:03:50.570
<v ->Give us, oh God, a vision of truth and justice,</v>

529
01:03:52.440 --> 01:03:56.130
that we may work together to overcome the darkness

530
01:03:56.130 --> 01:03:59.940
which we create, and that we may serve You

531
01:03:59.940 --> 01:04:04.940
in unity and peace as a people of service and love.

532
01:04:07.759 --> 01:04:12.011
<v ->Thanks be to God, whose love has made us.</v>

533
01:04:12.011 --> 01:04:16.178
Thanks be to God, whose grace sustains us

534
01:04:16.178 --> 01:04:20.345
Thanks be to God, for His presence makes us, amen.

535
01:04:21.840 --> 01:04:26.213
<v ->Our hymn is Number 55, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.</v>

536
01:04:27.740 --> 01:04:30.823
(upbeat organ music)

537
01:05:04.674 --> 01:05:08.507
(congregation softly singing)

538
01:07:47.583 --> 01:07:52.583
The God of all power, of all might, the God of the earth,

539
01:07:54.740 --> 01:07:58.273
and the God of all persons who dwell upon this earth,

540
01:07:59.320 --> 01:08:00.913
be with you and among you,

541
01:08:02.230 --> 01:08:05.563
going before you and behind you and alongside you,

542
01:08:06.910 --> 01:08:11.763
giving you genuine thanks, helping you bear your burdens,

543
01:08:12.660 --> 01:08:15.663
helping you make your changes and your choices,

544
01:08:16.780 --> 01:08:19.590
and helping you live out the rest of your lives

545
01:08:19.590 --> 01:08:21.823
a day of Thanksgiving unto Him.

546
01:08:22.730 --> 01:08:27.010
Today, tomorrow and everyday and till the end comes,

547
01:08:27.010 --> 01:08:29.857
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.

548
01:08:32.943 --> 01:08:36.026
(upbeat organ music)

