First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
(Note: The Bible citations will be read from the New Oxford Annotated Bible.)
- Prov. 29:2, 4
2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
... 4The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
- Ps. 74:1, 2 (to 2nd ;), 12, 19-21
1O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed;
... 12For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
... 19O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
- Ps. 73:1-16, 21-24
1Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
2But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
5They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
7Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
8They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
9They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
... 21Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
23Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
- Ps. 78:1-8
1Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
- Ps. 84:1-4 (to 1st .), 5
1How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
2My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
4Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.
... 5Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
- Ps. 88:1, 2, 8, 9, 14, 18
1O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
... 8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
9Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
... 14Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
... 18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
- Ps. 79:4, 11
4We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
... 11Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
- Acts 21:40 Paul
Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
- Acts 22:1, 22-29
1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
... 22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
- Ps. 80:3, 6, 8, 9, 14, 17, 18
3Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
... 6Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
... 8Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
... 14Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
... 17Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
18So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
- Matt. 22:15-22
15¶ Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?
18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
22When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
- Judg. 8:22, 23
22¶ Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
- I Tim. 2:1, 2
1I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 264:32-1
- SH 453:16-17
- SH 105:3
Courts and juries judge and sentence mortals in order to restrain crime, to prevent deeds of violence or to punish Mental crimesthem. To say that these tribunals have no 6jurisdiction over the carnal or mortal mind, would be to contradict precedent and to admit that the power of human law is restricted to matter, while mortal 9mind, evil, which is the real outlaw, defies justice and is recommended to mercy. Can matter commit a crime? Can matter be punished? Can you separate the men-12tality from the body over which courts hold jurisdiction? Mortal mind, not matter, is the criminal in every case; and human law rightly estimates crime, and courts rea-15sonably pass sentence, according to the motive.
- SH 5:3-11
Sorrow for wrong-doing is but one step towards reform and the very easiest step. The next and great step re -Sorrow and reformationquired by wisdom is the test of our sincerity, 6— namely, reformation. To this end we are placed under the stress of circumstances. Temptation bids us repeat the offence, and woe comes in return for 9what is done. So it will ever be, till we learn that there is no discount in the law of justice and that we must pay “the uttermost farthing.”
- SH 30:14-25
Rabbi and priest taught the Mosaic law, which said: 15“An eye for an eye,” and “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Not so did Jesus, the new executor for God, present the divine law of Love, 18which blesses even those that curse it.
As the individual ideal of Truth, Christ Jesus came to rebuke rabbinical error and all sin, sickness, and death, — 21Rebukes helpfulto point out the way of Truth and Life. This ideal was demonstrated throughout the whole earthly career of Jesus, showing the difference between 24the offspring of Soul and of material sense, of Truth and of error.
- SH 106:6-14
Like our nation, Christian Science has its Declaration of Independence. God has endowed man with inalien-Proper self-government able rights, among which are self-government, 9reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.
12 Man’s rights are invaded when the divine order is in-terfered with, and the mental trespasser incurs the divine penalty due this crime.
- SH 205:22
When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law Redemption from selfishnessof loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; 24whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels 27where selfishness reigns.
- SH 57:15
Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh Affection’s demandsagainst the better claims of intellect, good-18ness, and virtue. Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to 21share it.
- SH 239:5-22
Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, 6which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we Right views of humanityget clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth 9be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.
The wicked man is not the ruler of his upright 12neighbor. Let it be understood that success in error is defeat in Truth. The watchword of Christian Science is Scriptural: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the 15unrighteous man his thoughts.”
To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and 18Standpoint revealedobey as God. If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and 21the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.
- SH 36:7
- SH 41:10
- SH 207:8
God is not the creator of an evil mind. Indeed, evil 9is not Mind. We must learn that evil is the awful decep-Subordination of eviltion and unreality of existence. Evil is not supreme; good is not helpless; nor are the 12so-called laws of matter primary, and the law of Spirit secondary. Without this lesson, we lose sight of the per-fect Father, or the divine Principle of man.
- SH 202:3-14
The scientific unity which exists between God and man must be wrought out in life-practice, and God’s will must be universally done.
6 If men would bring to bear upon the study of the Science of Mind half the faith they bestow upon the so-Divine studycalled pains and pleasures of material sense, 9they would not go on from bad to worse, until disciplined by the prison and the scaffold; but the whole human family would be redeemed through 12the merits of Christ, — through the perception and ac-ceptance of Truth. For this glorious result Christian Science lights the torch of spiritual understanding.
- SH 322:26-12
The sharp experiences of belief in the supposititious life 27of matter, as well as our disappointments and ceaseless Uses of sufferingwoes, turn us like tired children to the arms of divine Love. Then we begin to learn Life 30 in divine Science. Without this process of weaning, “Canst thou by searching find out God?” It is easier to desire Truth than to rid one’s self of error. Mortals 323 323:1may seek the understanding of Christian Science, but they will not be able to glean from Christian Science the facts 3of being without striving for them. This strife consists in the endeavor to forsake error of every kind and to pos-sess no other consciousness but good.
6 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.
- SH 48:17-32
Judas had the world’s weapons. Jesus had not one 18of them, and chose not the world’s means of defence. Defensive weapons“He opened not his mouth.” The great dem-onstrator of Truth and Love was silent before 21envy and hate. Peter would have smitten the enemies of his Master, but Jesus forbade him, thus rebuking re-sentment or animal courage. He said: “Put up thy 24sword.”
Pale in the presence of his own momentous question, “What is Truth,” Pilate was drawn into acquiescence 27Pilate’s questionwith the demands of Jesus’ enemies. Pilate was ignorant of the consequences of his awful decision against human rights and divine Love, knowing 30not that he was hastening the final demonstration of what life is and of what the true knowledge of God can do for man.
- SH 51:6-11, 15
Jesus could have withdrawn himself from his enemies. He had power to lay down a human sense of life for his Life-power indestructiblespiritual identity in the likeness of the divine; 9but he allowed men to attempt the destruc-tion of the mortal body in order that he might furnish the proof of immortal life. ... He knew that matter had no life and that real Life is God; therefore he could no more be separated from his spiritual Life than God could 18be extinguished.
- SH 43:22-23, 27 (only)
- SH 125:12-17
As human thought changes from one stage to an-other of conscious pain and painlessness, sorrow and joy, — from fear to hope and from faith to understand-15ing, — the visible manifestation will at last be man gov-erned by Soul, not by material sense. Reflecting God’s government, man is self-governed.
Hymn 178: “Love is life's true crown and glory, Love the splendor of the light”
Hymn 556: “Our Father knows my need today; I do not merely ask”
Hymn 216: “O he who trusts in God's protection And hopes in Him when fears alarm”