Theme: Rejoice
Hymn 10
Frederic W. Root – Based on hymn by Martin
Luther
All power is given unto our Lord,
On Him we place reliance;
With truth from out His sacred word
We bid our foes defiance.
With Him we shall prevail,
Whatever may assail;
He is our shield and tower,
Almighty is His power;
His kingdom is forever.
Rejoice, ye people, praise His name,
His care doth e'er surround us.
His love to error's thralldom came,
And from its chains unbound us.
Our Lord is God alone,
No other power we own;
No
other voice we heed,
No other help we need;
His kingdom is forever.
O then give thanks to God on high,
Who life to all is giving;
The hosts of death before Him fly,
In Him we all are living.
Then let us know no fear,
Our King is ever near;
Our stay and fortress strong,
Our strength, our hope, our song;
His kingdom is forever.
Readings from the Bible.
Deuteronomy 12:1,5 unto,7,10‑12
(to ;),17,18
These are the statutes and
judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of thy
fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the
earth.
unto the place which the Lord your God shall
choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation
shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
And there ye shall eat before
the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye
and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.
But when ye go over Jordan,
and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when
he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in
safety; Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to
cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you;
your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering
of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord: And ye shall
rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and
your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your
gates;
#Thou mayest not eat within
thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the
firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest,
nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: But thou must eat
them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose,
thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant,
and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord
thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
I Chronicles 16:8‑12,27‑34
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;
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.
Psalms 5:8,11,12
Lead me, O Lord, in thy
righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my
face.
But 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.
Psalms 9:1,2,4,7‑11
I will praise thee, O Lord,
with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will
sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
For thou hast maintained my
right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
But the Lord shall endure for
ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister
judgment to the people in uprightness.
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of
trouble. And they that know thy name
will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek
thee. Sing praises to the Lord, which
dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
Psalms 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in
thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in
adversities;
Psalms 33:1‑12
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye
righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with
the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all
his works are done in truth. He loveth
righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens
made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together
as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen
to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: and the people whom he hath
chosen for his own inheritance.
Psalms 63:1‑7
O God, thou art my God; early
will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a
dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as
I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise
thee. Thus will I bless thee while I
live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth
shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and
meditate on thee in the night watches.
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings
will I rejoice.
Psalms 70:1,4
Make haste, O God, to deliver
me; make haste to help me, O Lord.
Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say
continually, Let God be magnified.
Psalms 86:1‑5
Bow down thine ear, O Lord,
hear me: for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that
trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O
Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice
the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to
forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Psalms 105:1‑5
O 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 evermore. Remember his marvellous
works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Isaiah 61:10,11
I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the
garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with
her jewels. For as the earth bringeth
forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to
spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring
forth before all the nations.
Joel 2:21‑26
#Fear not, O land; be glad
and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the
wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine
do yield their strength. Be glad then,
ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you
the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain,
the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and
the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the
cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent
among you. And ye shall eat in plenty,
and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt
wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Philippians 3:1 (to 1st .)
Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
15:14‑30
In order to pray aright, we must enter into
the closet and shut the door. We must
close the lips and silence the material senses.
In the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings, we must deny sin and plead
God's allness. We must resolve to take
up the cross, and go forth with honest hearts to work and watch for wisdom,
Truth, and Love. We must "pray
without ceasing." Such prayer is
answered, in so far as we put our desires into practice. The Master's injunction is, that we pray in
secret and let our lives attest our sincerity.
Christians rejoice in secret beauty and
bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God. Self‑forgetfulness, purity, and affection are
constant prayers. Practice not
profession, understanding not belief, gain the ear and right hand of
omnipotence and they assuredly call down infinite blessings.
22:11‑29
"Work out your own salvation," is
the demand of Life and Love, for to this end God worketh with you. "Occupy till I come!" Wait for your reward, and "be not weary
in well doing." If your endeavors
are beset by fearful odds, and you receive no present reward, go not back to
error, nor become a sluggard in the race.
When the smoke of battle clears away, you
will discern the good you have done, and receive according to your
deserving. Love is not hasty to deliver
us from temptation, for Love means that we shall be tried and purified.
Final deliverance from error, whereby we
rejoice in immortality, boundless freedom, and sinless sense, is not reached
through paths of flowers nor by pinning one's faith without works to another's
vicarious effort. Whosoever believeth
that wrath is righteous or that divinity is appeased by human suffering, does
not understand God.
28:32
There is too much animal courage in society
and not sufficient moral courage.
Christians must take up arms against error at home and abroad. They must grapple with sin in themselves and
in others, and continue this warfare until they have finished their
course. If they keep the faith, they
will have the crown of rejoicing.
34:29
What a contrast between our Lord's last
supper and his last spiritual breakfast with his disciples in the bright
morning hours at the joyful meeting on the shore of the Galilean Sea! His gloom had passed into glory, and his
disciples' grief into repentance,‑‑hearts chastened and pride rebuked. Convinced of the fruitlessness of their toil
in the dark and wakened by their Master's voice, they changed their methods,
turned away from material things, and cast their net on the right side. Discerning Christ, Truth, anew on the shore
of time, they were enabled to rise somewhat from mortal sensuousness, or the
burial of mind in matter, into newness of life as Spirit.
140:4‑22
That God is a corporeal being, nobody can
truly affirm. The Bible represents Him
as saying: "Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and
live." Not materially but
spiritually we know Him as divine Mind, as Life, Truth, and Love. We shall obey and adore in proportion as we
apprehend the divine nature and love Him understandingly, warring no more over
the corporeality, but rejoicing in the affluence of our God. Religion will then be of the heart and not of
the head. Mankind will no longer be
tyrannical and proscriptive from lack of love,‑‑straining out gnats and
swallowing camels.
We worship spiritually, only as we cease to
worship materially. Spiritual devoutness
is the soul of Christianity. Worshipping
through the medium of matter is paganism.
Judaic and other rituals are but types and shadows of true worship. "The true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth."
249:8‑19
Let us rejoice that we are
subject to the divine "powers that be." Such is the true Science of
being. Any other theory of Life, or God,
is delusive and mythological.
Mind is not the author of matter, and the
creator of ideas is not the creator of illusions. Either there is no omnipotence, or
omnipotence is the only power. God is
the infinite, and infinity never began, will never end, and includes nothing
unlike God. Whence then is soulless
matter?
Life is, like Christ, "the same
yesterday, and to‑day, and forever."
265:31
The pains of sense are salutary, if they
wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense
to Soul, where the creations of God are good, "rejoicing the heart." Such is the sword of Science, with which
Truth decapitates error, materiality giving place to man's higher individuality
and destiny.
342:21
Christian Science awakens the sinner,
reclaims the infidel, and raises from the couch of pain the helpless
invalid. It speaks to the dumb the words
of Truth, and they answer with rejoicing.
It causes the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. Who would be the first to disown the
Christliness of good works, when our Master says, "By their fruits ye
shall know them"?
354:26
Sin should become unreal to every one. It is in itself inconsistent, a divided
kingdom. Its supposed realism has no
divine authority, and I rejoice in the apprehension of this grand verity.
376:17‑5
If the body is material, it cannot, for that
very reason, suffer with a fever.
Because the so‑called material body is a mental concept and governed by
mortal mind, it manifests only what that so‑called mind expresses. Therefore the efficient remedy is to destroy
the patient's false belief by both silently and audibly arguing the true facts
in regard to harmonious being,‑‑representing man as healthy instead of
diseased, and showing that it is impossible for matter to suffer, to feel pain
or heat, to be thirsty or sick. Destroy
fear, and you end fever. Some people,
mistaught as to Mind‑science, inquire when it will be safe to check a
fever. Know that in Science you cannot
check a fever after admitting that it must have its course. To fear and admit the power of disease, is to
paralyze mental and scientific demonstration.
If your patient believes in taking cold,
mentally convince him that matter cannot take cold, and that thought governs
this liability. If grief causes
suffering, convince the sufferer that affliction is often the source of joy,
and that he should rejoice always in ever‑present Love.
561:32‑21
John the Baptist prophesied the coming of the
immaculate Jesus, and John saw in those days the spiritual idea as the Messiah,
who would baptize with the Holy Ghost,‑‑divine Science. As Elias presented the idea of the fatherhood
of God, which Jesus afterwards manifested, so the Revelator completed this
figure with woman, typifying the spiritual idea of God's motherhood. The moon is under her feet. This idea reveals the universe as secondary
and tributary to Spirit, from which the universe borrows its reflected light,
substance, life, and intelligence.
The spiritual idea is crowned with twelve
stars. The twelve tribes of Israel with
all mortals,‑‑separated by belief from man's divine origin and the true idea,‑‑will
through much tribulation yield to the activities of the divine Principle of man
in the harmony of Science. These are the
stars in the crown of rejoicing. They
are the lamps in the spiritual heavens of the age, which show the workings of
the spiritual idea by healing the sick and the sinning, and by manifesting the
light which shines "unto the perfect day" as the night of materialism
wanes.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 304
"Feed My Sheep" – with words by 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 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.
