Service for Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011

Subject: God the Only Cause and Creator

 Hymn 5         
 Irving C. Tomlinson

 A voice from heaven we have heard,
   The call to rise from earth;
 Put armor on, the sword now gird,
   And for the fight go forth.
 The foe in ambush claims our prize,
   Then heed high heaven's call.
 Obey the voice of Truth, arise,
   And let not fear enthrall.

 The cause requires unswerving might:
   With God alone agree.
 Then have no other aim than right;
   End bondage, O be free.
 Depart from sin, awake to love:
   Your mission is to heal.
 Then all of Truth you must approve,
   And only know the real.

The scriptural selection is from Psalms.

Psalms 86:1‑13,15 thou
Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.  Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.  Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.  Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.  Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.  Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.  All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.  For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.  Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.  I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.



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 123 
 "K" in Rippon's Selection, 1787 – Adapted

 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
 Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.
 What more can He say than to you He hath said,
 To you who to God for your refuge have fled:

 Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
 For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
 I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to
           stand,
 Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand;

 When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
 My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
 The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
 Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

A Rule for Motives and Acts

This is from Article VIII, Section 1, of the Manual of the Mother Church, and is read as part of the service of the first Sunday in each month.


“Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.” 


Solo:  "Consider the Lilies"




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 104 
 Duncan Sinclair

 Help us, O Lord, to bear the cross,
   The cross our Master bore;
 To brave the senses' angry shock,
 Our faith secure upon the rock
   Of Christ, forevermore.

 Grant us, O Love, the strength to drink
   Thy cup on earth below,
 The inspiration that it brings,
 The hope serene that from it springs
   To lighten every woe.

 Give us, O Truth, Thou light of men,
   Thy benediction rare,
 That courage may sustain our way
 Out of the darkness into day,
   Thy day, celestial, fair.

 Thus shall our Spirit, Mind divine,
   Lead us to heaven's bowers:
 The cross laid down; the victory won
 O'er sense and self; revealed the Son;
   The crown forever ours.

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 67:1 (to 2nd ;),2
God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us;

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 


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