Service for Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010

Theme: Fulfillment

 Hymn 180 

 Based on the Danish of Jens N. L. Schjorring

 Love the Lord thy God:

 Love is staff and rod

   For heart and soul and mind.

 In this command forever strong,

 To silence thoughts of wrong

   All laws fulfillment find.

 Here we rest content:

 Good from God is sent

   Where seeds of Love are sown.

 Who as himself his neighbor loves,

 By constant purpose proves

   His neighbor's good his own.

 They whose every thought

 Still from Love is sought

   In Soul, not flesh, abide.

 Love's presence gives a joy untold:

 Now may we all behold

   The Spirit and the bride.

Readings from the Bible.

Matthew 5:1‑18 seeing

seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.  #Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  #Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 13:10‑16

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

Luke 4:14‑21

#And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.  #And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias.  And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 

Romans 8:1‑10,12‑17 (to 2nd ;),19,28,31

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. 

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;

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

41:14‑4

  The proofs of Truth, Life, and Love, which Jesus gave by casting out error and healing the sick, completed his earthly mission; but in the Christian Church this demonstration of healing was early lost, about three centuries after the crucifixion.  No ancient school of philosophy, ^materia medica^, or scholastic theology ever taught or demonstrated the divine healing of absolute Science. 

  Jesus foresaw the reception Christian Science would have before it was understood, but this foreknowledge hindered him not.  He fulfilled his God‑mission, and then sat down at the right hand of the Father.  Persecuted from city to city, his apostles still went about doing good deeds, for which they were maligned and stoned.  The truth taught by Jesus, the elders scoffed at.  Why?  Because it demanded more than they were willing to practise.  It was enough for them to believe in a national Deity; but that belief, from their time to ours, has never made a disciple who could cast out evils and heal the sick. 

  Jesus' life proved, divinely and scientifically, that God is Love, whereas priest and rabbi affirmed God to be a mighty potentate, who loves and hates.  The Jewish theology gave no hint of the unchanging love of God. 

55:15

  Truth's immortal idea is sweeping down the centuries, gathering beneath its wings the sick and sinning.  My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself,‑‑when he shall realize God's omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done and is doing for mankind.  The promises will be fulfilled.  The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is throughout all time; and whosoever layeth his earthly all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ's cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing. 

56:1

  When our great Teacher came to him for baptism, John was astounded.  Reading his thoughts, Jesus added: "Suffer it to be so now:  for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."  Jesus' concessions (in certain cases) to material methods were for the advancement of spiritual good. 

109:11

  For three years after my discovery, I sought the solution of this problem of Mind‑healing, searched the Scriptures and read little else, kept aloof from society, and devoted time and energies to dis‑covering a positive rule.  The search was sweet, calm, and buoyant with hope, not selfish nor depressing.  I knew the Principle of all harmonious Mind‑action to be God, and that cures were produced in primitive Christian healing by holy, uplifting faith; but I must know the Science of this healing, and I won my way to absolute conclusions through divine revelation, reason, and demonstration.  The revelation of Truth in the understanding came to me gradually and apparently through divine power.  When a new spiritual idea is borne to earth, the prophetic Scripture of Isaiah is renewedly fulfilled: "Unto us a child is born, . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful."

232:16‑7

  In our age Christianity is again demonstrating the power of divine Principle, as it did over nineteen hundred years ago, by healing the sick and triumphing over death.  Jesus never taught that drugs, food, air, and exercise could make a man healthy, or that they could destroy human life; nor did he illustrate these errors by his practice.  He referred man's harmony to Mind, not to matter, and never tried to make of none effect the sentence of God, which sealed God's condemnation of sin, sickness, and death. 

  In the sacred sanctuary of Truth are voices of solemn import, but we heed them not.  It is only when the so‑called pleasures and pains of sense pass away in our lives, that we find unquestionable signs of the burial of error and the resurrection to spiritual life. 

  There is neither place nor opportunity in Science for error of any sort.  Every day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power.  These proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them.  This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil. 

463:5

  Teacher and student should also be familiar with the obstetrics taught by this Science.  To attend properly the birth of the new child, or divine idea, you should so detach mortal thought from its material conceptions, that the birth will be natural and safe.  Though gathering new energy, this idea cannot injure its useful surroundings in the travail of spiritual birth.  A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive.  The new idea, conceived and born of Truth and Love, is clad in white garments.  Its beginning will be meek, its growth sturdy, and its maturity undecaying.  When this new birth takes place, the Christian Science infant is born of the Spirit, born of God, and can cause the mother no more suffering.  By this we know that Truth is here and has fulfilled its perfect work. 

474:16

  If sin, sickness, and death are as real as Life, Truth, and Love, then they must all be from the same source; God must be their author.  Now Jesus came to destroy sin, sickness, and death; yet the Scriptures aver, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Is it possible, then, to believe that the evils which Jesus lived to destroy are real or the offspring of the divine will? 

483:22

  Because the Science of Mind seems to bring into dishonor the ordinary scientific schools, which wrestle with material observations alone, this Science has met with opposition; but if any system honors God, it ought to receive aid, not opposition, from all thinking persons.  And Christian Science does honor God as no other theory honors Him, and it does this in the way of His appointing, by doing many wonderful works through the divine name and nature.  One must fulfil one's mission without timidity or dissimulation, for to be well done, the work must be done unselfishly.  Christianity will never be based on a divine Principle and so found to be unerring, until its absolute Science is reached.  When this is accomplished, neither pride, prejudice, bigotry, nor envy can wash away its foundation, for it is built upon the rock, Christ. 

568:24‑14

  For victory over a single sin, we give thanks and magnify the Lord of Hosts.  What shall we say of the mighty conquest over all sin?  A louder song, sweeter than has ever before reached high heaven, now rises clearer and nearer to the great heart of Christ; for the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her primal and everlasting strain.  Self‑abnegation, by which we lay down all for Truth, or Christ, in our warfare against error, is a rule in Christian Science.  This rule clearly interprets God as divine Principle,‑‑as Life, represented by the Father; as Truth, represented by the Son; as Love, represented by the Mother.  Every mortal at some period, here or hereafter, must grapple with and overcome the mortal belief in a power opposed to God. 

  The Scripture, "Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many," is literally fulfilled, when we are conscious of the supremacy of Truth, by which the nothingness of error is seen; and we know that the nothingness of error is in proportion to its wickedness.  He that touches the hem of Christ's robe and masters his mortal beliefs, animality, and hate, rejoices in the proof of healing,‑‑in a sweet and certain sense that God is Love.

572:12

  Love fulfils the law of Christian Science, and nothing short of this divine Principle, understood and demonstrated, can ever furnish the vision of the Apocalypse, open the seven seals of error with Truth, or uncover the myriad illusions of sin, sickness, and death.  Under the supremacy of Spirit, it will be seen and acknowledged that matter must disappear. 

Silent prayer followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s prayer.

 Hymn 173 

 Christopher Wordsworth – Adapted

 Love is kind and suffers long,

 Love is meek and thinks no wrong,

 Love than death itself more strong;

   Therefore give us love.

 Prophecy will fade away,

 Melting in the light of day;

 Love will ever with us stay;

   Therefore give us love.

 Faith will vanish into sight;

 Hope shall be fulfilled in light;

 Love will ever shine more bright;

   Therefore give us love.

 Faith and hope and love we see

 Joining hand in hand agree;

 But the greatest of the three,

   And the best, is love.

Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.

 Hymn 416

 Kate L. Colby – Adapted

 Be true and list the voice within,

   Be true unto thy high ideal,

 Thy perfect self, that knows no sin,

   That self that is the only real.

 God is the only perfect One:

   My perfect self is one with Him;

 So man is seen as God's own son,

   When Truth dispels the shadows dim.

 True to our God whose name is Love,

   We shall fulfill our Father's plan;

 For true means true to God above,

   To self, and to our fellow man.