Sunday, March 19th, 2023 Roundtable
Your Infinite Supply
This week’s Lesson Sermon Subject: Matter
Click here to play the audio as you read:
Morning Prayers
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST’S PRAYfR – There is no matter and no mortal mind. God is All-in-all. All is harmony, health, holiness. This is the prayer ‘unceasing’ to be used on all occasions and at all times. It lays the axe at the root of unreality, materiality (that forbid- den tree) and cuts it down. Preserve a sacred silence on this subject
of prayer. (Signed, Author of S. & H.)
— from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 63
Discussion points
455 — WATCH lest you cry to God to take you out of your human dilemma, when in reality God is only waiting for your own readiness to be helped. If you have your hand in a narrow-neck vase, and you grab a handful of money that is in it, you cannot withdraw your hand. Yet it is not the vase that is holding your hand, but greed.
Do we believe God will come down into this mortal dream to widen the straight and narrow way, so that He may release us from the hold materiality has upon us, while we are still clinging to the belief in matter in some form or other?
We are instructed in the Bible that we are held in materiality through lust. One definition of lust is pleasure; another is desire. We cannot win the battle against mesmerism and sin, as long as we believe that the desire for matter is part of our make-up, or that of anyone. On page 78 of the textbook we read, “God is not in the medley where matter cares for matter…” We must know that we are not in that medley either, and that the desire for matter that seems to be in us, is no part of us. It is as unreal as the matter that is desired.
— from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter
GOLDEN TEXT: Proverbs 28 : 6
“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”
When Jesus dismissed all temptation to desire personal and isolated good for himself, angels came and ministered unto Him.”
— from 1944 Address by Una Willard
Click here to play the Hymn: — Hymn 324Christian Science Hymnal
“An Allegory”, from Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, page 323
Mrs. Eddy has written the following article, entitled:
My income is Life and Love and Truth. It is equal to all demands made upon it. This income is my inalienable possession, derived from no earthly source, supplied through no material channels, dependent upon no per- sonality or personal effort, not even my own, but coming to me direct from God. Mine to receive, to possess, to use, but never to waste or hoard. It is to be received without fear, or doubt, shared without apprehension that all supply can fail. ‘All things that the Father hath are mine.’ These come to me and constitute my income unfailingly, abundant, ample for any demand that can be made upon it.
— from “My Income” in Addresses by Martha Wilcox, page 85
Article — My Visit to Chestnut Hill by Florence Roberts
It is said on good authority, that a minister once gently chided her for her apparent affluence, as if, from his point of view, such evidence of worldly wealth was incompatible with a high attainment of spirituality. Mrs. Eddy replied, “Didn’t you know that my father was very rich?” When he seemed surprised at this information, she indicated by pointing upward, that she referred to her heavenly Father.
from Mary Baker Eddy: Her Spiritual Footsteps,(excerpt) Chapter 111, By Gilbert Carpenter
Thoughts shared on the Lesson from readers:
Acts 5 “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, … why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
Withhold: To refuse to give, to suppress or hold back
Notes from Commentary – Withhold Nothing….. Absolutely Nothing.
When You Give It All To God . . .
Genesis 22 “”…because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, …I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, because thou hast obeyed my voice., 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
I need to give him my gratitude, give Him my relationships, my time, my past, my future, my heart, mind and soul, trust, use of things and money, body. I need to give Him my love for my neighbor. Give God our honesty!
How wonderful is our God? How wonderful should we be to Him in return? Not just because of what He does for us but because of who He is. THE GREAT I AM., Exodus 3:14
As a little child relies
On a care beyond its own,
Being neither strong nor wise,
Will not take a step alone,
Let me thus with Thee abide,
As my Father, Friend, and Guide.
— Hymn 291 from the Christian Science Hymnal
Click here for — “Who Is Mary Baker Eddy Website” link