Service for Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014

Subject: God the Only Cause and Creator

 Hymn 168 

 10th Century – Richard Mant, Tr. – Adapted

 Let all the earth with songs rejoice;

 Let heaven return the joyful voice;

 All mindful of our God's great name,

 Let every man His praise proclaim.

 Ye servants who once bore the light

 Of Gospel truth o'er darkest night,

 Still may our work that light impart,

 To glad the eyes and cheer the heart.

 O God, by whom to them was given

 The key that shuts and opens heaven,

 Our chains unbind, our loss repair,

 Reveal Thy power through answered prayer.

 For at Thy will they preached the Word

 Which cured disease, which health conferred:

 And now, that healing power once more

 Our peace and health to us restore.

The scriptural selection is from I Chronicles.

I Chronicles 16:7‑12 David,23‑34

 David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.  Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.  Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.  Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.  Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.  Declare his glory among the heathen: his marvellous works among all nations.  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.  Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.  Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.  Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth.  O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

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 342 

 Laura Lee Randall

 This is the day the Lord hath made;

   Be glad, give thanks, rejoice;

 Stand in His presence, unafraid,

   In praise lift up your voice.

 All perfect gifts are from above,

   And all our blessings show

 The amplitude of God's dear love

   Which every heart may know.

 The Lord will hear before we call,

   And every need supply;

 Good things are freely given to all

   Who on His word rely.

 We come today to bring Him praise

   Not for such gifts alone,

 But for the higher, deeper ways

   In which His love is shown.

For sin destroyed, for sorrow healed,

   For health and peace restored;

 For Life and Love by Truth revealed,

   We thank and bless the Lord.

 This is the day the Lord hath made,

   In praise lift up your voice.

 In shining robes of joy arrayed,

   Be glad, give thanks, rejoice.

This being the first Sunday of the month, Article VIII , Section 1, is read from the Manual of The Mother Church:

A Rule for Motives and Acts.

Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church.  In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness.  The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.

 

 

 Solo: “Bless the Lord, O My Soul”

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 374

 John Randall Dunn 

 We thank Thee and we bless Thee,

   O Father of us all,

 That e'en before we ask Thee

   Thou hear'st Thy children's call.

 We praise Thee for Thy goodness

   And tender, constant care,

 We thank Thee, Father‑Mother,

   That Thou hast heard our prayer.

 We thank Thee and we bless Thee,

   O Lord of all above,

 That now Thy children know Thee

   As everlasting Love.

 And Love is not the author

   Of discord, pain and fear;

 O Love divine, we thank Thee

   That good alone is here.

 We thank Thee, Father‑Mother,

   For blessings, light and grace

 Which bid mankind to waken

   And see Thee face to face.

 We thank Thee, when in anguish

   We turn from sense to Soul,

 That we may hear Thee calling:

   Rejoice, for thou art whole.

"

"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 5:11 let,12

let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.  For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.