Sunday, December 11th, 2022 Roundtable
Stationary Power, Stillness, and Strength
This week’s Lesson Sermon Subject: God The Preserver Of Man
Click here to play the audio as you read:
Morning Prayers
Children, you are a perfect thought of God, made in His image and likeness, surrounded by His love, as by a strong fortress, through which no evil can reach you. God is your Mind, your Life, your strength, and you are governed by Truth and Love. You have no material conception or birth, no father and mother in the flesh. You were not born of the flesh (mortal mind), and you are not the reflection of beliefs. Belief is not reflection. You are not weak or easily led astray. You cannot desire to rule and lead others. You are not rebellious or obstinate. You have no human will. God’s will is all, and you are its reflection. Therefore, you will only do right, for you reflect and inherit divine wisdom and understanding. You are spiritual, and Spirit knows all things. Sensuality has no power over you, for you are not conscious of the lusts of the flesh, but you are the pure conception of divine Truth and Love, and co-eternal with your Father-Mother God. Your every thought and action are love, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, beauty, holiness, joy, and peace; that peace which passeth all human understanding. In God we live, move, and have being; therefore we are in Life, health, strength, forever. To be conscious of this, is to be in the presence of God — with the Father, who is Life, Truth and Love. Amen. We are the children of the King; why should we mourn?
from Watches, Prayers, and Arguments, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 154
Discussion points
434 — WATCH lest, when you realize that with God all things are possible, and that all things work together for good to them that love God, you fail to accept these statements or laws in their fullest extent. As Christian Scientists we accept our experiences, whatever they may be, and perceive that good is working through all of them and out of all of them.
— from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter
GOLDEN TEXT: Psalm 107 : 14
“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.”
from “Our Mission in the World Is Individual” from Addresses by Martha Wilcox
“The True Dominion Of Man”, from Christian Science Journal, May 1903, by Mabel C. Lucas
The ideal of God is no longer impersonated as a waif or wanderer; and Truth is not fragmentary, disconnected, unsystematic, but concentrated and immovably fixed in Principle. The best spiritual type of Christly method for uplifting human thought and imparting divine Truth, is stationary power, stillness, and strength; and when this spiritual ideal made our own, it becomes the model for human action.
from Retrospection and Introspection by Mary Baker Eddy, page 93
Final Readings
One morning, a few weeks ago, I awoke repeating the above significant words — significant, indeed, to all Christian Scientists. I had even forgotten the location of the material structure bearing the name, but it seemed so typical of our Cause, that I felt it had come to me for some good purpose.
I have since looked up the subject of the Eddystone Lighthouse, and find it situated in Great Britain, fourteen miles off Plymouth sound, and directly in the path of ships coming up the channel. The rock on which it stands was for centuries a place of death for mariners. There have been three lighthouses built upon this material rock. The present structure was completed in 1759, and still bears aloft its beacon light to warn of danger and guide travelers to the way of safety.
The picture before me as I write, is that of a tall stone tower, having visible at its base a few jagged rocks; while the waves, almost as high as the tower itself, are lashing it with fury. The forked lightning, darting from out the angry clouds, seems eager to put out the beacon light which shines resplendent through all the howling fury of the storm.
How typical of mortal mind and its blind, impotent fury! How, in seeming, this tries to lash and destroy our Lighthouse, — but how vainly It continues to stand firm against all storms of malicious animal magnetism and mental malpractice. Why? Because it is built upon the spiritual Rock, Christ, Truth. Here it will stand forever, the Lighthouse of God, with its blessed beacon light pointing the way, through Science AND Health, guiding and directing us safely past the rocks and reefs— doubts and fears of mortal mind — into the haven of the Real; where stands our house built without hands, “eternal in the heavens.”
“The Lord is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my Life; of whom shall I be afraid? … For in the time of trouble lie shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”—Psalm xxvii. 1, 5.
“Eddystone Lighthouse” from Christian Science Journal, August 1892 by H. E. C.