Sunday, June 4th, 2023 Roundtable
The Power of Gratitude
This week’s Lesson Sermon Subject: God The Only Cause And Creator
Click here to play the audio as you read:
Morning Prayers
Hold sacredly to your joy, your gratitude. It will keep the door of spiritual revelation open and unfold to your receptive thought the white Christ light of unselfishness, or joy and activity, for ministry is gratitude and compassion.
p class=”p1 justify”>Animal magnetism, ignorant or malicious, you cannot separate me from God, good. You cannot dim my spiritual perception. You cannot make a law that I cannot heal myself or others. God is my
refuge, the only intelligence, the only power, the only Mind.
— from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 207, 77
Discussion points
460 — WATCH that you accentuate and amplify your scientific declarations, by knowing that the infinite power of God is back of them. Once Mrs. Eddy brought forth this point by saying, “Every true and noble thought helps to raise humanity and lets the light in.”
What we speak humanly instantly vanishes. Radio broadcasts appear to do likewise. On the contrary whatever comes from God continually amplifies, remains to grow louder and louder, and becomes more imperative until eventually it will fill the world. If we regard our scientific arguments as supported by omnipotence, they will let in the light that will increase and spread without limit.
— from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter
GOLDEN TEXT: Psalm 124 : 8
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Audio — “Gratitude” by Herbert W. Eustace
“Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed love, receives directly the divine power.”
— from Science and Health, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 192
“Every treatment we give will go on and on forever.””
— from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy
“Mind
Students, I ask that you hold in thought three fundamental facts:
1. The first fundamental fact: Mind is the only creator, which affects
the basic error that man is a creator.
2. The second fundamental fact: Creation is wholly mental and
spiritual, which offsets the basic error that creation is material.
3. The third fundamental fact: Creation and Creator is one which
offsets the basic error that creation is always apart and separate from the Creator.
We live and move and have our being in Mind. God is where thinking is,
wherever feeling or sensation or knowing is, there is God, good, being. It must continue, it must be harmonious, it must be law. Be still and let the knowing be you.”
from “The Synonyms” in Association Address of 1923 by Martha Wilcox, page 4
“Too soon we cannot turn from disease in the body to find disease in the mortal mind, and its cure, in working for God.”
— from Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, page 343: 5
“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.” — Psalm 107:8.
Thus sang the inspired shepherd poet. Is mortal man, then, the only object of creation who does not voluntarily praise God since he is the only one thus exhorted? Let us examine: Beginning with the tiny blade of grass, does not its perfection of outline, color, utility, and beauty sing a loud song of praise to God, and does it not teach a beautiful lesson in humility and usefulness, since it may be crushed and trampled upon, yet takes new root, springing into new life, perhaps stronger than before? Does not the violet praise God in its modesty, fragrance, and dainty beauty, and can we not learn the lesson of self-immolation and modesty from this little flower which seemingly hides itself in the profusion of its own foliage? Should not we likewise hide personality in the foliage of good works, kind words, gentle deeds, and thereby sing a sweet strain of praise to the most High?
The lily praises God, and gives us a lesson in purity of purpose, its perfume of gratitude creating a sweet atmosphere in its beautiful presence. The beech, the hickory, the walnut, and the oak trees all unite in one glorious song of praise, wafted on high in the graceful undulations of their branches, in their shade cool and restful, in their sturdy strength resisting “the vapid fury of mortal mind” (Science and Health, p. 293), bending gracefully and graciously until its fury is passed, rising again in greater strength to meet the next wind when it blows. The birds praise God in their sweet songs, each expressing its own individuality of praise, either in the loud glad song reaching high heaven in perfect abandon of praise and joyousness, or in “a low sweet prelude.”
We may learn a lesson of how to love and praise God from every object and every experience, and we may indeed learn to praise Him in perfectness by following our Leader’s teachings,—”Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts” (Science and Health, p. 261). Shall we not meekly and humbly strive to express the highest form of praise, in obedience to the command, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself,” and by demonstrating the power of Truth and Love to heal the sick and cast out devils (evils)?
“Praise Ye The Lord” from Christian Science Sentinel, November 3, 1906 by Elizabeth E. Souza
Final Readings
Why were such tight little rosebuds sent for decoration, I wondered, as I looked at the slender points of red which dotted a bunch of white flowers at the Sunday morning service. It seemed to me that a mistake had been made, until a reference in the Lesson-Sermon was made clear to me through the little buds. This reference was from page 506 of Science and Health, and reads as follows: “Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.”
As I looked at the closely folded buds, I did not doubt their sure unfoldment, and I knew that the purpose of that unfoldment would appear. Why, then, should I doubt the unfoldment of perfection in my life? Surely if I am ever aspiring, Truth will gather my unformed thoughts into their proper channels and unfold them harmoniously in order that the holy purpose of God in creating man in His own likeness may appear. Thus the rosebuds taught me assurance. Then I thought how gradual their unfoldment would be; how each little bud would open, one petal at a time, and how each petal would add new beauty to the whole, and I cried out: ” ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?’ What if thy progress does seem slow! ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.’ Rejoice in the new beauty of each tiny realization of Truth. It is beautiful in itself, and it helps to form the perfect concept in consciousness.” So the rosebuds taught me patience.
I considered also how futile would be the efforts of mortal fingers to render assistance to the opening blossoms. However kindly their motive, they could work only ruin. So Christian Science had taught me that material remedies for sin, sickness, and discord of every name only hinder the manifestation of that real and permanent harmony which Spirit unfolds. On page 95 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, “Material sense does not unfold the facts of existence; but spiritual sense lifts human consciousness into eternal Truth.” I knew that mortal eyes would see no movement of the petals as they opened, yet the result would prove that they had opened. So, I thought, though my daily progress in Christian Science is not evident to the material senses, yet the result, in frequent demonstrations, proves that Truth has unfolded in my consciousness. Thus the rosebuds taught me reliance upon Spirit.
A day or two later I saw the same bunch of flowers at the reading-room, and my heart rejoiced anew. There were the full-blown roses in all their velvety beauty, and their perfume filled the room. I bowed my head and gratefully gave thanks for their messages of assurance, patience, reliance upon Spirit, and gratitude.
“Lessons from Rosebuds” from Christian Science Sentinel, January 29, 1916 by Eleanor M. Blair