Service for Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012

Subject: Doctrine of Atonement

 Hymn 75 

 James Montgomery – Adapted

 God comes, with succor speedy,

   To those who suffer wrong;

 To help the poor and needy,

   And bid the weak be strong;

 He comes to break oppression,

   To set the captive free,

 To take away transgression,

   And rule in equity.

 His blessings come as showers

   Upon the thirsty earth;

 And joy and hope, like flowers,

   Spring in His path to birth.

 Before Him on the mountains

   Shall Peace, the herald, go;

 From hill to vale the fountains

   Of righteousness shall flow.

 To Him shall prayer unceasing,

   And daily vows, ascend;

 His kingdom still increasing,

   A kingdom without end.

 The tide of time shall never

   His covenant remove;

 His name shall stand forever:

   His changeless name of Love.

The scriptural selection is from Psalms.

Psalms 71:1‑5,7‑9,14‑19,23,24 (to :)

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.  Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.  Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.  Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.  For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. 

I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.  Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.  Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. 

But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.  My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.  I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.  O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.  Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.  Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee! 

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.  My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long:

Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s prayer, with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy

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 30

 Love – Mary Baker Eddy

 Brood o'er us with Thy shelt'ring wing,

   'Neath which our spirits blend

 Like brother birds, that soar and sing,

   And on the same branch bend.

 The arrow that doth wound the dove

 Darts not from those who watch and love.

 If thou the bending reed wouldst break

   By thought or word unkind,

 Pray that his spirit you partake,

   Who loved and healed mankind:

 Seek holy thoughts and heavenly strain,

 That make men one in love remain.

 Learn, too, that wisdom's rod is given

   For faith to kiss, and know;

 That greetings glorious from high heaven,

   Whence joys supernal flow,

 Come from that Love, divinely near,

 Which chastens pride and earth‑born fear,

 Through God, who gave that word of might

   Which swelled creation's lay:

 "Let there be light, and there was light."

   What chased the clouds away?

 'Twas Love whose finger traced aloud

 A bow of promise on the cloud.

 Thou to whose power our hope we give,

   Free us from human strife.

 Fed by Thy love divine we live,

   For Love alone is Life;

 And life most sweet, as heart to heart

 Speaks kindly when we meet and part.

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 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

Lamentations 3:26

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.