Service for Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013

Subject: Mortals and Immortals

 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.

The scriptural selection is from Psalms.

Psalms 27:1‑14
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.  Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.  One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.  

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.  And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.  Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.  When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.  Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.  

Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

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 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.

Solo: “Satisfied” 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 136 
 Violet Hay

 I love Thy way of freedom, Lord,
   To serve Thee is my choice,
 In Thy clear light of Truth I rise
   And, listening for Thy voice,
 I hear Thy promise old and new,
   That bids all fear to cease:
 My presence still shall go with thee
   And I will give thee peace.

 Though storm or discord cross my path
   Thy power is still my stay,
 Though human will and woe would check
   My upward‑soaring way;
 All unafraid I wait, the while
   Thy angels bring release,
 For still Thy presence is with me,
   And Thou dost give me peace.

 I climb, with joy, the heights of Mind,
   To soar o'er time and space;
 I yet shall know as I am known
   And see Thee face to face.
 Till time and space and fear are naught
   My quest shall never cease,
 Thy presence ever goes with me
   And Thou dost give me peace.        

"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 89:15

Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.

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