Theme: “Worthy”
Hymn 15
Based on the Danish of Bernhard S. Ingemann
As gold by fire is tested,
Its purity shown forth,
So cleansing fires of Truth may prove
To man his native worth.
And as a mirror shows us
A likeness clear and bright,
So God forever sees His child
Revealed in radiant light.
'Twas thus the loving Master
Saw man's perfection shine,
Beheld God's child forever pure
In radiance all divine.
Readings from the Bible
II Samuel 22:1‑4 David
David spake unto the Lord the
words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand
of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The Lord is my
rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I
trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my
refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be
praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Psalms 18:1‑6
I will love thee, O Lord, my
strength. The Lord is my rock, and my
fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my
buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the
Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the
floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented
me. In my distress I called upon the
Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry
came before him, even into his ears.
Matthew 8:5‑10
#And when Jesus was entered
into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying,
Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and
heal him. The centurion answered and
said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to
this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my
servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When
Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto
you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Luke 21:32,36
Verily I say unto you, This
generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Romans 8:1‑19
THERE is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was
weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. For they that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God. But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to
the flesh, to live after the flesh. For
if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. For ye have not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint‑heirs with Christ; if so be that
we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God.
Ephesians 4:1‑7
I therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith,
one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and
in you all. But unto every one of us is
given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Colossians 1:9‑13
For this cause we also, since
the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
II Thessalonians 1:2‑5
Grace unto you, and peace,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of
you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the
churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and
tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous
judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which
ye also suffer:
Hebrews 3:1‑6
Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also
Moses was faithful in all his house. For
this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath
builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but
he that built all things is God. And Moses
verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those
things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house;
whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the
hope firm unto the end.
Revelation 5:1‑9 (to :)
And I saw in the right hand
of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed
with seven seals. And I saw a strong
angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to
loose the seals thereof? And no man in
heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book,
neither to look thereon. And I wept
much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion
of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and
to loose the seven seals thereof. And I
beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth. And he came and took the book out
of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four
beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one
of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of
saints. And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy
3:4‑16 np
Who would stand before a blackboard, and pray
the principle of mathematics to solve the problem? The rule is already established, and it is
our task to work out the solution. Shall
we ask the divine Principle of all goodness to do His own work? His work is done, and we have only to avail
ourselves of God's rule in order to receive His blessing, which enables us to
work out our own salvation.
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.
How empty are our conceptions of Deity! We admit theoretically that God is good,
omnipotent, omnipresent, infinite, and then we try to give information to this
infinite Mind. We plead for unmerited
pardon and for a liberal outpouring of benefactions. Are we really grateful for the good already
received? Then we shall avail ourselves
of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more. Gratitude is much more than a verbal
expression of thanks. Action expresses
more gratitude than speech.
If we are ungrateful for Life, Truth, and
Love, and yet return thanks to God for all blessings, we are insincere and
incur the sharp censure our Master pronounces on hypocrites. In such a case, the only acceptable prayer is
to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings. While the heart is far from divine Truth and
Love, we cannot conceal the ingratitude of barren lives.
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.
28:9‑31
While respecting all that is good in the
Church or out of it, one's consecration to Christ is more on the ground of
demonstration than of profession. In
conscience, we cannot hold to beliefs outgrown; and by understanding more of
the divine Principle of the deathless Christ, we are enabled to heal the sick
and to triumph over sin.
Neither the origin, the character, nor the
work of Jesus was generally understood.
Not a single component part of his nature did the material world measure
aright. Even his righteousness and
purity did not hinder men from saying: He is a glutton and a friend of the
impure, and Beelzebub is his patron.
Remember, thou Christian martyr, it is enough
if thou art found worthy to unloose the sandals of thy Master's feet! To suppose that persecution for
righteousness' sake belongs to the past, and that Christianity to‑day is at
peace with the world because it is honored by sects and societies, is to
mistake the very nature of religion.
Error repeats itself. The trials
encountered by prophet, disciple, and apostle, "of whom the world was not
worthy," await, in some form, every pioneer of truth.
134:14‑10
Man‑made doctrines are waning. They have not waxed strong in times of
trouble. Devoid of the Christ‑power, how
can they illustrate the doctrines of Christ or the miracles of grace? Denial of the possibility of Christian
healing robs Christianity of the very element, which gave it divine force and
its astonishing and unequalled success in the first century.
The true Logos is demonstrably Christian
Science, the natural law of harmony which overcomes discord,‑‑not because this
Science is supernatural or preternatural, nor because it is an infraction of
divine law, but because it is the immutable law of God, good. Jesus said: "I knew that Thou hearest me
always;" and he raised Lazarus from the dead, stilled the tempest, healed
the sick, walked on the water. There is
divine authority for believing in the superiority of spiritual power over
material resistance.
A miracle fulfils God's law, but does not
violate that law. This fact at present
seems more mysterious than the miracle itself.
The Psalmist sang: "What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou
fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast
driven back? Ye mountains, that ye
skipped like rams, and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the
Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob." The miracle introduces no disorder, but
unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God's unchangeable
law. Spiritual evolution alone is worthy
of the exercise of divine power.
239:5,16
Take away wealth, fame, and social
organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get
clearer views of Principle. Break up
cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom,
and we get better views of humanity.
To ascertain our progress, we must learn
where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and obey as God. If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer,
and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and the spirit we
manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.
352:5‑32
Our Master declared that his material body
was not spirit, evidently considering it a mortal and material belief of flesh
and bones, whereas the Jews took a diametrically opposite view. To Jesus, not materiality, but spirituality,
was the reality of man's existence, while to the rabbis the spiritual was the
intangible and uncertain, if not the unreal.
Would a mother say to her child, who is
frightened at imaginary ghosts and sick in consequence of the fear: "I
know that ghosts are real. They exist,
and are to be feared; but you must not be afraid of them"?
Children, like adults, ought to fear a reality which can harm them and which they do not
understand, for at any moment they may become its helpless victims; but instead
of increasing children's fears by declaring ghosts to be real, merciless, and
powerful, thus watering the very roots of childish timidity, children should be
assured that their fears are groundless, that ghosts are not realities, but
traditional beliefs, erroneous and man‑made.
In short, children should be told not to
believe in ghosts, because there are no such things. If belief in their reality is destroyed,
terror of ghosts will depart and health be restored. The objects of alarm will then vanish into
nothingness, no longer seeming worthy of fear or honor. To accomplish a good result, it is certainly
not irrational to tell the truth about ghosts.
525:12‑29
The following translation is from the
Icelandic: –
And God said, Let us make man after our mind
and our likeness; and God shaped man after His mind; after God's mind shaped He
him; and He shaped them male and female.
In the Gospel of John, it is declared that
all things were made through the Word of God, "and without Him [the logos, or word] was not anything made that was made." Everything good or worthy, God made. Whatever is valueless or baneful, He did not
make,‑‑hence its unreality. In the
Science of Genesis we read that He saw everything which He had made, "and,
behold, it was very good." The
corporeal senses declare otherwise; and if we give the same heed to the history
of error as to the records of truth, the Scriptural record of sin and death
favors the false conclusion of the material senses. Sin, sickness, and death must be deemed as
devoid of reality as they are of good, God.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 204
Based on the Swedish of Lina Sandell Berg
O Father, Thy kingdom is come upon earth,
Thou rulest in all Thy creation;
Thou sendest Thy witnesses, telling Thy worth,
To call and entreat every nation,
With news of Thy mighty salvation.
They lift up a light amid shadows of fear,
And Love is Thy banner above them;
No trouble shall touch them, no foes that
appear
Shall e'er from their loyalty move them;
'Tis Thou dost uphold and approve them.
They go in Thy strength, and they speak in Thy
name,
With power of Thy promise forth faring,
And during the battle the victory claim,‑‑
Their trust in Thy truth is their daring,
Salvation to all men declaring.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 176
Based on the Danish of Nikolaj F. S. Grundtvig
Long hast thou stood, O church of God,
Long mid the tempest's assailing,
Founded secure on timeless rock
Rises thy light, never failing;
Shining that all may understand
What has been wrought by God's command,
O'er night and chaos prevailing.
Let there be light, and light was there,
Clear as the Word that declared it;
Healing and peace to all it gave,
Who in humility shared it.
Ah, they were faithful, they who heard,
Steadfast their trust in God's great Word,
Steadfast the Love that prepared it.
Let there be light, the Word shines forth,
Lo, where the new morning whitens;
O church of God, with Book unsealed,
How its page beacons and brightens.
Living stones we, each in his place,
May we be worthy such a grace,
While Truth the wide earth enlightens.
