First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- Luke 4:14, 15, 38-40
14¶ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
38¶ And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
39And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
40¶ Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
- Luke 9:1, 2, 4, 6-11, 18-20, 23, 34-43 (to .)
1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
... 4And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
... 6And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
7¶ Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10¶ And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
18¶ And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
23¶ And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
37¶ And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42And as he was yet a-coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43¶ And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.
- John 14:1-13, 15-27
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
15¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 180:25
- SH 365:7, 19
The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such words as “Take no thought for your life,” would heal 9the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring; but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common 12sense and common humanity are disregarded, what men-tal quality remains, with which to evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness?
If the Scientist has enough Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Mag-21dalen gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and deal with his patients compas-sionately; and the result will correspond with the spiritual 24intent.
- SH 180:5-9
- SH 366:30
30 If we would open their prison doors for the sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken-hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent 367 367:1of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form, nor bury the morale of Christian Science in the grave-clothes 3Genuine healingof its letter. The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than 6hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame 9with divine Love.
- SH 367:17-27
A Christian Scientist occupies the place at this period 18of which Jesus spoke to his disciples, when he said: “Ye The salt of the earthare the salt of the earth.” “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill can -21not be hid.” Let us watch, work, and pray that this salt lose not its saltness, and that this light be not hid, but radiate and glow into noontide glory.
24 The infinite Truth of the Christ-cure has come to this age through a “still, small voice,” through silent utter-ances and divine anointing which quicken and increase 27the beneficial effects of Christianity.
- SH 388:1-4, 7
388:1 The Christian martyrs were prophets of Christian Science. Through the uplifting and consecrating power 3of divine Truth, they obtained a victory over the corpo-real senses, a victory which Science alone can explain.
The Apostle John testified to the divine basis of Chris-tian Science, when dire inflictions failed to destroy his 9body. Idolaters, believing in more than one mind, had “gods many,” and thought that they could kill the body with matter, independently of mind.
- SH 369:16-19
- SH 391:7
Instead of blind and calm submission to the incipient or advanced stages of disease, rise in rebellion against 9Righteous rebellionthem. Banish the belief that you can possi-bly entertain a single intruding pain which can-not be ruled out by the might of Mind, and in this way 12you can prevent the development of pain in the body. No law of God hinders this result. It is error to suffer for aught but your own sins. Christ, or Truth, will de-15stroy all other supposed suffering, and real suffering for your own sins will cease in proportion as the sin ceases.
- SH 398:1
398:1 Sometimes Jesus called a disease by name, as when he said to the epileptic boy, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I 3Naming maladies charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” It is added that “the spirit [error] cried, and rent him sore and came out of him, and 6he was as one dead,” — clear evidence that the malady was not material. These instances show the concessions which Jesus was willing to make to the popular ignorance 9of spiritual Life-laws. Often he gave no name to the distemper he cured. To the synagogue ruler’s daughter, whom they called dead but of whom he said, “she is not 12dead, but sleepeth,” he simply said, “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise!” To the sufferer with the withered hand he said, “Stretch forth thine hand,” and it “was restored 15whole, like as the other.”
- SH 410:4-7, 14
“This is life eternal,” says Jesus, — is, not shall be; and then he defines everlasting life as a present knowledge 6Life eternal and presentof his Father and of himself, — the knowledge of Love, Truth, and Life.
Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. 15The more difficult seems the material condition to be Love casteth out fearovercome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love. The Apostle 18John says: “There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casteth out fear. . . . He that feareth is not made per-fect in Love.” Here is a definite and inspired proclama-21tion of Christian Science.
Hymn 221: “O Jesus, our dear Master”
Hymn 388: “...The lowly Jesus sojourned here”
Hymn 565: “Cleanse the lepers, heal the sick”
