Service for Sunday, April 25, 2010

Subject: Probation After Death

Hymn 154

Frances A. Fox

In Thee, O Spirit true and tender,

I find my life as God's own child;

Within Thy light of glorious splendor

I lose the earth-clouds drear and wild.

Within Thy love is safe abiding

From every thought that giveth fear;

Within Thy truth a perfect chiding,

Should I forget that Thou art near.

In Thee I have no pain or sorrow,

No anxious thought, no load of care.

Thou art the same today, tomorrow;

Thy love and truth are everywhere.

The scriptural selection is from Psalms.


Psalms 27:1-14

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.


Silent Prayer, followed by the Lord’s Prayer with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science Textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy.
Our Father which art in heaven,
Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Adorable One.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Enable us to know – as in heaven, so on earth
God is omnipotent, supreme.
Give us this day our daily bread;
Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections;
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And Love is reflected in love;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
.

Hymn 256

Christ My Refuge – Mary Baker Eddy

O'er waiting harpstrings of the mind

There sweeps a strain,

Low, sad, and sweet, whose measures bind

The power of pain,

And wake a white-winged angel throng

Of thoughts, illumed

By faith, and breathed in raptured song,

With love perfumed.

Then His unveiled, sweet mercies show

Life's burdens light.

I kiss the cross, and wake to know

A world more bright.

And o'er earth's troubled, angry sea

I see Christ walk,

And come to me, and tenderly,

Divinely talk.

Thus Truth engrounds me on the rock,

Upon Life's shore,

'Gainst which the winds and waves can shock,

Oh, nevermore!

From tired joy and grief afar,

And nearer Thee,--

Father, where Thine own children are,

I love to be.

My prayer, some daily good to do

To Thine, for Thee;

An offering pure of Love, whereto

God leadeth me.


Solo: “The Beatitudes”


The Lesson-Sermon as outlined in the Christian Science Quarterly and read by the First and Second Readers.

The content of the Lesson Sermons may be found in the Christian Science Quarterly. You may also read the Lesson-Sermon for this week online by clicking here.


Hymn 401

John Marriott*

Thou whose almighty Word

Chaos and darkness heard,

And took their flight;

Hear us, we humbly pray,

And where the Gospel-day

Sheds not its glorious ray,

Let there be light.

Christ, thou dost come to bring

On thy redeeming wing

Healing and sight,

Health to the sick in mind,

Sight to the inly blind;

Ah, now to all mankind

Let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,

Life-giving, holy dove,

Speed forth thy flight;

Move on the waters' face,

Bearing the lamp of grace,

And in earth's darkest place

Let there be light.


"The Scientific Statement of Being" (S&H p. 468} and the correlative scripture according to I John 3:1-3.

There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.468


1John.3

[1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

[3] And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Benediction

Psalms 89:15

Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.


No comments: