Theme: Patience
Hymn 6
William H. Burleigh – Adapted
Abide not in the realm of dreams,
O man, however fair it seems;
But with clear eye the present scan,
And hear the call of God and man.
Think not in sleep to fold thy hands,
Forgetful of thy Lord's commands:
From duty's claims no life is free,
Behold, today hath need of thee.
The present hour allots thy task,
For present strength and patience ask;
And trust His love whose sure supply
Meets all thy need abundantly.
Readings from the Bible.
Luke 8:4‑15 (when)
#when much people were gathered
together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A
sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and
it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it
was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns
sprang up with it, and choked it. And
other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And
when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear.
#And his disciples asked him,
saying, What might this parable be? And
he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but
to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might
not understand. Now the parable is this:
The seed is the word of God. Those by
the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the
word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they
hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while
believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard,
go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and
bring no fruit to perfection. But that
on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the
word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Romans 5:1‑4 being (to ;)
being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of
God. And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience,
experience;
Romans 15:4‑6 whatsoever
whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one
toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one
mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 1:1‑5 Grace
(to ;)
Grace be unto you, and peace,
from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our
prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our
Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word
only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance;
I Timothy 6:6‑11 godliness
godliness with contentment is
great gain. For we brought nothing into
this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be
therewith content. But they that will be
rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee
these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.
Hebrews 10:35‑37
Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye
have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall
come will come, and will not tarry.
Hebrews 12:1,2,5‑7 My (to ;)
Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience
the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the
Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you
as with sons;
James 1:2‑6 (to 1st .)
My brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your
faith worketh patience. But let patience
have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him. But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering.
James 5:7‑11
Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and
hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for
the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold,
the judge standeth before the door.
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the
Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye
have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the
Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
II Peter 1:2‑8
Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and
virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that
by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to
virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and
to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity. For if these things be
in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2:1‑3
Unto the angel of the church
of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his
right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know
thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them
which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are
not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my
name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the
Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
3:12
The Divine Being must be reflected by man,‑‑else
man is not the image and likeness of the patient, tender, and true, the One
"altogether lovely;" but to understand God is the work of eternity,
and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire.
4:3, 12-26
What we most need is the prayer of fervent
desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good
deeds. To keep the commandments of our
Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy
evidence of our gratitude for all that he has done. Outward worship is not of itself sufficient
to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: "If ye love
me, keep my commandments."
The habitual struggle to be always good is
unceasing prayer. Its motives are made
manifest in the blessings they bring,‑‑blessings which, even if not
acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of
Love.
Simply asking that we may love God will never
make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily
watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will
mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the Science of Christianity through
demonstration of the divine nature; but in this wicked world goodness will
"be evil spoken of," and patience must bring experience.
20:14‑32
Jesus bore our infirmities; he knew the error
of mortal belief, and "with his stripes [the rejection of error] we are
healed." "Despised and
rejected of men," returning blessing for cursing, he taught mortals the
opposite of themselves, even the nature of God; and when error felt the power
of Truth, the scourge and the cross awaited the great Teacher. Yet he swerved not, well knowing that to obey
the divine order and trust God, saves retracing and traversing anew the path
from sin to holiness.
Material belief is slow to acknowledge what
the spiritual fact implies. The truth is
the centre of all religion. It commands
sure entrance into the realm of Love.
St. Paul wrote, "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us;" that is, let us put aside material self and sense, and seek
the divine Principle and Science of all healing.
253:32
The divine demand, "Be ye therefore
perfect," is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are
indispensable. Individuals are
consistent who, watching and praying, can "run, and not be weary; . .
. walk, and not faint," who gain
good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to
discouragement. God requires perfection,
but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory
won. To stop eating, drinking, or being
clothed materially before the spiritual facts of existence are gained step by
step, is not legitimate. When we wait
patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs our path. Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of
spiritual perfection slowly; but to ^begin^ aright and to continue the strife
of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much.
365:15‑2
If the Scientist reaches his patient through
divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the
disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning
sunshine. If the Scientist has enough
Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Magdalen
gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and
deal with his patients compassionately; and the result will correspond with the
spiritual intent.
If hypocrisy, stolidity, inhumanity, or vice
finds its way into the chambers of disease through the would‑be healer, it
would, if it were possible, convert into a den of thieves the temple of the
Holy Ghost,‑‑the patient's spiritual power to resuscitate himself. The unchristian practitioner is not giving to
mind or body the joy and strength of Truth.
The poor suffering heart needs its rightful nutriment, such as peace,
patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of the dear Father's loving‑kindness.
366:30
If we would open their prison doors for the
sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken‑hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not
hide the talent of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form, nor bury the
morale of Christian Science in the
grave‑clothes of its letter. The tender
word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears
and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories,
stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so
many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love.
454:14
He, who understands in a sufficient degree
the Principle of Mind‑healing, points out to his student error as well as
truth, the wrong as well as the right practice.
Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and
teaching. Love inspires, illumines,
designates, and leads the way. Right
motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and
action. Love is priestess at the altar
of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love
to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must "have her perfect
work."
514:26‑10
Understanding the control which Love held
over all, Daniel felt safe in the lions' den, and Paul proved the viper to be
harmless. All of God's creatures, moving
in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible. A realization of this grand verity was a
source of strength to the ancient worthies.
It supports Christian healing, and enables its possessor to emulate the
example of Jesus. "And God saw that
it was good."
Patience is symbolized by the tireless worm,
creeping over lofty summits, persevering in its intent. The serpent of God's creating is neither
subtle nor poisonous, but is a wise idea, charming in its adroitness, for
Love's ideas are subject to the Mind which forms them,‑‑the power which
changeth the serpent into a staff.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 85
Edith Gaddis Brewer
God of Truth, eternal good,
Lift our hearts to revelation,
That Thou mayst be understood,
Thou, the Rock of our salvation;
All Thy love we have for loving,
All Thy truth is ours for proving.
Open now our eyes to see,
As the clouds of sense are riven,
We behold reality,
Know the glory of Thy heaven;
So we seek Thy perfect healing
Through the Truth of Thy revealing.
All the way that we must go
We will take at Thy direction,
Where the floods of trouble flow
Find Thy perfect, calm reflection;
On the path that has no turning,
Patience, courage, meekness learning.
Sharing of experiences,
testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 234
Washington Gladden*
O Master, let me walk with thee
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me thy secret; help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.
Help me the slow of heart to move
By some clear winning word of love;
Teach me the wayward feet to stay,
And guide them in the homeward way.
Teach me thy patience; still with thee
In closer, dearer company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong.
In hope that sends a shining ray
Far down the future's broadening way;
In peace that God alone can give,
With thee, O Master, let me live.
