Sunday, December 14th, 2025 Roundtable
Abide in the Ninety-first Psalm
This week’s Lesson Sermon Subject: God The Preserver Of Man
Click here to play the audio as you read:
Morning Prayer
TODAY
He who hath made thee whole,
Will keep thee day by day;
He who hath spoken to thy soul,
Hath many things to say;
He who hath gently taught,
Yet more will make thee know;
He who hath wonders wrought,
Still greater things will show,
He loveth always — faileth never;
Then rest in Him today — forever.
from Collectanea, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 16 of the Addenda
Daily Watch
183 — WATCH lest, through a false conception of the purpose of the Bible and Science and Health, you give animal magnetism a chance to work through you, in becoming a deterrent rather than a help to your growth. The time never comes when it is not necessary to study these textbooks, yet the advancing student must watch lest he accept the suggestion that they are ends, rather than means to an end, that they are salvation, rather than the means to salvation.
The purpose of the instruction contained in these books is to lead one to divine Mind, where through reflection he may gain for himself the same inspiration that they contain. In Christian Science the primary goal is not to attain a knowledge of truth that others have reflected. All study in Science has for its goal the development of spiritual sense, through which one reflects inspiration directly from God.
It can be said that secondhand truth from any source gradually loses its inspirational nature to one who is content to stagnate with it. The Bible and Science and Health are inspired books. Their ultimate purpose is to lead students to dig for the spiritual and underlying meaning of their teaching, since in this way students not only gain understanding, but develop spiritual sense, which in turn enables them to gain their own inspiration directly from God.
Discussion points
“Mr. Young, he said to me, ‘You must learn to read Science and Health correctly in order to do good healing work.'”
“Christian Science is the Science of ONE INFINITE MIND, a Mind that includes no evil. Christian Science teaches that the claims of so-called mortal mind are reduced to their nothingness and self-destroyed through analysis, reason, revelation, and logic, which we gain through a deep and intensive study of our textbook.”
from Healing in Addresses, by Martha Wilcox, page 388
To Mrs. Annie M. Knott, C.S.D., principal of the Detroit Christian Science Institute, she gave warning that the time might come when medical thought * might be so organized that it would make the practice of Christian Science almost impossible. The remedy given was not the counter power of Christian Science churches, but:
When [that] time comes I want my students to take every means possible to make Science and Health available to the whole world.
Mary Baker Eddy’s Six Days of Revelation, the green book, page 321
The history of Christianity furnishes sublime proofs of the supporting influence and protecting power bestowed on man by his heavenly Father, omnipotent Mind, who gives man faith and understanding whereby to defend himself, not only from temptation, but from bodily suffering.
from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 387
Evening Prayer, from Watches, Prayers, and Arguments by Mary Baker Eddy
How does man develop spiritual sense? By use. Before he can use it he must know he has it, and begin to lose faith in the adequacy and satisfactory nature of the false sense. Thus, when a problem is placed before the student, the solution of which defies his trained human mind, the despair he feels over the inadequacy of the human mind to supply the solution helps to drive him to the use of the divine Mind, which of necessity involves the use and development of spiritual sense.
An example of this was the building of The Mother Church. Mrs. Eddy laid down arbitrary provisions and requirements which made the human mind feel that such requirements could not possibly be fulfilled. The result was that those in charge worked on the problem from the standpoint of demonstration with more determination than perhaps they would have otherwise. To some degree they relinquished the human mind, because they felt it to be inadequate to perform the tasks successfully according to the demands of their Leader. In this wise way did Mrs. Eddy ensure the building of the church being a spiritual development for those engaged in the work, as well as the result of scientific demonstration of divine Mind, rather than a product of mortal mind, or material sense.
from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy
Chapter Visions
As Recorded By Her Secretary, Calvin A. Frye, C.S.D. From 1872 – 1894, With Interpretations Written By Gilbert C. Carpenter, C.S.B. (Carpenter was Mary Baker Eddy’s assistant secretary from 1905-1906 and sometimes recorded her visions as she dictated them.)
VISION OF JULY 16, 1894:
First line of the Vision
“A congregation of people, all sorts and they seemed to be preaching, teaching and talking against Christian Science and me; when behind me–‘That is not true. I know her and love her.’”
“The first of these visions occurred at the height of the church reorganization period. Mrs. Eddy had just gone on record (March Journal, 1892) as saying that this reorganization would be just to meet the demand, ‘Suffer it to be so now’. Reminding her readers that the real Christian compact is love for one another, she denounced any ceremonials that were not types of the mental conditions of ‘remembrance and love’.
“What is the counterfeit of the true love compact? Is it not literally animal magnetism? The surrender to the demand for ecclesiastical bonds and leadership meant entering the house, or tabernacle, seeking apparent peace from animal magnetism. But, as the vision showed, there is no escape from handling animal magnetism for it reveals itself in its full and original meaning in due course.
Mrs. Eddy had tried to keep herself as free from the reorganization as possible, even refusing to be consulted by the church officials. A year before, she had reminded Christian Scientists that her retirement from the routine of material modes was final, and she hoped fondly that they would follow. She was busy in her home showing how the real mission of Science and Health is demonstrated and how the call to ‘save my people’ is obeyed. This was the real Cause which she espoused, not a material organization. The individual, rather than the mass, had the task of recording her footprints in this field-her ‘Divinity Course, watches, and other instruction.
Mrs. Eddy had a vision of the attempt that would be made to identify material routine with Christian Science. Animal magnetism would attempt to hold her within the house, or tabernacle, so that Science and Health would be lost on the ‘boundless’ sea of material church thought.
(Routine: A set of customary or unchanging and often mechanically performed activities or procedures)
She now saw that the church Scientist without the ability to handle animal magnetism would be the greatest channel for animal magnetism of all. The ordinary religionist with open antagonism was not as dangerous as the one who could talk of the church ‘love compact’ as its sole bond, but still hold to a matter-era basis. When Mrs. Eddy saw what would try to confine Science and Health she was, however, able to free herself and it.
From Essays and Other Footprints (the Red Book), pages 260-261
The final window was only one of the many, many things remaining to be done on the last day. What a memorable day! It was one never to be forgotten, and those involved never did forget it. From Mr. Bates’ reminiscences:
Saturday the twenty-ninth was a busy day … There seemed to be an enormous amount of work to be done … but we were not the army of retreat. One in Concord was demonstrating and we felt the support of this … At four o’clock that afternoon the last stone was laid, which was the keystone of the arch over the entrance to the lower vestibule. This completed the exterior of the building. At five o’clock that afternoon an immense amount of work had been done but there remained about a hundred and fifty days’ work to be done …
The Founding by Doris Grekel, pages 213 to 214
November 2020: “Christ and Christmas”
“A Double Portion Of Thy Spirit” by Ada C. Best
Elijah And Elisha by William Leander Post
Elisha’s Servant by Blanche Hersey Hogue
Our Practice Governed by Our Viewpoint, from Addresses by Martha Wilcox
1. Psalm 91 : 14-16
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Mary, from Addresses by Martha Wilcox
Bible Study on The 91st Psalm, part 1
Final Readings
The 91st Psalm is one of the greatest chapters of the Bible. Like the rest of the Scriptures, the underlying thought is developed through a series of symbols and it is by the appreciation of the values lying behind these symbols that the power of this prayer is understood.
The 91st Psalm is one of the most powerful prayers ever written. Persons have gotten themselves out of every conceivable kind of trouble by working on this prayer every day in the spiritual way. Others have turned to this Psalm in some great emergency and overcome their difficulties.
The best way to get the most out of this Psalm is to read it through quietly, pause after each verse to consider the meaning. Prayer is thinking about God; and while working on this prayer in the study you are praying in a spiritual way. If in a specific trouble or fearful, after reading this Psalm several times, your fears will be gone. …
2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust:
The very fact that you are praying, means that the action of God is taking place in your consciousness, and that it does have results. “In Him will I trust.” However worried or depressed, full of doubts or misgivings, still the very fact that you are praying means that you have faith.
The faith to go on praying in the midst of doubt about results is the tiny grain of mustard seed, Jesus says is sufficient for all purposes. “In Him will I trust,” is an expression of your determination to trust God in spite of what appears to be at the moment.
“The secret place of the most High.” It means you are trusting in God and you cease to worry or fear. This is the spiritual use of the will to say whether you will pray or not pray. Use will to say whether you will give way to fear; this means that though you feel in danger, you are choosing to exercise your power or will to pray and to put your trust in the love of God, instead of impending danger, sickness or fear. …
11. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways:
12. They shall bear thee up in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone:
This is another lovely promise. Read it again and again. Nothing could be more exquisite. “He shall give his angels charge over thee.” This is meant for you and me. Make this promise the subject of your thought every day for a month. Think about it. Realize it. Charge over thee. Think of this promise! “Charge over thee,” and your entire life will be changed. You will be uplifted. You are in charge of angels and will be safe – guarded in all ways, health, food, clothing, – all the necessities of life.
Kept from fear of all kind, danger of all kind, a wonderful promise. A thought to keep one smiling, happy, well, strong, vital, young, day in and day out, for the rest of your life.