Sunday, December 16th, 2018 Roundtable

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Morning Prayers

Each day I pray for the pacification of all national difficulties, for the brotherhood of man, for the end of idolatry and infidelity, and for the growth and establishment of Christian religion — Christ’s Christianity. I also have faith that my prayer availeth, and that He who is overturning will overturn until He whose right it is shall reign. Each day I pray: “God bless my enemies; make them Thy friends; give them to know the joy and the peace of love.”

— from Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, page 220: 14-23




We, to-day, in this class-room, are enough to convert the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole world will feel the influence of this Mind; as when the earth was without form, and Mind spake and form appeared.

— from Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, page 279: 27-2

Discussion points

102 &mdashl WATCH that you turn every untoward circumstance and experience to your spiritual advantage. Mrs. Eddy instructed her students to declare, whey they were attacked by error, “I am the better for this experience; it is doing me good, lifting me higher, and strengthening my understanding.”

Once when she experienced something on her drive that shocked her, she said, “Know that a shock only makes us go higher. Now let us know when mortal mind shocks us, we can use it to go up higher, and so know it cannot catch us there.”

— Watching Point 102 from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter




Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love.

— Citation 11 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 410 : 14-17




Golden Text — “O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful.” — Psalm 31 : 23




Preserve: to uphold; sustain, To save from decay; to keep in a sound state; To keep or defend from corruption; as, to preserve youth from vice.

— from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary




Forum post — The Lord Preserveth the Faithful by Lynda from PA




In Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English, faith and the words corresponding thereto have these two definitions, trustfulness and trustworthiness. One kind of faith trusts one’s welfare to others.

Another kind of faith understands divine Love and how to work out one’s “own salvation, with fear and trembling.” “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!” expresses the helplessness of a blind faith; whereas the injunction, “Believe … and thou shalt be saved!” demands self-reliant trustworthiness, which includes spiritual understanding and confides all to God.

— Citation 4 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 23: 21-31




By interpreting God as a corporeal Saviour but not as the saving Principle, or divine Love, we shall continue to seek salvation through pardon and not through reform, and resort to matter instead of Spirit for the cure of the sick. As mortals reach, through knowledge of Christian Science, a higher sense, they will seek to learn, not from matter, but from the divine Principle, God, how to demonstrate the Christ, Truth, as the healing and saving power.

— Citation 6 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 285: 23-31




God’s Nearness by Mary Baker Eddy




The history of Christianity furnishes sublime proofs of the supporting influence and protecting power bestowed on man by his heavenly Father, omnipotent Mind, who gives man faith and understanding whereby to defend himself, not only from temptation, but from bodily suffering.

— Citation 1 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 387: 27-32




Holy Father, Thou hast taught us
We should live to Thee alone;
Year by year, Thy hand hath brought us
On through dangers oft unknown.
When we wandered, Thou hast found us;
When we doubted, sent us light;
Still Thine arm has been around us,
All our paths were in Thy sight.

We would trust in Thy protecting,
Wholly rest upon Thine arm,
Follow wholly Thy directing,
Thou our only guard from harm.
Keep us from our own undoing,
Help us turn to Thee when tried,
Still our strength in Thee renewing,
Keep us ever at Thy side.

— Hymn 115 from the Christian Science Hymnal




In Egypt, it was Mind which saved the Israelites from belief in the plagues. In the wilderness, streams flowed from the rock, and manna fell from the sky. The Israelites looked upon the brazen serpent, and straightway believed that they were healed of the poisonous stings of vipers. In national prosperity, miracles attended the successes of the Hebrews; but when they departed from the true idea, their demoralization began.

— Citation 7 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 133: 8-15




RESPONSIVE READING: PSALM 121 : 1-8
1. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.




Forum post — “thy shade upon thy right hand” by Barbara from PA




Daily Calendar quote for Sunday, December 16th, 2018 — “You couldn’t possibly handle error and be unhappy. In fact unhappiness will indicate that error is not being taken care of.” — Bicknell Young




The 91st Psalm




True Vision by John L. Morgan




Final Readings

Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again:

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