Sunday December 6th, 2020 Roundtable

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Morning Prayers

The need of divine wisdom and Love — Christ’s assurance of prayer answered — and the absolute Science of God’s Allness, moves the Christian Scientist to pray for the peace, prosperity, and brotherhood of all nations and peoples. No willpower is used in the Scientist’s prayer, since human will must be lost in the Divine, for prayer to be efficacious. In the words of Zechariah, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” I would ask that all Christians unite in prayer for the ces- sation of sin, — the oppression of the weak, — the acces-sion of power at the sacrifice of individual rights; but es- pecially that divine Love shield the innocent from the wrath of the guilty, and cause it to praise Love.

— from Watches, Prayers and Arguments, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 69

Discussion points

284 — WATCH that your eye be single. A single eye is one that is watching cause, or thought, rather than effect. A double eye would be one that tried to watch both cause and effect. In an early edition of the textbook we are told to watch our beliefs instead of our bodies.

When our thought reaches out to Principle, we cannot make the contact, unless we have left all thoughts of effect behind, so that we may be absent from the body and present with the Lord. It is unscientific even to reach out for God in order to heal effect. Our whole object must be to correct our thinking without reference to effect. When this is accomplished, manifestation will take care of itself.

When we strive to correct our thinking with the sole purpose of getting rid of some discordant manifestation, our eye is double. We are watching both our body and our beliefs. When one mixes cause and effect, it proves that he does not have a scientific understanding of metaphysics, which sets forth Mind as cause.




GOLDEN TEXT: Proverbs 16 : 4

“The Lord hath made all things for himself.”




Forum post — “The Single Eye” by Chardelle from NJ




The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus’ time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation.

— from Science and Health, 1910, by Mary Baker Eddy, page xi: 9-14




Article — Slow Healing by Kate Buck




I cannot heal you, that is restore you, but I can reveal you to yourself as you really are.

Article — Healing by Martha Wilcox




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




“O Lord, how long?” And the answer comes back, “Just as long as you deny My omnipresence.”

Article — No Malpractice by Martha Wilcox




Article — Frozen River A legend read in Mrs. Eddy’s home many times at her request.




We all have a Divine purpose..a good purpose..a purpose determined by our Creator.

— Gary Singleterry




As Mary Baker Eddy I am the weakest of mortals. As the Discoverer of Christian Science I am the bone and sinew of the world.

— from Recollections of Mary Baker Eddy by James F. Gilman, page iv




Article — The Pioneer of Truth is Blessed William Kirkpatrick




Christian Science presents unfoldment, not accretion;

— from Science and Health, 1910, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 68: 27



…for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power: and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

— Exodus 9: 16 from citation 6 in the Bible portion of this week’s Lesson




If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

— from The Art of War by Sun Tzu




Matter, which takes divine power into its own hands and claims to be a creator, is a fiction, in which paganism and lust are so sanctioned by society that mankind has caught their moral contagion.

— Citation 6 in this week’s Lesson from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy,page 170: 32




It is safe to leave with God the government of man. He appoints and He anoints His Truth-bearers, and God is their sure defense and refuge.

— from Retrospectio nand Introspection by Mary Baker Eddy, page 90: 29




Final Readings

Devout souls delight to look upon those mercies which they have obtained in answer to supplication, for they can see God’s especial love in them. When we can name our blessings Samuel, that is, “asked of God,” they will be as dear to us as her child was to Hannah. Peninnah had many children, but they came as common blessings unsought in prayer: Hannah’s one heaven-given child was dearer far, because he was the fruit of earnest pleadings. How sweet was that water to Samson which he found at “the well of him that prayed!” Quassia cups turn all waters bitter, but the cup of prayer puts a sweetness into the draughts it brings. Did we pray for the conversion of our children? How doubly sweet, when they are saved, to see in them our own petitions fulfilled! Better to rejoice over them as the fruit of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. Have we sought of the Lord some choice spiritual gift? When it comes to us it will be wrapped up in the gold cloth of God’s faithfulness and truth, and so be doubly precious. Have we petitioned for success in the Lord’s work? How joyful is the prosperity which comes flying upon the wings of prayer! It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations. Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay; the child Jesus was all the more lovely in the eyes of Mary when she found him after having sought him sorrowing. That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven. Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it. Here will be a special occasion for saying, “Of thine own have I given unto thee.” Reader, is prayer your element or your weariness? Which?

— from For This Child I Prayed by C. H. Spurgeon







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