Subject: Thanksgiving
Hymn 73
Based on the Dutch of Abraham Rutgers
Glory, honor, praise and pure oblations
Unto God the Lord belong;
Come into His presence with thanksgiving,
Come before Him with a song.
In His hand is all the power of nations,
Sing to Him, ye joyous congregations,
Psalms of gratitude and praise
Unto God the Father raise.
God is Mind and holy thought is sending;
Man, His image, hears His voice.
Every heart may understand His message,
In His kindness may rejoice.
Lo, He speaks, all condemnation ending,
Every true desire with Love's will blending;
Losing self, in Him we find
Joy, health, hope, for all mankind.
Thanksgiving Proclamation of the President of the United States
On Thanksgiving Day,
Americans everywhere gather with family and friends to recount the joys and
blessings of the past year. This day is a time to take stock of the fortune we
have known and the kindnesses we have shared, grateful for the God-given bounty
that enriches our lives. As many pause to lend a hand to those in need, we are
also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility
that has distinguished our Nation since its earliest days.
Many
Thanksgivings have offered opportunities to celebrate community during times of
hardship. When the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony gave thanks for a bountiful
harvest nearly four centuries ago, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor with
the Wampanoag tribe -- a people who had shared vital knowledge of the land in
the difficult months before. When President George Washington marked our
democracy's first Thanksgiving, he prayed to our Creator for peace, union, and
plenty through the trials that would surely come. And when our Nation was torn
by bitterness and civil war, President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that we were,
at heart, one Nation, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not
break. Those expressions of unity still echo today, whether in the
contributions that generations of Native Americans have made to our country,
the Union our forebears fought so hard to preserve, or the providence that
draws our families together this season.
As
we reflect on our proud heritage, let us also give thanks to those who honor it
by giving back. This Thanksgiving, thousands of our men and women in uniform
will sit down for a meal far from their loved ones and the comforts of home. We
honor their service and sacrifice. We also show our appreciation to Americans
who are serving in their communities, ensuring their neighbors have a hot meal
and a place to stay. Their actions reflect our age-old belief that we are our
brothers' and sisters' keepers, and they affirm once more that we are a people
who draw our deepest strength not from might or wealth, but from our bonds to
each other.
On
Thanksgiving Day, individuals from all walks of life come together to celebrate
this most American tradition, grateful for the blessings of family, community,
and country. Let us spend this day by lifting up those we love, mindful of the
grace bestowed upon us by God and by all who have made our lives richer with
their presence.
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 22, 2012, 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 twentieth day of November, in
the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
The scriptural selections are from Psalms.
Psalms 104:1‑5,24,31,33
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O
Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a
garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of
his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon
the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming
fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for
ever.
O Lord, how manifold are thy
works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
The glory of the Lord shall
endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
I will sing unto the Lord as
long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Psalms 147:1‑9,12‑14,20
Praise
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. The Lord
lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. 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. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the
young ravens which cry.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem;
praise thy God, O Zion. For he hath
strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within
thee. He maketh peace in thy borders,
and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
Praise ye the Lord.
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 150
William P. McKenzie
In mercy, in goodness, how great is our King;
Our tribute, thanksgiving, with glad hearts we
bring.
Thou art the Renewer, the Ancient of Days,
Who givest, for mourning, the garment of
praise.
We thank Thee for work in the wide harvest
field,
For gladness that ripens when sorrow is
healed;
Made strong with Thy goodness that meets every
need,
We gather the fruit of the Sower's good seed.
Dear Father and Saviour, we thank Thee for
life,
And courage that rises undaunted by strife,
For confident giving and giving's reward,
For beauty and love in the life of our Lord.
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.
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 283
From the German of Joachim Neander
Praise we the Lord, for His mercy endureth
forever.
Let us extol Him with joyous and loving
endeavor;
Come let us sing,
Praising our God and our King,
Should we be silent? Ah, never.
Praise we the Lord, who our footsteps still
holdeth
from sliding;
Daily He campeth about us, protecting and
guiding;
E'en while we sleep
Watch doth He tenderly keep;
Ever new mercies providing.
Praise we the Lord with a joyous and glad
adoration;
Lo, unto them that believe there is no
condemnation;
Now will we raise
Songs of thanksgiving and praise,
Christ is become our salvation.
"The Scientific Statement of Being" (S&H p. 468} and the correlative scripture according to I John 3:1-3.
There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.468
1John.3
There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.468
1John.3
[1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
[3] And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Benediction
Psalms 95:1,2
O come, let us sing unto the
Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with
thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
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