Golden Text
Psalms 36:7 (to !)
7How precious, O God, is your constant love!
The Golden Text is from the Good News Translation in Today's English Version—Second Edition.
Responsive Reading
Psalms 138:1 (to :), 2–5, 8 (to 2nd :); Psalms 68:4 (to :), 5, 6 (to 2nd :), 19, 26; Psalms 48:1, 9, 10 (to :), 14 (to :)
138:1I will praise thee with my whole heart:
2I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
8The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever:
68:4Sing unto God, sing praises to his name:
5A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains:
19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
26Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
48:1Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
9We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
10According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth:
14For this God is our God for ever and ever:
Section 1
The Bible
Psalms 63:1, 3
1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
3Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
II Samuel 22:36 thy gentleness, 37, 50
36thy gentleness hath made me great.
37Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
50Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
Proverbs 2:6
6For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 8:1, 17, 35
1Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
17I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
35For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
Isaiah 55:12
12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Zephaniah 3:17
17The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesby Mary Baker Eddy
2:23 (only, to ?)
God is Love. Can we ask Him to be more?
13:2, 20–24
Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.”
Corporeal
ignorance
If we pray to God as a corporeal person, this will prevent us from relinquishing the human doubts and fears which attend such a belief, and so we cannot grasp the wonders wrought by infinite, incorporeal Love, to whom all things are possible.
256:7, 13, 24–25
Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and Mother of the universe, including man.
No divine
corporeality
The everlasting I am is not bounded nor compressed within the narrow limits of physical humanity, nor can He be understood aright through mortal concepts. The precise form of God must be of small importance in comparison with the sublime question, What is infinite Mind or divine Love?
No form nor physical combination is adequate to represent infinite Love.
340:12
Divine Love is infinite. Therefore all that really exists is in and of God, and manifests His love.
454:18–19
Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way.
Section 2
The Bible
Psalms 88:1, 2, 12
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;
12Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Jeremiah 30:10 fear, 11 (to 1st :), 22
10fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
11For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee:
22And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, 7 (to :), 16 Refrain (to 2nd ;)
3Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
7For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations:
16Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord;
Isaiah 40:10, 11
10Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 35:1, 10
1The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Science and Health
322:26–31
Uses of
suffering
The sharp experiences of belief in the supposititious life of matter, as well as our disappointments and ceaseless woes, turn us like tired children to the arms of divine Love. Then we begin to learn Life in divine Science. Without this process of weaning, “Canst thou by searching find out God?”
66:6, 30–31
Salutary
sorrow
Trials teach mortals not to lean on a material staff, — a broken reed, which pierces the heart. We do not half remember this in the sunshine of joy and prosperity. Sorrow is salutary. Through great tribulation we enter the kingdom. Trials are proofs of God’s care. Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.
Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us.
518:19
Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud. All the varied expressions of God reflect health, holiness, immortality — infinite Life, Truth, and Love.
520:3–5 The (to !)
The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!
Section 3
The Bible
I Peter 5:6, 7
6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Matthew 14:14
14And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
Matthew 5:1, 2, 5, 9
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Science and Health
365:31
The poor suffering heart needs its rightful nutriment, such as peace, patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of the dear Father’s loving-kindness.
30:30–1
We cannot choose for ourselves, but must work out our salvation in the way Jesus taught. In meekness and might, he was found preaching the gospel to the poor.
31:12–13
First in the list of Christian duties, he taught his followers the healing power of Truth and Love.
332:19
Holy Ghost
or Comforter
Jesus demonstrated Christ; he proved that Christ is the divine idea of God — the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, revealing the divine Principle, Love, and leading into all truth.
241:19–21
The substance of all devotion is the reflection and demonstration of divine Love, healing sickness and destroying sin.
516:4, 12–13, 19
The substance, Life, intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by His creation; and when we subordinate the false testimony of the corporeal senses to the facts of Science, we shall see this true likeness and reflection everywhere.
Love imparts
beauty
Love, redolent with unselfishness, bathes all in beauty and light.
Man, made in His likeness, possesses and reflects God’s dominion over all the earth. Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God.
Section 4
The Bible
Luke 8:40 when
40when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
Luke 5:12, 13
12And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
Luke 15:1–7
1Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 10:20 2nd rejoice
20rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Science and Health
560:10–15
True estimate
of God’s
messenger
Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science interprets the Principle of heavenly harmony. The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man.
548:5
In this Science, we discover man in the image and likeness of God. We see that man has never lost his spiritual estate and his eternal harmony.
19:6
Jesus aided in reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love, the divine Principle of Jesus’ teachings, and this truer sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter, sin, and death by the law of Spirit, — the law of divine Love.
54:1, 13–17
Through the magnitude of his human life, he demonstrated the divine Life. Out of the amplitude of his pure affection, he defined Love. With the affluence of Truth, he vanquished error. The world acknowledged not his righteousness, seeing it not; but earth received the harmony his glorified example introduced.
In witness of his divine commission, he presented the proof that Life, Truth, and Love heal the sick and the sinning, and triumph over death through Mind, not matter. This was the highest proof he could have offered of divine Love.
375:17
The genuine Christian Scientist is adding to his patient’s mental and moral power, and is increasing his patient’s spirituality while restoring him physically through divine Love.
414:28
Remember that man’s perfection is real and unimpeachable, whereas imperfection is blameworthy, unreal, and is not brought about by divine Love.
201:17–18
The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love.
140:8–12
We shall obey and adore in proportion as we apprehend the divine nature and love Him understandingly, warring no more over the corporeality, but rejoicing in the affluence of our God.
Section 5
The Bible
John 13:31 Jesus, 34, 35
31Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
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.
Romans 12:5 we, 9, 10, 12, 14, 18
5we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Titus 3:3–5
3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
I John 4:6 (to :), 7, 8, 11, 12 If, 16
6We are of God:
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
James 2:8
8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Science and Health
266:18 Universal
Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science.
454:10 (only), 17–18
Love is enthroned.
Love the
incentive
Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching.
571:15
The armor
of divinity
At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.
469:30
With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science. The supposed existence of more than one mind was the basic error of idolatry. This error assumed the loss of spiritual power, the loss of the spiritual presence of Life as infinite Truth without an unlikeness, and the loss of Love as ever present and universal.
248:3–4
Love never loses sight of loveliness. Its halo rests upon its object.
Section 6
The Bible
Jude 1:21
21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Romans 8:38, 39
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.
Ephesians 3:14–19
14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Science and Health
192:27
We walk in the footsteps of Truth and Love by following the example of our Master in the understanding of divine metaphysics. Christianity is the basis of true healing. Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed love, receives directly the divine power.
239:16
Standpoint
revealed
To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and obey 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 the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.
264:24
Spiritual
proofs of
existence
Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.
113:5–6
The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love.