First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- Matt. 21:12-14 Jesus, 18-22
12Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
- Luke 13:1-3, 6-9, 18-24 (to :)
1There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things?
3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
6¶ He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
18¶ Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
20And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
22And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24¶ Strive to enter in at the strait gate:
- John 16:1, 4 (to 1st .), 7, 13, 14 (to :), 24
1These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
... 4But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.
... 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
... 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14He shall glorify me:
... 24Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
- Matt. 15:21-28 Jesus
21Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
- Rom. 1:1-6
1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
- II Tim. 2:15
15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- Rom. 15:1, 4-7, 13, 30, 32, 33
1We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
... 4For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
... 13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
... 30Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
... 32That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 326:3-32
3 If we wish to follow Christ, Truth, it must be in the way of God’s appointing. Jesus said, “He that believeth Loving God supremelyon me, the works that I do shall he do also.” 6He, who would reach the source and find the divine remedy for every ill, must not try to climb the hill of Science by some other road. All nature teaches God’s 9love to man, but man cannot love God supremely and set his whole affections on spiritual things, while loving the material or trusting in it more than in the spiritual.
12 We must forsake the foundation of material systems, however time-honored, if we would gain the Christ as our only Saviour. Not partially, but fully, the great 15healer of mortal mind is the healer of the body.
The purpose and motive to live aright can be gained now. This point won, you have started as you should. 18You have begun at the numeration-table of Christian Science, and nothing but wrong intention can hinder your advancement. Working and praying with true motives, 21your Father will open the way. “Who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth?”
Saul of Tarsus beheld the way — the Christ, or Truth 24— only when his uncertain sense of right yielded to a Conversion of Saulspiritual sense, which is always right. Then the man was changed. Thought assumed a 27nobler outlook, and his life became more spiritual. He learned the wrong that he had done in persecuting Chris-tians, whose religion he had not understood, and in hu-30mility he took the new name of Paul. He beheld for the first time the true idea of Love, and learned a lesson in divine Science.
- SH 241:19-27
The substance of all devotion is the reflection and demonstration of divine Love, healing sickness and 21destroying sin. Our Master said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
One’s aim, a point beyond faith, should be to find the 24footsteps of Truth, the way to health and holiness. We should strive to reach the Horeb height where God is re-vealed; and the corner-stone of all spiritual building is 27purity.
- SH 242:9, 30
9 There is but one way to heaven, harmony, and Christ in divine Science shows us this way. It is to know no The one only wayother reality — to have no other conscious-12ness of life — than good, God and His reflec-tion, and to rise superior to the so-called pain and pleasure of the senses.
30 The finger-posts of divine Science show the way our Master trod, and require of Christians the proof which he gave, instead of mere profession. We may hide 243 243:1spiritual ignorance from the world, but we can never succeed in the Science and demonstration of spiritual 3good through ignorance or hypocrisy.
- SH 486:9-10
- SH 482:16
15Jesus called himself “the Sonship of JesusSon of man,” but not the son of Joseph. As 18woman is but a species of the genera, he was literally the Son of Man. Jesus was the highest human concept of the perfect man. He was inseparable from 21Christ, the Messiah, — the divine idea of God outside the flesh. This enabled Jesus to demonstrate his con-trol over matter. Angels announced to the Wisemen of 24old this dual appearing, and angels whisper it, through faith, to the hungering heart in every age.
- SH 451:8-14, 19-23
Students of Christian Science, who start with its letter 9and think to succeed without the spirit, will either make Treasure in heavenshipwreck of their faith or be turned sadly awry. They must not only seek, but strive, 12to enter the narrow path of Life, for “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.”
Every Christian Scientist, every conscientious teacher of the Science of Mind-healing, knows that human will 21Obligations of teachersis not Christian Science, and he must recog-nize this in order to defend himself from the influence of human will.
- SH 144:14-16
- SH 485:14-17
- SH 243:4
The divine Love, which made harmless the poisonous viper, which delivered men from the boiling oil, from 6Ancient and modern miraclesthe fiery furnace, from the jaws of the lion, can heal the sick in every age and triumph over sin and death. It crowned the demon-9strations of Jesus with unsurpassed power and love. But the same “Mind . . . which was also in Christ Jesus” must always accompany the letter of Science in order to 12confirm and repeat the ancient demonstrations of prophets and apostles. That those wonders are not more com-monly repeated to-day, arises not so much from lack of 15desire as from lack of spiritual growth.
- SH 253:32-6
The divine demand, “Be ye therefore perfect,” is sci-254254:1entific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable. Individuals are consistent who, watching 3Patience and final perfectionand praying, can “run, and not be weary; . . . walk, and not faint,” who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and 6yield not to discouragement.
- SH 254:10-12
From the Christian Science Hymnal
Hymn 59: “...Lay hold on Life...”
Hymn 343: “Thou art the Way”
Hymn 269: “Our God is Love, unchanging Love”