First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- Ps 27:1-6
1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
- Matt 4:17 Jesus
17Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
- Matt 18:11-14, 20
11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
- Luke 24:13-36, 44-49 (to 1st :), 51, 52 (to 1st ,), 53 (to 1st .)
13¶ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done.
22Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
36¶ And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48And ye are witnesses of these things.
49¶ And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you:
51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52And they worshipped him,
... 53And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.
- Acts 1:13-16 (to 2nd ,)
13And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
15¶ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
16Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled,
- Acts 10:34-48 Of a truth (to 1st .)
34Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
37That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judæa, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
38How God 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.
39And 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:
40Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44¶ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
- Acts 2:41-47
41¶ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
- Acts 11:26 And the disciples
26And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
- Acts 16:5
5And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
- Eph 2:18-22
18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
- S&H 262:28 (to 2nd .)
27To begin rightly is to end rightly.
- S&H 35:19-27 Our church (to 2nd .)
Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can 21Spiritual Eucharistunite with this church only as we are new-born of Spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth which is Life by bringing forth 24the fruits of Love, — casting out error and healing the sick. Our Eucharist is spiritual communion with the one God. Our bread, “which cometh down from heaven,” 27is Truth. Our cup is the cross.
- S&H 46:5, 30
In the walk to Emmaus, Jesus was known to his friends 6by the words, which made their hearts burn within them, Spiritual interpretationand by the breaking of bread. The divine Spirit, which identified Jesus thus centuries 9ago, has spoken through the inspired Word and will speak through it in every age and clime. It is revealed to the receptive heart, and is again seen casting out evil and 12healing the sick.
30 His students then received the Holy Ghost. By this is meant, that by all they had witnessed and suffered, they were roused to an enlarged understanding of divine Sci-4747:1ence, even to the spiritual interpretation and discernment of Jesus’ teachings and demonstrations, which gave them 3Pentecostal powera faint conception of the Life which is God. They no longer measured man by material sense. After gaining the true idea of their glorified Master, 6they became better healers, leaning no longer on matter, but on the divine Principle of their work. The influx of light was sudden. It was sometimes an overwhelming 9power as on the Day of Pentecost.
- S&H 136:1-14, 29-9
136:1 Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing. He taught 3The Christ-missionhis followers that his religion had a divine Principle, which would cast out error and heal both the sick and the sinning. He claimed no intelli -6gence, action, nor life separate from God. Despite the persecution this brought upon him, he used his divine power to save men both bodily and spiritually.
9 The question then as now was, How did Jesus heal the sick? His answer to this question the world rejected. Ancient spiritualismHe appealed to his students: “Whom do 12men say that I, the Son of man, am?” That is: Who or what is it that is thus identified with casting out evils and healing the sick?
The disciples apprehended their Master better than 30Doubting disciplesdid others; but they did not comprehend all that he said and did, or they would not have questioned him so often. Jesus patiently persisted in 137 137:1teaching and demonstrating the truth of being. His stu-dents saw this power of Truth heal the sick, cast out evil, 3raise the dead; but the ultimate of this wonderful work was not spiritually discerned, even by them, until after the crucifixion, when their immaculate Teacher stood before 6them, the victor over sickness, sin, disease, death, and the grave.
Yearning to be understood, the Master repeated, 9“But whom say ye that I am?”
- S&H 137:16-5
With his usual impetuosity, Simon replied for his brethren, and his reply set forth a great fact: “Thou 18A divine responseart the Christ, the Son of the living God!” That is: The Messiah is what thou hast de-clared, — Christ, the spirit of God, of Truth, Life, and 21Love, which heals mentally. This assertion elicited from Jesus the benediction, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, 24but my Father which is in heaven;” that is, Love hath shown thee the way of Life!
Before this the impetuous disciple had been called 27only by his common names, Simon Bar-jona, or son of The true and living rockJona; but now the Master gave him a spir-itual name in these words: “And I say also 30unto thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock [the meaning of the Greek word petros, or stone] I will build my church; and the gates of hell [hades, the under-138138:1world, or the grave] shall not prevail against it.” In other words, Jesus purposed founding his society, not 3on the personal Peter as a mortal, but on the God-power which lay behind Peter’s confession of the true Messiah.
- S&H 28:9
9 While respecting all that is good in the Church or out of it, one’s consecration to Christ is more on the ground of demonstration than of profession. In conscience, we 12cannot hold to beliefs outgrown; and by understanding more of the divine Principle of the deathless Christ, we are enabled to heal the sick and to triumph over sin.
- S&H 38:10
Jesus said: “These signs shall follow them that be -lieve; . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they 12shall 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. 15Here the word hands is used metaphorically, as in the text, “The right hand of the Lord is exalted.” It expresses spiritual power; otherwise the healing could not have 18been done spiritually. At another time Jesus prayed, not for the twelve only, but for as many as should believe “through their word.”
- S&H 54:8-17
Who is ready to follow his teaching and example? All 9must sooner or later plant themselves in Christ, the true Inspiration of sacrificeidea of God. That he might liberally pour his dear-bought treasures into empty or sin-12filled human storehouses, was the inspiration of Jesus’ intense human sacrifice. In witness of his divine com-mission, he presented the proof that Life, Truth, and 15Love 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.
- S&H 138:15-29
His sublime summary points to the religion of Love.
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. It is easier for Christianity to cast out sick-ness than sin, for the sick are more willing to part with 24pain than are sinners to give up the sinful, so-called pleas-ure of the senses. The Christian can prove this to-day as readily as it was proved centuries ago.
27 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
- S&H 583:14
The Church is that institution, which affords proof of 15its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the ap-prehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of 18divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.
From the Christian Science Hymnal
Hymn 176: “Long hast thou stood, O church of God”
Hymn 139: “I walk with Love along the way”
Hymn 179: “Love one another”
