First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- Eccl. 3:1, 2, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 22 (to ;)
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
... 9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
... 11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
... 13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
17I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
... 22Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works;
- Isa. 14:24, 26, 27
24¶ The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
... 26This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
27For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
- Rom. 8:28-32, 35, 37-39
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
... 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
... 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Ps. 94:14, 15, 17-19, 22 the
14For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
15But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
... 17Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
18When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.
19In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
... the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
- Ps. 95:1, 2, 4-7 (to .)
1O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
... 4In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
5The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
6O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
7For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
- Ps. 91:15, 16
15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
- Matt. 9:9-19, 23-31
9¶ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
10¶ And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
14¶ Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
18¶ While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
23And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
25But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
27¶ And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
30And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 69:2-13
The scientific fact that man and the universe 3are evolved from Spirit, and so are spiritual, is as fixed in divine Science as is the proof that mortals gain the sense of health only as they lose the sense of sin and disease. 6Mortals can never understand God’s creation while believ-ing that man is a creator. God’s children already created will be cognized only as man finds the truth of being. 9Thus it is that the real, ideal man appears in proportion as the false and material disappears. No longer to marry or to be “given in marriage” neither closes man’s con-12tinuity nor his sense of increasing number in God’s in-finite plan.
- SH 4:5-9, 12, 27-30
To keep the com-6mandments of our Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has 9done.
The habitual struggle to be always good is unceas-ing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring, — blessings which, even if not 15acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.
Audible prayer can never do the works of spiritual understanding, which regenerates; but silent prayer, Veritable devotionwatchfulness, and devout obedience enable 30us to follow Jesus’ example.
- SH 492:29
The conservative theory, long believed, is that there 30are two factors, matter and mind, uniting on some im-possible basis. This theory would keep truth and error always at war. Victory would perch on neither banner. 493 493:1On the other hand, Christian Science speedily shows Truth to be triumphant. To corporeal sense, the sun 3Victory for Truthappears to rise and set, and the earth to stand still; but astronomical science contradicts this, and explains the solar system as working on a differ-6ent plan. All the evidence of physical sense and all the knowledge obtained from physical sense must yield to Science, to the immortal truth of all things.
- SH 151:24
The human mind is opposed to God and must be put off, as St. Paul declares. All that really exists is the divine Mind and 27its idea, and in this Mind the entire being is found har-monious and eternal. The straight and narrow way is to see and acknowledge this fact, yield to this power, and 30follow the leadings of truth.
- SH 326:16-21
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.
- SH 506:18
- SH 507:24
Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the men-tal molecule to infinity. This divine Principle of all Ever-appearing creationexpresses Science and art throughout His 27 creation, and the immortality of man and the universe. Creation is ever appearing, and must ever con-tinue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source. 30Mortal sense inverts this appearing and calls ideas mate-rial. Thus misinterpreted, the divine idea seems to fall 508 508:1to the level of a human or material belief, called mortal man. But the seed is in itself, only as the divine Mind 3 is All and reproduces all — as Mind is the multiplier, and Mind’s infinite idea, man and the universe, is the product. The only intelligence or substance of a thought, 6a seed, or a flower is God, the creator of it. Mind is the Soul of all. Mind is Life, Truth, and Love which gov-erns all.
- SH 514:14
In the figurative transmission from the 15divine thought to the human, diligence, promptness, and perseverance are likened to “the cattle upon a thousand hills.” They carry the baggage of stern resolve, and 18keep pace with highest purpose. Tenderness accompa-nies all the might imparted by Spirit. The individ-uality created by God is not carnivorous, as witness the 21millennial estate pictured by Isaiah: — The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; 24And the calf and the young lion, and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
- SH 128:4
The term Science, properly understood, refers only to the laws of God and to His government of the universe, 6Practical Scienceinclusive of man. From this it follows that business men and cultured scholars have found that Christian Science enhances their endurance and 9mental powers, enlarges their perception of character, gives them acuteness and comprehensiveness and an ability to exceed their ordinary capacity. The human 12mind, imbued with this spiritual understanding, becomes more elastic, is capable of greater endurance, escapes somewhat from itself, and requires less repose. A knowl-15edge of the Science of being develops the latent abilities and possibilities of man. It extends the atmosphere of thought, giving mortals access to broader and higher 18realms. It raises the thinker into his native air of insight and perspicacity.
- SH 202:13
Hymn 82: “God is working His purpose out”
Hymn 349: “Thy will, almighty Father, Thine”
Hymn 188: “No eye hath seen, nor tongue declared”