"11 AM "The Year of the Lord's Favor" Minister Jillian Lea Twiggs, Sunday Feb. 12, 2023

44:40 Let's give it up for our drama team. Let's give it up for Ms. Josandra Polk and Deacon Griselda Helleris, who have been leading this Black History Month effort. We are blessed here at Fellowship with so many talented people. That was an original script that they put together. Let's give it up. Let them hear it. Let them hear it. reminding us that we should never forget and never give up. We as black people have come through many trials and tribulations, but we have tenacity ingrained in our blood, and we have overcome so, so many things, and we are forever grateful to the God who allowed us to make it to where we are this day.

45:35 We still got a ways to go because we live in an empire-based society. But as long as God's on our side, I believe Kendrick Lamar said, we gonna be all right. We gonna be all right. Again, good morning to each and every one of you, those watching on the virtual ship. Give our virtual family a hand. So, so glad you decided to tune in. Thank you so, so much. Are there any first-time visitors in the sanctuary? Any first-time guests in the sanctuary? Welcome. Welcome. Thank you so much. Thank you. You're still here. Yes. They came from Atlanta. They said, since we're here, we're going to do both services. I love it. I love it. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. So glad to have each and every one of you. And thank you so much for being here today. Amen.

46:27 Amen. Family, today is a good day. Today is a good day. It's a day that we woke up to see. And for that reason alone, we're going to give God praise and glory. Amen. I want you to shake whatever's on you off. Shake it off. Because this is the day that the Lord has made. And we were choosing to rejoice and be glad in it. Amen. I'm excited. I'm excited. I'm excited for life. I'm excited for life more abundantly, family. Listen, so many things are happening here at the ship. So many things are happening here at the ship. We're praying for several families who are in the season of bereavement. We're praying for the family of Miss Debbie Beauchamp. If you recall, Pastor Sharp put out an APB to get a hold of Miss Debbie Beauchamp, and we found out that she was still okay at that time.

47:22 But she had been very ill, and she made a peaceful transition earlier this week. And so we're praying for her family, Ms. Sylvia Brooks, Mr. Melvin Hershey, in the passing of their mother, Ms. Beauchamp. And her services will be here at the ship on Tuesday, February 14th. Wake at 9 a.m. and services will be at 10 a.m. So please come out and support that family. And we're also praying for our senior pastor, our first lady, in the passing of his grandmother. Last week he darted out of here to go be by her side. And on that Monday around that afternoon, she made a transition as well. And so we're praying for our pastor. Pastor, we love you. We love you, pastor. Amen. We love you, Harper family. We're praying for Deacon Paul Harper, her husband for nearly 63 years. and so we're praying for him as he has to navigate an entirely new normal and we are definitely keeping that family in prayer services will be tomorrow at the greater travelers rest baptist church the house of hope atlanta that's right there in decatur georgia there will be a viewing at 9 a.m for those of you who will be traveling down there will be a viewing at 9 a.m on tomorrow and the services will begin promptly at 10 a.m. We're praying for each and every one of you dealing with grief in this season. Due to Pastor Sharp's grandmother's service, which is tomorrow, obviously he can't be in Chicago tonight and so he will not be going to Greater Harvest today for the birthday celebration of Pastor Eric Thomas. But there is a preacher if you still desire to go it is archbishop william hudson iii and so please go over if you have time tonight and support our sister church and its pastor pastor eric thomas we'll continue our black history month celebration next week we're asking that each of you wear a positive expression of blackness so

49:28 wear your good african quotes wear your good uh colloquialism quotes next week and you can also So wear that with some army fatigues. And on the fourth Sunday, because we were set to celebrate Pastor's birthday today, we're going to move that to the fourth Sunday so he can be here in person and we can enjoy and love on our pastor. So we'll celebrate our pastor's birthday on the fourth Sunday, February 26. And we're asking on that Sunday you wear red, green and black. I want to also encourage you to meet us on the virtual ship each and every Tuesday. We are having something this month called Refuel Remix, where we are showing musical moments from throughout 2022. And our music ministry has been doing a fantastic job. A fantastic job. Fantabulous is a good word.

50:22 And we want to invite you to come on to Refuel Remix each and every Tuesday throughout this month to enjoy these musical moments. moments. We also have souls to the poll. Souls to the poll on the fourth Sunday at 2 p.m. We'll be going over as a church because if you really want to effect change, you got to use your vote. Amen. Too many people who were on these ships did not have a right to use their voice. So we have to utilize the voice that we have and our voice is our vote. I always say don't complain if you're not voting. So make sure if you don't want to go even with us, make sure you go vote in this upcoming mayoral election here in Chicago. And if you want to ride the bus, we offer on the bus, please go to fellowshipchicago.com and you can register to ride the bus. We're excited about Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is February 22nd and that kicks off the Lenten season and so Lent falls from February 22nd until the Saturday before Easter which is April the 8th and on Lent Ash Wednesday excuse me on Ash Wednesday we will be distributing ashes and praying for each and every one of you and all you need to do is park your car coming to the main sanctuary and we'll be here between the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

51:52 Our ministers and deacons are preparing now to distribute the ashes and also pray for you and pray with you. And so we're excited about that. Please come out and get those ashes. If you remember last year, we were doing the drive-through due to COVID, but God has flipped this thing around so we can come inside and do it in person. And I'm excited about that because It was a little chilly out there, a little chilly. The Lenten Fast, the Lenten Fast will begin on February 22nd as well. I heard some groans as soon as y'all saw that slide pop up. The Lenten Fast is coming and some of us, you know, need a fast, myself included. I went to try on some clothes yesterday and said, this ain't it, Rev. This ain't it. So I'm excited about this fast. We're abstaining from no bread. I'm standing.