Service for Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011

Subject: Christ Jesus

 Hymn 178 
 Based on the Danish of Nikolaj F. S. Grundtvig

 Love is life's true crown and glory,
   Love the splendor of the light,
 Truly is God's counsel gentle,
   Truly all His ways are bright;
 Jesus knew the law of kindness,
 Healing mind and heart of blindness;
   And in heavenly wisdom taught
   Holy works of love he wrought.

 Love, the Golden Rule of living,
   Showeth forth the perfect Mind;
 Love, our debt to God who gives it,
   All compassion is, and kind;
 Charity the law fulfilleth,
 Mid the nations rancor stilleth;
   Loving hearts in friendship blend,
   One in Him, our heavenly Friend.

The scriptural selection is from Matthew.

Matthew 9:18 behold, 19, 23-38
behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.  And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.  But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.  And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.  #And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.  And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.  And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.  But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.  #As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.  And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.  But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  #But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

 Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s prayer, with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook.

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 221 
 Margaret Glenn Matters

 O Jesus, our dear Master,
   Thy works, now understood,
 Reveal their full effulgence
   Through love and brotherhood.
 Today Christ's precious Science
   Thy healing power makes plain:
 With joy may all obey thee
   And cast out sin and pain.

 The Christ, eternal manhood,
   As God's own Son beloved,
 A tender ever‑presence
   Within each heart is proved.
 O God, our Father‑Mother,
   Thy name we see expressed
 By man, who in Thy Science
   Is perfect, holy, blessed.

 O Science, God‑sent message
   To tired humanity,
 Thou art Love's revelation
   Of Truth that makes us free.
 Thy kingdom, God, within us
   Shows forth Love's sweet control.
 God's idea, man, rejoices;
   He knows the reign of Soul.

Solo: "Amazing Grace"

The lesson-sermon from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, read by the First and Second Readers.

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


 Hymn 278
 P. M. – Adapted

 Pilgrim on earth, home and heaven are within thee,
   Heir of the ages and child of the day.
 Cared for, watched over, beloved and protected,
   Walk thou with courage each step of the way.

 Truthful and steadfast though trials betide thee,
   Ever one thing do thou ask of thy Lord,
 Grace to go forward, wherever He guide thee,
   Gladly obeying the call of His word.

 Healed is thy hardness, His love hath dissolved it,
   Full is the promise, the blessing how kind;
 So shall His tenderness teach thee compassion,
   So all the merciful, mercy shall find.

"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 145:8
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

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