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Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Theme: The Open Door of Christian Science
Readings from the Bible:
1) Rev. 3:6–8 (to 2nd :)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: ...
2) Col. 3:2, 10 put
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ... ... put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
3) Col. 4:3 praying (to 3rd ,)
... praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, ...
4) Num. 14:7 they, 8
... they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
5) Prov. 1:23 I
... I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
6) Gen. 1:1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 31
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ... And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. ... ... ¶ And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. ... ... ¶ And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. ... And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
7) Gen. 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
8) II John 1:8
Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9) Matt. 7:7
¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
10) Matt. 17:19 (to 1st ,), 24–27
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, ... ... ¶ And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
11) Matt. 20:30–34
¶ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
12) Mark 7:31–37
¶ And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
13) Mal. 3:10–12
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
Readings from Science and Health:
1) SH 10:15
Spiritual attainments open the door to a higher understanding of the divine Life.
2) SH 333:19–23
Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea, — the reflection of God, — has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth.
3) SH 483:22–30
Because the Science of Mind seems to bring into dishonor the ordinary scientific schools, which wrestle with material observations alone, this Science has met with opposition; but if any system honors God, it ought to receive aid, not opposition, from all thinking persons. And Christian Science does honor God as no other theory honors Him, and it does this in the way of His appointing, by doing many wonderful works through the divine name and nature.
4) SH 501:1–10
Scientific interpretation of the Scriptures properly starts with the beginning of the Old Testament, chiefly because the spiritual import of the Word, in its earliest articulations, often seems so smothered by the immediate context as to require explication; whereas the New Testament narratives are clearer and come nearer the heart. Jesus illumines them, showing the poverty of mortal existence, but richly recompensing human want and woe with spiritual gain.
5) SH 502:18–5
In the following exegesis, each text is followed by its spiritual interpretation according to the teachings of Christian Science. EXEGESIS Genesis i. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The infinite has no beginning. This word beginning is employed to signify the only, — that is, the eternal verity and unity of God and man, including the universe. The creative Principle — Life, Truth, and Love — is God. The universe reflects God. There is but one creator and one creation. This creation consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities, which are embraced in the infinite Mind and forever reflected. These ideas range from the infinitesimal to infinity, and the highest ideas are the sons and daughters of God.
6) SH 503:18–2
Genesis i. 3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Immortal and divine Mind presents the idea of God: first, in light; second, in reflection; third, in spiritual and immortal forms of beauty and goodness. But this Mind creates no element nor symbol of discord and decay. God creates neither erring thought, mortal life, mutable truth, nor variable love. Genesis i. 4. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. God, Spirit, dwelling in infinite light and harmony from which emanates the true idea, is never reflected by aught but the good.
7) SH 505:4–12
Genesis i. 6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Spiritual understanding, by which human conception, material sense, is separated from Truth, is the firmament. The divine Mind, not matter, creates all identities, and they are forms of Mind, the ideas of Spirit apparent only as Mind, never as mindless matter nor the so-called material senses.
8) SH 506:15–21
Genesis i. 9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.
9) SH 518:24–25, 27–29 (to 1st .)
Genesis i. 31. And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. ... The divine Principle, or Spirit, comprehends and expresses all, and all must therefore be as perfect as the divine Principle is perfect.
10) SH 519:7–11, 14–16
Genesis ii. 1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. Thus the ideas of God in universal being are complete and forever expressed, for Science reveals infinity and the fatherhood and motherhood of Love. ... Mortals can never know the infinite, until they throw off the old man and reach the spiritual image and likeness.
11) SH 24:4
Acquaintance with the original texts, and willingness to give up human beliefs (established by hierarchies, and instigated sometimes by the worst passions of men), open the way for Christian Science to be understood, and make the Bible the chart of life, where the buoys and healing currents of Truth are pointed out.
Hymns: 64, 572, 392
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