First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- Ps. 141:3
3Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
- Isa. 50:4
4The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
- Prov. 15:1-4 (to :)
1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
3The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:
- Ps. 15:1-3
1Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
- Ps. 39:1
1I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
- Prov. 10:19-22
19In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
20The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
21The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
22The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
- Prov. 12:17-19
17He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
18There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
19The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
- Prov. 13:3
3He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
- Prov. 21:23
23Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
- Isa. 42:1, 2
1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
- Matt. 6:5-8
5¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
- Matt. 12:22-26, 33-37
22¶ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
- James 3:1-8, 10-18
1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
... 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
- I Pet. 3:8-11, 15, 16
8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
... 15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
- I Pet. 4:11
11If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 117:6-7, 10-19
God is Spirit; therefore the language of Spirit must be, and is, spiritual. ... God’s essential language is spoken of in the last chapter of Mark’s Gospel as the new tongue, the spir-12itual meaning of which is attained through “signs following.”
Ear hath not heard, nor hath lip spoken, the pure lan-15guage of Spirit. Our Master taught spirituality by simili-The miracles of Jesustudes and parables. As a divine student he unfolded God to man, illustrating and demon-18strating Life and Truth in himself and by his power over the sick and sinning.
- SH 209:31
Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to un-derstand God. It shows the superiority of faith by works 210 210:1over faith in words. Its ideas are expressed only in “new tongues;” and these are interpreted by the translation of 3the spiritual original into the language which human thought can comprehend.
- SH 88:26-31
Eloquence re-echoes the strains of Truth and Love. 27It is due to inspiration rather than to erudition. It shows Trance speaking illusionthe possibilities derived from divine Mind, though it is said to be a gift whose endowment 30is obtained from books or received from the impulsion of departed spirits.
- SH 89:12-20, 22
This familiar instance reaffirms the Scrip -tural word concerning a man, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” If one believes that he cannot be an orator with-15out study or a superinduced condition, the body responds to this belief, and the tongue grows mute which before was eloquent.
18 Mind is not necessarily dependent upon educational processes. It possesses of itself all beauty and poetry, Scientific improvisationand the power of expressing them. The influence or action of Soul confers a freedom, which explains the phe-24nomena of improvisation and the fervor of untutored lips.
- SH 15:7-9
- SH 3:26-5
Action expresses more gratitude than speech.
27 If we are ungrateful for Life, Truth, and Love, and yet return thanks to God for all blessings, we are in-sincere and incur the sharp censure our Master pro-30nounces on hypocrites. In such a case, the only acceptable prayer is to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings. While the heart is far from 4 4:1divine Truth and Love, we cannot conceal the ingrati-tude of barren lives.
3 What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, Efficacious petitionslove, and good deeds.
- SH 454:17-18, 19-21
- SH 367:3
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 412:4
- SH 418:22, 28-29
- SH 448:26-32
If the student adheres strictly to the teachings of Chris-27tian Science and ventures not to break its rules, he can-Adherence to righteousnessnot fail of success in healing. It is Christian Science to do right, and nothing short of right-30doing has any claim to the name. To talk the right and live the wrong is foolish deceit, doing one’s self the most harm.
- SH 110:17
No human pen nor tongue 18taught me the Science contained in this book, Science and Health; and neither tongue nor pen can over-throw it. This book may be distorted by shallow criti-21cism or by careless or malicious students, and its ideas may be temporarily abused and misrepresented; but the Science and truth therein will forever remain to be dis-24cerned and demonstrated.
- SH 354:18
Consistency is seen in example more than in precept. Inconsistency is shown by words without deeds, which Scientific consistencyare like clouds without rain. If our words 21fail to express our deeds, God will redeem that weakness, and out of the mouth of babes He will perfect praise. The night of materiality is far spent, and with 24the dawn Truth will waken men spiritually to hear and to speak the new tongue.
Hymn 316: “Speak gently, it is better far To rule by love than fear”
Hymn 62:“From all that dwell below the skies Let the Creator's praise arise”
Hymn 386: “When Jesus our great Maser came To teach us in his Father's name”
