First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- I Kings 19:1-12
1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.
3And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4¶ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9¶ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
- Isa. 48:16 (to :), 17, 18
16¶ Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I:
... 17Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
- Isa. 49:1 (to 2nd ;), 3, 5 yet, 6 I, 8 (to 4th ,), 9, 18 (to 1st .), 22, 23
1Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far;
... 3And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
... I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
... 8Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,
... 9That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
18¶ Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee.
... 22Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
- I Kings 11:38 (to 6th ,)
38And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee,
- Prov. 8:32-35
32Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
- Matt. 10:5-8, 12-14, 26, 27
5These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.
6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
... 12And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
26Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
- James 1:19 (to 3rd ,)
19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
- Rev. 1:1-3
1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 559:8
The “still, small voice” 9of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean to the globe’s remotest bound. The inaudible voice of Truth is, to the human mind, “as when a lion roareth.” 12It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. It arouses the “seven thunders” of evil, and stirs their latent forces to utter the full diapason of secret tones. Then is 15the power of Truth demonstrated, — made manifest in the destruction of error. Then will a voice from harmony cry: “Go and take the little book. . . . Take it, and eat 18it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.” Mortals, obey the heavenly evangel. Take divine Science. Read this book from 21beginning to end. Study it, ponder it. It will be indeed sweet at its first taste, when it heals you; but murmur not over Truth, if you find its digestion bitter. When you 24approach nearer and nearer to this divine Principle, when you eat the divine body of this Principle, — thus partak-ing of the nature, or primal elements, of Truth and Love, 27 — do not be surprised nor discontented because you must share the hemlock cup and eat the bitter herbs; for the Israelites of old at the Paschal meal thus prefigured this 30perilous passage out of bondage into the El Dorado of faith and hope.
- SH 367:17-29
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. I long to see the consummation of my hope, namely, the student’s higher attainments in this line of light.
- SH 570:14-24, 30-12 (to .)
Millions of unprejudiced minds — simple seekers for 15Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert — are wait-Receptive heartsing and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ’s name, 18and never fear the consequences. What if the old dragon should send forth a new flood to drown the Christ-idea? He can neither drown your voice with its roar, nor again 21sink the world into the deep waters of chaos and old night. In this age the earth will help the woman; the spiritual idea will be understood. Those ready for the blessing 24you impart will give thanks.
Many are willing to open the eyes of the people to the power of good resident in divine Mind, but they are 571 571:1not so willing to point out the evil in human thought, and expose evil’s hidden mental ways of accomplishing 3iniquity.
Why this backwardness, since exposure is necessary to ensure the avoidance of the evil? Because people like 6Christly warningyou better when you tell them their virtues than when you tell them their vices. It re -quires the spirit of our blessed Master to tell a man his 9faults, and so risk human displeasure for the sake of doing right and benefiting our race. Who is telling mankind of the foe in ambush? Is the informer one who sees the 12foe? If so, listen and be wise.
- SH 271:7, 20-22, 26
Jesus instructed his disciples whereby to heal the sick through Mind instead of matter. He knew that the phi-9losophy, Science, and proof of Christianity were in Truth, casting out all inharmony.
Our Master said, “But the Comforter . . . shall 21teach you all things.” When the Science of Christianity New Testament basisappears, it will lead you into all truth.
Those, who are willing to leave their nets or to cast 27them on the right side for Truth, have the opportunity Modern evangelnow, as aforetime, to learn and to practise Christian healing. The Scriptures contain it. 30The spiritual import of the Word imparts this power. But, as Paul says, “How shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be 272 272:1sent?” If sent, how shall they preach, convert, and heal multitudes, except the people hear?
- SH 323:6-30
Through the wholesome chastisements of Love, we are helped onward in the march towards righteousness, A bright outlookpeace, and purity, which are the landmarks 9of Science. Beholding the infinite tasks of truth, we pause, — wait on God. Then we push onward, until boundless thought walks enraptured, and concep-12tion unconfined is winged to reach the divine glory.
In order to apprehend more, we must put into prac-tice what we already know. We must recollect that 15Need and supplyTruth is demonstrable when understood, and that good is not understood until demonstrated. If “faithful over a few things,” we shall be made rulers 18over many; but the one unused talent decays and is lost. When the sick or the sinning awake to realize their need of what they have not, they will be receptive of divine 21Science, which gravitates towards Soul and away from material sense, removes thought from the body, and ele-vates even mortal mind to the contemplation of some-24thing better than disease or sin. The true idea of God gives the true understanding of Life and Love, robs the grave of victory, takes away all sin and the delusion that 27there are other minds, and destroys mortality.
The effects of Christian Science are not so much seen Childlike receptivityas felt. It is the “still, small voice” of Truth 30 uttering itself.
Hymn 537: “O church of God, built on a firm foundation”
Hymn 600: “...For you are the light of the world!”
Hymn 457: “Cause me to hear Your lovingkinndness in the morning”
