Service for Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011

Subject: Man

 Hymn 72

 Charles Wesley and John Taylor – Adapted

 Glory be to God on high,

 God whose glory fills the sky;

 Peace on earth to man is given,

 Man, the well‑beloved of heaven.

 Gracious Father, in Thy love,

 Send Thy blessings from above;

 Let Thy light, Thy truth, Thy peace

 Bid all strife and tumult cease.

 Mark the wonders of His hand:

 Power no empire can withstand;

 Wisdom, angels' glorious theme;

 Goodness one eternal stream.

 All ye people, raise the song,

 Endless thanks to God belong;

 Hearts o'erflowing with His praise

 Join the hymns your voices raise.

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 278

 P. M. – Adapted

 Pilgrim on earth, home and heaven are within thee,

   Heir of the ages and child of the day.

 Cared for, watched over, beloved and protected,

   Walk thou with courage each step of the way.

 Truthful and steadfast though trials betide thee,

   Ever one thing do thou ask of thy Lord,

 Grace to go forward, wherever He guide thee,

   Gladly obeying the call of His word.

 Healed is thy hardness, His love hath dissolved it,

   Full is the promise, the blessing how kind;

 So shall His tenderness teach thee compassion,

   So all the merciful, mercy shall find.

 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:  "Thy Secret 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 382  –  Emily F. Seal

  What is thy birthright, man,

   Child of the perfect One;

 What is thy Father's plan

   For His beloved son?

  Thou art Truth's honest child,

   Of pure and sinless heart;

 Thou treadest undefiled

   In Christly paths apart.

  Vain dreams shall disappear

   As Truth dawns on the sight;

 The phantoms of thy fear

   Shall flee before the light.

  Take then the sacred rod;

   Thou art not error's thrall;

 Thou hast the gift of God‑‑

   Dominion over all.

"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

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.