Service for Sunday, March 13, 2011

Subject: Substance

 Hymn 114 

 John Burton – Adapted

 Holy Bible, book divine,

 Precious treasure, thou art mine:

 Mine to tell me whence I came;

 Mine to tell me what I am;

 Mine to chide me when I rove,

 Mine to show a Saviour's love;

 Mine thou art to guide and guard;

 Mine to give a rich reward;

 Mine to comfort in distress,

 With a Saviour's tenderness;

 Mine to show, by living faith,

 Man can triumph over death.

The scriptural selection is from II Corinthians.

II Corinthians 4:6‑10 God,13‑18

God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

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. 

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 119 

 Paul Gerhardt – John Christian Jacobi, Tr.– Adapted

 Holy Spirit, source of gladness,

   Come with all Thy radiance bright;

 Lift all burdens and all sadness;

   O'er Thy children shed Thy light.

 Let the Love that knows no measure,

   Now in quickening showers descend;

 Bring to us the richest treasure

   Man can wish or God can send.

 Send us Thine illumination;

   Banish all our fears at length;

 Rest upon this congregation,

   Spirit of unfailing strength.

Solo: “Give Me An Understanding Heart”

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 148 

 Anna L. Waring*

 In heavenly Love abiding,

   No change my heart shall fear;

 And safe is such confiding,

   For nothing changes here.

 The storm may roar without me,

   My heart may low be laid;

 But God is round about me,

   And can I be dismayed?

 Wherever He may guide me,

   No want shall turn me back;

 My Shepherd is beside me,

   And nothing can I lack.

 His wisdom ever waketh,

   His sight is never dim;

 He knows the way He taketh,

   And I will walk with Him.

 Green pastures are before me,

   Which yet I have not seen;

 Bright skies will soon be o'er me,

   Where darkest clouds have been.

 My hope I cannot measure,

   My path in life is free;

 My Father has my treasure,

   And He will walk with me.

"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

Isaiah 33:6 wisdom

wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.