Service for Sunday, June 6, 2010

Subject: God the Only Cause and Creator

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.

The scriptural selection is from Psalms.

Psalms 33:1‑9,11‑15,18‑22

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 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. The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s prayer, with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook.

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 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.

”A Rule for Motives and Acts

This is from Article VIII, Section 1, of the Manual of the Mother Church, and is read as part of the service of the first Sunday in each month.

“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: "Praise be to Thee"

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 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.

"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

I Chronicles 16:10 let

let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.