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[ Silence ] [ Music ] [ Music ] [ Music ]

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♪ The angels we've heard on high ♪ ♪ The angels we've heard on high ♪ ♪ From the earthly galaxy ♪ ♪ Near whom earthly eyes have seen ♪

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♪ And the morning's healing ♪ ♪ Has no longer healed me ♪ ♪ No, no, no ♪ ♪ He has just been healed ♪

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♪ No, no, no ♪ ♪ In its fancy manner ♪ ♪ And so sweet the sound of a harp ♪ ♪ Sweetest, sweetest sound of all ♪

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♪ And our hearts are singing of one ♪ ♪ And one in the heav'nly host ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪

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♪ In excelsis deo ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ In excelsis deo ♪ - Better stand.

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[Silence] Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. [All] He will be great and will call the Son of God. Our souls magnify the Lord, our spirits rejoice in God our Savior.

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Glory to God in the highest, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Let us sing Joy to the World, hymn number 61. ♪ Joy to the world, the Lord is come ♪

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♪ Let earth receive her King ♪ ♪ Let every heart prepare the anthem ♪ ♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪ ♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪

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♪ And the living God, my nature sing ♪ ♪ Joy to the world, the Savior reigns ♪ ♪ And with us all to call ♪ ♪ What fear can fend ♪

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♪ What fear can fend ♪ ♪ Beneath the sounding joy ♪ ♪ Beneath the sounding joy ♪ ♪ We greet with thee the sounding joy ♪

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♪ For all the sins and sorrows of ♪ ♪ The dark and desperate world ♪ ♪ He comes to help and blesses all ♪ ♪ For us the curse is now ♪

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♪ For us the curse is now ♪ ♪ For we'll end your hell ♪ ♪ For mercy is now ♪ ♪ We rule the world with faith and grace ♪

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♪ And make the nations prove ♪ ♪ The glory of the Christ has come ♪ ♪ And the hope of His love ♪ ♪ And wonders of His love ♪

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♪ And the love, and wonders of His love ♪ Almighty God, our Father, we rejoice as we celebrate the sending forth of thy Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. We rejoice that the Christ of Christmas dwells in our hearts.

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We pray that you will bless us today as we seek to glorify you in what we say and do. the right spirit within us, we ask in the Savior's name. Let us pray together the Lord's prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

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Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,

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and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

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Amen. You may be seated. [ Background Sounds ] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ] Sweet little Jesus boy, blame may you be born in a manger. ♪ Sweet little holy child ♪

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♪ Didn't know who you was ♪ ♪ Didn't know you'd come to save us, Lord ♪ ♪ To take our sins away ♪ ♪ Our eyes was blind ♪

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♪ We couldn't see ♪ ♪ We didn't know who you were ♪ ♪ Was he ♪ ♪ Long ♪

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♪ Time ago ♪ ♪ He was born ♪ ♪ Born in a manger low ♪ ♪ We let our Jesus go ♪

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♪ The world treats you meanly, Lord ♪ ♪ Treats me meanly too ♪ ♪ But that's how things is down here ♪ ♪ Hands down here ♪

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♪ We don't know who you is ♪ ♪ You, Donna, told us how ♪ ♪ We'se is a-tryin' ♪ ♪ Master, you done us, showed us how ♪

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♪ Even when you was dying ♪ ♪ Just seems like we can't do right ♪ Look how we treated you. But please forgive us, Lord.

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We didn't know 'twas you. ♪ Sweet little Jesus boy ♪ ♪ Born a long time ago ♪ ♪ Sweet little, hungry child ♪

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♪ And we didn't know who you was ♪ ♪ And we didn't know who you was ♪ ♪ And we didn't know who you was ♪ ♪ Where you are ♪

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♪ Where you are ♪ [ Music ] (bell tolling) (bells chiming)

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(soft music) [MUSIC PLAYING] [THEME MUSIC] The response of reading is number 551,

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the birth of Jesus in the back of the hymnal. Let us stand. (gentle music) ♪ Give me my birth ♪

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♪ Peace to men ♪ ♪ I am my Lord ♪ ♪ Blessed are they ♪ ♪ Who walk in the word of the Lord ♪

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♪ In their hearts ♪ ♪ We stand ♪ ♪ For the Lord's beckon ♪ ♪ To Israel ♪

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- And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

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[Unintelligible] And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. [Unintelligible] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

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But this shall be the time unto you, each shall find a Savior, a father, a host, while I am in the manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, [MUSIC] And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,

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"Let us go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." [Congregation] And they came to the place, and found Mary with Joseph, and the babe crying, "Amen." And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. [Audience] And how they had heard it from hundreds of those things which were told of by the Godhead.

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But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. [ Music ] My word is a lamp unto my feet. My word is a lamp unto my feet.

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My word is a lamp unto my feet. ♪ And I'll light a new and radiant day ♪ ♪ Glory ♪ - You may be seated.

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[Bells ringing] This is the children's hour. All children in the congregation from the kindergarten level through the fifth grade are asked to come forward at this time. [Music]

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Wise men of old said, "Train up a child the way that he should go. When he is old, he will not depart from it. When I was a child, I thought as a child, I understood as a child. [Music]

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Good morning. How are you this morning? Good, good. Well during this season of the year when we celebrate Christmas, one of the things that we think about is presents. Presents. How many of you have been thinking about presents? Good. How many of you are expecting some presents? Good. Now what are you expecting? A real baby rabbit. A rabbit? All right what are you expecting?

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A transformer. A transformer. Good. What are you expecting? Um a gator line game. I see and what about you? A baby skates. Baby skates. All right and you? You're not expecting anything. That's interesting.

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All right. Now, are you expecting something special? Baby skates. Baby skates.

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All right. All of us that have spoken have talked about some presents that we are thinking about receiving. Well, I'm going to talk today about some presents that Jesus received. Let's just suppose that we went to heaven and Jesus would show us some of the presents that he has received.

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One of the presents that we would be shown would be two copper coins, two pennies, two pennies, A present that he had received from a poor widow. Well somebody would say oh that's not very much but it was a very very important present, a highly valued present to Jesus because this poor woman gave Jesus all that she had.

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those two pennies made up what it would have cost for her to eat that day and so she gave him her food for that day. She gave all she had, a poor widow. Another present that

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he would probably show us would be a bottle of perfume. When he was invited to a home, it was this bottle of perfume that was very, very costly. a very high price was paid for it and this woman gave that perfume to Jesus. She opened it and

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poured it on him. So that's one present that he would possibly show us. And another present was given by a lad. Maybe that lad was just about the size or the age of some of you. When Jesus was carrying on his ministry and he gave Jesus his lunch which was three slices of bread so to speak and some small fish. His lunch he gave to Jesus. Maybe that's

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one of the presents that he would show us. But the presents that Jesus would show us are all the more important because of the fact they gave themselves with that present that they gave to Jesus. At this Christmas time there's another set of presents that we know about that Jesus received that he would possibly show us and they were brought to him by those who

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came to see the Christ child they gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They brought those presents to Jesus. Now while we're thinking about presents that we are going to receive it's good for us to think about the present that we give to Jesus and we should give to him a heart of love and kindness. We should give to him that spirit of acceptance to do

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the very best that we can, to live the best that we can in being true in doing that which is right. That's the present of our heart, the present of our lives, the present of the real person that God wants you to be. So when we think about Christmas, let's think about giving that present to Jesus Christ of our spirit, our life, and making

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Christmas all that it ought to be in presenting yourself as a present to Jesus Christ. God bless you and Merry Christmas to you all. [Music] this time we are to have the dedication of a child and if the parents are

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present we ask that you will come forth for the dedication. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph C. Wright. [ Silence ] >> She's dead.

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[Silence] It is highly fitting that you should come at this time. It is altogether in keeping with the meaning of this celebration because Christmas is a celebration in which we focus attention upon a little child, the most

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significant gift that this earth has received from heaven. The scripture says that children are a heritage from the Lord. Blessed is the person that has his kiva full of them. So the gift of a child is the gift of new life. It is a gift from heaven. But it is fitting that we should remember that your children are not really your own.

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They are a gift from God. They are really alone to be treasured, to be kept for a while. And so as you come to present this child to the Lord as did Hannah of old, presenting her child to the Lord in the temple.

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What is the name of your child? Tiffany Camille. Tiffany. Tiffany Camille, yes.

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Tiffany Camille. Unto you this child has been born. Unto you this child has been given. Do you as parents promise to the best of your ability that you will seek to rear this child

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in the fear and admonition of the Lord so that this child may grow even as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man? May we bow our heads. God our Father, we pray that you will bless this new life that you have sent

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into this family. Tiffany, we pray that you will grant unto them the leadership of your spirit that they may rear this child according to your precepts. And we We pray that you will bless us as your people, this congregation, that we will provide the kind of resources that will help this child to develop in the right manner.

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For we give thanks to you for the gift of this life and we accept the responsibility that goes in helping to develop this child in the right way, so that your name may be glorified now and always, we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

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May God bless you and keep you. Thank you. [The Pledge of Allegiance is now being taken.] We come now to our time of prayer together.

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It is a time when we as a family talk with God in our heart of hearts and lift up all of those concerns to the throne of heaven in a manner that enables us to accept God's will in every human situation which we face. is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered are expressed the motion of a hidden fire that

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trembles in the breast. So as we pray together as God's family, may we bow our heads and close our eyes. O gracious God, our Father, Thou who has so wonderfully blessed us in the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, we praise Your name today for this season in which we celebrate

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the advent of Your Son. We thank you that the Christ event is a reality in our experience. We thank you for family. We thank you for friends.

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We thank you for the presence of that love with us that will not let go of us, that love that strengthens, that love that caresses us. And we pray that you will bless us here as your people, the family that you have put here at Ebenezer. You know that we are finite, that we are weak. You know of our anxieties, our hopes, and our fears.

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Help us to submit ourselves to you That we may be directed by your spirit Sustained by your love Lord have mercy upon us and bless us

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We confess our sins We have stumbled we have blundered we have failed you in so many ways But we thank you that you have provided us with your grace, your love and your forgiveness.

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Help us, O God, even now to experience anew your love and forgiveness. We pray not only for ourselves, but we would pray for others. We would pray for all of the peoples of this world, for the hungry,

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for the bereaved, for the sick, for all sorts and conditions of humankind. We remember the struggling people of South Africa

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disenfranchised, dehumanized, and so brutalized by the forces of government. Even in this hour, they wonder about their future. Help us to become more aware and more concerned individually. And then we pray also for our nation that we would provide the kind of moral leadership

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that is so desperately needed. And we pray not only for South Africa and for the starving millions of our world, we pray that the Spirit of the Christ may prevail among us so that we may be instrumental in working with you toward the coming of your kingdom in its fullness.

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Oh Lord, have mercy upon us and bless us. We ask in Jesus' name, amen. [MUSIC PLAYING] [Music]

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[Music] [MUSIC] Oh, a pretty little baby, a pretty little baby, born in a manger.

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Oh, a pretty little baby, Jesus is his name. Oh, one pretty little baby, a pretty little baby, ♪ Born in a manger ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, pretty little baby ♪

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♪ Jesus is his name ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, watch ♪ ♪ A pretty little baby ♪ A pretty little baby born in a manger.

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A pretty little baby, Jesus is his name. ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ A pretty little baby ♪ ♪ A pretty little baby ♪

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♪ Born in a manger ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ A pretty little baby ♪ ♪ Jesus in His lamb ♪

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♪ Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, what a wonderful child ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ Flawless in love ♪

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♪ One light, one hope, to all ye bring ♪ ♪ Listen, listen to the angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory to the new born King ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus ♪

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♪ Oh, what a wonderful child ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ Lord, in heaven we rejoice ♪ ♪ Oh, what light, what hope ♪

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♪ Holy grail ♪ ♪ Listen, listen to the angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory to the new born king ♪ ♪ Oh what a pretty little baby ♪

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♪ A pretty little baby ♪ ♪ Born in a manger ♪ ♪ Pretty little baby ♪ ♪ Peace as easy land ♪

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♪ Oh what a pretty little baby ♪ ♪ A pretty little baby ♪ ♪ Born in a manger, oh ♪ ♪ A pretty little baby ♪

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♪ Jesus is his name ♪ ♪ Jesus is his name ♪ ♪ Jesus is his name ♪ ♪ Jesus is His name ♪

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♪ Jesus is His name ♪ - Amen. Amen. We worship the Lord now in our giving.

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Let us all give according to how the Lord has prospered you. He that giveth sparingly shall reap sparingly. He that giveth bountifully shall reap bountifully. So let every person give according to how you've purposed

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in your heart for the Lord loves the cheerful giver. In this season of giving and receiving, we celebrate the fact that we have received so much that a share in the spirit of the Lord who gives so abundantly. us pray. Bless us now, Lord, as we worship you in sharing. Grant that our minds and hearts may be

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focused upon the gift that is so meaningful to all humankind, Jesus Christ, which comes from you. bless us now as we seek to worship you in his name amen [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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(soft music) (soft music) [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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(dramatic music) [MUSIC PLAYING] (gentle music) [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [Music] We have a watch night reservation farm that you are asked to fill out for those who are attending the watch night service The ushers have these farms

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And if you plan to attend we'd like for you to fill out one of them giving your name the number of adults Attending from your family children and the total number Also stating what you will bring everyone is

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Ask if a family is asked to bring a covered dish and so in order that we might have the kind of Spread that we would like to have as far as the table is concerned We would like to have some knowledge of what you will bring

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And this will be helpful to the committee I am sure that you have noticed my new robe. I usually wear a robe from Africa every Sunday. One way I identify with our heritage plus the fact that I just think that they're very attractive and this one is from Africa the others have

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been from countries such as Nigeria and Liberia and so on. This one comes from Egypt and my son-in-law was recently there and he wanted to bring his dad something back so he know he knew I liked robes so he brought it so I I notice I've got more comments one way or the other on this road than any of the others.

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I hope that we will become increasingly more concerned about the plight of the peoples in in Africa. We have in recent weeks had flashed on our television screen the plight of the people of Ethiopia and we have been made aware that millions of children have died and are dying and this condition has been going on for some four years as far as this

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particular crisis leading up to what it where it is now. Today I want to have us focus attention on South Africa which is also an ongoing problem. Representative Walter Fauntroy of Washington has dramatized this situation along with the members of the Black Caucus in Congress. And they have urged churches to set aside this day in which to pray and focus attention on South Africa.

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And I had previously talked with Sister Eloise Burrell and her name was to be in the bulletin and in the rush of things. This week it somehow got left off by me and that's something I want to apologize for. I want her to come now because she has an original presentation. It has to do with USA,

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United States and South Africa is the title of it, USA, USA, and and... [ Silence ]