Service for Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011

Subject: God

 Hymn 150 

 William P. McKenzie

 In mercy, in goodness, how great is our King;

 Our tribute, thanksgiving, with glad hearts we bring.

 Thou art the Renewer, the Ancient of Days,

 Who givest, for mourning, the garment of praise.

 We thank Thee for work in the wide harvest field,

 For gladness that ripens when sorrow is healed;

 Made strong with Thy goodness that meets every need,

 We gather the fruit of the Sower's good seed.

 Dear Father and Saviour, we thank Thee for life,

 And courage that rises undaunted by strife,

 For confident giving and giving's reward,

 For beauty and love in the life of our Lord.

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 402

 Philip Doddridge – Adapted

 How gentle God's commands,

   How kind His precepts are;

 Come, cast your burdens on the Lord,

   And trust His constant care.

 Beneath His watchful eye

   His saints securely dwell;

 That hand which bears creation up

   Shall guard His children well.

 His goodness stands approved,

   Unchanged from day to day:

 I drop my burden at His feet,

   And bear a song away.

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: “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place”

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 374

 John Randall Dunn 

 We thank Thee and we bless Thee,

   O Father of us all,

 That e'en before we ask Thee

   Thou hear'st Thy children's call.

 We praise Thee for Thy goodness

   And tender, constant care,

 We thank Thee, Father‑Mother,

   That Thou hast heard our prayer.

 We thank Thee and we bless Thee,

   O Lord of all above,

 That now Thy children know Thee

   As everlasting Love.

 And Love is not the author

   Of discord, pain and fear;

 O Love divine, we thank Thee

   That good alone is here.

 We thank Thee, Father‑Mother,

   For blessings, light and grace

 Which bid mankind to waken

   And see Thee face to face.

 We thank Thee, when in anguish

   We turn from sense to Soul,

 That we may hear Thee calling:

   Rejoice, for thou art whole.

"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

Psalms 67:5,6

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.  Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.