Service for Sunday, March 6, 2011

Subject: Man

 Hymn 12

 Violet Hay 

 Arise ye people, take your stand,

 Cast out your idols from the land,

 Above all doctrine, form or creed

 Is found the Truth that meets your need.

 Christ's promise stands: they that believe

 His works shall do, his power receive.

 Go forward then, and as ye preach

 So let your works confirm your speech,

 And prove to all with following sign

 The Word of God is power divine.

 In love and healing ministry

 Show forth the Truth that makes men free.

 O Father‑Mother God, whose plan

 Hath given dominion unto man,

 In Thine own image we may see

 Man pure and upright, whole and free.

 And ever through our work shall shine

 That light whose glory, Lord, is Thine.

The Scriptural selection is from I Corinthians

I Corinthians 15:45‑58 so

so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

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 51

 Mary Alice Dayton 

 Eternal Mind the Potter is,

   And thought th' eternal clay:

 The hand that fashions is divine,

   His works pass not away.

 Man is the noblest work of God,

   His beauty, power and grace,

 Immortal; perfect as his Mind

   Reflected face to face.

 God could not make imperfect man

   His model infinite;

 Unhallowed thought He could not plan,

   Love's work and Love must fit.

 Life, Truth and Love the pattern make,

   Christ is the perfect heir;

 The clouds of sense roll back, and show

   The form divinely fair.

 God's will is done; His kingdom come;

   The Potter's work is plain.

 The longing to be good and true

   Has brought the light again.

 And man does stand as God's own child,

   The image of His love.

 Let gladness ring from every tongue,

   And heaven and earth approve.

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: “Satisfied” – Words by Mary Baker Eddy

 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 144

 H.– Adapted

 In atmosphere of Love divine,

   We live, and move, and breathe;

 Though mortal eyes may see it not,

   'Tis sense that would deceive.

 The mortal sense we must destroy,

   If we would bring to light

 The wonders of eternal Mind,

   Where sense is lost in sight.

 For God, immortal Principle,

   Is with us everywhere;

 He holds us perfect in His love,

   And we His image bear.

"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

II Corinthians 3:18 we

we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.