Service for Sunday, March 23, 2014

Subject: Matter

 Hymn 123 
 "K" in Rippon's Selection, 1787 – Adapted

 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
 Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.
 What more can He say than to you He hath said,
 To you who to God for your refuge have fled:

 Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
 For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
 I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to
           stand,
 Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand;

 When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
 My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
 The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
 Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

Readings from the Bible.

Ephesians 1:2‑12
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Psalms 89:1‑4 (to 1st .)
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.  For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.

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 293
 Frederic W. Root – Based on hymn by A. M. Toplady

 Rock of Ages, Truth divine,
 Be Thy strength forever mine;
 Let me rest secure on Thee,
 Safe above life's raging sea.
 Rock of Ages, Truth divine,
 Be Thy strength forever mine.

 Rock of Truth, our fortress strong,
 Thou our refuge from all wrong,
 When from mortal sense I flee,
 Let me hide myself in Thee.
 Rock of Ages, Truth divine,
 Be Thy strength forever mine.

 Christ, the Truth, foundation sure,
 On this rock we are secure;
 Peace is there our life to fill,
 Cure is there for every ill.
 Rock of Ages, Truth divine,
 Be Thy strength forever mine.

Solo: “Great Peace Have They”


Explanatory Note
Friends:
The Bible and the Christian Science textbook are our only preachers. We shall now read Scriptural texts, and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook; these comprise our sermon.

The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized.

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 264 
 S. Baring‑Gould

 Onward, Christian soldiers,
   Marching as to war,
 With the cross of Jesus
   Going on before.
 Christ, the royal Master,
   Leads against the foe;
 Forward into battle,
   See his banners go.

       Refrain
 Onward, Christian soldiers,
   Marching as to war,
 With the cross of Jesus
   Going on before.

 Like a mighty army,
   Moves the Church of God;
 Brothers, we are treading
   Where the saints have trod;
 We are not divided,
   All one body we,
 One in hope and doctrine,
   One in charity.
       [Refrain]

 Crowns and thrones may perish,
   Kingdoms rise and wane,
 But the Church of Jesus
   Constant will remain;
 Gates of hell can never
   'Gainst that Church prevail;
 We have Christ's own promise,
   And that cannot fail.
       [Refrain]

 Onward, then, ye people,
   Join our happy throng;
 Blend with ours your voices
   In the triumph song;
 Glory, laud and honor
   Unto Christ the King;
 This through countless ages
   Men and angels sing.
       [Refrain]

"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 Timothy 2:19 the (to 1st .)

 the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.

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