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Ken Cooper’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Bible EXAMPLES that show the joyous freedom & spontaneity of expressing Soul. 
inspired by The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on

 “SOUL
for August 14, 2022

  • Ken’s YouTube poem “The Lord’s Prayer for Children”, read by Sue, shares a child-like view of this immortal prayer.
  • Ken’s poem “Here Am I” is based on the feeding of the five thousand.
  • Ken’s poem “SOUL: True Nourishment” was the result, – a celebration of the constant care provided, but also a recognition of what SOUL signifies, the abundance and gratitude of all good.

[Ken writes:] “Over the last two weeks the city of Birmingham in the UK has been hosting The Commonwealth Games. This was a tremendous success, marked out by joy and togetherness, irrespective of nationality. Everyone happy and thoughtful for each other.  This sense of joy and thanksgiving is such a good example of SOUL, and the book of Psalms is known for its pure rejoicing in the Lord, as the Games were pure rejoicing in the sense of true family. When we are happy, our focus is on what is good, and it is natural to want to share it! God shares with us His happiness!

The Golden Text this week is an affirmation of God’s love for each of us, and when our hearts are filled with joy that demonstrates the contagion of good, – the only contagion that exists.

“Hear my prayer O Lord. Listen to my call and earnest supplications for Thy help. I know You will answer me because that is Your nature, – you are faithful and will always do what is right.”

Each morning let me learn more about your love, I start and end the day with You, in trust of You. I come to you in prayer, asking for your guidance in everything I do. I lift up my inner soul to Thee, entrusting me to You. [GT full verses, all verses from combined translations)

When we lift our Soul in joy and gratitude, our hearts are full of goodness. It has been so helpful just looking round and seeing everywhere expressions of good as the manifestation of the infinity of what God is. The sharing of joy is one of the delights of reflection! The Responsive Reading includes these verses:

Come on everyone! All of you, come praise our God! Let his praises ring out and be heard.

God gives us life, and will not let it go! He ensures our pathways are clear so that we cannot fall or be pushed to one side.

I won’t ever stop doing good things rejoicing ever over them. With all my heart and Soul I promise that they will be planted in this land once again, and they will flourish.

It is God’s plan that we flourish! And that means we flourish in the now!

Section 1 sets the scene for the sharing of the Lord’s Prayer, – the affirmation of present good:

“We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty, You who are Omnipotent, the Ruler of all, You who are and were, and ever will be,  because You have taken Your great power and the sovereignty which is rightly Yours, and have now begun to reign. You are now in supreme control.” (B Citation 1 Rev. 1:17 We  Combined translations)

What greater joy can there be than knowing that God, Love, Truth, Life, is in supreme control!!  And the essence of SOUL is joy itself, – singing with a full heart, knowing that God is always providing every need at the moment of need. “I AM THAT I AM” can do nothing else, – it is the instant fulfilment of infinite GOOD, the simultaneous progress of intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruition, reality! Thinking again of the Commonwealth Games, – the years of preparation, individually and collectively, found their culmination in the happiness and celebration of  the final day. We know that reality is not far off, but ever now. That is a reason to joyfully celebrate!!

In Section 2 Jesus gives us the prayer of all prayers, – as Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Our Master said, “after this manner therefore pray ye”, and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs” (SH Citation 6 p16:8-11) My poem “The Lord’s Prayer for Children”, read by Sue, shares a child-like view of this immortal prayer. It is an affirmation of the love that God gives, that we can feel, and in which we can all rejoice. When we say “Thank you” we are expressing SOUL.

“All the good You plan always unfolds at just the right time.

Everything we ever need You always know, and have already provided..”

 The miracle of Love is that it is what it is! When we see Love as including Mind and Soul what more is there! God never changes, and the Lord’s prayer is the affirmation of Father-Mother Love:

Dear Mum / Dad, we love being Your family,

Held in Your Love for ever..

That’s all we need to know; all we can know.

 Section 2 finishes with the definition of the kingdom of heaven:

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. The reign of harmony in divine Science; the realm of unerring, eternal, and omnipotent Mind; the atmosphere of Spirit, where Soul is supreme. (Citation S8 p. 590:1) Hence  the conclusion of the poem, (which could be seen as a definition of SOUL!):

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

AMEN”

The feeding of the four thousand is quite separate from the feeding of the five thousand, but both have everyone witnessing Jesus thanking God: and he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude..(B citation 17 Matthew 15:36). What a beautiful example of the demonstration of SOUL, – gratitude giving unlimited blessings for all that were there!. Not just in witness to the succour that God provides, but that for every need our daily bread is amply provided. Thank you. Thank you! My monologue is of the young boy who donated his family’s bread and fishes to Jesus, and witnesses what Jesus did. Imagine being that young child, watching the impossible, and realising it was of course very possible! “I remember so clearly what he said. That I could never lack, for God is everywhere and sees
everything that truly is! That there can be no limitations, only the abundance of good; to believe what I had just seen and to make my life as bountiful as the loaves and fishes!

His “Thank you Thank you” was to give his life to God: “Here Am I” is based on the feeding of the five thousand.

The young boy’s life is transformed:

“Mum, Dad, look! He gave them all back to me after everyone was fed! Here are those loaves and fishes!
Here am I.”

Each of us represents the fullness of Soul, and as Jesus went about witnessing the abundance of our daily bread, that is his expectation for us all, for in the kingdom of heaven there is an infinite supply of only good.


Some years ago I was asked to write a poem to celebrate the work of our nursing homes. The poem “SOUL: True Nourishment” was the result, – a celebration of the constant care provided, but also a recognition of what SOUL signifies, the abundance and gratitude of all good. The first four verses all finish with the line

“In the quietness of Love, we always knew.”, a confirmation of when we are guided by Love, as was Jesus, we always know what best to do, and being guided by Love, it is Love that does it!  At every stage of the day, we are given what we need, and in listening, we know what God has provided for us. The final two lines are clear:

All nourishment thus given was simply the best we knew.
Blessed by the love of SOUL! What GOD does do!”

 Nourishment is spiritual, – it is the full expression of all that God is, which man reflects. We can never be unnourished, because we start and end the day with God. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of abundant good

 What God provides is ALWAYS VERY GOOD. SOUL is the rejoicing of the heart, the gratitude for all that God is, all that God, Mind, knows, all that God, Love, gives. SOUL is the gratitude and fulness of God,  joyfully witnessed as man and woman. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

 Here am I!


Copies of my poems are available in pdf format in color and B&W as DOWNLOADS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ONLINE VERSION OF THIS POETIC POSTLUDE to this week’s Bible Lesson.  The full range of Ken’s videos on YouTube can be found on KenGCooperPoetry.  All Ken’s poetry and other writings can be found on Ken Cooper Poetry.


A FREE copy of my combined translations is available on an excel spreadsheet for those who may be interested. They have been collated over several years from BibleGateway translations, taking the best from the many translations provided, and taking further inspiration from Christian Science in their compilation. They cover over a thousand key Bible verses, taken from both the BibleGateway verses for the day, and from the Weekly lessons. Reading all verses from any one book is insightful and motivating.  The spreadsheet also includes a genealogy from Adam to Jesus as I have set out, with related notes. Shared with love.

Write to Ken on kengcooper@btinternet.com.

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