Golden Text . . . God hath from the beginning chosen you ...€¦ · 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
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. . . God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Golden Text II Thessalonians 2:13 God hath
. . . Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband-man. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide 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. 5 I 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. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
2 0 1 5
®®
Christian Science Quarterly™ Jan. 5–11
Responsive Reading John 13:31 Jesus; 15:1–5, 7–13
SECTION ONE: Pure love is the foundation of sacrament. Page 2
SECTION TWO: Follow Christ and heal. Page 3
SECTION THREE: Learn true sacrifice. Page 4
SECTION FOUR: Be of service through humility and love. Page 5
SECTION SIX: . . . then you’ll see sacrament fulfilled and demonstrated. Page 7
THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy
1 | II Corinthians 13:14 (to 1st .)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.
2 | Psalms 4:4 commune (to 1st .)
commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
3 | I Samuel 3:1 the (to ;), 3–6, 8–10, 19
he child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of
the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he an-swered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
1 | 35:25–26
Our Eucharist is spiritual communion with the one God.
2 | 15:9, 16–18
9 To enter into the heart of prayer, the door of the erring senses must be closed. Lips must be mute and materialism silent, 12 that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error.
In the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings, we must
Effectual invocation
18 deny sin and plead God’s allness.
3 | 72:2–3, 6, 30–32
The 3 divine Principle of man speaks through immortal sense.
6 A con- dition precedent to communion with Spirit is the gain of spiritual life.
30 Not personal intercommunion but divine law is the com- municator of truth, health, and harmony to earth and humanity.
4 | 84:14–23
Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to 15 commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired, — yea, to reach the range of fetter- 18 less Mind. To understand that Mind is infinite, not bounded by corporeality, not dependent upon the ear and eye for 21 sound or sight nor upon muscles and bones for locomotion, is a step towards the Mind-
The Mind unbounded
science by which we discern man’s nature and existence.
before Eli: under Eli’s directionEucharist: a commemoration of Jesus’s last supper with his apostles before the crucifixioncommunion: deep and tender communication; unity; harmonyaudience: an opportunity of being heard; communication sanctuary: sacred, safe place; haven; shelter; refugeinvocation: action of calling on someone or something for assistance or as an authority; appeal intercommunion: association; relationslocomotion: movement; action; progression
The ark of God
(a.k.a. ark of the covenant)
represented the presence
of the Lord.
t
Take time to get to know God better today. Listening for His messages to you, which are always there, will help.
WHEN GOD SPOKE to Samuel, the Jewish people had been mostly without a prophet for a very long time. So Eli recognized quickly that this young boy
was very important. As Samuel grew and continued to listen to God, he became a deeply trusted prophet and judge. God also revealed to Samuel who should be anointed as the first two kings of the Jewish nation, Saul and David.
THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy 25 | 333:19–23
Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spirit-
The divine Principle and idea
21 ual idea, — the reflection of God, — has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth.
6 | 271:7–16
Jesus instructed his disciples whereby to heal the sick through Mind instead of matter. He knew that the phi- 9 losophy, Science, and proof of Christianity were in Truth, casting out all inharmony. In Latin the word rendered disciple signifies student; 12 and the word indicates that the power of healing was not a supernatural gift to those learners, but the result of their cultivated spiritual understand-
Studious disciples
15 ing of the divine Science, which their Master demonstrated by healing the sick and sinning.
7 | 37:16–17, 22–25
When will Jesus’ professed followers learn to emulate him in all his ways and to imitate his mighty works?
It is possible, — yea, it is the duty and privilege of every child, man, and woman, — to follow 24 in some degree the example of the Master by the demon- stration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness.
8 | 38:10–14
Jesus said: “These signs shall follow them that be- lieve; . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they 12 shall recover.” Who believes him? He was addressing his disciples, yet he did not say, “These signs shall follow you,” but them — “them that believe” in all time to come.
9 | x:22–23
The divine Principle of healing is proved in the personal experience of any sincere seeker of Truth.
4 | Matthew 4:18–20
nd Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
5 | Matthew 8:14, 15
And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
6 | Luke 10:1, 17–20
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
nd when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude
said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
8 | Luke 22:1, 2 (to ;), 8, 13–20
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. 14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
9 | I Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the commun- ion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
10 | Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
10 | 32:3–25
3 In ancient Rome a soldier was required to swear allegiance to his general. The Latin word for this oath was sacramentum, and our English word 6 sacrament is derived from it. Among the
Sacred sacrament
Jews it was an ancient custom for the master of a feast to pass each guest a cup of wine. But the 9 Eucharist does not commemorate a Roman soldier’s oath, nor was the wine, used on convivial occasions and in Jewish rites, the cup of our Lord. The cup shows 12 forth his bitter experience, — the cup which he prayed might pass from him, though he bowed in holy submis- sion to the divine decree. 15 “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and 18 gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it.” The true sense is spiritually lost, if the sacrament is 21 confined to the use of bread and wine. The disciples had eaten, yet Jesus prayed and gave them bread. This would have been foolish in a
Spiritual refreshment
24 literal sense; but in its spiritual signification, it was nat- ural and beautiful.
11 | 33:3–8
3 His followers, sorrowful and silent, anticipating the hour of their Master’s betrayal, partook of the heavenly manna, which of old had fed in the wilderness the 6 persecuted followers of Truth. Their bread
Heavenly supplies
indeed came down from heaven. It was the great truth of spiritual being, healing the sick and casting out error.
12 | 26:1
1 While we adore Jesus, and the heart overflows with gratitude for what he did for mortals, — treading alone 3 his loving pathway up to the throne of glory, in speechless agony exploring the way
Individual experience
for us, — yet Jesus spares us not one individual expe- 6 rience, if we follow his commands faithfully; and all have the cup of sorrowful effort to drink in proportion to their demonstration of his love, till all are redeemed 9 through divine Love.
The substance of all devotion is the reflection and demonstration of divine Love, healing sickness and 21 destroying sin. Our Master said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
14 | 9:5–21 (to 2nd .)
The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these 6 questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfish- ness, satisfied with having prayed for some-
Summit of aspiration
9 thing better, though we give no evidence of the sin- cerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness, 12 we 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 15 a 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 18 heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”? This command includes much, even the sur- render of all merely material sensation, affec-
Practical religion
21 tion, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity.
11 | John 13:1, 4, 5, 12–14
ow before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having
loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
humility service love
Look—a higher sense of sacrament!
N
WITH FOOTWEAR leaving feet exposed to dirt, plants, and other things on the road and in the fields, foot washing was very important in Jesus’s
time. If one had servants, only the lowest ranking ones would be required to wash the feet of master and guests. It was thought to be a job beneath almost everyone. Jesus was showing that no act of kindness, care, or love was beneath him, and with this act of washing his disciples’ feet, he showed them what Christlike leadership is.
What kinds of things can you do for someone else that might express the tender care and love Jesus was
showing for his disciples? Choose something you thought of, and do it for someone today.
substance: essence; heart; essential componentdevotion: loyalty; faithfulness; commitmentsummit: highest point or degree; pinnacle; acmeaspiration: strong hope or desire for high achievementconsistently: compatibly; in agreementfruition: results; fulfillment
THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy
27 The efficacy of the crucifixion lay in the practical af- fection and goodness it demonstrated for mankind. The truth had been lived among men; but until they saw that 30 it enabled their Master to triumph over the grave, his own disciples could not admit such an event to be possible.
16 | 34:10–23, 29–14
If all who ever partook of the sacrament had really commemorated the sufferings of Jesus and drunk of 12 his cup, they would have revolutionized the world. If all who seek his commemoration
Millennial glory
through material symbols will take up the cross, heal 15 the sick, cast out evils, and preach Christ, or Truth, to the poor, — the receptive thought, — they will bring in the millennium. 18 Through all the disciples experienced, they became more spiritual and understood better what the Master had taught. His resurrection was also their resur- 21 rection. It helped them to raise themselves and
Fellowship with Christ
others from spiritual dulness and blind belief in God into the perception of infinite possibilities.
What a contrast between our Lord’s last supper and 30 his last spiritual breakfast with his disciples in the bright morning hours at the joyful
The last breakfast
meeting on the shore of the Galilean Sea! His gloom 1 had passed into glory, and his disciples’ grief into repent- ance, — hearts chastened and pride rebuked. Convinced 3 of the fruitlessness of their toil in the dark and wakened by their Master’s voice, they changed their methods, turned away from material things, and cast their net on the right 6 side. Discerning Christ, Truth, anew on the shore of time, they were enabled to rise somewhat from mortal sensuousness, or the burial of mind in matter, into new- 9 ness of life as Spirit. This spiritual meeting with our Lord in the dawn of a new light is the morning meal which Christian Scientists 12 commemorate. They bow before Christ, Truth, to re- ceive more of his reappearing and silently to commune with the divine Principle, Love.
12 | Acts 10:38–40 God
od anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil; for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
13 | John 21:1–6 Jesus, 9, 12
Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a-fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
5
efficacy: effectiveness; ability to produce a desired resultcommemorated: celebrated; remembered; honoredrepentance: change of thought; turning away from past mistakes with sorrowchastened: corrected; disciplined; purifiedfruitlessness: uselessness; unproductivenesstoil: hard work
The tilapia is one of many fish that flour-
ished in the Sea of Tiberias (or
Galilee) during Bible times.
G
What’s that I see?
infinite
possibilities
The “millennium,” as Mary Baker Eddy uses the word, is not so much a moment in time as a state of continuous advancement that will lead everyone to knowing God. Eddy has some great ideas about this in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 239:27–4.
THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy
e have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
15 | I John 3:16
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 | 4:3–16
3 What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds. To keep the com- 6 mandments of our Master and follow his
Efficacious petitions
example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has 9 done. Outward worship is not of itself sufficient to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 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 15 acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.
18 | 31:14–22 (to .)
It is the 15 living Christ, the practical Truth, which makes
Healing primary
Jesus “the resurrection and the life” to all who follow him in deed. Obeying his precious precepts, — following his 18 demonstration so far as we apprehend it, — we drink of his cup, partake of his bread, are baptized with his pu- rity; and at last we shall rest, sit down with him, in a full 21 understanding of the divine Principle which triumphs over death.
19 | 140:20
“The true 21 worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”
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SPENT LAST SUMMER working in Boston, and I was excited to learn that one of my friends would be working in New York. I promised to visit her for a weekend.
My bus was scheduled to depart at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon. As I left the office, my co-worker asked me to come to his desk to show me what he’d been working on. His request did not bother me, but I didn’t get back to my room to pick up my bags until 3:20.
I left my room and walked to the sub-way. By the time I made it to the right platform, it was 3:45. I was getting nervous about miss-ing my bus. I texted my friend to tell her that I was worried I might not make it; she told me to just tell her when I made it on the bus. I was afraid I wasn’t going to! And if I missed the 4 o’clock bus, I’d have to wait hours to get another seat, since the route between Boston and New York is so heavily traveled.
When the subway train finally came, I found myself getting frustrated with the long ride—it was getting late, and I wasn’t even at the bus station yet. But while waiting, the thought came to me clearly to love my fellow travelers. I simply felt compelled to express love—not frustration or impatience—toward everyone around me. This idea was com-forting, and I realized that expressing love was really the most important thing I could do at that time. I’d attended a Chris-tian Science testimony meeting the pre-vious Wednesday, and the First Reader had read this passage from First John: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” (4:18). Simply thinking about the idea gave me a sense of calm. I smiled at those around me, praying to see them all as ideas of God, expressing His goodness.
As I recognized the Godlike qualities in others, it felt like a weight had been lifted. My thought was elevated, and my fear vanished. Recognizing the good that surrounded me allowed me to focus on God and His ideas. I declared silently that God had me in my right place, just as He had all of His ideas. God would guide me to wherever I needed to be—whether that was on the 4:00 bus, a later bus, or even not New York City at all.
I felt a sense of peace with those thoughts, and that’s when I remembered
a quote from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy that I’d written on a sticky note and stuck to my com-puter a few weeks prior: “The devo-tion of thought to an honest achieve-
ment makes the achievement possible” (p. 199). I’d been feeling guilty about not leaving for the bus station earlier, and I did not want to let my friend down. But as I thought about this idea from Science and Health, I realized that doing my best to hold on to the truth of the situation—that I was loved, that I was in my right place—was directing my thought to an honest achievement. Soon, the train rolled up to my stop.
As I stepped off the train, I wanted to run to catch the bus—but I didn’t know where it would be. Again, I slowed down in order to focus and place full trust in God because I knew that He was still guiding me. All I needed to do was listen. I calmly took an elevator up to the sec-ond floor of the station and followed a man out the door to the left. I had no idea where I was, but as I looked to one side—there it was, my bus. I felt such relief. Not only did I make it on time, but it turned out that two buses were needed to ac-commodate everyone, and I was one of the first people to board the second bus.
I knew that the whole weekend could be this harmonious. My friend and I ex-plored the city for two days, and with each new location I saw good unfolding. The most remarkable scene for me came from the top of Rockefeller Center. To see the city from such a height humbled me, and it reminded me that not only does God have a wonderful abundance of ideas, but He also directs them continu- ously. It was so clear to me that God is always in control.
// I SIMPLY FELT
COMPELLED TO
EXPRESS LOVE
TOWARD EVERYONE
AROUND ME. //
This article was originally published in the December 30, 2013 issue of the
Christian Science Sentinel.You can find this piece (and thousands
more!) at jsh.christianscience.com.
IWITH LOVETRAVELING
PHOTO ATTRIBUTIONS: COVER: Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Thinkstock: grapevines, mod. Page 2: Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us: ark, mod. Page 4: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Thinkstock: Upper Room, Jerusalem, Israel Page 6: Illustrated Bible Dictionary: fish from the Sea of Galilee, mod. Page 7: Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Thinkstock: ocean, mod. Page 8: Courtesy photo
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BIBLE INFO:TRANSLATIONS: All Scriptural quotations used in the text of myBibleLesson are taken from the King James Version of The Holy Bible, unless otherwise indicated.
New International Version: Scriptural quotations marked New International Version are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
New Revised Standard Version: Scriptural quotations marked New Revised Standard Version are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version: Scriptural quotations marked Revised Standard Version are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Reader’s Version: Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®. Copyright 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.