Service for Sunday, March 4, 2012

Subject: Man

 Hymn 51
 Mary Alice Dayton 

 Eternal Mind the Potter is,
   And thought th' eternal clay:
 The hand that fashions is divine,
   His works pass not away.
 Man is the noblest work of God,
   His beauty, power and grace,
 Immortal; perfect as his Mind
   Reflected face to face.

 God could not make imperfect man
   His model infinite;
 Unhallowed thought He could not plan,
   Love's work and Love must fit.
 Life, Truth and Love the pattern make,
   Christ is the perfect heir;
 The clouds of sense roll back, and show
   The form divinely fair.

 God's will is done; His kingdom come;
   The Potter's work is plain.
 The longing to be good and true
   Has brought the light again.
 And man does stand as God's own child,
   The image of His love.
 Let gladness ring from every tongue,
   And heaven and earth approve.

The scriptural selection is from Psalms.

Psalms 84:1‑4 (to 1st .),5‑8 (to 1st .),9‑12
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.  Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.  Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.  Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.  They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.  O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.

Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.  O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.


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 175 
 Violet Hay

 Lo, He sent His Word and healed them,
   Still that Word of God is here.
 Still its tender healing message
   Speaks to every listening ear.
 Truth divine, that overcometh
   All the ills that seem to be,
 In our hearts Thy Word abiding,
   We may know Thee and be free.

 Love divine, that faileth never,
   Still Thy presence and Thy power
 Mighty are to save and heal us,
   Guard and guide us every hour.
 Life divine, Thy Word proclaimeth
   All true being one with Thee.
 Sinless, fearless, whole, rejoicing,
   Now and through eternity.

  
 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:   "Mark the Perfect Man"                   

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 374
 John Randall Dunn 

 We thank Thee and we bless Thee,
   O Father of us all,
 That e'en before we ask Thee
   Thou hear'st Thy children's call.
 We praise Thee for Thy goodness
   And tender, constant care,
 We thank Thee, Father‑Mother,
   That Thou hast heard our prayer.

 We thank Thee and we bless Thee,
   O Lord of all above,
 That now Thy children know Thee
   As everlasting Love.
 And Love is not the author
   Of discord, pain and fear;
 O Love divine, we thank Thee
   That good alone is here.

 We thank Thee, Father‑Mother,
   For blessings, light and grace
 Which bid mankind to waken
   And see Thee face to face.
 We thank Thee, when in anguish
   We turn from sense to Soul,
 That we may hear Thee calling:
   Rejoice, for thou art whole.

"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
Ecclesiastes 12:13
#Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.



                                    

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