Subject: Thanksgiving
Hymn 10
Frederic W. Root – Based on hymn by Martin
Luther
All power is given unto our Lord,
On Him we place reliance;
With truth from out His sacred word
We bid our foes defiance.
With Him we shall prevail,
Whatever may assail;
He is our shield and tower,
Almighty is His power;
His kingdom is forever.
Rejoice, ye people, praise His name,
His care doth e'er surround us.
His love to error's thralldom came,
And from its chains unbound us.
Our Lord is God alone,
No other power we own;
No other voice we heed,
No other help we need;
His kingdom is forever.
O then give thanks to God on high,
Who life to all is giving;
The hosts of death before Him fly,
In Him we all are living.
Then let us know no fear,
Our King is ever near;
Our stay and fortress strong,
Our strength, our hope, our song;
His kingdom is forever.
Thanksgiving Proclamation of the President of the United States
THANKSGIVING DAY, 2013
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Thanksgiving offers each of
us the chance to count our many blessings ‑‑ the freedoms we enjoy, the time we
spend with loved ones, the brave men and women who defend our Nation at home
and abroad. This tradition reminds us that no matter what our background or
beliefs, no matter who we are or who we love, at our core we are first and
foremost Americans.
Our annual celebration has
roots in centuries‑old colonial customs. When we gather around the table, we
follow the example of the Pilgrims and Wampanoags, who shared the fruits of a
successful harvest nearly 400 years ago. When we offer our thanks, we mirror
those who set aside a day of prayer. And when we join with friends and
neighbors to alleviate suffering and make our communities whole, we honor the
spirit of President Abraham Lincoln, who called on his fellow citizens to
"fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the
wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the
Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and
union."
Our country has always been
home to Americans who recognize the importance of giving back. Today, we honor
all those serving our Nation far from home. We also thank the first responders
and medical professionals who work through the holiday to keep us safe, and we
acknowledge the volunteers who dedicate this day to those less fortunate.
This Thanksgiving Day, let us
forge deeper connections with our loved ones. Let us extend our gratitude and
our compassion. And let us lift each other up and recognize, in the oldest
spirit of this tradition, that we rise or fall as one Nation, under God.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK
OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby
proclaim Thursday, November 28, 2013, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I
encourage the people of the United States to join together ‑‑ whether in our
homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for
friends and neighbors ‑‑ and give thanks for all we have received in the past
year, express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and share our
bounty with others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have
hereunto set my hand this twenty‑sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America
the two hundred and thirty‑eighth.
BARACK OBAMA
The scriptural selections are from Psalms.
Psalms 105:1‑5
O give thanks unto the Lord;
call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye
of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in
his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his
face evermore. Remember his marvellous
works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Psalms 147:1‑5,7,8,12
Praise ye the Lord: for it is
good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is
comely. The Lord doth build up
Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth
up their wounds. He telleth the number
of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his
understanding is infinite.
Sing unto the Lord with
thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven
with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon
the mountains.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem;
praise thy God, O Zion.
Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s prayer, with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy
Our Father which art in heaven,
Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Adorable One.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Enable us to know – as in heaven, so on earth
God is omnipotent, supreme.
Give us this day our daily bread;
Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections;
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And Love is reflected in love;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
Hymn 72
Charles Wesley and John Taylor – Adapted
Glory be to God on high,
God whose glory fills the sky;
Peace on earth to man is given,
Man, the well‑beloved of heaven.
Gracious Father, in Thy love,
Send Thy blessings from above;
Let Thy light, Thy truth, Thy peace
Bid all strife and tumult cease.
Mark the wonders of His hand:
Power no empire can withstand;
Wisdom, angels' glorious theme;
Goodness one eternal stream.
All ye people, raise the song,
Endless thanks to God belong;
Hearts o'erflowing with His praise
Join the hymns your voices raise.
Friends:
The Bible and the Christian Science textbook are our only preachers. We shall now read Scriptural texts, and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook; these comprise our sermon.
The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized.
The lesson-sermon from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, read by the First and Second Readers.
The content of the Lesson Sermon may be found in the Christian Science Quarterly. You may also read the Lesson-Sermon for this week online by clicking here.
Solo:
Sharing of testimonies appropriate for the occasion by members of the congregation.
Hymn 342
Laura Lee Randall
This is the day the Lord hath made;
Be glad, give thanks, rejoice;
Stand in His presence, unafraid,
In praise lift up your voice.
All perfect gifts are from above,
And all our blessings show
The amplitude of God's dear love
Which every heart may know.
The Lord will hear before we call,
And every need supply;
Good things are freely given to all
Who on His word rely.
We come today to bring Him praise
Not for such gifts alone,
But for the higher, deeper ways
In which His love is shown.
For sin destroyed, for sorrow healed,
For health and peace restored;
For Life and Love by Truth revealed,
We thank and bless the Lord.
This is the day the Lord hath made,
In praise lift up your voice.
In shining robes of joy arrayed,
Be glad, give thanks, rejoice.
Psalms 97:12
Rejoice in the Lord, ye
righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
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