Ken Cooper’s “POETIC PRELUDE” brings to life Bible EXAMPLES of how to be your best sacramental self and so bless not only YOU but all mankind!

Ken Cooper’s “POETIC PRELUDE” brings to life Bible EXAMPLES of
HOW TO BE YOUR BEST SACRAMENTAL SELF to bless not only YOURSELF, but all mankind!
from the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on “Sacrament” for January 9, 2022

• Ken’s YouTube poem, “LET” features qualities of purity, self-immolation & complete trust.
• Ken’s new YouTube poem, “What did Jesus do?” challenges us to drop mortal scenarios.
• In the monologue “Peter’s Repentance” Peter promises & fulfils an oath to “feed my sheep.”
  

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[Ken writes:] “The Sacrament Service in our Church is special in that the congregation is invited to kneel in silent communion, concluded by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer repeated after the reading of the lesson sermon. This is a blessed and sacred moment. It is well described by the Golden Text and Responsive Reading from Psalms 16…

“The Lord is with me, all I ever need. You have restored to me my true inheritance. I am safe in Your guiding hands, my destiny is blessed and secure, ever with You. My cup runneth over.” (GOLDEN TEXT)

“You have given me a place to live that is so beautiful, what grander and better heritage could one seek! It is the best one could wish for, so very good!

Dear God, Love, – You are always with me, at my right hand. I’m never letting You go, – for in You I have full confidence. You remove all fear and alarm, – I feel safe and am safe!

You bring me along a pathway of stunning beauty, the full expression of Life itself, – being with You fills me with such happiness. I know true joy and contentment, face to face with my God for ever.” RESPONSIVE READING (Combined translations Psalms 16:5-8).

The phrase “I am never letting you go” so resonates, – it shows the complete trust we have in God, our Father-Mother. It takes us to the Gethsemane of Jesus “GETHSEMANE. … the human yielding to the divine; love meeting no response, but still remaining love.” (SH citation #12). When we feel the presence of divine Love, we are at one with our Maker; it takes away false responsibility, and leaves all with God. Jesus so clearly submitted to his Father, and the powerful word “Let” is symbolic of everything Jesus said and did. In my poem “LET” the qualities of purity, self-immolation and complete trust are highlighted. These were so evident in Jesus. When faced with the greatest of challenges, what did he do / say?  “Not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Bible citation #7)

This is the true sign of sacrament, – our total submission to God thereby demonstrating our Oneness with Him who is infinite Love. Sacrament is letting go materiality, and letting in God, – Spirit, Love, Truth, Mind, Life, Soul, Principle, being true to what we are.

My new poem What did Jesus do?” sets the challenge for us to put to one side all the mortal scenarios where human pride, anger, and revenge would rule, and replace them with those pure qualities which Jesus exemplified for us and for our learning, – MEEKNESS, GREAT LOVE and FORGIVENESS.   What a model he gives!  So well summarised in SH citation #8 “..it is the duty of every child, man , and woman, – to follow in some degree the example of the Master by the demonstration of Truth, (Forgiveness),and Life, (Great Love),of health and holiness (Meekness)” (my brackets).  The bond of Truth with forgiveness is especially illuminating, . God sees us as made us, very good. Nothing to forgive. “Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man,”. (SH 376 32-1 to,) The poem concludes:

“And now the Christ speaks once again:

Beloved, DO what Jesus did.”

 Without the active “doing” faith is mere words. With doing we experience the joy and blessing of Love as God has planned, fulfilling the above words from Psalms in the Golden Text and Responsive Reading. We do as Jesus did when we let God do the doing!

 This is true sacrament, and fulfils Mary Baker Eddy’s opening sentence of our text book: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings.” (SH p vii:1–2). When we lean on anything, it is an action of trust. Leaning with the whole weight of thought (with all thy heart and soul and mind) shows complete trust: that’s what Jesus showed and shared.

We can only receive the cup of blessing when we actually drink from it.  The Sacrament instruction is to “Drink ye all of it”.  (B citation #5). In taking up this cross we receive the inspiration of Love. It was this action that Jesus demanded of Peter on the Galilean shore. “Feed my Sheep” required meekness, great love, and forgiveness of himself, and this freed him to fulfill his Master’s commands. In the monologue “Peter’s Repentance” this is what we see unfold, and this is the oath that Peter promises and fulfills. What was the consequence?

“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people;” Acts 5:12

They did as Jesus did. Letting go of material sense frees us to experience as did the apostles the divine sonship.

Let go, let God, live in grace. Experience life just “big with blessings”. Happy Sacrament!

Copies of the poems are available in pdf format in color and B&W as DOWNLOADS at the top right of the online version of this Poetic Prelude to this week’s Bible Lesson as well as of CedarS online Met this week.(Audio of the Met will soon be added online, so the email will following soon.) The full range of Ken’s videos can be found on KenGCooperPoetry.  Ken’s email is kengcooper@btinternet.com.

All Ken’s poetry can be found on Ken Cooper Poetry.