Wednesday Readings

Perfection within Imperfection

Wednesday Readings for September 21st, 2022

From The Bible

PSALMS. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

EXODUS. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi–hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal–zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled:

And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to-day: ...

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: ...

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground:

II SAMUEL. And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

LUKE. And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

II PETER. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ...
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES by Mary Baker Eddy

Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine “powers that be.”

God is not the author of mortal discords.

Error, not Truth, produces all the suffering on earth.

To suppose that God constitutes laws of inharmony is a mistake; discords have no support from nature or divine law, however much is said to the contrary.

Man, created by God, was given dominion over the whole earth.

Man, made in His likeness, possesses and reflects God's dominion over all the earth.

To Jesus, not materiality, but spirituality, was the reality of man's existence, while to the rabbis the spiritual was the intangible and uncertain, if not the unreal.

Christ illustrates that blending with God, his divine Principle, which gives man dominion over all the earth.

Paul said, “To be spiritually minded is life.”

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” (Genesis i. 1, 2.) In the vast forever, in the Science and truth of being, the only facts are Spirit and its innumerable creations.

Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth.

Human capacity is slow to discern and to grasp God's creation and the divine power and presence which go with it, demonstrating its spiritual origin.

Entire immunity from the belief in sin, suffering, and death may not be reached at this period, but we may look for an abatement of these evils; and this scientific beginning is in the right direction.

In the midst of imperfection, perfection is seen and acknowledged only by degrees. The ages must slowly work up to perfection. How long it must be before we arrive at the demonstration of scientific being, no man knoweth, — not even “the Son but the Father;” but the false claim of error continues its delusions until the goal of goodness is assiduously earned and won.

Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned.

The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.

The days of our pilgrimage will multiply instead of diminish, when God's kingdom comes on earth; for the true way leads to Life instead of to death, and earthly experience discloses the finity of error and the infinite capacities of Truth, in which God gives man dominion over all the earth.

There is no vapid fury of mortal mind — expressed in earthquake, wind, wave, lightning, fire, bestial ferocity — and this so-called mind is self-destroyed. The manifestations of evil, which counterfeit divine justice, are called in the Scriptures, “The anger of the Lord.” In reality, they show the self-destruction of error or matter and point to matter's opposite, the strength and permanency of Spirit. Christian Science brings to light Truth and its supremacy, universal harmony, the entireness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil.

WIND. That which indicates the might of omnipotence and the movements of God's spiritual government, encompassing all things. Destruction; anger; mortal passions.

The divine must overcome the human at every point.

Because mortals believe in material laws and reject the Science of Mind, this does not make materiality first and the superior law of Soul last.

Matter is an error of statement.

We define matter as error, because it is the opposite of life, substance, and intelligence.

What you call matter was originally error in solution, elementary mortal mind, — likened by Milton to “chaos and old night.”

The destruction of error is by no means the destruction of Truth or Life, but is the acknowledgment of them.

The triumphs of Christian Science are recorded in the destruction of error and evil, from which are propagated the dismal beliefs of sin, sickness, and death.

What if the old dragon should send forth a new flood to drown the Christ-idea? He can neither drown your voice with its roar, nor again sink the world into the deep waters of chaos and old night. In this age the earth will help the woman; the spiritual idea will be understood.

In proportion as matter loses to human sense all entity as man, in that proportion does man become its master. He enters into a diviner sense of the facts, and comprehends the theology of Jesus as demonstrated in healing the sick, raising the dead, and walking over the wave.

The evidence of the physical senses often reverses the real Science of being, and so creates a reign of discord, — assigning seeming power to sin, sickness, and death; but the great facts of Life, rightly understood, defeat this triad of errors, contradict their false witnesses, and reveal the kingdom of heaven, — the actual reign of harmony on earth.

The more destructive matter becomes, the more its nothingness will appear, until matter reaches its mortal zenith in illusion and forever disappears.

Erring human mind-forces can work only evil under whatever name or pretence they are employed; for Spirit and matter, good and evil, light and darkness, cannot mingle.

Christian Science, contradicting sense, maketh the valley to bud and blossom as the rose.

Science reveals only one Mind, and this one shining by its own light and governing the universe, including man, in perfect harmony.

Mind and its formations can never be annihilated.

Every quality and condition of mortality is lost, swallowed up in immortality.

Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless.

What I term chemicalization is the upheaval produced when immortal Truth is destroying erroneous mortal belief. Mental chemicalization brings sin and sickness to the surface, forcing impurities to pass away, as is the case with a fermenting fluid.

In moral chemicalization, when the symptoms of evil, illusion, are aggravated, we may think in our ignorance that the Lord hath wrought an evil; but we ought to know that God's law uncovers so-called sin and its effects, only that Truth may annihilate all sense of evil and all power to sin.

Before error is wholly destroyed, there will be interruptions of the general material routine. Earth will become dreary and desolate, but summer and winter, seedtime and harvest (though in changed forms), will continue unto the end, — until the final spiritualization of all things.

As material knowledge diminishes and spiritual understanding increases, real objects will be apprehended mentally instead of materially. The more destructive matter becomes, the more its nothingness will appear, until matter reaches its mortal zenith in illusion and forever disappears.

Final deliverance from error, whereby we rejoice in immortality, boundless freedom, and sinless sense, is not reached through paths of flowers nor by pinning one's faith without works to another's vicarious effort.

As this consummation draws nearer, he who has shaped his course in accordance with divine Science will endure to the end. As material knowledge diminishes and spiritual understanding increases, real objects will be apprehended mentally instead of materially.

What God cannot do, man need not attempt.

The Receptive Heart

Wednesday Readings for September 14th, 2022

From The Bible

Prov. 3:5, 6

5¶ Trust in the Lordwith all thine heart; and lean not unto thine ownunderstanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Josh. 14:6 (to ,), 7, 8, 10, 11 (to 2nd ,), 13

6¶ Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son ofJephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, ...7Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lordsent me fromKadesh–barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was inmine heart. 8Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the peoplemelt: but I wholly followed the Lordmy God. 10And now, behold, the Lordhath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and fiveyears, even since the Lordspake this word unto Moses, while the children ofIsrael wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore andfive years old. 11As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as mystrength was then, even so is my strength now, ...13And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebronfor an inheritance.

Ps. 40:10, 11

10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thyfaithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thytruth from the great congregation. 11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindnessand thy truth continually preserve me.

Isa. 55:8–11

8¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saiththe Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yourways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth notthither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it maygive seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return untome void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in thething whereto I sent it.

Matt. 13:1–3, 18–23

1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into aship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sowerwent forth to sow; 18¶ Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, thencometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.This is he which received seed by the way side. 20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth theword, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation orpersecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; andthe care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and hebecometh unfruitful. 23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, andunderstandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some anhundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Mark 4:35–41

35And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us passover unto the other side. 36And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was inthe ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so thatit was now full. 38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awakehim, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. Andthe wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man isthis, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Mark 11:22–24

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Bethou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart,but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shallhave whatsoever he saith. 24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believethat ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 16:9–11, 14, 15, 17

9¶ Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared firstto Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned andwept. 11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her,believed not. 14¶ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraidedthem with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not themwhich had seen him after he was risen.

15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel toevery creature. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast outdevils; they shall speak with new tongues;

John 14:12, 13, 27

12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shallhe do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto myFather. 13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may beglorified in the Son. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, giveI unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

SH 46:7

The divineSpirit, which identified Jesus thus centuries9ago, has spoken through the inspired Word and will speakthrough it in every age and clime. It is revealed to thereceptive heart, and is again seen casting out evil and12 healing the sick.

SH 258:31–14

Through spiritual sense you can discern the heart ofdivinity, and thus begin to comprehend in Science the1generic term man. Man is not absorbed in Deity, andman cannot lose his individuality, for he re-3flects eternal Life; nor is he an isolated, soli-tary idea, for he represents infinite Mind, the sum of allsubstance. 6In divine Science, man is the true image of God. Thedivine nature was best expressed in Christ Jesus, whothrew upon mortals the truer reflection of God and lifted9their lives higher than their poor thought-models would allow, — thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick,sinning, and dying. The Christlike understanding of12 scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Prin-ciple and idea, — perfect God and perfect man, — as thebasis of thought and demonstration.

SH 191:16, 24–25

The human thought must free itself from self-imposedmateriality and bondage. It should no longer18ask of the head, heart, or lungs: What areman's prospects for life? Mind is not helpless. Intelli-gence is not mute before non-intelligence. 24 The Science of being reveals man and immortality asbased on Spirit.

SH 114:23–8

Christian Science explains all cause and effect as men-24tal, not physical. It lifts the veil of mystery from Soul andbody. It shows the scientific relation of manto God, disentangles the interlaced ambiguities27of being, and sets free the imprisoned thought. In divineScience, the universe, including man, is spiritual, harmoni-ous, and eternal. Science shows that what is termed mat-30ter is but the subjective state of what is termed by theauthor mortal mind. Apart from the usual opposition to everything new,1the one great obstacle to the reception of that spiritual-ity, through which the understanding of Mind-science3comes, is the inadequacy of material terms formetaphysical statements, and the consequentdifficulty of so expressing metaphysical ideas as to make6them comprehensible to any reader, who has not person-ally demonstrated Christian Science as brought forth in my discovery.

SH 323:28

The effects of Christian Science are not so much seenas felt. It is the “still, small voice” of Truth30uttering itself. We are either turning awayfrom this utterance, or we are listening to it and goingup higher. Willingness to become as a little child and1to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive ofthe advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks3and joy to see them disappear, — this disposition helpsto precipitate the ultimate harmony. The purificationof sense and self is a proof of progress. “Blessed are the6 pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

SH 272:3

3The spiritual sense of truth must be gained beforeTruth can be understood. This sense is assimilated onlyas we are honest, unselfish, loving, and meek.6In the soil of an “honest and good heart” theseed must be sown; else it beareth not much fruit, for theswinish element in human nature uproots it. Jesus said:9“Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures.” The spiritualsense of the Scriptures brings out the scientific sense, andis the new tongue referred to in the last chapter of Mark's12 Gospel.

SH 112:32

God is the Principle of divine metaphysics. As there1is but one God, there can be but one divine Principle ofall Science; and there must be fixed rules for the demon-3stration of this divine Principle. The letterof Science plentifully reaches humanity to-day,but its spirit comes only in small degrees. The vital part,

6 the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love. With-out this, the letter is but the dead body of Science, —pulseless, cold, inanimate.

SH 451:8

Students of Christian Science, who start with its letter9and think to succeed without the spirit, will either makeshipwreck of their faith or be turned sadlyawry. They must not only seek, but strive,12to enter the narrow path of Life, for “wide is the gate,and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, andmany there be which go in thereat.” Man walks in the15direction towards which he looks, and where his treasureis, there will his heart be also. If our hopes and affec-tions are spiritual, they come from above, not from be-18 neath, and they bear as of old the fruits of the Spirit.SH 182:1

1The actof healing the sick through divine Mind alone, of casting3 out error with Truth, shows your position as a ChristianScientist.

SH 140:7–13

Not materially but spiritually weknow Him as divine Mind, as Life, Truth, and Love. We9shall obey and adore in proportion as we apprehend thedivine nature and love Him understandingly, warring nomore over the corporeality, but rejoicing in the affluence12 of our God. Religion will then be of the heart and not ofthe head.

SH 9:17

Dost thou “love the Lord thy God with all thy18heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”?

This command includes much, even the sur-render of all merely material sensation, affec-21tion, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity.It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only thedivine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master,24 and material sense and human will have no place.

SH 8:28–30

We should examine ourselves and learn what is theaffection and purpose of the heart, for in this way30 only can we learn what we honestly are.

SH 15:14

In order to pray aright, we must enter into the15closet and shut the door. We must close the lips andsilence the material senses. In the quietsanctuary of earnest longings, we must18deny sin and plead God's allness. We must resolve totake up the cross, and go forth with honest hearts towork and watch for wisdom, Truth, and Love. We21must “pray without ceasing.” Such prayer is an-swered, in so far as we put our desires into practice.The Master's injunction is, that we pray in secret and24let our lives attest our sincerity.

SH 573:29

Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being willsurely appear sometime and in some way. There willbe no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. Whenyou read this, remember Jesus' words, “The kingdom ofGod is within you.” This spiritual consciousness istherefore a present possibility.

Joy

Wednesday Readings for August 17th, 2022

From The Bible

ISAIAH.

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (Isaiah 65:18, 19)

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1–3)

Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. (Isaiah 52:9, 12)

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. (Isaiah 51:3)

Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? (Isaiah 51:11–13)

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:1, 2, 8–10)

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. (Isaiah 12:3–5)

ROMANS. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17)

MATTHEW. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44)

LUKE. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 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. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Luke 10:17–24)

PHILIPPIANS. Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:1–4, 6, 7, 13, 19)

PSALMS. Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Psalms 66:1, 2, 4 (to 1st .), 8–10)

PSALMS. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; (Psalms 30:11)

ISAIAH. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

(Isaiah 55:12)

SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES by MBE

This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death.

Science inevitably lifts one's being higher in the scale of harmony and happiness.

Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear, — this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony.)

Man is not a pendulum, swinging between evil and good, joy and sorrow, sickness and health, life and death.

Death is not a stepping-stone to Life, immortality, and bliss.

Science reveals Life as not being at the mercy of death, nor will Science admit that happiness is ever the sport of circumstance.

They, who know not purity and affection by experience, can never find bliss in the blessed company of Truth and Love simply through translation into another sphere.

The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual.

Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned.

As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides of human fear, — as they were led through the wilderness, walking wearily through the great desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised joy, — so shall the spiritual idea guide all right desires in their passage from sense to Soul, from a material sense of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for them who love God.

Sorrow is turned into joy when the body is controlled by spiritual Life, Truth, and Love. Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth. This understanding casts out error and heals the sick, and with it you can speak “as one having authority.”

The sinless joy, — the perfect harmony and immortality of Life, possessing unlimited divine beauty and goodness without a single bodily pleasure or pain, — constitutes the only veritable, indestructible man, whose being is spiritual.

As human thought changes from one stage to another of conscious pain and painlessness, sorrow and joy, — from fear to hope and from faith to understanding, — the visible manifestation will at last be man governed by Soul, not by material sense.

Job said: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.” Mortals will echo Job's thought, when the supposed pain and pleasure of matter cease to predominate. They will then drop the false estimate of life and happiness, of joy and sorrow, and attain the bliss of loving unselfishly, working patiently, and conquering all that is unlike God.

Passions and appetites must end in pain. They are “of few days, and full of trouble.” Their supposed joys are cheats. Their narrow limits belittle their gratifications, and hedge about their achievements with thorns. Mortal mind accepts the erroneous, material conception of life and joy, but the true idea is gained from the immortal side.

The false evidence of material sense contrasts strikingly with the testimony of Spirit. Material sense lifts its voice with the arrogance of reality and says:

I am wholly dishonest, and no man knoweth it. I can cheat, lie, commit adultery, rob, murder, and I elude detection by smooth-tongued villainy. Animal in propensity, deceitful in sentiment, fraudulent in purpose, I mean to make my short span of life one gala day. What a nice thing is sin! How sin succeeds, where the good purpose waits! The world is my kingdom. I am enthroned in the gorgeousness of matter. But a touch, an accident, the law of God, may at any moment annihilate my peace, for all my fancied joys are fatal. Like bursting lava, I expand but to my own despair, and shine with the resplendency of consuming fire.

Spirit, bearing opposite testimony, saith:

I am Spirit. Man, whose senses are spiritual, is my likeness. He reflects the infinite understanding, for I am Infinity. The beauty of holiness, the perfection of being, imperishable glory, — all are Mine, for I am God. I give immortality to man, for I am Truth. I include and impart all bliss, for I am Love.

It is essential to understand, instead of believe, what relates most nearly to the happiness of being.

In this divinely united spiritual consciousness, there is no impediment to eternal bliss, — to the perfectibility of God's creation.

God's being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.


Freely Given, Freely Give

Wednesday Readings for August 10th, 2022

From The Bible

Matt. 3:13–17; 4:17 

¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 

13 

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest 14 

thou to me? 

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it 15 

becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, 

16 

lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 17 

well pleased. 

¶ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of 17 

heaven is at hand. 

Matt. 5:1, 2, 14–16 

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, 

his disciples came unto him: 

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 14 

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; 15 

and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and 16 

glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

Matt. 9:35 Jesus; 10:1, 5 (to 3rd ,), 7, 8 

... Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, 35 

and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power 1

against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, ... 5 

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have 8 

received, freely give. 

Acts 9:36–41 

¶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by 

36 

interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. 

And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when 37 

they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. 

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that 

38 

Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 

Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him 39 

into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to 40 

the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 

And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints 

41 

and widows, presented her alive. 

Acts 20:7–12 

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break 7 

bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 

And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered 

together. 

And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen 9

into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not 10 

yourselves; for his life is in him. 

When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and 11 

talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 

And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. 12 

Acts 15:1, 2, 6–9, 11 

And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said,

Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation 2 

with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. ¶ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 6 

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, 

Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy 

Ghost, even as he did unto us; 

And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 9 

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be 

11 

saved, even as they. 

I Cor. 2:9–12 as 

... as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into 

the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all 10 

things, yea, the deep things of God. 

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in 11 

him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of 12

God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 

I Pet. 4:10, 11 

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, 

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 

10 

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let 11 

him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

Mal. 3:10 

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine 

10 

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

SELECTIONS FROM SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES BY MARY BAKER EDDY

SH xii:23 

In the spirit of Christ's charity, — as one who “hopeth 

all things, endureth all things,” and is joyful to bear 

24 

consolation to the sorrowing and healing to the sick, — she commits these pages to honest seekers for Truth. 

SH 570:14–18, 23–24 

Millions of unprejudiced minds — simple seekers for 

Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert — are wait 15 

ing and watching for rest and drink. Give 

them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, 

and never fear the consequences. 

18 

Those ready for the blessing 

you impart will give thanks. 

24 

SH viii:12–15 

The question, What is Truth, is answered by 12

demonstration, — by healing both disease and sin; and this demonstration shows that Christian healing con fers the most health and makes the best men. 

SH xi:9 

15 

The physical healing of Christian Science results 9 

now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their real ity in human consciousness and disappear as naturally 12 

and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation. Now, as then, these mighty works are not supernatural, but supremely natural. They are 

15 

the sign of Immanuel, or “God with us,” — a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and re peating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime, 18 

To preach deliverance to the captives [of sense], And recovering of sight to the blind, 

To set at liberty them that are bruised. 

21 

SH 37:22–25, 27–18 

It is possible, — yea, it is the duty 

and privilege of every child, man, and woman, — to follow 

in some degree the example of the Master by the demon 

24 

stration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness. 

Hear these imperative com 

27 

mands: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect!” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature!” “Heal the 30 

sick!” 

Why has this Christian demand so little inspiration to stir mankind to Christian effort? Because men are 1 

assured that this command was intended only for a par ticular period and for a select number of fol 

3

lowers. This teaching is even more pernicious 

than the old doctrine of foreordination, — the election of a 

few to be saved, while the rest are damned; and so it will 6 

be considered, when the lethargy of mortals, produced by man-made doctrines, is broken by the demands of divine Science. 

Jesus said: “These signs shall follow them that be lieve; . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall

recover.” Who believes him? He was addressing 

12 

his disciples, yet he did not say, “These signs shall follow you,” but them — “them that believe” in all time to come. Here the word hands is used metaphorically, as in the text, 15 

“The right hand of the Lord is exalted.” It expresses spiritual power; otherwise the healing could not have been done spiritually. 

18 

SH 138:27–2 

Our Master said to every follower: “Go ye into all the 

27 

world, and preach the gospel to every creature! . . . Heal the sick! . . . Love thy neighbor as 

thyself!” It was this theology of Jesus which 

30 

healed the sick and the sinning. It is his theology in this book and the spiritual meaning of this theology, which heals the sick and causes the wicked to “forsake his way, 1 

and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” 

SH 450:15 

Some people yield slowly to the touch of Truth. Few 15 

yield without a struggle, and many are reluctant to ac knowledge that they have yielded; but un 

less this admission is made, evil will boast 

18 

itself above good. The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome them by understanding their nothingness and the allness 21

of God, or good. Sickness to him is no less a temptation than is sin, and he heals them both by understanding 

God's power over them. The Christian Scientist knows 24 

that they are errors of belief, which Truth can and will destroy. 

SH 108:1–18, 30–10 

Whence came to me this heavenly conviction, — a con 

viction antagonistic to the testimony of the physical senses? According to St. Paul, it was “the gift of the grace of 3 

God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.” It was the divine law of Life and Love, unfolding to me the demonstrable fact that matter possesses neither sen 

sation nor life; that human experiences show the falsity of all material things; and that immortal cravings, “the price of learning love,” establish the truism that the 

only sufferer is mortal mind, for the divine Mind cannot suffer. 

My conclusions were reached by allowing the evidence 12 

of this revelation to multiply with mathematical certainty and the lesser demonstration to prove the 

greater, as the product of three multiplied by 

15 

three, equalling nine, proves conclusively that three times three duodecillions must be nine duodecillions, — not a fraction more, not a unit less. 

18 

My discovery, that erring, mortal, misnamed 

30 

mind produces all the organism and action of 

the mortal body, set my thoughts to work in new channels, and led up to my demonstration of the proposition that 

Mind is All and matter is naught as the leading factor in Mind-science. 

Christian Science reveals incontrovertibly that Mind is All-in-all, that the only realities are the divine Mind and idea. This great fact is not, however, seen 

6

to be supported by sensible evidence, until its 

divine Principle is demonstrated by healing the sick and thus proved absolute and divine. This proof once seen, 

no other conclusion can be reached. 

SH 46:7 

The divine 

Spirit, which identified Jesus thus centuries 

ago, has spoken through the inspired Word and will speak 9 

through it in every age and clime. It is revealed to the receptive heart, and is again seen casting out evil and healing the sick. 

12 

SH 98:15 

Beyond the frail premises of human beliefs, above the 15 

loosening grasp of creeds, the demonstration of Christian Mind-healing stands a revealed and practical 

Science. It is imperious throughout all ages 

18 

as Christ's revelation of Truth, of Life, and of Love, which remains inviolate for every man to understand and to practise. 

21 

SH 57:18 18 

Happiness is spiritual, 

born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it. 

21 

SH 436:11–12 

Giving a cup of cold water in Christ's name, is a Christian 

service. 12