Service for Sunday, April 27, 2014

Subject: Probation After Death

 Hymn 236 
 Irving C. Tomlinson

 O peace of the world, O hope in each breast,
 O Bethlehem star that ages have blest,
 A day of fresh promise breaks over the land,
 Gaunt warfare is doomed, and God's kingdom at hand!

 From cannon and sword shape tillers of soil,
 No more let dire hate man's spirit despoil,
 Let Truth be proclaimed, let God's love be retold,
 That men of good will may their brethren uphold.

 As stars in their courses never contend,
 As blossoms their hues in harmony blend,
 As bird voices mingle in joyful refrain,
 So God's loving children in concord remain.

 Our God is one Mind, the Mind we adore;
 Ineffable joy His love doth outpour;
 Let nations be one in a union of love,
 God's bountiful peace, all earth's treasures above.

The scriptural selections are from Psalms.

Psalms 23:1‑6
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalms 107:8‑10,13,14,20,21,31,32
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.  Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

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 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.

Solo: “Awake Thou That Sleepest”               

Explanatory Note
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 150 

 William P. McKenzie

 In mercy, in goodness, how great is our King;
 Our tribute, thanksgiving, with glad hearts we bring.
 Thou art the Renewer, the Ancient of Days,
 Who givest, for mourning, the garment of praise.

 We thank Thee for work in the wide harvest field,
 For gladness that ripens when sorrow is healed;
 Made strong with Thy goodness that meets every need,
 We gather the fruit of the Sower's good seed.

 Dear Father and Saviour, we thank Thee for life,
 And courage that rises undaunted by strife,
 For confident giving and giving's reward,
 For beauty and love in the life of our Lord.

"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
Galatians 5:22 the,23

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

No comments: