Theme: Order
Hymn 213
Isaac Watts*
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for time to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for time to come,
Thou art our guard while ages last,
And our eternal home.
Readings from the Bible
Exodus 40:1‑9 the
the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of
the tent of the congregation. And thou
shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the
vail. And thou shalt bring in the table,
and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt
bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the
incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the
tabernacle. And thou shalt set the altar
of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the
congregation. And thou shalt set the
laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water
therein. And thou shalt set up the court
round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate. And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and
anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all
the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
Leviticus 24:1‑4
And the Lord spake unto
Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure
oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the
tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the
morning before the Lord continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your
generations. He shall order the lamps
upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually.
Job 33:4‑9
The Spirit of God hath made
me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. If thou canst answer me, set thy words in
order before me, stand up. Behold, I am
according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of
thy words, saying, I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is
there iniquity in me.
Psalms 40:1‑11,16
I waited patiently for the
Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit,
out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even
praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the
Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh
the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to
lies. Many, O Lord my God, are thy
wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us‑ward:
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of
them, they are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou
opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the
book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is
within my heart. I have preached
righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O
Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy
righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy
salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great
congregation. Withhold not thou thy
tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth
continually preserve me.
Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually,
The Lord be magnified.
Psalms 119:129‑135
Thy testimonies are
wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the
simple. I opened my mouth, and panted:
for I longed for thy commandments. Look
thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love
thy name. Order my steps in thy word:
and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and
teach me thy statutes.
Isaiah 44:6‑8
Thus saith the Lord the King
of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the
last; and beside me there is no God. And
who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since
I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come,
let them shew unto them. Fear ye not,
neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it?
ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I
know not any.
I Corinthians 14:40
Let all things be done
decently and in order.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.3:4
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.
11:21
Petitions bring to mortals only the results
of mortals' own faith. We know that a
desire for holiness is requisite in order to gain holiness; but if we desire
holiness above all else, we shall sacrifice everything for it. We must be willing to do this, that we may
walk securely in the only practical road to holiness. Prayer cannot change the unalterable Truth,
nor can prayer alone give us an understanding of Truth; but prayer, coupled
with a fervent habitual desire to know and do the will of God, will bring us
into all Truth. Such a desire has little
need of audible expression. It is best
expressed in thought and in life.
15:14
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.
58:5
Ill‑arranged notes produce discord. Tones of the human mind may be different, but
they should be concordant in order to blend properly. Unselfish ambition, noble life‑motives, and
purity,‑‑these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute individually and
collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence.
96:12‑4
This material world is even now becoming the
arena for conflicting forces. On one
side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science
and peace. The breaking up of material
beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and
death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the
end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth.
Mortal error will vanish in a moral
chemicalization. This mental
fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to
understanding. Belief is changeable, but
spiritual understanding is changeless.
As this consummation draws nearer, he who has
shaped his course in accordance with divine Science will endure to the
end. As material knowledge diminishes
and spiritual understanding increases, real objects will be apprehended
mentally instead of materially.
During this final conflict, wicked minds will
endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern
Christian Science will hold crime in check.
They will aid in the ejection of error.
They will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the certainty of
ultimate perfection.
118:26
The definitions of material law, as given by
natural science, represent a kingdom necessarily divided against itself,
because these definitions portray law as physical, not spiritual. Therefore they contradict the divine decrees
and violate the law of Love, in which nature and God are one and the natural
order of heaven comes down to earth.
123:16‑29
The term CHRISTIAN SCIENCE was introduced by
the author to designate the scientific system of divine healing.
The revelation consists of two parts:
1. The
discovery of this divine Science of Mind‑healing, through a spiritual sense of
the Scriptures and through the teachings of the Comforter, as promised by the
Master.
2. The
proof, by present demonstration, that the so‑called miracles of Jesus did not
specially belong to a dispensation now ended, but that they illustrated an ever‑operative
divine Principle. The operation of this
Principle indicates the eternality of the scientific order and continuity of
being.
135:6
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.
240:10
In the order of Science, in which the
Principle is above what it reflects, all is one grand concord. Change this statement, suppose Mind to be
governed by matter or Soul in body, and you lose the key‑note of being, and
there is continual discord. Mind is
perpetual motion. Its symbol is the
sphere. The rotations and revolutions of
the universe of Mind go on eternally.
255:1‑6
Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling‑clothes,
thought expands into expression.
"Let there be light," is the perpetual demand of Truth and
Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres.
275:10
To grasp the reality and order of being in
its Science, you must begin by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all
that really is. Spirit, Life, Truth,
Love, combine as one,‑‑and are the Scriptural names for God. All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being,
immortality, cause, and effect belong to God.
These are His attributes, the eternal manifestations of the infinite
divine Principle, Love. No wisdom is
wise but His wisdom; no truth is true, no love is lovely, no life is Life but
the divine; no good is, but the good God bestows.
337:14 Christian
Christian Science
demonstrates that none but the pure in heart can see God, as the gospel
teaches. In proportion to his purity is
man perfect; and perfection is the order of celestial being which demonstrates
Life in Christ, Life's spiritual ideal.
470:32
The relations of God and man, divine
Principle and idea, are indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse
from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in
which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged
in its eternal history.
Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 263
From the Swedish of J. O. Wallin
Only God can bring us gladness,
Only God can give us peace;
Joys are vain that end in sadness,
Joy divine shall never cease.
Mid the shade of want and sorrow
Undisturbed, our hearts rejoice;
Patient, wait the brighter morrow;
Faithful, heed the Father's voice.
As the stars in order going,
All harmonious, He doth move;
Heavenly calm and comfort showing,
Comes the healing word of Love.
Who the word of wisdom heareth
Feels the Father Love within,
Where as dawn the shadow cleareth,
Love outshines the night of sin.
So we find the true atonement,
Know in God the perfect Friend;
For in Love is our at‑one‑ment,
Where all hearts in Him may blend.
Here from prisoning pain and sorrow
Have we all a sure release,
Only God can bring us gladness,
Only God can give us peace.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 329
Frederic W. Root
The heavens declare the glory
Of Him who made all things;
Each day repeats the story,
Each night its tribute brings.
To earth's remotest border
His mighty power is known;
In beauty, grandeur, order,
His handiwork is shown.
His law man's pathway brightens,
His judgments all are pure,
His Word the thought enlightens,
And ever shall endure.
To heed His testimony,
And Wisdom's way to hold,
Is sweeter far than honey,
And better far than gold.
In daily contemplation
Of Thee, I take delight;
O, let my meditation
Lay hold of Thee aright.
O, aid me in suppression
Of idle thought or word;
O, keep me from transgression,
Redeemer, strength, and Lord.
