Listen live on Sundays at 10 am Eastern time or hear a replay until midnight Saturday night (ET). The service lasts one hour and an organ prelude and postlude extend 7–10 minutes before and after the service. An audio replay is available within 30–60 minutes after the service ends.
Sunday services are conducted by a First and Second Reader and include music, hymns, prayer, and readings from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptural selections are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptural quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Mimi Oka, First Reader
Don Wallingford, Second Reader
Subject: MATTER
Prelude
Bryan Ashley, Organist of The Mother Church
Benedictus–Cromhorne en Taille by François Couperin
Prélude & Cantilène religieux by Théodore Dubois
Hymn 123
“K” in Rippon’s Selection, 1787 adapted, words
18th Century, music
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who to God for your refuge have fled:
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand;
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
Scriptural Selection
Rom. 8:1–6, 9 ye (to 1st .), 15–17 ye (to 2nd ;), 28–30 we
Prayer
Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer with its spiritual interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy
(Read in context)
Hymn 551
Mary Baker Eddy, words
Cherie Brennan, music
O’er waiting harpstrings of the mind
There sweeps a strain,
Low, sad, and sweet, whose measures bind
The power of pain,
And wake a white-winged angel throng
Of thoughts, illumed
By faith, and breathed in raptured song,
With love perfumed.
Then His unveiled, sweet mercies show
Life’s burdens light.
I kiss the cross, and wake to know
A world more bright.
And o’er earth’s troubled, angry sea
I see Christ walk,
And come to me, and tenderly,
Divinely talk.
Thus Truth engrounds me on the rock,
Upon Life’s shore,
’Gainst which the winds and waves can shock,
Oh, nevermore!
From tired joy and grief afar,
And nearer Thee,—
Father, where Thine own children are,
I love to be.
My prayer, some daily good to do
To Thine, for Thee;
An offering pure of Love, whereto
God leadeth me.
Music © 2017 The Christian Science Board of Directors.
Notices
Solo
Josh Henn, Soloist of The Mother Church
Lead Me to the Rock
Words from The Bible (Psalm 61)
Music by Robert Collister
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For thou hast been a shelter for me,
and a strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in thy tabernacle forever:
I will trust in the covert of thy wings.
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For thou, O God, hast heard my vows:
thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
So will I sing praise unto thy name forever,
that I may daily perform my vows.
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
2007 Whispering Chimes Music
Explanatory Note
Golden Text and Responsive Reading
Golden Text:
Proverbs 23:5 (to ?)
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?
Responsive Reading:
Ecclesiastes 1:1, 2; 2:4–8, 10, 11, 26 God (to :)
John 6:63 (to :)
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
26 . . . God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy:
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
The Bible Lesson-Sermon, the Explanatory Note, Golden Text and Responsive Reading are from the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson, a publication copyrighted by the Christian Science Publishing Society.
Offertory and collection
During the offertory you're invited to participate in the collection via PayPal using a PayPal account or a credit card if you do not have a PayPal account.
Elevation by Louis Vierne
Hymn 537
Ruby Nilson, alt., words
William J. Reynolds, music
O church of God, built on a firm foundation,
Standing secure amid the storms of life,
Where all may come to learn of true salvation
And find release from discord, pain, and strife.
We hear the Word, in song and sermon spoken,
In silent prayer, we turn to God today;
Our humble hearts receive the blessed token
Of Truth that guides us in the upward way.
O Spirit, feed us with Your bread from heaven,
We drink Your living water and are free;
And every lesson that Your love has given,
Oh, may we learn it with humility.
We feel Your peace, Your arms of Love enfolding,
We lift our hearts in praise and gratitude.
We, from this hour, a glimpse of heaven beholding,
Go forward with our joy and strength renewed.
Words © 1955, renewed 1983 The Christian Science Board of Directors. Words alteration © 2017 The Christian Science Board of Directors. Music © 1975 Van Ness Press, Incorporated (administered by Music Services).
Scientific Statement of Being
From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p.468, line 8
Correlative Scripture
I John 3:1-3
Benediction
Heb. 1:10 Thou
Matt. 25:34 Come
Postlude
Prelude in C minor, BWV 546/1 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Copyright
Please note that the words to certain hymns and solos cannot be republished without permission due to copyright restrictions. Copyrighted Music included in today's streaming church service, including display of lyrics on this page if applicable, is either owned by the Church, directly licensed, or covered by one or more of the following licenses:
ONE LICENSE - Streaming/Podcast License #A-700000
Christian Copyright Solutions - WORSHIPcast License #5885
Christian Copyright Licensing International - CCLI Streaming License #3949277
For branches of The Mother Church streaming their hybrid services, please see the guidelines. For all other requests to use music owned by the Church, email permissions@csps.com.
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Meet the Pastor
The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy together serve as pastor for Sunday church services and Wednesday testimony meetings at all Christian Science churches, societies, and informal groups around the world.