Theme: Free
Hymn 7
Bertha H. Woods – Based on hymn by H. F. Lyte
Abide with me; fast breaks the morning light;
Our daystar rises, banishing all night;
Thou art our strength, O Truth that maketh
free,
We would unfailingly abide in Thee.
I know no fear, with Thee at hand to bless,
Sin hath no power and life no wretchedness;
Health, hope and love in all around I see
For those who trustingly abide in Thee.
I know Thy presence every passing hour,
I know Thy peace, for Thou alone art power;
O Love divine, abiding constantly,
I need not plead, Thou dost abide with me.
Readings from the Bible.
Psalms 51:1,2,6‑8,10‑12,15‑17
Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash
me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Behold, thou desirest truth
in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know
wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I
shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the
bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Create in me a clean heart, O
God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from
me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
O Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest
not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise.
Isaiah 58:6,8‑11
Is not this the fast that I
have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and
to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
#Then shall thy light break
forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy
righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy
rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord
shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away
from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking
vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted
soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and
make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring
of water, whose waters fail not.
John 8:12‑20,28‑36
#Then spake Jesus again unto
them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself;
thy record is not true. Jesus answered
and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for
I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and
whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh;
I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my
judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the
testimony of two men is true. I am one
that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of
me. Then said they unto him, Where is
thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known
me, ye should have known my Father also.
These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and
no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
Then said Jesus unto them, When
ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I
do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these
things. And he that sent me is with me:
the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please
him. As he spake these words, many
believed on him. Then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. #They answered him, We be
Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall
be made free? Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for
ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the
Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Romans 6:14‑18 sin,22,23
sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not
under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience
unto righteousness? But God be thanked,
that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine which was delivered you.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness.
But now being made free from
sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life. For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8:1‑9 (to 1st .)
THERE is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do, in
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. For they that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God. But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Galatians 3:26‑29 ye
ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as
many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's,
then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the
yoke of bondage.
Revelation 21:1‑7 I saw
I saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was
no more sea. And I John saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself
shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And
he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride
say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst
come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
90:24‑8
The admission to one's self that man is God's
own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea. This conviction shuts the door on death, and
opens it wide towards immortality. The
understanding and recognition of Spirit must finally come, and we may as well
improve our time in solving the mysteries of being through an apprehension of
divine Principle. At present we know not
what man is, but we certainly shall know this when man reflects God.
The Revelator tells us of "a new heaven
and a new earth." Have you ever
pictured this heaven and earth, inhabited by beings under the control of
supreme wisdom?
Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man
is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all
true spiritual growth.
114:23
Christian Science explains all cause and
effect as mental, not physical. It lifts
the veil of mystery from Soul and body.
It shows the scientific relation of man to God, disentangles the
interlaced ambiguities of being, and sets free the imprisoned thought. In divine Science, the universe, including
man, is spiritual, harmonious, and eternal.
Science shows that what is termed matter
is but the subjective state of what is termed by the author mortal mind.
171:4
Through discernment of the spiritual opposite
of materiality, even the way through Christ, Truth, man will reopen with the
key of divine Science the gates of Paradise which human beliefs have closed,
and will find himself unfallen, upright, pure, and free, not needing to consult
almanacs for the probabilities either of his life or of the weather, not
needing to study brainology to learn how much of a man he is.
191:8‑20
As a material, theoretical life‑basis is
found to be a misapprehension of existence, the spiritual and divine Principle
of man dawns upon human thought, and leads it to "where the young child
was," ‑‑even to the birth of a new‑old idea, to the spiritual sense of
being and of what Life includes. Thus
the whole earth will be transformed by Truth on its pinions of light, chasing
away the darkness of error.
The human thought must free itself from self‑imposed
materiality and bondage. It should no
longer ask of the head, heart, or lungs: What are man's prospects for
life? Mind is not helpless. Intelligence is not mute before non‑intelligence.
224:11‑4
In the record of nineteen centuries, there
are sects many but not enough Christianity.
Centuries ago religionists were ready to hail an anthropomorphic God,
and array His vicegerent with pomp and splendor; but this was not the manner of
truth's appearing. Of old the cross was
truth's central sign, and it is to‑day.
The modern lash is less material than the Roman scourge, but it is
equally as cutting. Cold disdain,
stubborn resistance, opposition from church, state laws, and the press, are
still the harbingers of truth's full‑orbed appearing.
A higher and more practical Christianity,
demonstrating justice and meeting the needs of mortals in sickness and in
health, stands at the door of this age, knocking for admission. Will you open or close the door upon this
angel visitant, who cometh in the quiet of meekness, as he came of old to the
patriarch at noonday?
Truth brings the elements of liberty. On its banner is the Soul‑inspired motto,
"Slavery is abolished." The
power of God brings deliverance to the captive.
No power can withstand divine Love.
What is this supposed power, which opposes itself to God? Whence cometh it? What is it that binds man with iron shackles
to sin, sickness, and death? Whatever
enslaves man is opposed to the divine government. Truth makes man free.
227:14‑29
Discerning the rights of man, we cannot fail
to foresee the doom of all oppression.
Slavery is not the legitimate state of man. God made man free. Paul said, "I was free born." All men should be free. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty." Love and Truth make
free, but evil and error lead into captivity.
Christian Science raises the standard of
liberty and cries: "Follow me!
Escape from the bondage of sickness, sin, and death!" Jesus marked out the way. Citizens of the world, accept the
"glorious liberty of the children of God," and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine
law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities,
enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.
244:7
If we were to derive all our conceptions of
man from what is seen between the cradle and the grave, happiness and goodness
would have no abiding‑place in man, and the worms would rob him of the flesh;
but Paul writes: "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made
me free from the law of sin and death."
480:26
The Bible declares: "All things were
made by Him [the divine Word]; and without Him was not anything made that was
made." This is the eternal verity
of divine Science. If sin, sickness, and
death were understood as nothingness, they would disappear. As vapor melts before the sun, so evil would vanish
before the reality of good. One must
hide the other. How important, then, to
choose good as the reality! Man is
tributary to God, Spirit, and to nothing else.
God's being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty." Like the archpriests
of yore, man is free "to enter into the holiest,"‑‑the realm of
God.
494:30‑24
Our Master cast out devils (evils) and healed
the sick. It should be said of his
followers also, that they cast fear and all evil out of themselves and others
and heal the sick. God will heal the
sick through man, whenever man is governed by God. Truth casts out error now as surely as it did
nineteen centuries ago. All of Truth is
not understood; hence its healing power is not fully demonstrated.
If sickness is true or the idea of Truth, you
cannot destroy sickness, and it would be absurd to try. Then classify sickness and error as our
Master did, when he spoke of the sick, "whom Satan hath bound," and
find a sovereign antidote for error in the life‑giving power of Truth acting on
human belief, a power which opens the prison doors to such as are bound, and
sets the captive free physically and morally.
When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts
you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea.
Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your
clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious‑‑as Life
eternally is‑‑can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life
is not. Let Christian Science, instead
of corporeal sense, support your understanding of being, and this understanding
will supplant error with Truth, replace mortality with immortality, and silence
discord with harmony.
547:23‑8
The Scriptures are very sacred. Our aim must be to have them understood
spiritually, for only by this understanding can truth be gained. The true theory of the universe, including
man, is not in material history but in spiritual development. Inspired thought relinquishes a material,
sensual, and mortal theory of the universe, and adopts the spiritual and
immortal.
It is this spiritual perception of Scripture,
which lifts humanity out of disease and death and inspires faith. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come! . .
. and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Christian Science separates error from truth,
and breathes through the sacred pages the spiritual sense of life, substance,
and intelligence. In this Science, we
discover man in the image and likeness of God.
We see that man has never lost his spiritual estate and his eternal
harmony.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 423
James J. Rome
Give me, O Lord, an understanding heart,
That I may learn to know myself in Thee,
To spurn the wrong and choose the better part
And thus from sinful bondage be set free.
Give me, O Lord, a meek and contrite heart,
That I may learn to quell all selfish pride,
Bowing before Thee, see Thee as Thou art
And 'neath Thy sheltering presence safely
hide.
Give me, O Lord, a gentle, loving heart,
That I may learn to be more tender, kind,
And with Thy healing touch, each wound and
smart
With Christly bands of Love and Truth to
bind.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 412
Rosa M. Turner
O dreamer, leave thy dreams for joyful waking,
O captive, rise and sing, for thou art free;
The Christ is here, all dreams of error
breaking,
Unloosing bonds of all captivity.
He comes to bless thee on his wings of
healing;
To banish pain, and wipe all tears away;
He comes anew, to humble hearts revealing
The mounting footsteps of the upward way.
He comes to give thee joy for desolation,
Beauty for ashes of the vanished years;
For every tear to bring full compensation,
To give thee confidence for all thy fears.
He comes to call the dumb to joyful singing;
The deaf to hear; the blinded eyes to see;
The glorious tidings of salvation bringing.
O captive, rise, thy Saviour comes to thee.
