First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge

Wednesday Meeting Readings

w180502
Jesus teaches the healing power of Love
The Bible
  1. Ps 57:3 God, 7-10

    3God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

    ... 7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

    8Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

    9I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

    10For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

  2. Ps 103:2-5

    2Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

    3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

    4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

    5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

  3. Ps 118:21, 22

    21I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

    22The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

  4. Mark 7:24-37

    24And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

    25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

    26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

    27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

    28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.

    29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

    30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

    31And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

    32And 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.

    33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

    34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

    35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

    36And 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;

    37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

  5. Mark 8:22-25

    22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

    23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught.

    24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

    25After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

  6. Mark 9:14-29

    14And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

    15And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

    16And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

    17And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

    18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

    19He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

    20And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

    21And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

    22And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

    23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

    24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

    25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

    26And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

    27But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

    28And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

    29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

  7. Acts 3:1-13 (to ;)

    1Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

    2And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

    3Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

    4And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

    5And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

    6Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

    7And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

    8And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

    9And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

    10And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

    11And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

    12And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

    13The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus;

  8. Acts 4:1-11

    1And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

    2Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

    3And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

    4Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

    5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

    6And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

    7And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

    8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

    9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

    10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

    11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.


Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy

  1. 55:15

    15    Truth’s immortal idea is sweeping down the centuries, gathering beneath its wings the sick and sinning. My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall 18recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done 21and is doing for mankind. The promises will be ful-filled. The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is throughout all time; and whosoever layeth his earthly 24all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ’s cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing.

  2. 12:10

    It is neither Science nor Truth which acts through blind belief, nor is it the human under-12standing of the divine healing Principle as manifested in Jesus, whose humble prayers were deep and con-scientious protests of Truth, — of man’s likeness to 15God and of man’s unity with Truth and Love.

  3. 473:18-3

    18    In an age of ecclesiastical despotism, Jesus introduced the teaching and practice of Christianity, affording the Jesus not Godproof of Christianity’s truth and love; but to 21reach his example and to test its unerring Sci-ence according to his rule, healing sickness, sin, and death, a better understanding of God as divine Prin-24ciple, Love, rather than personality or the man Jesus, is required.

        Jesus established what he said by demonstration, 27thus making his acts of higher importance than his Jesus not understoodwords. He proved what he taught. This is the Science of Christianity. Jesus proved 30 the Principle, which heals the sick and casts out error, to be divine. Few, however, except his students un-derstood in the least his teachings and their glorious 474 474:1proofs, — namely, that Life, Truth, and Love (the Prin-ciple of this unacknowledged Science) destroy all error, 3evil, disease, and death.

  4. 230:1

    230:1    If sickness is real, it belongs to immortality; if true, it is a part of Truth. Would you attempt with drugs, 3or without, to destroy a quality or condition of Truth? But if sickness and sin are illusions, the awakening from this mortal dream, or illusion, will bring us into health, 6holiness, and immortality. This awakening is the for-ever coming of Christ, the advanced appearing of Truth, which casts out error and heals the sick. This is the sal-9vation which comes through God, the divine Principle, Love, as demonstrated by Jesus.

  5. 316:7

    Christ, Truth, was demonstrated through Jesus to prove the power of 9Spirit over the flesh, — to show that Truth is made manifest by its effects upon the human mind and body, healing sickness and destroying sin.

  6. 411:10

    If Spirit or the power of divine Love bear witness to the truth, this is the ultimatum, the scientific 12way, and the healing is instantaneous.

  7. 514:26

        Understanding the control which Love held over all, 27Daniel felt safe in the lions’ den, and Paul proved the Creatures of God usefulviper to be harmless. All of God’s creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harm-30less, useful, indestructible. A realization of this grand verity was a source of strength to the ancient worthies. 515 515:1It supports Christian healing, and enables its possessor to emulate the example of Jesus. “And God saw that 3it was good.”

  8. 496:9

    9    We all must learn that Life is God. Ask yourself: Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good? Condition of progressAm I demonstrating the healing power of 12Truth and Love? If so, then the way will grow brighter “unto the perfect day.” Your fruits will prove what the understanding of God brings to man. 15Hold perpetually this thought, — that it is the spiritual idea, the Holy Ghost and Christ, which enables you to demonstrate, with scientific certainty, the rule of healing, 18based upon its divine Principle, Love, underlying, over-lying, and encompassing all true being.

  9. 41:14-18

        The proofs of Truth, Life, and Love, which Jesus gave 15by casting out error and healing the sick, completed his Healing early lostearthly mission; but in the Christian Church this demonstration of healing was early lost, 18about three centuries after the crucifixion.

  10. 135:26

    Christianity as Jesus taught it was not 27a creed, nor a system of ceremonies, nor a special gift from a ritualistic Jehovah; but it was the demonstration of divine Love casting out error and healing the sick, 30not merely in the name of Christ, or Truth, but in demon-stration of Truth, as must be the case in the cycles of divine light.

  11. 31:12-13

    12    First in the list of Christian duties, he taught his fol-lowers the healing power of Truth and Love.

  12. 52:19

        The “man of sorrows” best understood the nothing-ness of material life and intelligence and the mighty ac-21Saviour’s predictiontuality of all-inclusive God, good. These were the two cardinal points of Mind-healing, or Christian Science, which armed him with Love. The high-24est earthly representative of God, speaking of human ability to reflect divine power, prophetically said to his disciples, speaking not for their day only but for all time: 27“He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also;” and “These signs shall follow them that believe.”

  13. 94:24

    24    Our Master easily read the thoughts of mankind, and this insight better enabled him to direct those thoughts aright; but what would be said at this period of an in-27fidel blasphemer who should hint that Jesus used his in-cisive power injuriously? Our Master read mortal mind on a scientific basis, that of the omnipresence of Mind. 30An approximation of this discernment indicates spiritual growth and union with the infinite capacities of the one Mind. Jesus could injure no one by his Mind-reading. 95 95:1The effect of his Mind was always to heal and to save, and this is the only genuine Science of reading mortal 3Spiritual insightmind. His holy motives and aims were tra-duced by the sinners of that period, as they would be to-day if Jesus were personally present. Paul 6said, “To be spiritually minded is life.” We approach God, or Life, in proportion to our spirituality, our fidel-ity to Truth and Love; and in that ratio we know all 9human need and are able to discern the thought of the sick and the sinning for the purpose of healing them. Error of any kind cannot hide from the law of God.

  14. 241:19-21

        The substance of all devotion is the reflection and demonstration of divine Love, healing sickness and 21destroying sin.

  15. 326:3-5, 12

    3    If we wish to follow Christ, Truth, it must be in the way of God’s appointing. Jesus said, “He that believeth Loving God supremelyon me, the works that I do shall he do also.”

    12    We must forsake the foundation of material systems, however time-honored, if we would gain the Christ as our only Saviour. Not partially, but fully, the great 15healer of mortal mind is the healer of the body.

  16. 365:15-19

    15    If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one Speedy healingvisit, and the disease will vanish into its native 18nothingness like dew before the morning sun-shine.


From the Christian Science Hymnal
Hymn 588: “Though I may speak with moving words”
Hymn 529: “Love divine, Your healing presence Lifts us to the holy place”
Hymn 464: “Dear Master, may I follow thee”