Responsive Reading: I John 4 : 7-12

7.     Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8.     He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9.     In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10.     Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11.     Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12.     No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1. Jeremiah 31 : 3

3     The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

2. Ephesians 5 : 1, 2

1     Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2     And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3. Ruth 1 : 1 (a certain)-6, 8, 14 (and Orpah), 16, 19 (to 1st .)

1 …a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2     And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3     And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4     And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5     And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6     Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.

8     And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

14     …and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

16     And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

19     So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem.

4. Ruth 2 : 1, 2, 8-12

1     And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2     And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

8     Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9     Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10     Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11     And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12     The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

5. Ruth 4 : 13, 17

13     So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.

17     And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

6. I John 4 : 16 (God is)-19

16     God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17     Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18     There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19     We love him, because he first loved us.

7. John 13 : 31 (Jesus said) only, 34, 35

31     Jesus said,

34     A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35     By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

8. Hebrews 10 : 23, 24

23     Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24     And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

9. I Peter 3 : 8-12 (to :)

8     Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

9     Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

10     For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

11     Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

12     For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:

10. I Peter 5 : 2-4

2     Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3     Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

4     And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

1. 6 : 17 (“God)-18

"God is Love." More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go.

2. 454 : 17-24

Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching. Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must "have her perfect work."

3. 13 : 2-4

Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters."

4. 112 : 32 (God)-8

God is the Principle of divine metaphysics. As there is but one God, there can be but one divine Principle of all Science; and there must be fixed rules for the demonstration of this divine Principle. The letter of Science plentifully reaches humanity to-day, but its spirit comes only in small degrees. The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love. Without this, the letter is but the dead body of Science, — pulseless, cold, inanimate.

5. 19 : 6-11

Jesus aided in reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love, the divine Principle of Jesus' teachings, and this truer sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter, sin, and death by the law of Spirit, — the law of divine Love.

6. 494 : 10-15

Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.

The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love.

7. 242 : 15 (Self-love)-20

Self-love is more opaque than a solid body. In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error, — self-will, self-justification, and self-love, — which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death.

8. 337 : 7-13

For true happiness, man must harmonize with his Principle, divine Love; the Son must be in accord with the Father, in conformity with Christ. According to divine Science, man is in a degree as perfect as the Mind that forms him. The truth of being makes man harmonious and immortal, while error is mortal and discordant.

9. 57 : 18-30

Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.

Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it. The wintry blasts of earth may uproot the flowers of affection, and scatter them to the winds; but this severance of fleshly ties serves to unite thought more closely to God, for Love supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for heaven.

10. 266 : 6-19

Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love. When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth. Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for "man's extremity is God's opportunity." The author has experienced the foregoing prophecy and its blessings. Thus He teaches mortals to lay down their fleshliness and gain spirituality. This is done through self-abnegation. Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science.

11. 257 : 24-29

Who hath found finite life or love sufficient to meet the demands of human want and woe, — to still the desires, to satisfy the aspirations? Infinite Mind cannot be limited to a finite form, or Mind would lose its infinite character as inexhaustible Love, eternal Life, omnipotent Truth.

12. 518 : 13-23

God gives the lesser idea of Himself for a link to the greater, and in return, the higher always protects the lower. The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good. Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud. All the varied expressions of God reflect health, holiness, immortality — infinite Life, Truth, and Love.

13. 469 : 30-5

With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.

14. 410 : 14-21

Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love. The Apostle John says: "There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casteth out fear. ... He that feareth is not made perfect in Love." Here is a definite and inspired proclamation of Christian Science.

15. 572 : 12-17

Love fulfils the law of Christian Science, and nothing short of this divine Principle, understood and demonstrated, can ever furnish the vision of the Apocalypse, open the seven seals of error with Truth, or uncover the myriad illusions of sin, sickness, and death.

16. 225 : 21-22

Love is the liberator.