First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California
Wednesday Meeting Readings
- John 5:1-30
1After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10¶ The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17¶ But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
- John 14:1-6, 10-13, 15-26
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
... 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
15¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
- SH 138:17-3
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 30thyself!” It was this theology of Jesus which healed the sick and the sinning. It is his theology in this book and the spiritual meaning of this theology, which 139 139:1heals the sick and causes the wicked to “forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” It was our Mas-3ter’s theology which the impious sought to destroy.
- SH 147:24-1
Our Master healed the sick, practised Christian heal-ing, and taught the generalities of its divine Principle to A definite rule discoveredhis students; but he left no definite rule for 27demonstrating this Principle of healing and preventing disease. This rule remained to be discovered in Christian Science. A pure affection takes form in good-30ness, but Science alone reveals the divine Principle of goodness and demonstrates its rules.
Jesus never spoke of disease as dangerous or as difficult 148 148:1to heal.
- SH 271:7
- SH 365:7-24
The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such words as “Take no thought for your life,” would heal 9the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring; but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common 12sense and common humanity are disregarded, what men-tal quality remains, with which to evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness?
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. If the Scientist has enough Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Mag-21dalen gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and deal with his patients compas-sionately; and the result will correspond with the spiritual 24intent.
- SH 411:27
Always begin your treatment by allaying the fear of patients. Silently reassure them as to their exemp-Unspoken pleadingtion from disease and danger. Watch the re-30sult of this simple rule of Christian Science, and you will find that it alleviates the symptoms of every disease. If you succeed in wholly removing the fear, 412 412:1your patient is healed. The great fact that God lovingly governs all, never punishing aught but sin, is your stand-3point, from which to advance and destroy the human fear of sickness. Mentally and silently plead the case scien-tifically for Truth. You may vary the arguments to meet 6the peculiar or general symptoms of the case you treat, but be thoroughly persuaded in your own mind concern-ing the truth which you think or speak, and you will be 9the victor.
- SH 412:13
- SH 414:15
To fix truth steadfastly in your patients’ thoughts, ex-plain Christian Science to them, but not too soon, — not until your patients are prepared for the explanation, — 18lest you array the sick against their own interests by troub-ling and perplexing their thought. The Christian Scien-tist’s argument rests on the Christianly scientific basis of 21being. The Scripture declares, “The Lord He is God [good]; there is none else beside Him.” Even so, harmony is universal, and discord is unreal. Christian Science de-24clares that Mind is substance, also that matter neither feels, suffers, nor enjoys. Hold these points strongly in view. Keep in mind the verity of being, — that man is 27the image and likeness of God, in whom all being is painless and permanent. Remember that man’s perfec-tion is real and unimpeachable, whereas imperfection is 30blameworthy, unreal, and is not brought about by divine Love.
- SH 417:20-11
To the Christian Science healer, sickness is a dream 21from which the patient needs to be awakened. Dis-Disease to be made unrealease should not appear real to the physician, since it is demonstrable that the way to 24cure the patient is to make disease unreal to him. To do this, the physician must understand the unreality of disease in Science.
27 Explain audibly to your patients, as soon as they can bear it, the complete control which Mind holds over the body. Show them how mortal mind seems to induce 30disease by certain fears and false conclusions, and how divine Mind can cure by opposite thoughts. Give your patients an underlying understanding to support them 418 418:1and to shield them from the baneful effects of their own conclusions. Show them that the conquest over sickness, 3as well as over sin, depends on mentally destroying all belief in material pleasure or pain.
Stick to the truth of being in contradistinction to the 6error that life, substance, or intelligence can be in matter. Christian pleadingPlead with an honest conviction of truth and a clear perception of the unchanging, unerr-9ing, and certain effect of divine Science. Then, if your fidelity is half equal to the truth of your plea, you will heal the sick.
Hymn 17: “...His Science yours to prove”
Hymn 565: “Rise up and walk”
Hymn 5: “...Your mission is to heal”
