Service for Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012

Subject: God

 Hymn 10
 Frederic W. Root – Based on hymn by Martin Luther

 All power is given unto our Lord,
   On Him we place reliance;
 With truth from out His sacred word
   We bid our foes defiance.
     With Him we shall prevail,
     Whatever may assail;
     He is our shield and tower,
     Almighty is His power;
     His kingdom is forever.

 Rejoice, ye people, praise His name,
   His care doth e'er surround us.
 His love to error's thralldom came,
   And from its chains unbound us.
     Our Lord is God alone,
     No other power we own;
     No other voice we heed,
     No other help we need;
     His kingdom is forever.

 O then give thanks to God on high,
   Who life to all is giving;
 The hosts of death before Him fly,
   In Him we all are living.
     Then let us know no fear,
     Our King is ever near;
     Our stay and fortress strong,
     Our strength, our hope, our song;
     His kingdom is forever.

The scriptural selections are from Psalms.

Psalms 62:1,2,5‑8 (to 1st .),11
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.  He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. 

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.  Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

Psalms 150:1‑6
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.  Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.  Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.  Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.



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 208
 Mother's Evening Prayer – Mary Baker Eddy

 O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;
   O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour,
 Thou Love that guards the nestling's faltering flight!
   Keep Thou my child on upward wing tonight.

 Love is our refuge; only with mine eye
   Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall:
 His habitation high is here, and nigh,
   His arm encircles me, and mine, and all.

 O make me glad for every scalding tear,
   For hope deferred, ingratitude, disdain!
 Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear
   No ill,‑‑since God is good, and loss is gain.

 Beneath the shadow of His mighty wing;
   In that sweet secret of the narrow way,
 Seeking and finding, with the angels sing:
   "Lo, I am with you alway,"‑‑watch and pray.

 No snare, no fowler, pestilence or pain;
   No night drops down upon the troubled breast,
 When heaven's aftersmile earth's tear‑drops gain,
   And mother finds her home and heav'nly rest.


 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: “Thy Secret Place”


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 99 
 Ninety‑First Psalm I – Adapted from Tate and Brady

 He that hath God his guardian made,
 Shall underneath th' Almighty's shade
   Fearless and undisturbed abide;
 Thus to myself of Him I'll say,
 He is my fortress, shield and stay,
   My God; in Him I will confide.

 His tender love and watchful care
 Shall free thee from the fowler's snare,
   From every harm and pestilence.
 He over thee His wings shall spread
 To cover thy unguarded head.
   His truth shall be thy strong defense.

 He gives His angels charge o'er thee,
 No evil therefore shalt thou see;
   Thy refuge shall be God most high;
 Dwelling within His secret place,
 Thou shalt behold His power and grace,
   See His salvation ever nigh.


"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


Job 36:22 (to :)
Behold, God exalteth by his power:

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