Listen live on Sundays at 10 am Eastern time or hear a replay until midnight Saturday night (ET). The service lasts one hour and an organ prelude and postlude extend 7–10 minutes before and after the service. An audio replay is available within 30–60 minutes after the service ends.
Sunday services are conducted by a First and Second Reader and include music, hymns, prayer, and readings from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptural selections are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptural quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Mimi Oka, First Reader
Don Wallingford, Second Reader
Subject: GOD
Prelude:
Bryan Ashley, Organist of The Mother Church
Introductory Voluntary by Théodore Dubois
Méditation by Maurice Duruflé
Hymn 487
Thomas O. Chisholm, alt., adapt., words
William M. Runyan, music
Great is Your faithfulness, God, our creator,
With You no shadow of turning we see.
You do not change, Your compassions they fail not;
As You have been, You forever will be.
REFRAIN
Great is Your faithfulness!
Great is Your faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Your hand has provided.
Great is Your faithfulness, God, unto me!
Freedom from sin and a peace so enduring,
Your constant presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Such are the blessings Your wonders provide.
REFRAIN
Words and Music © 1923, renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Words adaptation © 2016 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scriptural Selection
Rom. 1:1
Rom. 8:1–9 (to 1st .), 14–17 (to 2nd ;), 28, 31
Prayer
Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer with its spiritual interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy
(Read in context)
Hymn 472
Violet Hay, alt., words
Désirée Goyette, music
Father, You are very near us,
Well we know that You will hear us,
And will answer when we call:
May the prayer of faith now heal us,
May the vision true reveal us
One with You, and You our All-in-all.
Christ, the way of our salvation,
Lifts the veil of separation,
Shows our life in Spirit, free—
Shows the glory of creation,
God and man in true relation:
Children of the living God are we!
Father, this most wondrous union
We would prove in blessed communion:
Take the Truth, our bread from heaven,
Drink the wine of inspiration,
Rise in holy exaltation,
One in You, redeemed, restored, forgiven.
Words © 1931 Violet Hay. Music © 2016 The Christian Science Board of Directors.
Notices
Solo
Kendra Fogg, Soloist of The Mother Church
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down
In green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters
He restoreth my soul
and leadeth me in paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake
and yea though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, no evil
for Love is beside me
Yes Love is beside me
Thou preparest a table
in the presence of mine enemies
Thou anointest my head with oil
and my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy Shall follow me
all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the house
the consciousness of Love
for ever and for ever more
The Lord is my shepherd
And He leadeth me
He leadeth me
Words: Psalm 23, last verse adapt. Mary Baker Eddy
Music: Nitya Thomas; arr. Peter Link
© Music Nitya Thomas
Golden Text and Responsive Reading
Golden Text:
Deuteronomy 4:39
Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
Responsive Reading:
Psalms 40:5, 6–8 you made; 119:45, 47
Nehemiah 8:1–3, 5, 6
Ps. 40:5 You, Lord God, have done many wonderful things, and you have planned marvelous things for us. No one is like you! I would never be able to tell all you have done.
6 . . . you made me willing to listen and obey.
7 And so, I said, “I am here to do what is written about me in the book, where it says,
8 ‘I enjoy pleasing you. Your Law is in my heart.’”
119:45 I have gained perfect freedom by following your teachings,
47 I love your commands! They bring me happiness.
Neh. 8:1 On the first day of the seventh month, the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the Lord had given his people.
2 Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand.
3 From early morning till noon, he read the Law of Moses to them, and they listened carefully.
5 Ezra was up on the high platform, where he could be seen by everyone, and when he opened the book, all the people stood up.
6 Ezra praised the great Lord God, and they lifted their hands, shouting “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord.
The Responsive Reading is from the Contemporary English Version.
The Bible Lesson-Sermon, the Explanatory Note, Golden Text and Responsive Reading are from the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson, a publication copyrighted by the Christian Science Publishing Society.
Offertory and collection
During the offertory you're invited to participate in the collection via PayPal using a PayPal account or a credit card if you do not have a PayPal account.
Prelude by Flor Peeters
Hymn 268
Emily F. Seal, words
Henry L. Jenner, music
Our God is All-in-all,
His children cannot fear;
See baseless evil fall,
And know that God is here.
Our God is All; in space
No subtle error creeps;
We see Truth’s glowing face,
And Love that never sleeps.
We see creative Mind,
The Principle, the Life;
And Soul and substance find,
But never discord, strife.
O, Perfect and Divine,
We hear Thy loving call,
And seek no earthly shrine
But crown Thee Lord of all.
Scientific Statement of Being
From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p.468, line 8
Correlative Scripture
I John 3: 1-3
Benediction:
II Cor. 13:14 (to 1st .)
Postlude
Prelude on the Introit to Epiphany by Maurice Duruflé
Fugue on the theme of the Carillon of Soissons Cathedral
Copyright
The Responsive Reading for "God" is from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Please note that the words to certain hymns and solos cannot be republished without permission due to copyright restrictions. Copyrighted Music included in today's streaming church service, including display of lyrics on this page if applicable, is either owned by the Church, directly licensed, or covered by one or more of the following licences:
ONE LICENSE - Streaming/Podcast License #A-700000
Christian Copyright Solutions - WORSHIPcast License #5885
Christian Copyright Licensing International - CCLI Streaming License #3949277
For branches of The Mother Church streaming their hybrid services, please see the guidelines. For all other requests to use music owned by the Church, email permissions@csps.com.
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Meet the Pastor
The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy together serve as pastor for Sunday church services and Wednesday testimony meetings at all Christian Science churches, societies, and informal groups around the world.