First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California

Wednesday Meeting Readings

w240424JK
What shall I speak?
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
w240424JKThe Bible
  1. Ex. 20:7, 16

    7Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

    16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

  2. Ps. 34:12-16 (to ,)

    12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

    13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

    14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

    15The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

    16The face of the Lord is against them that do evil,

  3. 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.

  4. Matt. 5:16, 19, 33-35 (to :), 36, 37, 43-48

    16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

    19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

    34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

    35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:

    ... 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

    37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

    43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

    44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

    45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

    46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

    47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

    48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

  5. Matt. 12:36, 37

    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.

  6. Job 2:7-10 (to 1st .)

    7So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

    8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

    9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

    10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.

  7. James 1:19-21 my, 26

    my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

    20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

    21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

    ... 26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

  8. James 3:2 If, 3, 5, 9-11, 13-18

    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.

    ... 5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

    ... 9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

    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?

    ... 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.

  9. James 5:12

    12But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

  10. I Pet. 1:15 as

    as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

  11. Col. 3:8-10, 12-15 (to ,), 16 (to ;), 17

    8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

    9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

    10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

    ... 12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

    13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

    14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

    15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,

    ... 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;

    ... 17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

  12. I Pet. 3:8-12 (to :), 13-15 (to 1st :), 16, 17

    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.

    12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:

    ... 13And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

    14But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

    15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:

    ... 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.

    17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing.

  13. II Cor. 1:12 by (to 6th ,)

    by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world,


Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
  1. SH 4:12

        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.

  2. SH 30:26-32

        If we have triumphed sufficiently over the errors of 27material sense to allow Soul to hold the control, we shall loathe sin and rebuke it under every mask. Only in this way can we bless our enemies, though they 30may not so construe our words. We cannot choose for ourselves, but must work out our salvation in the way Jesus taught.

  3. SH 117:6-15

        God is Spirit; therefore the language of Spirit must be, and is, spiritual. Christian Science attaches no physi-Spiritual languagecal nature and significance to the Supreme 9Being or His manifestation; mortals alone do this. 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.

  4. SH 354:20-23

    If our words 21fail to express our deeds, God will redeem that weakness, and out of the mouth of babes He will perfect praise.

  5. SH 452:23

    Ex-24pect to heal simply by repeating the author’s words, by right talking and wrong acting, and you will be disap-pointed. Such a practice does not demonstrate the 27Science by which divine Mind heals the sick.

  6. SH 19:12

        The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, de-claring precisely what would destroy sickness, sin, and death, although his teaching set households at variance, 15and brought to material beliefs not peace, but a sword.

  7. SH 181:5

    Can matter speak for itself, or does 6it hold the issues of life?” Matter, which can neither suffer nor enjoy, has no partnership with pain and pleas-ure, but mortal belief has such a partnership.

  8. SH 252:16-26

    Material sense lifts its voice with the arrogance of reality and says:

    18    I am wholly dishonest, and no man knoweth it. I can cheat, lie, commit adultery, rob, murder, and I elude Testimony of sensedetection by smooth-tongued villainy. Ani-21mal in propensity, deceitful in sentiment, fraudulent in purpose, I mean to make my short span of life one gala day. What a nice thing is sin! How 24sin succeeds, where the good purpose waits! The world is my kingdom. I am enthroned in the gorgeousness of matter.

  9. SH 73:8, 30-32

        The belief that one man, as spirit, can control an-9other man, as matter, upsets both the individuality and One governmentthe Science of man, for man is image. God controls man, and God is the only Spirit. Any 12other control or attraction of so-called spirit is a mortal belief, which ought to be known by its fruit, — the repe-tition of evil.

    The sensual cannot be made the mouthpiece of the spiritual, nor can the finite become the channel of the infinite.

  10. SH 166:3

        As a man thinketh, so is he. Mind is all that feels, acts, or impedes action. Ignorant of this, or shrinking from its implied responsibility, the healing effort is made 6on the wrong side, and thus the conscious control over the body is lost.

  11. SH 22:27-31, 32-2

    Whosoever believeth that wrath is righteous or that divinity is appeased by human suffering, does not understand God.

    30    Justice requires reformation of the sinner. Mercy cancels the debt only when justice approves. Wrath which is only appeased is not 23 23:1destroyed, but partially indulged. Wisdom and Love may require many sacrifices of self to save us from sin.

  12. SH 102:30-5 (to 1st .)

        Mankind must learn that evil is not power. Its so-called despotism is but a phase of nothingness. Christian Science despoils the kingdom of evil, and pre-eminently 103 103:1promotes affection and virtue in families and therefore in the community. The Apostle Paul refers to the 3Mental despotismpersonification of evil as “the god of this world,” and further defines it as dishonesty and craftiness.

  13. SH 103:6-9

        The destruction of the claims of mortal mind through Liberation of mental powersScience, by which man can escape from sin and mortality, blesses the whole human fam-9ily.

  14. SH 418:27-29

    Cast out all manner of evil. “Preach Morality requiredthe gospel to every creature.” Speak the truth to every form of error.

  15. SH 419:2, 20-22

    Lurking error, lust, envy, revenge, malice, or hate will 3perpetuate or even create the belief in disease. Errors of all sorts tend in this direction. Your true course is to destroy the foe, and leave the field to God, Life, Truth, 6and Love, remembering that God and His ideas alone are real and harmonious.

        Mind produces all action. If the action proceeds from 21Truth, from immortal Mind, there is harmony; but mor-Conquer beliefs and fearstal mind is liable to any phase of belief.

  16. SH 167:26-28

    The scientific government of the 27body must be attained through the divine Mind. It is im-possible to gain control over the body in any other way.

  17. SH 560:15-17

    This goal is never reached while we hate our neighbor or entertain a false estimate of any-one whom God has appointed to voice His Word.

  18. SH 9:11-21 (to 1st .), 22, 32 (only)

    If selfishness has given place to kindness, 12we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us; but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may be done. There is 15a cross to be taken up before we can enjoy the fruition of our hope and faith.

        Dost thou “love the Lord thy God with all thy 18heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”? Practical religionThis command includes much, even the sur-render of all merely material sensation, affec-21tion, and worship.It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master, 24and material sense and human will have no place.

    Consistent prayer is the desire to do right.

  19. SH 72:2-3

    The 3divine Principle of man speaks through immortal sense.


From the Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 88: “Gracious Spirit, dwell with me"
Hymns 49: “Dear Lord and Father of us all, Forgive our foolish ways"
Hymn 383: “…Preserve the tablet of thy thoughts From every blemish free”