Prayer Invocation by Rev. Cecil Franklin

It makes me very happy tonight
That my family is here singing and praying with me
And at this time I would like to introduce to you
My brother Reverend Cecil Franklin

It is my task to have a few comments
And I thought about a passage of scripture
The Gospel according to St. Mark
16th chapter in the 15th verse where
We are challenged to go ye into all the world
And preach my Gospel on to every creature
Go ye into all the world
And preach my Gospel
On to every creature

You know there is a unique advantage in preaching the Gospel
Using the vehicle of song
For songs have the advantage of being packaged
And wrapped in universal appeal
Songs are not limited by natural or human boundaries
The Gospel through song is universally comfortable
For it is not hindered by local state or national boundaries
Not hindered by racial, economic, political or religious preferences
Songs are clogged with the ability or capacity to successfully and comfortably
Meet the challenge of the great commission
Go ye into all the world and preach my Gospel on to every creature
Songs are in a position to comfortably answer that challenge
And therefore the Gospel through song accepts the challenge and responds joydfully
Praising the name of Jesus
And therefore we sing "oh how I love Jesus"

Oh how I love Jesus
Oh how I love Jesus
Because he first loved me
We come tonight carrying on that same tradition
We come not blazing new trails or pioneering new paths
We come treading the same familiar tracks
Telling the world that the Word became Flesh
And dwelt among us
We come telling the story of Calvary
We come telling the world how He got hung
How He bled and how He died
And how He was resurrected
We come telling the world of the joy of eternal life through Jesus Christ
And we come once again to dedicate our lives
To continuing to sing the songs of Zion
We thank God for Aretha
And for every individual that responded in making this effort possible
Her Christian commitment to carry the Gospel to every creature is unquestionable
And you know we all have our favorite songs of praise and celebration
I don't know what yours may be, it may be
I love the Lord, he heard my crying
And pitied my every every [?]
Long as I live my troubled ride
I'll hasten to His throne

Your song mighty Father
I stripped my hand of thee
No other help I know
If Thy withdraw Thyself from me
Oh, where, where shall I go?
It may be, be the Heaven as I go
Through this wilderness
Hear me Lord
Why don't you, why don't you cut my feet
In peaceful ways
Turn my, turn my, turn my midnights
Turn them into day
Oh Lord
Yeah Lord
I don't know what your song may be
But my song is this
If you give
The best of your service
Oh, turn the world
That the savior's come
Till meek us made
If friends don't believe you
He'll, he'll understand
Lord will see your will done
Oh yes he will
Yeah, welcome
Through it all