Grace to go forward

Hymns and Readings Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Opening Hymn 88
Gracious Spirit, dwell with me: / I myself would gracious be, / And with words that help and heal / Would Thy life in mine reveal; / And with actions bold and meek / Christ's own gracious spirit speak.
Truthful Spirit, dwell with me: / I myself would truthful be, / And with wisdom kind and clear / Let Thy life in mine appear; / And with actions brotherly / Follow Christ's sincerity.
Mighty Spirit, dwell with me: / I myself would mighty be, / Mighty, that I may prevail / Where unaided man must fail; / Ever by triumphant hope / Pressing on and bearing up.

READINGS

THE BIBLE
​​And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
(Matthew 4:23)
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, ...
Give us day by day our daily bread. (Luke 11:1, 2, 3)

SCIENCE AND HEALTH
Here let me give what I understand to be the spiritual sense of the Lord's Prayer: ...
Give us this day our daily bread;
Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections;
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 16:24; 17:4)

Grace and Truth are potent beyond all other means and methods.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 67:23)

What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 4:3–5)

THE BIBLE
In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19)

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
(Hebrews 10:36, 37)

... tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
(Romans 5:3 tribulation, 4 )

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
(James 1:2–4)

SCIENCE AND HEALTH
Patience is symbolized by the tireless worm, creeping over lofty summits, persevering in its intent.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 515:4–5)

God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won. ... When we wait patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs our path. Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly; but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 254:6–8, 10)

Beholding the infinite tasks of truth, we pause, — wait on God. Then we push onward, until boundless thought walks enraptured, and conception unconfined is winged to reach the divine glory.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 323:9)

THE BIBLE
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
(Matthew 5:5)

The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
(Psalms 147:6)

¶ Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. ...
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
(Matthew 26:36, 39)

SCIENCE AND HEALTH
Meekly our Master met the mockery of his unrecognized grandeur.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 39:1–2)

The meek demonstrator of good, the highest instructor and friend of man, met his earthly fate alone with God. ... Forsaken by all whom he had blessed, this faithful sentinel of God at the highest post of power, charged with the grandest trust of heaven, was ready to be transformed by the renewing of the infinite Spirit. He was to prove that the Christ is not subject to material conditions, but is above the reach of human wrath, and is able, through Truth, Life, and Love, to triumph over sin, sickness, death, and the grave.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 49:14)

He won eternal honors.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 39:4 (only))

Your good will be evil spoken of. This is the cross. Take it up and bear it, for through it you win and wear the crown. Pilgrim on earth, thy home is heaven; stranger, thou art the guest of God.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 254:29)

THE BIBLE
... we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; ...
We love him, because he first loved us. ...
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
(I John 4:16 we (to ;), 19, 21)

... be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. ...
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, ...
(Ephesians 4:32 be; 5:2 (to 2nd ,))

... let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
(Galatians 6:9 let, 10 )

¶ And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. ...
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
(Luke 8:43, 44, 46–48)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(II Corinthians 9:8)

Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.
The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 494:10–15)

Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. The good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 192:21–24 (to 1st .))

Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 454:18–19)

THE BIBLE
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
(Colossians 4:6)

... follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
(I Timothy 6:11 follow)

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
(Matthew 10:8)

... Grace be with you. Amen.
(II Timothy 4:22 Grace)

Hymn 278
Pilgrim on earth, home and heaven are within thee, / Heir of the ages and child of the day. / Cared for, watched over, beloved and protected, / Walk thou with courage each step of the way.
Truthful and steadfast though trials betide thee, / Ever one thing do thou ask of thy Lord, / Grace to go forward, wherever He guide thee, / Gladly obeying the call of His word.
Healed is thy hardness, His love hath dissolved it, / Full is the promise, the blessing how kind; / So shall His tenderness teach thee compassion, / So all the merciful, mercy shall find.

Closing Hymn 601
With one accord in one place, / In joyful praise of God's grace, / We join together in one divine embrace. / A rushing mighty Spirit / Descends from heaven, hear it: / “I have touched your heart / And made whole your heart, / Now go walk in My light.” / All can hear of it, / Hearts revealing it, / Gently moved by Your might.
Of one accord, of one Mind, / Our healing mission we find. / We pray together—our lives in worship bind. / The Comforter is with us; / Its presence here assures us: / “I am guiding you / And uniting you / Through the love of God's Son. / I am blessing you; / I am healing you; / I am making you one.”