First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- Matt. 22:35-40 one
one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
- Matt. 5:38-46 (to 1st ?), 48
38¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43¶ Ye 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?
48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
- John 13:34, 35
34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
- John 15:1, 4, 5, 7-10, 12-17
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
... 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
... 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
... 12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17These things I command you, that ye love one another.
- I Pet. 2:17 Love (to 2nd .), 21-25 Christ
Love the brotherhood.
... Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
- SH 138:17-22, 27
Jesus established in the Christian era the precedent for 18all Christianity, theology, and healing. Christians are New era in Jesusunder as direct orders now, as they were then, to be Christlike, to possess the Christ-spirit, to 21follow the Christ-example, and to heal the sick as well as the sinning.
Our Master said to every follower: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature! . . . Healthful theologyHeal the sick! . . . Love thy neighbor as 30thyself!” It was this theology of Jesus which healed the sick and the sinning. It is his theology in this book and the spiritual meaning of this theology, which 139 139:1heals the sick and causes the wicked to “forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” It was our Mas-3ter’s theology which the impious sought to destroy.
- SH 26:21-23
- SH 135:26
Christianity as Jesus taught it was not 27a creed, nor a system of ceremonies, nor a special gift from a ritualistic Jehovah; but it was the demonstration of divine Love casting out error and healing the sick, 30not merely in the name of Christ, or Truth, but in demon-stration of Truth, as must be the case in the cycles of divine light.
- SH 332:19 Jesus, 23-26 He
Jesus demonstrated Christ; he proved that Christ Holy Ghost or Comforteris the divine idea of God — the Holy Ghost, 21or Comforter, revealing the divine Principle, Love, and leading into all truth.
He was appointed 24to speak God’s word and to appear to mortals in such Christ Jesusa form of humanity as they could understand as well as perceive.
- SH 467:3 The
The first demand of this Science is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” This me is Spirit. Two chief commandsTherefore the command means this: Thou shalt 6have no intelligence, no life, no substance, no truth, no love, but that which is spiritual. The second is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” 9It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact 12becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brother-hood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide 15him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, hav-ing that Mind which was also in Christ.
- SH 340:16-17, 23
The First Commandment is my favorite text. It demonstrates Christian Science. ... One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; con-24stitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in 27social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.
- SH 494:5
Is it not a species of infidelity to believe that so great 6a work as the Messiah’s was done for himself or for God, Inexhaustible divine Lovewho needed no help from Jesus’ example to preserve the eternal harmony? But mortals 9did need this help, and Jesus pointed the way for them. Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demon-12strated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.
- SH 476:28-32
- SH 51:28-5
Jesus was unselfish. His spirituality separated him from sensuousness, and caused the selfish materialist 30to hate him; but it was this spirituality which enabled Jesus to heal the sick, cast out evil, and raise the dead.
5252:1 From early boyhood he was about his “Father’s busi-ness.” His pursuits lay far apart from theirs. His mas-3Master’s businesster was Spirit; their master was matter. He served God; they served mammon. His affec -tions were pure; theirs were carnal.
- SH 54:3
- SH 25:31
- SH 328:30-31
Hymn 573: “Shepherd, show me how to go”
Hymn 221: “O Jesus, our dear Master”
Hymn 178: “Love is life's true crown and glory”