Theme: Plenty
Hymn 169
John Henry Newman
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost
awhile.
Readings from the Bible.
Deuteronomy 28:1‑6 it,8‑12
it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken
diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his
commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee
on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on
thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy
God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city,
and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and
the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy
sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and
thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when
thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
The Lord shall command the
blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand
unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee. The Lord shall establish thee an
holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the
commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that
thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in
goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the
fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give
thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his
good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to
bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and
thou shalt not borrow.
Deuteronomy 30:9,10
And the Lord thy God will
make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and
in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the
Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: If
thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments
and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn
unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Job 37:23
Touching the Almighty, we
cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty
of justice: he will not afflict.
Psalms 86:15‑17 thou (to :)
thou, O Lord, art a God full
of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and
truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy
upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. Shew me a token for good; that they which
hate me may see it, and be ashamed:
Psalms 130:6,7
My soul waiteth for the Lord
more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for
the morning. Let Israel hope in the
Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
Proverbs 3:1‑26
My son, forget not my law;
but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life,
and peace, shall they add to thee. Let
not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the
table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the
sight of God and man. #Trust in the Lord
with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths. #Be not wise in thine
own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with
the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with
plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. #My son, despise not the chastening of the
Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he
correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. #Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and
the man that getteth understanding. For
the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain
thereof than fine gold. She is more precious
than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto
her. Length of days is in her right
hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold
upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by
understanding hath he established the heavens.
By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the
dew. #My son, let not them depart from
thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy
soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt
thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be
afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the
desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being
taken.
Joel 2:21‑24,26,27
#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 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. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of
Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall
never be ashamed.
II Corinthians 4:13‑18
We having the same spirit of
faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we
also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord
Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the
abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of
God. For which cause we faint not; but
though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen
are eternal.
II Corinthians 8:9‑15 ye
ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through
his poverty might be rich. And herein I
give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only
to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to
will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is
accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath
not. For I mean not that other men be
eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your
abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a
supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had
gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no
lack.
I Peter 1:3‑9
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of
gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye
love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your
souls.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
2:31
Asking God to be God is a vain repetition.
God is "the same yesterday, and to‑day, and forever;" and He
who is immutably right will do right without being reminded of His
province. The wisdom of man is not
sufficient to warrant him in advising God.
4:3‑26
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.
Simply asking that we may love God will never
make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily
watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will
mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the Science of Christianity through
demonstration of the divine nature; but in this wicked world goodness will
"be evil spoken of," and patience must bring experience.
15:25‑5
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. Trustworthiness is the foundation of
enlightened faith. Without a fitness for
holiness, we cannot receive holiness.
A great sacrifice of material things must
precede this advanced spiritual understanding.
The highest prayer is not one of faith merely; it is demonstration. Such prayer heals sickness, and must destroy
sin and death.
206:15
In the scientific relation of God to man, we
find that whatever blesses one blesses all, as Jesus showed with the loaves and
the fishes,‑‑Spirit, not matter, being the source of supply.
216:11‑18
The understanding that the Ego is Mind, and
that there is but one Mind or intelligence, begins at once to destroy the errors
of mortal sense and to supply the truth of immortal sense. This understanding makes the body harmonious;
it makes the nerves, bones, brain, etc., servants, instead of masters. If man is governed by the law of divine Mind,
his body is in submission to everlasting Life and Truth and Love.
323:6‑27
Through the wholesome chastisements of Love,
we are helped onward in the march towards righteousness, peace, and purity,
which are the landmarks of Science.
Beholding the infinite tasks of truth, we pause,‑‑wait on God. Then we push onward, until boundless thought
walks enraptured, and conception unconfined is winged to reach the divine
glory.
In order to apprehend more, we must put into
practice what we already know. We must
recollect that Truth is demonstrable when understood, and that good is not
understood until demonstrated. If
"faithful over a few things," we shall be made rulers over many; but
the one unused talent decays and is lost.
When the sick or the sinning awake to realize their need of what they
have not, they will be receptive of divine Science, which gravitates towards
Soul and away from material sense, removes thought from the body, and elevates
even mortal mind to the contemplation of something better than disease or sin. The true idea of God gives the true
understanding of Life and Love, robs the grave of victory, takes away all sin
and the delusion that there are other minds, and destroys mortality.
365:15
If the Scientist reaches his patient through
divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the
disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning
sunshine. If the Scientist has enough
Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Magdalen
gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and
deal with his patients compassionately; and the result will correspond with the
spiritual intent.
496:28‑27
Question.‑‑Have
Christian Scientists any religious creed?
Answer.‑‑They
have not, if by that term is meant doctrinal beliefs. The following is a brief exposition of the
important points, or religious tenets, of Christian Science:‑‑
1. As adherents of Truth, we take the
inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life.
2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and
infinite God. We acknowledge His Son,
one Christ; the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and man in God's image and
likeness.
3. We acknowledge God's forgiveness of sin in
the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as
unreal. But the belief in sin is
punished so long as the belief lasts.
4. We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the
evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's unity with God through
Christ Jesus the Way‑shower; and we acknowledge that man is saved through
Christ, through Truth, Life, and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet
in healing the sick and overcoming sin and death.
5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of
Jesus and his resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life,
even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.
6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray
for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as
we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.
519:25‑15
God rests in action. Imparting has not impoverished, can never
impoverish, the divine Mind. No
exhaustion follows the action of this Mind, according to the apprehension of
divine Science. The highest and sweetest
rest, even from a human standpoint, is in holy work.
Unfathomable Mind is expressed. The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty,
and glory of infinite Love fill all space.
That is enough! Human language
can repeat only an infinitesimal part of what exists. The absolute ideal, man, is no more seen nor
comprehended by mortals, than is his infinite Principle, Love. Principle and its idea, man, are coexistent
and eternal. The numerals of infinity,
called seven days, can never be
reckoned according to the calendar of time.
These days will appear as mortality disappears, and they will reveal
eternity, newness of Life, in which all sense of error forever disappears and
thought accepts the divine infinite calculus.
571:15
At all times and under all circumstances,
overcome evil with good. Know thyself,
and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred
cannot reach you. The cement of a higher
humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
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.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
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.
