Service for Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014

Theme: Hungry

 Hymn 42 
 Jonathan Evans*

 Come, Thou all‑transforming Spirit,
   Bless the sower and the seed;
 Let each heart Thy grace inherit;
   Raise the weak, the hungry feed;
 From the Gospel, from the Gospel
   Now supply Thy people's need.

 O, may all enjoy the blessing
   Which Thy holy word doth give;
 Let us all, Thy love possessing,
   Joyfully Thy truth receive;
 And forever, and forever
   To Thy praise and glory live.

Readings from the Bible.

Psalms 37:3‑7 (to :)
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.  Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:

Psalms 107:1‑9,20,21,35‑38,43
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.  Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.  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. 

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! 

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.  And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.  He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. 

Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Psalms 146:5‑10
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous: The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.  The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.

Isaiah 49:8‑10
Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves.  They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.  They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

Isaiah 58:6‑11
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?  #Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.  Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Matthew 5:1‑18 seeing
seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.  #Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  #Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

John 6:26‑35 Verily
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

II Corinthians 9:9,10
(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

Revelation 7:9‑17 I beheld
 I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes?  and whence came they?  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

2:1
  What are the motives for prayer?  Do we pray to make ourselves better or to benefit those who hear us, to enlighten the infinite or to be heard of men?  Are we benefited by praying?  Yes, the desire which goes forth hungering after righteousness is blessed of our Father, and it does not return unto us void. 

16:24‑15
  Here let me give what I understand to be the spiritual sense of the Lord's Prayer:

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 to‑day; 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. 

32:28‑12
  The Passover, which Jesus ate with his disciples in the month Nisan on the night before his crucifixion, was a mournful occasion, a sad supper taken at the close of day, in the twilight of a glorious career with shadows fast falling around; and this supper closed forever Jesus' ritualism or concessions to matter. 
  His followers, sorrowful and silent, anticipating the hour of their Master's betrayal, partook of the heavenly manna, which of old had fed in the wilderness the persecuted followers of Truth.  Their bread indeed came down from heaven.  It was the great truth of spiritual being, healing the sick and casting out error.  Their Master had explained it all before, and now this bread was feeding and sustaining them.  They had borne this bread from house to house, breaking (explaining) it to others, and now it comforted themselves. 

220:26‑28 np
  The belief that either fasting or feasting makes men better morally or physically is one of the fruits of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," concerning which God said, "Thou shalt not eat of it."  Mortal mind forms all conditions of the mortal body, and controls the stomach, bones, lungs, heart, blood, etc., as directly as the volition or will moves the hand. 
  I knew a person who when quite a child adopted the Graham system to cure dyspepsia.  For many years, he ate only bread and vegetables, and drank nothing but water.  His dyspepsia increasing, he decided that his diet should be more rigid, and thereafter he partook of but one meal in twenty‑four hours, this meal consisting of only a thin slice of bread without water.  His physician also recommended that he should not wet his parched throat until three hours after eating.  He passed many weary years in hunger and weakness, almost in starvation, and finally made up his mind to die, having exhausted the skill of the doctors, who kindly informed him that death was indeed his only alternative.  At this point Christian Science saved him, and he is now in perfect health without a vestige of the old complaint. 
  He learned that suffering and disease were the self‑imposed beliefs of mortals, and not the facts of being; that God never decreed disease,‑‑never ordained a law that fasting should be a means of health.  Hence semi‑starvation is not acceptable to wisdom, and it is equally far from Science, in which being is sustained by God, Mind.  These truths, opening his eyes, relieved his stomach, and he ate without suffering, "giving God thanks;" but he never enjoyed his food as he had imagined he would when, still the slave of matter, he thought of the flesh‑pots of Egypt, feeling childhood's hunger and undisciplined by self‑denial and divine Science. 

232:16
  In our age Christianity is again demonstrating the power of divine Principle, as it did over nineteen hundred years ago, by healing the sick and triumphing over death.  Jesus never taught that drugs, food, air, and exercise could make a man healthy, or that they could destroy human life; nor did he illustrate these errors by his practice.  He referred man's harmony to Mind, not to matter, and never tried to make of none effect the sentence of God, which sealed God's condemnation of sin, sickness, and death. 

234:1‑3 np
  Spiritual draughts heal, while material lotions interfere with truth, even as ritualism and creed hamper spirituality.  If we trust matter, we distrust Spirit. 
  Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love‑‑be it song, sermon, or Science‑‑blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ's table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty. 
  We should become more familiar with good than with evil, and guard against false beliefs as watchfully as we bar our doors against the approach of thieves and murderers.  We should love our enemies and help them on the basis of the Golden Rule; but avoid casting pearls before those who trample them under foot, thereby robbing both themselves and others. 
  If mortals would keep proper ward over mortal mind, the brood of evils which infest it would be cleared out.  We must begin with this so‑called mind and empty it of sin and sickness, or sin and sickness will never cease.  The present codes of human systems disappoint the weary searcher after a divine theology, adequate to the right education of human thought. 
  Sin and disease must be thought before they can be manifested.  You must control evil thoughts in the first instance, or they will control you in the second.  Jesus declared that to look with desire on forbidden objects was to break a moral precept.  He laid great stress on the action of the human mind, unseen to the senses. 
  Evil thoughts and aims reach no farther and do no more harm than one's belief permits.  Evil thoughts, lusts, and malicious purposes cannot go forth, like wandering pollen, from one human mind to another, finding unsuspected lodgment, if virtue and truth build a strong defence. 

388:12‑30
  Admit the common hypothesis that food is the nutriment of life, and there follows the necessity for another admission in the opposite direction,‑‑that food has power to destroy Life, God, through a deficiency or an excess, a quality or a quantity.  This is a specimen of the ambiguous nature of all material health‑theories.  They are self‑contradictory and self‑destructive, constituting a "kingdom divided against itself," which is "brought to desolation."  If food was prepared by Jesus for his disciples, it cannot destroy life. 
  The fact is, food does not affect the absolute Life of man, and this becomes self‑evident, when we learn that God is our Life.  Because sin and sickness are not qualities of Soul, or Life, we have hope in immortality; but it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop eating until we gain perfection and a clear comprehension of the living Spirit.  In that perfect day of understanding, we shall neither eat to live nor live to eat. 

442:16
  Neither animal magnetism nor hypnotism enters into the practice of Christian Science, in which truth cannot be reversed, but the reverse of error is true.  An improved belief cannot retrograde.  When Christ changes a belief of sin or of sickness into a better belief, then belief melts into spiritual understanding, and sin, disease, and death disappear.  Christ, Truth, gives mortals temporary food and clothing until the material, transformed with the ideal, disappears, and man is clothed and fed spiritually.  St. Paul says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:" Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  This truth is Christian Science.  

530:5
  In divine Science, man is sustained by God, the divine Principle of being.  The earth, at God's command, brings forth food for man's use.  Knowing this, Jesus once said, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink,"‑‑presuming not on the prerogative of his creator, but recognizing God, the Father and Mother of all, as able to feed and clothe man as He doth the lilies. 

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.r 

 Hymn 327
 Author Unknown 

 The God who made both heaven and earth
   And all that they contain
 Will never quit His steadfast truth
   Nor make His promise vain.

 The poor and all oppressed by wrong
   Are saved by His decree;
 He gives the hungry needful food
   And sets the captive free.

 By Him the blind receive their sight,
   By Him the fallen rise;
 With constant care, His tender love

   All human need supplies.

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