Service for Sunday, March 3, 2013

Subject: Christ Jesus

 Hymn 134 

 Samuel Longfellow*

 I look to Thee in every need,

   And never look in vain;

 I feel Thy touch, eternal Love,

   And all is well again:

 The thought of Thee is mightier far

 Than sin and pain and sorrow are.

 Thy calmness bends serene above,

   My restlessness to still;

 Around me flows Thy quickening life

   To nerve my faltering will:

 Thy presence fills my solitude;

 Thy providence turns all to good.

 Embosomed deep in Thy dear love,

   Held in Thy law, I stand:

 Thy hand in all things I behold,

   And all things in Thy hand.

 Thou leadest me by unsought ways,

 Thou turn'st my mourning into praise.

The scriptural selections are from Psalms.

Psalms 1:1‑3

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalms 19:1‑14

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 

His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.  The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.  The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.  Who can understand his errors?  cleanse thou me from secret faults.  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

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 178 

 Based on the Danish of Nikolaj F. S. Grundtvig

 Love is life's true crown and glory,

   Love the splendor of the light,

 Truly is God's counsel gentle,

   Truly all His ways are bright;

 Jesus knew the law of kindness,

 Healing mind and heart of blindness;

   And in heavenly wisdom taught

   Holy works of love he wrought.

 Love, the Golden Rule of living,

   Showeth forth the perfect Mind;

 Love, our debt to God who gives it,

   All compassion is, and kind;

 Charity the law fulfilleth,

 Mid the nations rancor stilleth;

   Loving hearts in friendship blend,

   One in Him, our heavenly Friend.

This being the first Sunday of the month, Article VIII , Section 1, is read from the Manual of The Mother Church:

A Rule for Motives and Acts.
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: “Christ My Refuge” with words by Mary Baker Eddy.   

          

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 371 

 Margaret Morrison

 We lift our hearts in praise,

   O God of Life, to Thee,

 And would reflect in all our ways

   Thy purity.

 Thy thoughts our lives enfold,

   And free us from all fear;

 All strife is stilled, all grief consoled,

   For Thou art here.

 We lift our hearts in praise,

   O God of Truth, to Thee,

 And find within Thy perfect law

   Our liberty.

 We bless Thy mighty name

   In this exalted hour,

 And to the world in faith proclaim

   Thy healing power.

 We lift our hearts in praise,

   O God of Love, to Thee,

 With joy to find through darkened days

   Thy harmony.

 O Father‑Mother Love,

   We triumph 'neath Thy rod,

 We glory in Thy light, and prove

   That Thou art God.

"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

II Corinthians 3:17 where

where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.