Sunday, April 7th, 2019 Roundtable

Click here to play the audio as you read:

Also available on YouTube


Click here for the Roundtable archive

Morning Prayers

Oh, my God, I offer as a consecrated gift upon Thine altar, a heart dedicated to Thy service, lips speaking only words of charity, love, and truth, thoughts striving to be only the true thoughts of the Mind of God. Help me to endure unto the end, strong in the faith, powerful in the truth, all the influence that I can bring to bear, all the force of tongue or pen that is mine, I offer in Thy service. May heaven help, consecrate, and accept.

— Mrs. Eddy’s Prayer, given at the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, found in both the April 1885 Christian Science Journal and in Mary Baker Eddy’s Six Days of Revelation, page 171




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

481 —WATCH that you realize that progress is the law of God; hence your trust in God must increase each day. You may start by considering God as a spare tire to be used in an emergency. Then you learn to use God most of the time, while you retain the human mind as the spare tire. The time must come, however, when you rely entirely on divine Mind.

— from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter




The Higher Criticism

An earnest student writes to me: “Would it be asking too much of you to explain more fully why you call Christian Science the higher criticism?”

I called Christian Science the higher criticism in my dedicatory Message to The Mother Church, June 10, 1906, when I said, “This Science is a law of divine Mind, . . . an ever-present help. Its presence is felt, for it acts and acts wisely, always unfolding the highway of hope, faith, understanding.”

I now repeat another proof, namely, that Christian Science is the higher criticism because it criticizes evil, disease, and death — all that is unlike God, good — on a Scriptural basis, and approves or disapproves according to the word of God.

— from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 240




Golden Text — “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.” — Hebrews 11 : 3




Forum post — Two Opinions by Parthens




And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

— II Kings 6 : 17 from citation 3 in the Bible portion of this week’s lesson




Article — Angels by Martha Wilcox




 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:

— Isaiah 30 : 15 from citation 1 in the Bible portion of this week’s lesson




Forum post — In Quietness and in Confidence by Mary Beth Singleterry from NJ




Click here for a sample of this book — From His View “I” Am Free Now by Florence Roberts




Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship,

And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

— Matthew 14 : 14, 22, 23 from citation 5 in the Bible portion of this week’s lesson




“Matthew 14:23. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

“Now that the crowd is gone, he can take his rest, and he finds it in prayer. He went up into a mountain apart: in a place where he might speak aloud, and not be overheard or disturbed, he communed with the Father alone. This was his refreshment and his delight. He continued therein till the thickest shades of night had gathered, and the day was gone. “Alone,” yet not alone, he drank in new strength as he communed with his Father. He must have revealed this private matter to the recording evangelist, and surely it was with the intent that we should learn from his example. We cannot afford to be always in company, since even our blessed Lord felt that he must be alone.”

— from Spurgeon’s Commentary on Matthew, page 376




The realization that all inharmony is unreal brings objects and thoughts into human view in their true light, and presents them as beautiful and immortal. Harmony in man is as real and immortal as in music. Discord is unreal and mortal.

Discord is the nothingness named error. Harmony is the somethingness named Truth.

— Citation 4 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 276 : 12-16, 26 (Discord)-28




Forum post — Harmony by Chardelle from PA




…the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not true, because they are not of God. We learn in Christian Science that all inharmony of mortal mind or body is illusion, possessing neither reality nor identity though seeming to be real and identical.

— Citation 3 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 563 : 1-7




Forum post — Thanksgiving and recognition for veritable ideas by Jeremy from PA




Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom. Immortal Mind feeds the body with supernal freshness and fairness, supplying it with beautiful images of thought and destroying the woes of sense which each day brings to a nearer tomb.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 248 : 5-11




Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal. We may well be astonished at sin, sickness, and death. We may well be perplexed at human fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?

— Citation 10 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 563 : 1-7




The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears.

— Citation 11 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 96 : 15-18




Forum post — Allow Nothing But His Likeness To Abide In Thy Thought by Florence from GA




Final Readings

.

What Our Leader Says

Beloved Christian Scientists, keep your minds so filled with Truth and Love, that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them. It is plain that nothing can be added to the mind already full. There is no door through which evil can enter, and no space for evil to fill in a mind filled with goodness. Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited.

The self-seeking pride of the evil thinker injures him when he would harm others. Goodness involuntarily resists evil. The evil thinker is the proud talker and doer. The right thinker abides under the shadow of the Almighty. His thoughts can only reflect peace, good will towards men, health, and holiness.

— from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 210







Print this page


Share via email