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[ Silence ] [MUSIC - "ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH"] [ Music ] [MUSIC]

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♪ And the roctors sing in high ♪ ♪ Echoing their brave demise ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪

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♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ Shepherds, why this new-do-thee ♪ ♪ Why these songs of happy cheer ♪

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♪ What great brightness did you see ♪ ♪ What grand tidings did you hear ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪

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♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ A new and free living sea ♪ ♪ In whose breath we hear you sing ♪ ♪ Come adore her, dearly dear ♪

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♪ Christ, the Lord, her new-born King ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪

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(piano music) ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ (gentle piano music) [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[Music] (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) [ Music ]

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♪ Spirit of God ♪ ♪ Descend upon my heart ♪ ♪ We lift our heads to ♪ ♪ All His promises true ♪

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♪ Stoop to thy greatness ♪ ♪ Mighty and so hold ♪ ♪ God take thee from me ♪ ♪ And my heart to love ♪

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♪ I hath no dream, no prophet ecstasy ♪ ♪ No certain ring of the veil of clay ♪ ♪ No angel visit ♪ ♪ Let no open skies ♪

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♪ But take the dimness of my soul away ♪ ♪ Lord God, I need thee ♪ ♪ Loving, kind, and dear ♪ ♪ Old, old, my old soul ♪

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♪ Heartless, grim, and vile ♪ ♪ I see thy foes care ♪ ♪ Teach my heart to care ♪ ♪ Oh, let me see thee ♪

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♪ And know that thee mine ♪ Teach me to feel that thou art always now. Teach me thy struggles, all the soul to bear. To check the rising doubt, the revel fire,

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teach me the patience of a pensant prayer. ♪ Teach me to love Thee ♪ ♪ As my angels love ♪ ♪ One holy passion ♪

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♪ Filling all my prayers ♪ [ Music ] ♪ And he's in the ground ♪ ♪ My heart and altar ♪

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♪ And my love ♪ ♪ From faith ♪ Amen. Hear this word recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew,

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First chapter, the 18th through the 23rd verses. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together,

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she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, was not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

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But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,

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Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus,

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for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call

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name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. They shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. The subject of the sermon Emmanuel. We're in the midst of our Christmas celebration.

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How shall we celebrate Christmas? Brother Lorenzo Fitzpatrick of our church family It's called attention to the celebration of Christmas in an eloquent, meaningful, and beautiful way in one of his poems entitled "Christmas, Our Christmas Mask." It is time to deck the halls again with trinkets shining bright and string the outdoor decor

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to illuminate the night. Oh that the spirit of Christmas with all its joy and cheer could constantly dwell in our hearts each day throughout the year. Our minds will turn toward those in need and just to show we care, like wise men did when Christ was born, our Christmas gifts we'll bear.

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But as we scurry to and fro, this question we should ask, is this my yearly gesture real or just a Christmas mask? Sometimes what is done is done because it's been done. And we like to keep on doing what we've done before.

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Sometimes what is done is done for mere form and fashion. Why do we celebrate? comes but once a year, it is said. And this is the way it is in the minds and actions of many, just a ritualistic celebration. A certain time we dress up

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the atmosphere with decorations that are unique to the season, sing special songs, And then we put these things aside until this time another year. We even put on special manners. Little children are reminded to be good at Christmas time if they want Santa Claus to come to see them.

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And many people become warm, friendly, and cheerful because it's Christmas time. Do we wear a Christmas mask which is put aside until we take it up for another year later? Do we remember the poor, the unfortunate, the lonely, the oppressed just at Christmas time? Do we put on the mask for this season and pull it off when the season is over?

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Some have said that they're glad that Christmas comes only once a year because they could not bear to have Christmas around all during the year. Shall we wear a Christmas mask? Shall we share our gifts because it is expected or because we are prompted by compassion, concern, and love?

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Christmas is in danger of being completely covered up by crass commercialism and subtle secularism. There is a movement abreast in our society to tone down the real celebration of Christmas. There are those who say let's not make it religious because the celebration of religious observances is divisive. And we live in a pluralistic society.

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Let's make it an observance, but let's not be religious about it. How do we celebrate and what do we have to celebrate? Is it that Christmas is real or just a Christmas mask? Be sure Christmas is veiled in mystery.

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That was true when the words of the prophet Isaiah were spoken in the long ago. when he said that the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. These are words of prophecy uttered behind a veil of mystery. The nation at

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At that time, when Isaiah spoke, did not know what to expect. They were anxious about the future. It was a time of national and international crisis.

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He has feared that Ephraim and Syria would form a confederate attack against Judah. It was a time of darkness. It was a time of confusion.

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It was a time of uncertainty. The question was what shall we do? Everything they knew to do they had done and yet

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they had not received the desired results. They experimented with numerous economic, political, and military strategies, but they all proved fruitless and futile. It is the prophet who says to the king, "Ask God for a sign.

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"Ask God for a visible expression of his presence. "Ask God to give some hint of what he is going to do. "Ask God to tell you in some concrete way "what's going to happen.

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Ask God for a special token of his faithfulness. Ask God for a sign. He has answered, I'll not bother God about a sign.

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In fact, I really don't wanna weary God about a sign. that's unscientific. It seems so superstitious to ask for a sign. To ask for a sign would be to resort to witchcraft. And we specialize in statescraft. Ask for a sign, why that would be to resort to sorcery. And we are sophisticated and I'll not weary God with a sign.

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Ahab, or rather Ahaz, refused to ask God for a sign. And Isaiah said, "All right, you will not ask for a sign. Well, God will give you a sign anyhow." See, God gives us what we need in spite of the way we act, in spite of our recalcitrant ways,

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in spite of our stubbornness, in spite of our ignorance, in spite of our disobedience, God gives a sign anyhow. God gives us a sign of his grace,

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Sign of his favor even though we do not deserve it God gives it to us This is the prophecy Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son They shall call his name

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Emmanuel which means God with us And so Matthew The Apostle many years later announces the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

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When Mary's baby is born, these words are lifted up for all, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a child. They shall call his name,

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Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. So you see the prophetic word becomes the apostolic announcement. We live between the times. We live between prophecy and fulfillment. We live between the no longer and the not yet. We live between now and then. We live between the mystery and the reality. Until the child

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is born that which is imprisoned in the womb is veiled in mystery. It is as if It is as if one is behind a mask, but when the birth occurs, the child comes forth. The mystery becomes a reality. Oh, as long as we wonder who God is, as long as we wonder what God will do, as long as

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we wonder whether God really cares about what happens to you and me. God is hidden behind a mask. But God wants us to know him in a rather intimate way. He has put aside the mass, the mystery is reality in our midst. Behold! Look! You can see, you can touch, you can feel, you can experience the living reality. Behold! The

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Virgin shall conceive. And so the Virgin does give birth to the Christ child and And his name is Emmanuel which is interpreted God with us. God with us. What does that mean to us now?

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God with us. There is tumult all around. The heathen rage. Kingdoms are carried into the midst of the sea.

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The earth is shaken, mountains are removed, the sea roars and is troubled. The mystery is history, God is with us, the word has become flesh and dwells among us. The eternal is concretized in time. But what it really means is that there is holiness in humanity, God with us, holiness

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in humanity. We don't have to wonder about what God is like. He dwells among us. He has a human face.

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He comes to be with us. God is with us means that He is embodied in our humanity. He's not on some throne far removed, sitting up somewhere far in the heavens with his arms folded looking down upon the human situation.

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He is right here among us. God is with us. He dwells with us. He has embodied himself in human form.

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And let us not forget that. And although that person that we see may look so strange to us, so peculiar, yet God has embodied himself in humanity and that humanity that we behold is holy. God is with us.

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He's wherever people are. Wherever you are. And whatever may be happening to us, God is right there. He is with us in the struggle.

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God is with us. So sometimes we like to interpret human experience in a certain way. And some people actually feel that God

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may be with somebody else. And we select certain people whom we think represent the holy life. And we say, "Well, I think God is with that person,

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"but he certainly isn't with me." Because if he were, the things that are happening to me wouldn't be happening as they are. There are those who think like that.

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There are those who don't think that God is with other people. But somehow, as we look at this message that comes to us through the birth of this child, God is with others.

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Sure, he is with other people. He's not just with a certain group. God loves all people. And so God with us means that there is a certain way

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we ought to treat people. That's what Christmas is saying to us. Peace on earth, goodwill to all. To really accept the meaning of Christmas

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is to recognize that there is a certain way that we ought to treat one another. Because every person is made in the image of God. God has put something of himself in every person and that reality is expressed in the

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Christ event. God is with us, not just at Christmas time, but he's with us at all times. Whether we recognize it or not, he's present. Though we may think he's absent, he's there.

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He's with us. So let us not wear a Christmas mask. That which was concealed is now revealed. God is with us.

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God with us. Christ is born in Bethlehem. Wise men come from afar, and their coming is an announcement to others that God is with us.

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It was a rather strange idea for those times, "God is with us." Well, the Jewish people had sort of acted saying, "Yes, we know God is with us, but here are those who come from Babylon, who come from afar, who are different people. Come to say that God is with us, and somehow God being with them and with us, we can all

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get together around the cradle of the Christ child." or lowly workers, they're not what you'd call in the end group, in the end group. I used to have a lady in the church I pastored a few years ago who would always say to me, "You know, Reverend, so and so, it is not in my category." She meant category, but she

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couldn't say the word but she was always creating certain levels for certain people and and and she was always somehow lifting herself above others and making comparisons and looking down on certain people but but yeah is a word a word of hope that God is with us even the lowly shepherds are elevated they

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They are the ones who too experience the presence of God. He's not with just people who live at one level of life, but whatever your level may be, God is there. God is with you. It's wonderful to have that outlook to recognize that God is with others.

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But Jesus Christ is called a man for others. So somehow we are lifted out of the particularism that we see so much in the Old Testament. We're somehow lifted beyond it to a kind of universalism, proclaiming the reality of the presence of God with all people.

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God with you, yes. God with me. rather personal. Every person should be a solitary individual what Kierkegaard talks about and being able to decide to act for yourself. See this newborn babe

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is a sign of hope, sign of a new day, a new revelation of God and his presence and power in the human situation. You see our destiny is determined by our response to this revelation. It's determined how we respond to the Christ event. You see Christmas is an event. It's a happening. It's an experience in the

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human situation. And so often we take it for granted, so often we sort of pass it by in the in the everyday occurrences. God somehow takes a little child, a little child to point the way, the way of hope, the way of a full expression of his grace, his love, and his power. But so often we pass by that little child, a

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little child. So often we don't have a place for the child. I remember years ago when our first child was young and I was trying to get a place to stay for the family in Cleveland, Ohio, they would call a landlord and say, "Do you have a room for my family, my wife, myself?"

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"Oh, yes, yes, yes, we'll be happy to have you. The room costs so much and so much, and you can..." They said, "We also have a little child." "Oh, no, no, no, no, no."

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no, no, no. And so often we, without somehow recognizing, without somehow giving full consideration, we have so many ways in our society where we push that little child back. And that's the way it was at the first Christmas observance there. There came a couple there to the end with the mother that was expecting to give birth in a short time to a little child, but

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they had no room. And so often in our mad rush to celebrate this season, we have no room for love, no room for human compassion, no room for justice and no room for the realities of life, no room, but there comes a word that leaps up unto us. A child is born unto us, a son is

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given, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace unto us. Oh, that's good news. That's good news I tell you brothers and sisters unto us unto us came to a people considered disinherited to a people that were oppressed yet unto us tiny little

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nation disinherited vassals of the Roman Empire yes but unto us unto us unto us We who have suffered oppression, we who have been disadvantaged, we who have had a rough way to go, the message comes again unto us, unto us. Not just to the Jew, not just to the Gentile, but unto us.

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just for the Roman, not just for the Scythian, not just for the barbarian, but unto us, unto us, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and this will be a sign. Wonderful thing about it, as you travel along this way, God gives you a sign. If you want to know how you're going to make it, he's given us a sign that he's with us.

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It's a sign. It's a sign that enables you to be joyful even in the midst of sorrowful conditions. It's a sign that it ought to enable you to bear burdens when they are heavy, and yet somehow those burdens become light because unto us, unto us, unto us. It just fills my soul with joy when I remember what it means that even though you may feel as an outcast in a human situation, that there is one who is above the human situation, who comes down to be in the situation.

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And I can say that that's for you, it's for me, it's for us. We can share it together. Unto us, unto us. That's the joy. That's the meaning. Unto us, unto us. Some years ago, a couple opened their door and found a baby on their doorstep.

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They didn't know who put it there. And they discussed as to what should be done with the baby that was on that doorstep. That's really what happened almost 2,000 years ago. that the world looked and there was a baby on the doorstep.

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And they had to decide what to do with this baby. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, but what about our reception? We have to decide, every one of us, in our heart of hearts, as to what we're going to do about this baby that's on our doorsteps.

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He belongs to you, he belongs to me, he belongs to all of us! But what we shall do determines whether Christmas is real or whether we are wearing a Christmas mask.

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And as we come now to the hymn of commitment we invite you to make that decision right now. about the Christ child who is at the doorstep of your heart.

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[MUSIC PLAYING] And the response that God desires that we should make is to say yes to him, to have the blessed assurance of his presence.

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As we sing this hymn, we invite you to come and to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Hymn number 27, Blessed Assurance. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

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A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

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A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

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A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

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A part of all, a great and all. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a fortress of glory He hath! There of salvation, there 'tis of power, All of His Spirit washing His blood. This is my story, this is my song,

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Praising my Saviour all day long. This is my story, this is my song, ♪ We bring our Savior ♪ ♪ All the day long ♪

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♪ Earthlings of Israel ♪ ♪ Earthlings delight ♪ ♪ Nations of rapture ♪ ♪ Now burst from thy sight ♪

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♪ Angels be singing ♪ ♪ In me ♪ ♪ Spring from above ♪ ♪ Echoes of mercy ♪

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♪ Whispers of love ♪ ♪ This is my story ♪ ♪ This is my song ♪ ♪ Praising my Savior ♪

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♪ All the day long ♪ ♪ This is my story ♪ ♪ This is my song ♪ ♪ Praising my Savior ♪

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♪ All the day long ♪ ♪ In my faithful mission ♪ ♪ All is at rest ♪ ♪ I am my Savior ♪

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♪ I'm happy and glad ♪ ♪ Watching and waiting ♪ ♪ The King above ♪ ♪ With with His goodness ♪

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♪ Lost in His love ♪ ♪ This is my story ♪ This is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story.

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This is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. [Music] Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of the Christ child [INAUDIBLE]

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[inaudible] [INAUDIBLE] [MUSIC - "GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU"] (SINGING) Oh, God bless you and keep you.

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The Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace. ♪ And give you peace ♪ ♪ And love and kindness ♪ ♪ Ways to shine upon you ♪

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♪ And be gracious ♪ ♪ And be gracious ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Be gracious ♪

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♪ Gracious child of Jesus ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Can you ♪

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♪ Can you ♪ ♪ Can you ♪ ♪ Can you ♪ [Music]

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[ Silence ]