PYCLs: SEE PAST WHAT THE SENSES SAY. SHARE WAYS YOU’VE FELT GOD.
SEE THE UNSEEN! SHOW EVIL HAS NO WEIGHT! MAKE YOUR HOPES WORTHY!
Possible Younger Class Lesson ideas for the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“UNREALITY”
for Sunday, October 3, 2021
by Kerry Jenkins, CS, of House Springs, MO
kerry.helen.jenkins@gmail.com • 314-406-0041
Pycl #1: WAYS TO SEE PAST WHAT OUR MATERIAL SENSES ARE TELLING US.
I always ask myself why we have both a lesson on “reality”, and a lesson on “unreality”, so it’s worth asking the children why they think this is so. I don’t think there is only one right answer to this, so it’s a great one to explore. Stories are always the best way to illustrate things, after all, this is what Jesus did. Do you have a story where discerning the error was helpful in bringing about a healing?
There are several good stories in the Bible that focus on different elements of this need to discern truth from the lie.
- There is Jesus’ parable of the man who planted good seed and an “enemy” came and threw in “tares” with the wheat.
- There is the idea, in this lesson about chaff and wheat (partly in Responsive Reading: “What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.”
- And in citation S5/466:26 “The Science of Christianity comes with fan in hand to separate the chaff from the wheat.”
- Maybe the story of Adam and Eve. Maybe the students will think of other stories.
- Then, of course there are stories included in this week’s lesson. The thing that they all have in common is the need to see past what our material senses are telling us. Spiritual reality is not generally supported by our eyes, ears, or other senses. So how do we learn to tell when material sense is lying?
Pycl #2: SHARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU HAVE FELT/SEEN/HEARD GOD.
Soooo, this leads us to much of what this week’s lesson is revealing: how does God communicate with man? There are 7 references to “speak”, 16 to “hear”, 26 to “see”, and many more that use variations of these words. How does the Divine speak to us, show Herself to us, make itself felt? This is a question for all ages. Share some ways that you have felt/seen/heard God/Love/Truth.
You could make a list of synonyms in columns and put down the ways that you have felt or seen or heard God under different synonyms. Notice that in Section 1 we have this from Isaiah “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain; I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” (Italics added). This statement tells us that God is not secret, not hard to find or discern. God doesn’t keep His goodness from us or hide it in obscure (dark) places! God doesn’t have us chasing our tails and trying helplessly to find Love or Truth or Life on our own. In fact, Truth, God, “declares” or tells all of us what is right. We can always know what is right!
I think the story from the Reading Room “Travis Talks with God” is a good example of always knowing what’s right (if you have a copy to share). But, you can equally work with the story of the woman in this week’s lesson who pours out oil into borrowed vessels at Elisha’s command. (B12/2nd Kings 4:1-7) In this story we are certainly getting a profound example of God’s provision made clear and obvious.
How are we to regard this story? Was it only for that one woman?
How do we benefit from this story?
What does it have to do with the way that Love communicates with each of us?
Are we out of luck if we don’t have an “Elisha” around to help us out?
Pycl #3: LET GOD OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE UNSEEN!
In citation S14/264:13-15, we have this statement: “As mortals gain more correct views of God and man, multitudinous objects of creation, which before were invisible, will become visible.”
What are these objects?
Might they be helpful things “hidden” to material sense in plain sight?
How does Love open our eyes to infinite goodness?
I have shared an example of this in CedarS Mets over the years, when I desperately needed an office that was on my property, inexpensive, and private. After many months of cherishing this idea, I suddenly realized we had just the thing on our property, already electrified, and separate from the house. All I had to do was empty it of stuff that was stored in it and move some furniture that we already owned into it. I have been using it for many years and it is perfect! It was so clear to me that Mind had revealed to me the present riches that I had.
Material sense only acknowledged lack, spiritual sense was open to abundance. We can talk about how when we are consumed by feeling deprived, lacking, ungrateful, jealous, we tend to see only lack. But as we acknowledge God’s infinite abundant good in every little detail, we start to see this good more readily. See if the students can think of their own examples.
Pycl #4: REMEMBER & ILLUSTRATE THAT EVIL HAS NO WEIGHT!
It is always a great visual to have the children demonstrate the fact that “Evil is but the counterpoise of nothingness.” (cit. S15/367:32) You can bring in a balance if you have one, or just create a simple one. Or you can bring in simple materials for the children to make their own balance scale. This builds on the last few weeks of lessons to point out the fact that evil has no “substance”, no weight, no lasting power. Talk together about what would have “weight”?
Would compassion for someone in need?
Would a generous offer to help someone who is struggling with a concept in a class have lasting “weight”?
When we are struggling under the lie that we are weighed down with evil, we can remember that evil has no weight, because, like the darkness, it has no substance to fill a space. The light of Truth and Love replaces the darkness. You can try this in a dark room if there is one at your church. Ask the children where the darkness went when the light came on?
Pycl #5: WHAT IS THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR?
We hear this passage pretty often: “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (cit. B7/Hebrews 11:1) What does this mean?
What is the substance of what we hope for?
What kind of evidence will we find?
It may be helpful to leave this question out there for pondering for a few minutes. Can you see Love?
What evidence do we have of Love’s activity?
You may enjoy looking back at Pycl #2 from last week which drew on Plato’s cave story. See a YouTube on it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6U25zUBsdQ.
You could even bring in shadow puppets with a strong flashlight to make shadows on the wall and re-enact the cave story.
Talk about whether these shadows have the substance of reality?
Do the flat “puppets” have the substance of reality?
What then, are we to look to for a true sense of spiritual reality?
Aren’t we sort of just hanging out in the “cave” if we accept everything we see around us as the real?
It is healing that proves for us that we are often just dealing with the surface, human sense level of things, because healing usually contradicts physical, so-called law.
Hope you have fun in Sunday School this week!!
