Service for Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012


Subject: Is the Universe, Including Man, Evolved by Atomic Force?

 Hymn 65 
 Frances R. Havergal – Adapted

 From glory unto glory,
   Be this our joyous song;
 From glory unto glory,
   'Tis Love that leads us on;
 As wider yet and wider,
   The rising splendors glow,
 What wisdom is revealed to us,
   What freedom we may know.

 The fullness of His blessing
   Encompasseth our way;
 The fullness of His promise
   Crowns every dawning day;
 The fullness of His glory
   Is shining from above,
 While more and more we learn to know
   The fullness of His love.

 From glory unto glory,
   What great things He hath done,
 What wonders He hath shown us,
   What triumphs Love hath won.
 From glory unto glory,
   From strength to strength we go,
 While grace for grace abundantly
   Doth from His fullness flow.

The scriptural selections are from Psalms.

Psalms 16:1‑3,5-11
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.  O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.  The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.  

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.  I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.  I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalms 24:7‑10 (to 1st .)
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.


Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s prayer, with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy


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 72
 Charles Wesley and John Taylor – Adapted

 Glory be to God on high,
 God whose glory fills the sky;
 Peace on earth to man is given,
 Man, the well‑beloved of heaven.
 Gracious Father, in Thy love,
 Send Thy blessings from above;
 Let Thy light, Thy truth, Thy peace
 Bid all strife and tumult cease.

 Mark the wonders of His hand:
 Power no empire can withstand;
 Wisdom, angels' glorious theme;
 Goodness one eternal stream.
 All ye people, raise the song,
 Endless thanks to God belong;
 Hearts o'erflowing with His praise
 Join the hymns your voices raise.

Solo: "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place"              


Friends:
The Bible and the Christian Science textbook are our only preachers. We shall now read Scriptural texts, and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook; these comprise our sermon.

The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized.

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 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.

"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 62:7
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

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