Theme: Hearken
Hymn 175
Violet Hay
Lo, He sent His Word and healed them,
Still that Word of God is here.
Still its tender healing message
Speaks to every listening ear.
Truth divine, that overcometh
All the ills that seem to be,
In our hearts Thy Word abiding,
We may know Thee and be free.
Love divine, that faileth never,
Still Thy presence and Thy power
Mighty are to save and heal us,
Guard and guide us every hour.
Life divine, Thy Word proclaimeth
All true being one with Thee.
Sinless, fearless, whole, rejoicing,
Now and through eternity.
Readings from the Bible.
Deuteronomy 4:1 hearken
hearken, O Israel, unto the
statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may
live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth
you.
Deuteronomy 7:9,12 it,13
Know therefore that the Lord
thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with
them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these
judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee
the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love
thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy
womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the
increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware
unto thy fathers to give thee.
Deuteronomy 11:13‑15
#And it shall come to pass,
if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this
day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with
all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season,
the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and
thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send
grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
Psalms 34:11‑15,18,19,22
Come, ye children, hearken
unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see
good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy
lips from speaking guile. Depart from
evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto
their cry.
The Lord is nigh unto them
that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
The Lord redeemeth the soul
of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Psalms 103:1‑22
Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who
forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy
life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender
mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is
renewed like the eagle's. The Lord
executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts
unto the children of Israel.
The Lord is
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he
keep his anger for ever. He hath not
dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so
great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us. Like as a father
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that
we are dust.
As for man, his days are as
grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over
it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting
to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's
children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his
commandments to do them. The Lord hath
prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in
strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye
ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the
Lord, O my soul.
Proverbs 8:32‑35
Now therefore hearken unto
me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it
not. Blessed is the man that heareth me,
watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall
obtain favour of the Lord.
Isaiah 28:23
#Give ye ear, and hear my
voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
Isaiah 51:1‑7,9‑11
Hearken to me, ye that follow
after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are
hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah
that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will
comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and
her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found
therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
#Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a
law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of
the people. My righteousness is near; my
salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall
wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for
the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a
garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation
shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. #Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither
be ye afraid of their revilings.
#Awake, awake, put on
strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations
of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the
waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the
ransomed to pass over? Therefore the
redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and
everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy;
and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
8:28
We should examine ourselves and learn what is
the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what
we honestly are. If a friend informs us
of a fault, do we listen patiently to the rebuke and credit what is said? Do we not rather give thanks that we are
"not as other men"? During
many years the author has been most grateful for merited rebuke. The wrong lies in unmerited censure,‑‑in the
falsehood which does no one any good.
232:26
In the sacred sanctuary of Truth are voices
of solemn import, but we heed them not.
It is only when the so‑called pleasures and pains of sense pass away in
our lives, that we find unquestionable signs of the burial of error and the
resurrection to spiritual life.
298:25‑17
Angels are not etherealized human beings,
evolving animal qualities in their wings; but they are celestial visitants,
flying on spiritual, not material, pinions.
Angels are pure thoughts from God, winged with Truth and Love, no matter
what their individualism may be. Human
conjecture confers upon angels its own forms of thought, marked with
superstitious outlines, making them human creatures with suggestive feathers;
but this is only fancy. It has behind it
no more reality than has the sculptor's thought when he carves his "Statue
of Liberty," which embodies his conception of an unseen quality or
condition, but which has no physical antecedent reality save in the artist's
own observation and "chambers of imagery."
My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at
the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest
earthly hopes. With white fingers they
point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its
joys. Angels are God's
representatives. These upward‑soaring
beings never lead towards self, sin, or materiality, but guide to the divine Principle
of all good, whither every real individuality, image, or likeness of God,
gathers. By giving earnest heed to these
spiritual guides they tarry with us, and we entertain "angels
unawares."
321:6‑13 np
The Hebrew Lawgiver, slow of speech,
despaired of making the people understand what should be revealed to him. When, led by wisdom to cast down his rod, he
saw it become a serpent, Moses fled before it; but wisdom bade him come back
and handle the serpent, and then Moses' fear departed. In this incident was seen the actuality of
Science. Matter was shown to be a belief
only. The serpent, evil, under wisdom's
bidding, was destroyed through understanding divine Science, and this proof was
a staff upon which to lean. The illusion
of Moses lost its power to alarm him, when he discovered that what he
apparently saw was really but a phase of mortal belief.
It was scientifically demonstrated that
leprosy was a creation of mortal mind and not a condition of matter, when Moses
first put his hand into his bosom and drew it forth white as snow with the
dread disease, and presently restored his hand to its natural condition by the
same simple process. God had lessened
Moses' fear by this proof in divine Science, and the inward voice became to him
the voice of God, which said: "It shall come to pass, if they will not
believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will
believe the voice of the latter sign."
And so it was in the coming centuries, when the Science of being was demonstrated
by Jesus, who showed his students the power of Mind by changing water into
wine, and taught them how to handle serpents unharmed, to heal the sick and
cast out evils in proof of the supremacy of Mind.
When understanding changes the standpoints of
life and intelligence from a material to a spiritual basis, we shall gain the
reality of Life, the control of Soul over sense, and we shall perceive
Christianity, or Truth, in its divine Principle. This must be the climax before harmonious and
immortal man is obtained and his capabilities revealed. It is highly important‑‑in view of the
immense work to be accomplished before this recognition of divine Science can
come‑‑to turn our thoughts towards divine Principle, that finite belief may be
prepared to relinquish its error.
323:28
The effects of Christian Science are not so
much seen as felt. It is the
"still, small voice" of Truth uttering itself. We are either turning away from this
utterance, or we are listening to it and going up higher. Willingness to become as a little child and
to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced
idea. Gladness to leave the false
landmarks and joy to see them disappear,‑‑this disposition helps to precipitate
the ultimate harmony. The purification
of sense and self is a proof of progress.
"Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God."
409:27
We have no right to say that life depends on
matter now, but will not depend on it after death. We cannot spend our days here in ignorance of
the Science of Life, and expect to find beyond the grave a reward for this
ignorance. Death will not make us
harmonious and immortal as a recompense for ignorance. If here we give no heed to Christian Science,
which is spiritual and eternal, we shall not be ready for spiritual Life
hereafter.
462:13
Whoever would demonstrate the
healing of Christian Science must abide strictly by its rules, heed every
statement, and advance from the rudiments laid down. There is nothing difficult nor toilsome in
this task, when the way is pointed out; but self‑denial, sincerity,
Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every
department of life.
495:25‑19
Question.‑‑How
can I progress most rapidly in the understanding of Christian Science?
Answer.‑‑Study
thoroughly the letter and imbibe the spirit.
Adhere to the divine Principle of Christian Science and follow the
behests of God, abiding steadfastly in wisdom, Truth, and Love. In the Science of Mind, you will soon
ascertain that error cannot destroy error.
You will also learn that in Science there is no transfer of evil
suggestions from one mortal to another, for there is but one Mind, and this
ever‑present omnipotent Mind is reflected by man and governs the entire
universe. You will learn that in
Christian Science the first duty is to obey God, to have one Mind, and to love
another as yourself.
We all must learn that Life is God. Ask yourself: Am I living the life that
approaches the supreme good? Am I
demonstrating the healing power of Truth and Love? If so, then the way will grow brighter
"unto the perfect day." Your
fruits will prove what the understanding of God brings to man. Hold perpetually this thought,‑‑that it is
the spiritual idea, the Holy Ghost and Christ, which enables you to
demonstrate, with scientific certainty, the rule of healing, based upon its
divine Principle, Love, underlying, overlying, and encompassing all true being.
570:14‑21 np
Millions of unprejudiced minds‑‑simple
seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert‑‑are waiting and
watching for rest and drink. Give them a
cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences. What if the old dragon should send forth a
new flood to drown the Christ‑idea? He
can neither drown your voice with its roar, nor again sink the world into the
deep waters of chaos and old night. In
this age the earth will help the woman; the spiritual idea will be
understood. Those ready for the blessing
you impart will give thanks. The waters
will be pacified, and Christ will command the wave.
When God heals the sick or the sinning, they
should know the great benefit which Mind has wrought. They should also know the great delusion of
mortal mind, when it makes them sick or sinful.
Many are willing to open the eyes of the people to the power of good
resident in divine Mind, but they are not so willing to point out the evil in
human thought, and expose evil's hidden mental ways of accomplishing iniquity.
Why this backwardness, since exposure is
necessary to ensure the avoidance of the evil?
Because people like you better when you tell them their virtues than
when you tell them their vices. It re‑quires
the spirit of our blessed Master to tell a man his faults, and so risk human
displeasure for the sake of doing right and benefiting our race. Who is telling mankind of the foe in ambush? Is the informer one who sees the foe? If so, listen and be wise. Escape from evil, and designate those as unfaithful
stewards who have seen the danger and yet have given no warning.
At all times and under all circumstances,
overcome evil with good. Know thyself,
and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred
cannot reach you. The cement of a higher
humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 304
"Feed My Sheep" – Mary Baker Eddy
Shepherd, show me how to go
O'er the hillside steep,
How to gather, how to sow,‑‑
How to feed Thy sheep;
I will listen for Thy voice,
Lest my footsteps stray;
I will follow and rejoice
All the rugged way.
Thou wilt bind the stubborn will,
Wound the callous breast,
Make self‑righteousness be still,
Break earth's stupid rest.
Strangers on a barren shore,
Lab'ring long and lone,
We would enter by the door,
And Thou know'st Thine own;
So, when day grows dark and cold,
Tear or triumph harms,
Lead Thy lambkins to the fold,
Take them in Thine arms;
Feed the hungry, heal the heart,
Till the morning's beam;
White as wool, ere they depart,
Shepherd, wash them clean.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 237
Fay Linn
O may we be still and seek Him,
Seek with consecration whole,
Listening thus to hear the message,
Far from sense and hid in Soul.
He hath promised we shall find Him,
Love divine its promise keeps;
God is watching with the watchful,
God is Life that never sleeps.
If we pray to Him in secret,
Lift to Him the heart's desire,
We shall find our earthly longings
All made pure by Love's pure fire.
Then upon the precious metal
God's own image will appear,
Faithfully to Him reflected,
One with Him forever near.
