Service for Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011

Subject: Doctrine of Atonement

 Hymn 263 

 From the Swedish of  J. O. Wallin

 Only God can bring us gladness,

   Only God can give us peace;

 Joys are vain that end in sadness,

   Joy divine shall never cease.

 Mid the shade of want and sorrow

   Undisturbed, our hearts rejoice;

 Patient, wait the brighter morrow;

   Faithful, heed the Father's voice.

 As the stars in order going,

   All harmonious, He doth move;

 Heavenly calm and comfort showing,

   Comes the healing word of Love.

 Who the word of wisdom heareth

   Feels the Father Love within,

 Where as dawn the shadow cleareth,

   Love outshines the night of sin.

 So we find the true atonement,

   Know in God the perfect Friend;

 For in Love is our at‑one‑ment,

   Where all hearts in Him may blend.

 Here from prisoning pain and sorrow

   Have we all a sure release,

 Only God can bring us gladness,

   Only God can give us peace.

The scriptural selection is from Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:4‑10 God,13‑20

God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

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 196 

 Jane Borthwick

 Now is the time approaching,

   By prophets long foretold,

 When all shall dwell together,

   One Shepherd and one fold.

 Now Jew and Gentile, meeting

   From many a distant shore,

 Around one altar kneeling,

   One common Lord adore.

 Let all that now divides us

   Remove and pass away,

 Like shadows of the morning

   Before the blaze of day.

 Let all that now unites us

   More sweet and lasting prove,

 A closer bond of union,

   In a blest land of love.

Solo: “God and Man”

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 297 

 Roberta B. Lynch

 Science, the angel with the flaming sword,

 God's gift, the glory of the risen Lord;

 Light of the world, in whose light we shall see

 Father and perfect Son, blest unity;

 Calm of Shekinah where hope anchors fast,

 Harbor of refuge till the storm be past;

 Sweet, secret place where God and men do meet,

 Horeb whereon we walk with unshod feet;

 Place of communion with the Lamb of God,

 Fold where the sheep must pass beneath His rod;

 Ark where the dove may close her faltering wings,

 Love's law divine that makes us priests and kings;

 Loosener of prison bands at midnight hour,

 Of self‑forged chains that fall through Love's

           all‑power;

 Christ's morning meal by joyous Galilee:

 Science, thou dost fulfill all prophecy.

"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 85:10

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.