The Nev me (te shew Z

THE CELEBRATLON OF THANKSGIVING DAY AS WE KNOW IT IS AN AMERICAN CUSTOM.
5 —

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ALTHOUGH THE PRACTICE IS BY NO MEANS UNIQUE, OUR PARTICULAR WAY OF OBBERVING IS AN

i
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AMERICAN CONTRIBUTION. BUT AT THLS POINT I MUST ISSUE A WARNING. EES oeresrous

Amnericaus Feqoeell
PHING=TO IDENT FY GM'S WILL WITH THE WILL OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE U.S. ALL TOO
SNE 0

oo

FREQUENTLY WE CONSIDER OURSELVES TO BE G'S FAVORITES, Wi ARE SURE HE IS ON OUR SIDE.

—

THIS IS NOT ONLY THE HEIGHTH OF EGO CENTRICITY AND PRIDE BUT ALSO (QUITE UNCHRISTIAN .

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Ste ————————

TI POINT THIS OUT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS SO VERY BASY TO TURN THANKSEIVING INTO A FESTIVAL

OF NATIONAL ARROGANCE. WE HAVE BERN RICHLY BLESSED, BUT AS WE THANK GOD FOR OUR

NATLON WE MUST REALIZE THAT WITH OUR PELSSING>GO RESPONSLBILITIES fs SPONSIBILITIES THAT

IN MANY CASSS HAVE BEEN NEGLSCTSD.

——

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IS BASED ©N THE HIGHEST IDEALS MAN HAS EVER CONCELVED AND TRIS

THE WRITTERS OFTHE CONSTITUTION CAME FROM A WIDE BACKGROUND, CULTURALLY AND GEOGRAPHICALL

AND DRAWING ON ALL THE WEALTH OF THEIR RICH HERITAGES THEY C@LLECTIVELY PRODUCED IDEAS

FOR WHICH WE MUST BE SLY TUN RAT OF OPPORTUNITY AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF

THESE
ALL MEN: XMWX IMPLICATIONS WERE NOT STATED DIRECTLY BUT ese WERE SO PRESENT IN THE TONE

—_—

OF THE DOCUMENT THAT YEARS LATER ABRAHAM LINCOLN TOOK A STAND THAT HAS MADE HIM PERHAPS

THE WORLD'S BEST KNOWN AND MOST LOVED POLITICAL FIGURE. /FREEDOM AND LIBRTY - THEY HAD

BEEN TRIED BAFORE BUT NEVER WITH SUCH COURAGE AND DETIRMINATION, IN THE AMERICAN EXp*

——-

——<—<—<—$_$$—<———

ERIMENT THE VALIDITY OF THESE IDEALS WAS PRDVEN FOR THE WORLD TO SEE, SURELY ON

———

THANKSGIVING WE MUST EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR THE MEN ANDXEWEXX THE MINDS THAT

a
1

are responsible FOR THE PRIVILEGES WE ENJOY.

JESUS ONCE TOLD A PARABLE ABOUT A MAN THAT GAVE HIS SERVANTS 1O, 5 qnd:l

worse

TALENT, THE TWO FORNER SERVANTS DOUBLED THEIR TALENTS, THE LATTER HID HIS IN THE GROUND.—-

AND FOR HIS ACTIONS WAS SEVERELY CHASTISED. THE POINT IS CLEAR - GOD GIVEN TALENTS OR

[ el

GIFTS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES. .E HAVE BEEN GIVEN FREEDOM, EQUALITY

OF OPPORTUNITY, Wi DID NOT WIN THEM OR EARN THEM, THEY CAME TO US AS A MATTER OF BIRTH.

AND IT IS CLEARLY OUR GOD GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE THESE GIFTS , TO EXTEND OUR

——————

FREEDOM, OUR IDEALS OF LIBERTY AND EQUALITY.

IT IS A SOBAING FACT TO REALIZE THAT IN THE TIME wE ARE SI®TING HERE, ONE HOUR,

720 HUMAN BEINGS WILL HAVE DIED OF STARVATION. EVERY 5 SECONDS, SOME ONE SOME WHERE DIES

—_—_—_——_

BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER HAD ENOUGH TO EAT. IT IS QQUALLY DISTURBING TO REALIZE THAT THE

STORED FOOD THAT ROTS EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES, ENGLAND, FRANCE AND W. GERMANY

IS EYOUGH 10 FEED 150 MILLION PERSONS FOR AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF mn IS DISTURBING TO

WONDER WHAT EQUALITY MEANS TO AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAPPENED TO BE BORN WITH A DARKER

SHADE OF SKIN. IT IS DISTURBING TO SEH THE IMPRESSION SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES IN THE
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INTERNATIONAL SHERE HAVE ON THE WORLDS YOUNG NATIONS. WH LOVE ALL MANKIND AND WE W ANT

—_—__—

TO HELP @ESD THE STARVING MILLIONS AS LONG AS WE APPAOVE OF THEIR POLITICS. WHAT DO

STARVING PEASANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA THINK WHAN THEY ARE TOLD HOW MUCH THE U.S. WANTS TO ‘
HELP THEM WHEN ALL THE HELP THEY CAN SES IS IN THE FORM OF GUNS AND TANKS. IN GHANA WE

5 ut having decided Yuat ue qoueruut yt lich at

ur «6epprouel un backed eet oF Te Vageect eens
5 SOY Seu. Guconr capita zen On. Our \rsiMeer- yy .
pledged our help in BUILDING A DESPERATELY NEEDED DAM. B¥-NOW-WE-ARE-No?so-suRe,

« WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO

A POVERTY STRICKEN FARMER WHO IS WAITING FOR WATER TO IRRIGAT® HIS FIELDS.

“T

LET US NOT BE TRITE THIS EVENING OF ALL EVENINGS: LET US NOT THANK GOD FOR

MAKING US BETTER. LET US THANK HIM FOR RICHLY BLESSENG OUR NATION, LET US PRAY THAT

———

HE WILL GUIDE OUR LaDERS [aRUNGING THEM TO RESPONSIBI: ITY: px US PRAY FOR THOSE WHO

\. HAPPEN NOT TO BE AS FORTUNATE AS WE,
\ f —

| —S Wrak ates it mean Yo Us ~ @s Lok oe aud

tur wold ot Yeod aud Now aud ameern * anced

ctve NIre oer han& ue cutout te Our bosom
(on , A

; SysOiG ion Cn nate
y\arti oral QE TOG OUR - Susp)

6

~ READ PSALM 100
WHAT MORE CAN ONE SAY THAN WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE HUNDRETH PSALM? 2@maaes THE MOST

"KNOW THAT TH LORD IS GOD". I WANT

IMPORTANT VERSE IN THAT PSALM IS

TO CONSID2R THAT STATEMENT FOR A MOMENT ALOMG WITH ALL ITS IMPLICATIONS.

IT IS THE ACCEPTED THING IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY TO BELIEVE IN GOD: NO

QUESTIONS ASKED: IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO./AND WHAT KIND OF A GOD IS HE? OUR

——e

POPULAR SONGS ARE LITTLE MORE THAN OUTRAGEOUS BLASPHEMY -{ "THE MAN UPSTAIRS, THE OLD

MASTER PAINTIR, I BELIEVE AND |SO ON. HOLLYWOOD PERSISTS IN MAKING A FARCE OUT OF THE

MX8E CHRISTIAN FAITH. E\CH RELIGIOUS DRAMA MAKES MORE MONEY THAN THE ONE BEFORE:
—_—_—_—_

EACH HAS A BIG:ER CAST: EACH TAKES ALITTLE MORE LIBERTY WITH THE FACTS: AND EACH

FAILS IN THE ATTEMPT TO PORTRAY EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES THAT CAN NEVER BE RECREATED AS

PUBLIC EHTERTALNMENT. PERHAPS THE MOST ABSURD STATEMENT, AND THE ONE THAT BEST REVEBRES

HOW VERY LITTLE THE WORD GOD MEANS TO 4 CAME FROM JANE RUSSEL. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT

HER BELIGIOUS ACTIVITISS SHE EXPLAINED\"OH WHEN YOU GET TO KNOW GOD HE'S A LIVING so

NOW MY PURPOSE IS NOT_TO LAUNCH A PRIVATE OFFENSIVE AGAINST HOLLYWOOD, -iFHOUGH

fe Gsk: “Wheat clo we MOK ne Hiee-7 OS peecelet 14 B
Wher. ut sey eq ts -f fhe see me ee Ales creaked I

I-—DO_HNJOF-IT, BUT RATHS® ta i G. WE ARE HERE TO EAPRESS

OUR GRATITUDE TO GOD, MILLIONS OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS ARE DOING THE SAME THING AT THIS

—___

TIME, TOMMOROW IS BASICALLY A CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION. ALL I ASK 7 WE THINKING OF THE

SAME BEING AS THE PSALMIST WHO THUNDEREED "KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOD" Aus CANNOT SING

OUR PRAISES TO A LIVING DOLL, OR TO TIE MAN UPSTAIRS. We MUST HAVE BETTAR TERMS ©

AnlytHing Bor A SHAW FESTIVAL OF
THAN THESE IF OUR THANKSGIVING IS 10 BESRT=RES=EENORUL, OUER PW by LeU NCE.

Deka-+
THEREFORE, BEFORE WE@aRT TONIGHT I INVITE YW TO THINK ABOUT GOD, GOD THE

—_—

ALMIGHTY¥GOD THE CREATOR, THE GOD WHO IS INDESCRIBABLE LOVE.
t pa ons,

GOD IS ALMIGHTY. THERE IS NO POWER IN THE UNIVERSE THAT WE CAN EQUATE WITH
ic ii EEL eh SE

THE POWE!OF GOD.

GOD IS THE CREATOR. IT IS HE THAT HATH MADE US. EVERY THING THAT IS -TREES,
—_$_—————— -_

HOUSES, MEN, WOMEN SETA, UNIVERSE, EVERYTHING HAS COME INTO BEING BECAUSE HE CREATED.

THE WORLD DID NOT JUST HAPPEN, HUMANITY DID NOT EVOLVE BECAUSE OF A COSMIC ACCIDENT.

THERE IS A MEANING AND LIFE GIVING FORCE BEHIND CREATION AND THAT IS GOD.

~
GOD IS LOVE. COULD IT BE ANY OTHER? COULD THERE BE A WORLD, TREES, FLOWERS,

—————— —_——

FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, CHILDREN AND HAPPINESS IF GOD WAS NOT LOVE.

THERE I5 NOTHING NEW ABOUT THESE IDEAS, YOU HAVE HEARD THEM BEFORE.
aa ————s

BOT TONIGHT AS WE UNITE IN AN ACT OF THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE WE MUST BEGIN AND END

a

BY CONSIDERING TO WHOM ARE WE ADDRESSING OURSELVES? IT IS AN EMPTY AND SHALLOW

THANKSGIVIVNG THAT IS NOT UNDERGIRDED BY A TRUE CONCEPTION OF,OUR GOD.

ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE. BUT FIRST,

KNOw THAT THE LORD BS GOD.

AMEN