Theme: Riches
Hymn 249
Vivian Burnett
O, when we see God's mercy
Widespread in every place
And know how flows the fountain
Of His unbounded grace,
Can we withhold a tribute,
Forbear a psalm to raise,
Or leave unsung one blessing,
In this our hymn of praise?
Our gratitude is riches,
Complaint is poverty,
Our trials bloom in blessings,
They test our constancy.
O, life from joy is minted,
An everlasting gold,
True gladness is the treasure
That grateful hearts will hold.
Readings from the Bible.
I Chronicles 29:11‑13
Thine, O Lord, is the
greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for
all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O
Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in
thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to
give strength unto all. Now therefore,
our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
II Chronicles 1:1 Solomon,3,6‑12
Solomon the son of David was
strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified
him exceedingly.
So Solomon, and all the
congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was
the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord
had made in the wilderness.
And Solomon went up thither
to the brasen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the
congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. In that night did God appear unto Solomon,
and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my
father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established:
for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in
multitude.
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in
before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon, Because this was in
thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of
thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and
knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made
thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee
riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have
been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
Psalms 104:1‑5,10‑14,16‑19,24,30,31
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O
Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and
majesty. Who coverest thyself with light
as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the
beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who
walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his
ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should
not be removed for ever.
He sendeth the springs into
the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the
field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing
among the branches. He watereth the
hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy
works. He causeth the grass to grow for
the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out
of the earth;
The trees of the Lord are
full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make
their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high hills are a refuge for the wild
goats; and the rocks for the conies. He
appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
O Lord, how manifold are thy
works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Thou sendest forth thy
spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever:
the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
Psalms 112:1‑6
Praise ye the Lord. Blessed
is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his
commandments. His seed shall be mighty
upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and
his righteousness endureth for ever.
Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious,
and full of compassion, and righteous. A
good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with
discretion. Surely he shall not be moved
for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Proverbs 3:1‑17
My son, forget not my law;
but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life,
and peace, shall they add to thee. Let
not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the
table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the
sight of God and man.
#Trust in the Lord
with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths. #Be not wise in thine
own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with
the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with
plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. #My son, despise not the chastening of the
Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he
correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. #Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and
the man that getteth understanding. For
the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain
thereof than fine gold. She is more
precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be
compared unto her. Length of days is in
her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
her paths are peace.
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord, it
maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Jeremiah 9:23,24
#Thus saith the Lord, Let not
the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his
might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth
glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which
exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in
these things I delight, saith the Lord.
Ephesians 2:4‑8 God
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:
I Timothy 6:17‑19
Charge them that are rich in
this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in
the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good,
that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Romans 11:33‑36
O the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or
who hath been his counseller? Or who
hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are
all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Readings from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
4:3‑18 np
What we most need is the prayer of fervent
desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good
deeds. To keep the commandments of our
Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy
evidence of our gratitude for all that he has done. Outward worship is not of itself sufficient
to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: "If ye love
me, keep my commandments."
The habitual struggle to be always good is
unceasing prayer. Its motives are made
manifest in the blessings they bring,‑‑blessings which, even if not
acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of
Love.
Simply asking that we may love God will never
make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily
watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will
mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the Science of Christianity through
demonstration of the divine nature; but in this wicked world goodness will
"be evil spoken of," and patience must bring experience.
Audible prayer can never do the works of
spiritual understanding, which regenerates; but silent prayer, watchfulness,
and devout obedience enable us to follow Jesus' example. Long prayers, superstition, and creeds clip
the strong pinions of love, and clothe religion in human forms. Whatever materializes worship hinders man's
spiritual growth and keeps him from demonstrating his power over error.
Sorrow for wrong‑doing is but one step
towards reform and the very easiest step.
The next and great step required by wisdom is the test of our sincerity,
‑‑namely, reformation. To this end we
are placed under the stress of circumstances.
Temptation bids us repeat the offence, and woe comes in return for what
is done. So it will ever be, till we
learn that there is no discount in the law of justice and that we must pay
"the uttermost farthing." The
measure ye mete "shall be measured to you again," and it will be full
"and running over."
Saints and sinners get their full award, but
not always in this world. The followers
of Christ drank his cup. Ingratitude and
persecution filled it to the brim; but God pours the riches of His love into
the understanding and affections, giving us strength according to our day.
29:20‑4
The illumination of Mary's spiritual sense
put to silence material law and its order of generation, and brought forth her
child by the revelation of Truth, demonstrating God as the Father of men. The Holy Ghost, or divine Spirit,
overshadowed the pure sense of the Virgin‑mother with the full recognition that
being is Spirit. The Christ dwelt
forever an idea in the bosom of God, the divine Principle of the man Jesus, and
woman perceived this spiritual idea, though at first faintly developed.
Man as the offspring of God, as the idea of
Spirit, is the immortal evidence that Spirit is harmonious and man
eternal. Jesus was the offspring of
Mary's self‑conscious communion with God.
Hence he could give a more spiritual idea of life than other men, and
could demonstrate the Science of Love‑‑his Father or divine Principle.
57:15
Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to
meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh against the better
claims of intellect, goodness, and virtue.
Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone,
but requires all mankind to share it.
239:5
Take away wealth, fame, and social
organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get
clearer views of Principle. Break up
cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom,
and we get better views of humanity.
285:32
It is essential to understand, instead of
believe, what relates most nearly to the happiness of being. To seek Truth through belief in a human
doctrine is not to understand the infinite.
We must not seek the immutable and immortal through the finite, mutable,
and mortal, and so depend upon belief instead of demonstration, for this is
fatal to a knowledge of Science. The
understanding of Truth gives full faith in Truth, and spiritual understanding
is better than all burnt offerings.
312:31‑8
Jesus' spiritual origin and his demonstration
of divine Principle richly endowed him and entitled him to sonship in
Science. He was the son of a
virgin. The term Christ Jesus, or Jesus
the Christ (to give the full and proper translation of the Greek), may be
rendered "Jesus the anointed," Jesus the God‑crowned or the divinely
royal man, as it is said of him in the first chapter of Hebrews:‑‑
Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed
thee
With the oil of gladness above thy
fellows.
348:26
I have never supposed the world would
immediately witness the full fruitage of Christian Science, or that sin,
disease, and death would not be believed for an indefinite time; but this I do
aver, that, as a result of teaching Christian Science, ethics and temperance
have received an impulse, health has been restored, and longevity
increased. If such are the present
fruits, what will the harvest be, when this Science is more generally
understood?
458:32
Christianity causes men to turn naturally
from matter to Spirit, as the flower turns from darkness to light. Man then appropriates those things which
"eye hath not seen nor ear heard."
Paul and John had a clear apprehension that, as mortal man achieves no
worldly honors except by sacrifice, so he must gain heavenly riches by
forsaking all worldliness. Then he will
have nothing in common with the worldling's affections, motives, and aims. Judge not the future advancement of Christian
Science by the steps already taken, lest you yourself be condemned for failing
to take the first step.
501:1
Scientific interpretation of the Scriptures
properly starts with the beginning of the Old Testament, chiefly because the
spiritual import of the Word, in its earliest articulations, often seems so
smothered by the immediate context as to require explication; whereas the New
Testament narratives are clearer and come nearer the heart. Jesus illumines them, showing the poverty of
mortal existence, but richly recompensing human want and woe with spiritual
gain. The incarnation of Truth, that
amplification of wonder and glory which angels could only whisper and which God
illustrated by light and harmony, is consonant with ever‑present Love. So‑called mystery and miracle, which subserve
the end of natural good, are explained by that Love for whose rest the weary
ones sigh when needing something more native to their immortal cravings than
the history of perpetual evil.
512:20
Spirit blesses the multiplication of its own
pure and perfect ideas. From the infinite
elements of the one Mind emanate all form, color, quality, and quantity, and
these are mental, both primarily and secondarily. Their spiritual nature is discerned only
through the spiritual senses. Mortal
mind inverts the true likeness, and confers animal names and natures upon its
own misconceptions. Ignorant of the
origin and operations of mortal mind,‑‑that is, ignorant of itself,‑‑this so‑called
mind puts forth its own qualities, and claims God as their author; albeit God
is ignorant of the existence of both this mortal mentality, so‑called, and its
claim, for the claim usurps the deific prerogatives and is an attempted
infringement on infinity.
598:23‑30
One moment of divine consciousness, or the
spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity. This exalted view, obtained and retained when
the Science of being is understood, would bridge over with life discerned
spiritually the interval of death, and man would be in the full consciousness
of his immortality and eternal harmony, where sin, sickness, and death are
unknown.
Silent prayer followed by the
audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn 139
Minny M. H. Ayers
I walk with Love along the way,
And O, it is a holy day;
No more I suffer cruel fear,
I feel God's presence with me here;
The joy that none can take away
Is mine; I walk with Love today.
Who walks with Love along the way,
Shall talk with Love and Love obey;
God's healing truth is free to all,
Our Father answers every call;
'Tis He dispels the clouds of gray
That all may walk with Love today.
Come, walk with Love along the way,
Let childlike trust be yours today;
Uplift your thought, with courage go,
Give of your heart's rich overflow,
And peace shall crown your joy‑filled day.
Come, walk with Love along the way.
Sharing of experiences, testimonies and remarks by members of the congregation.
Hymn 224
John Ryland – Adapted
O Lord, I would delight in Thee,
And on Thy care depend;
To Thee in every trouble flee,
My best, my ever Friend.
When all material streams are dried,
Thy fullness is the same;
May I with this be satisfied,
And glory in Thy name.
All good, where'er it may be found,
Its source doth find in Thee;
I must have all things and abound,
While God is God to me.
O that I had a stronger faith,
To look within the veil,
To credit what my Saviour saith,
Whose word can never fail.
He that has made my heaven secure,
Will here all good provide;
While Christ is rich, can I be poor?
What can I want beside?
O God, I cast my care on Thee;
I triumph and adore;
Henceforth my great concern shall be
To love and praise Thee more.
