Theme: Purpose
Hymn 82
Arthur C. Ainger
God is working His purpose out
As
year succeeds to year,
God is working His purpose out
And the time is drawing near;
Nearer and nearer draws the time,
The time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory
of God
As the waters cover the sea.
What can we do to work God's work,
To prosper and increase
The brotherhood of all mankind,
The reign of the Prince of Peace?
What can we do to hasten the time,
The time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory
of God
As the waters cover the sea?
March we forth in the strength of God
With the banner of Christ unfurled,
That the light of the glorious Gospel of truth
May shine throughout the world;
Fight we the fight with sorrow and sin,
To set their captives free,
That the earth may be filled with the glory of
God
As the waters cover the sea.
Readings from the Bible.
Proverbs 20:18 (to :)
Every purpose is established
by counsel:
Ecclesiastes 3:1‑15,17
To every thing there is a
season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a
time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A
time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A
time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to
embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to
lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to
sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to
hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given
to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the
world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from
the beginning to the end. I know that
there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his
life. And also that every man should eat
and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall
be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God
doeth it, that men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been;
and God requireth that which is past.
I said in mine heart, God
shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every
purpose and for every work.
Ecclesiastes 8:1‑6 (to ,)
Who is as the wise man? and
who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to
shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. I counsel thee to keep the king's
commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand
not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. Where the word of a king is, there is power:
and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's
heart discerneth both time and judgment.
#Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,
Isaiah 14:24,26,27
#The Lord of hosts hath
sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I
have purposed, so shall it stand:
This is the purpose that is
purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon
all the nations. For the Lord of hosts
hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and
who shall turn it back?
Romans 8:16‑28
The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint‑heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to
wit, the redemption of our body. For we
are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for
that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. And he that searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
I John 3:1‑8
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. 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. And every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law. And ye know
that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he
that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for
the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
8:28‑30
We should examine ourselves and learn what is
the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what
we honestly are.
18:13
The atonement of Christ reconciles man to
God, not God to man; for the divine Principle of Christ is God, and how can God
propitiate Himself? Christ is Truth,
which reaches no higher than itself. The
fountain can rise no higher than its source.
Christ, Truth, could conciliate no nature above his own, derived from
the eternal Love. It was therefore
Christ's purpose to reconcile man to God, not God to man. Love and Truth are not at war with God's
image and likeness. Man cannot exceed
divine Love, and so atone for himself.
Even Christ cannot reconcile Truth to error, for Truth and error are
irreconcilable. Jesus aided in
reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love, the divine
Principle of Jesus' teachings, and this truer sense of Love redeems man from
the law of matter, sin, and death by the law of Spirit,‑‑the law of divine
Love.
51:6‑24
Jesus could have withdrawn himself from his
enemies. He had power to lay down a
human sense of life for his spiritual identity in the likeness of the divine;
but he allowed men to attempt the destruction of the mortal body in order that
he might furnish the proof of immortal life.
Nothing could kill this Life of man.
Jesus could give his temporal life into his enemies' hands; but when his
earth‑mission was accomplished, his spiritual life, indestructible and eternal,
was found forever the same. He knew that
matter had no life and that real Life is God; therefore he could no more be
separated from his spiritual Life than God could be extinguished.
His consummate example was for the salvation
of us all, but only through doing the works which he did and taught others to
do. His purpose in healing was not alone
to restore health, but to demonstrate his divine Principle. He was inspired by God, by Truth and Love, in
all that he said and did.
83:21
It is contrary to Christian Science to
suppose that life is either material or organically spiritual. Between Christian Science and all forms of
superstition a great gulf is fixed, as impassable as that between Dives and
Lazarus. There is mortal mind‑reading
and immortal Mind‑reading. The latter is
a revelation of divine purpose through spiritual understanding, by which man
gains the divine Principle and explanation of all things. Mortal mind‑reading and immortal Mind‑reading
are distinctly opposite standpoints, from which cause and effect are
interpreted. The act of reading mortal
mind investigates and touches only human beliefs. Science is immortal and
coordinate neither with the premises nor with the conclusions of mortal
beliefs.
136:29‑138:5
The disciples apprehended their Master better
than did others; but they did not comprehend all that he said and did, or they
would not have questioned him so often.
Jesus patiently persisted in teaching and demonstrating the truth of
being. His students saw this power of
Truth heal the sick, cast out evil, raise the dead; but the ultimate of this
wonderful work was not spiritually discerned, even by them, until after the
crucifixion, when their immaculate Teacher stood before them, the victor over
sickness, sin, disease, death, and the grave.
Yearning to be understood, the Master
repeated, "But whom say ye that
I am?" This renewed inquiry
meant: Who or what is it that is able to
do the work, so mysterious to the popular mind?
In his rejection of the answer already given and his renewal of the
question, it is plain that Jesus completely eschewed the narrow opinion implied
in their citation of the common report about him.
With his usual impetuosity, Simon replied for
his brethren, and his reply set forth a great fact: "Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God!" That is:
The Messiah is what thou hast declared,‑‑Christ, the spirit of God, of
Truth, Life, and Love, which heals mentally.
This assertion elicited from Jesus the benediction, "Blessed art
thou, Simon Bar‑jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven;" that is, Love hath shown thee the way of
Life!
Before this the impetuous disciple had been
called only by his common names, Simon Bar‑jona, or son of Jona; but now the
Master gave him a spiritual name in these words: "And I say also unto
thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock [the meaning of the Greek word petros, or stone] I will build my church; and the gates of hell [hades, the under‑world, or the grave] shall not prevail against
it." In other words, Jesus purposed
founding his society, not on the personal Peter as a mortal, but on the God‑power
which lay behind Peter's confession of the true Messiah.
326:12‑22
We must forsake the foundation of material
systems, however time‑honored, if we would gain the Christ as our only
Saviour. Not partially, but fully, the
great healer of mortal mind is the healer of the body.
The purpose and motive to live aright can be
gained now. This point won, you have
started as you should. You have begun at
the numeration‑table of Christian Science, and nothing but wrong intention can
hinder your advancement. Working and
praying with true motives, your Father will open the way. "Who did hinder you, that ye should not
obey the truth?"
328:28
Jesus' promise is perpetual. Had it been given only to his immediate
disciples, the Scriptural passage would read you, not they. The purpose of his great life‑work extends
through time and includes universal humanity.
Its Principle is infinite, reaching beyond the pale of a single period
or of a limited following. As time moves
on, the healing elements of pure Christianity will be fairly dealt with; they
will be sought and taught, and will glow in all the grandeur of universal
goodness.
506:15‑21
Genesis
i. 9. And God said, Let the waters under
the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so.
Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into
their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals
of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.
514:10‑25
Moral courage is "the lion of the tribe
of Juda," the king of the mental realm.
Free and fearless it roams in the forest. Undisturbed it lies in the open field, or
rests in "green pastures, . . . beside the still waters." In the figurative transmission from the
divine thought to the human, diligence, promptness, and perseverance are
likened to "the cattle upon a thousand hills." They carry the baggage of stern resolve, and
keep pace with highest purpose.
Tenderness accompanies all the might imparted by Spirit. The individuality created by God is not
carnivorous, as witness the millennial estate pictured by Isaiah:‑‑
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard shall lie down with the
kid;
And the calf and the young lion, and the
fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
540:17
Science renders "unto Caesar the things
which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." It saith to the human sense of sin, sickness,
and death, "God never made you, and you are a false sense which hath no
knowledge of God." The purpose of the
Hebrew allegory, representing error as assuming a divine character, is to teach
mortals never to believe a lie.
579:10‑14
ABRAHAM.
Fidelity; faith in the divine Life and in the eternal Principle of
being.
This patriarch illustrated the purpose of
Love to create trust in good, and showed the life‑preserving power of spiritual
understanding.
Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 180
Based on the Danish of Jens N. L. Schjorring
Love the Lord thy God:
Love is staff and rod
For heart and soul and mind.
In this command forever strong,
To silence thoughts of wrong
All laws fulfillment find.
Here we rest content:
Good from God is sent
Where seeds of Love are sown.
Who as himself his neighbor loves,
By constant purpose proves
His neighbor's good his own.
They whose every thought
Still from Love is sought
In Soul, not flesh, abide.
Love's presence gives a joy untold:
Now may we all behold
The Spirit and the bride.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 349
H.
Thy will, almighty Father, Thine,
And Thine alone be ever done;
For Thou art Life and Truth and Love,
The great, eternal, Holy One.
Reflecting truly all Thou art
And all the sunshine of Thy love,
No life we know from Thee apart,
But peace on earth from heaven above.
We walk in freedom and in peace
Thy holy purpose to fulfill,
And Thou dost ever point the path
For loving servants of Thy will.
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