Ken’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares poems of faith & freedom!

Ken Cooper’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares poems of faith & freedom!
inspired by The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on

 “SUBSTANCE”
for September 5-11, 2022

• Ken’s poem, “POWER IS OF GOD,” tells of a woman who’d suffer 18 years being instantly freed by the power of the Christ, so fully expressed by Jesus.  
• Ken’s poem “GOD IS OUR FREEDOM” takes on board Jesus’ promise “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”, – but there is a condition…

[Ken writes:] “It’s certainly worth asking and checking “What is substance?”, for why bother with anything that has no substance? Webster’s Dictionary 1828, as used by Mary Baker Eddy, defines substance, inter alia, as “Something real, not imaginary; something solid, not empty.” It’s like comparing the man of Genesis 1 to that of Genesis 2.  Is what we see truly substance (Genesis 1) or just imaginary (Genesis 2)?  Substance signifies “that on which we stand”, (Genesis 1), and we certainly stand on the fact that man is of God, and the Adam man, and all that goes with it, is just an empty dream. The dream goes when we awake to, and stand with, the Truth. Our faith is the steady awakening to the truth of being, that sets us free from matter. The first Science & Health citation in the lesson can be read: “Life , Truth and Love are the [substance] of divine Science. They dawn in faith and glow full orbed in spiritual understanding.”. (see citation S1, 298:2-4). This is confirmed in the next citation, S2 468:17), – “Substance is that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay” and continues “Truth, Life and Love are substance”. The simple and obvious fact that God, and therefore man, is incapable of discord and decay. What a comfort, what a platform on which we stand!

So, with the Golden Text, it can be read “Now faith is the Truth, Life and Love of things we know with the spiritual senses, not the physical”, and we can read on from Hebrews 11:1-6 (Combined translations) the following verses:

“Faith is the confirmation of your understanding of things which are divinely guaranteed, the conviction of their spiritual reality although the physical senses are completely blind to them.

Trust is the confidence that what we hope for will become evident, although it is not apparent to the physical senses. It is the knowledge that the spiritual is true and will necessarily come to light.

Everything we truly see we know was beautifully framed by God, created by principles unseen, by the very Word of God.

And without faith living within us, a deep trust in Him, it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that He is for real and that He diligently rewards the faith and trust of those who passionately seek Him.”

 When we follow Jesus’ command to “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”  (Matthew 22:37) this is our passionately seeking Him and gets its true reward of understanding, faith fulfilled, our demonstration of true substance, God’s reflection, God’s thought, “I AM THAT I AM”.

This week’s lesson shares the story of Abraham, a man rich in faith, who absolutely trusts in God, “I AM”. Abraham listened to God, and heard these words “walk before me, and be thou perfect” (citation B9, Genesis 17:1 walk). This stands true for all of us.  Mary Baker Eddy writes that he “showed the life-preserving power of spiritual understanding” (citation B5, 579:13-14 showed). And in Acts 3:13 (citation B13), we read “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus”, and see how that glorification of God blesses all, and reaches out to all. This is what Jesus proved.

WHEN WE WALK WITH GOD, WHO IS LIFE, TRUTH, LOVE, THAT IS WHAT WE FIND, WHAT WE EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW.

In this section , we have the story of the woman who had a spirit of infirmity 18 years, (for how long have we lived with  / accepted problems?) who is instantly freed by the power of the Christ, so fully expressed by Jesus.  This is described in my poem: POWER IS OF GOD.

Each hour, each minute, there is no hope to give.
I keep asking myself, “Just why should I live?”

This is the image of man bound by Genesis 2, a false sense of substance, a falsity that had drained her faith. But she had remained receptive, so when Jesus saw her and called her to him, she heard the call of Christ, felt the substance of Love beckoning her, (the presence and call of the Christ enveloping everyone all the time).

A spiritual sensation floods my being,
A Love so pure it is quite beyond seeing.

Jesus had seen her, and his innate love could not but help and reach out to her.. He called her to him:

I see only Love and forget about me.
“Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.”

A phrase that has kept coming to my thought is “Let go!”  It is the challenge of our faith, – Let Go and let God! This is what Abraham did, as all the prophets, Jesus, and with his call to this woman, what she achieved as a daughter of Abraham:

His hands reach out and pure love touches my soul, –
I’m standing beside him, both upright and whole!
The suffering past has all dropped from my thought,
Instead this great freedom that Christ has now wrought!

 When we read citation S25, perhaps we can read as “Consciousness constructs a better body when faith in matter has been conquered . (LET GO) Correct material belief by spiritual understanding (LET GOD) and Spirit will form you anew” (425:23-26).

 The incurable cured, and I now know for sure
That power is of God and there is nothing more!

 As it says in citation S27:  “…nothing can vitiate the ability and power divinely bestowed on man”. (393) God gives us all we need, His substance is all we have, no discord, no decay, but Truth, Life and Love in all their perfection. The effect of this understanding is necessarily immediate.

When we move from faith to understanding we find the ultimate freedom, the reality of our perfect “health and holiness” (see citation S30) The poem “GOD IS OUR FREEDOM” takes on board Jesus’ promise “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”, – but there is a condition:

The promise of our Master was really very clear,
Its message was to all of us, follow without fear,
He said “If ye continue”, – and that means every day:
To be his true disciple, his Word you must obey.

 Obeying God’s Word was exactly what Abraham did, and is a measure of our faith. Again, it is letting go the material picture and letting the WORD, the active Spirit of God, flow through our consciousness:

 Our Master showed to all the Love God has for man,
All fear is simply blown away: Spirit is Truth’s fan!
Spirit’s breath is Life itself: this truth it maketh free:
With open eyes and Truth at hand, in freedom you will be!

Know that the Spirit of understanding animates everything we do, giving inspiration, demonstrating the true substance of Life, Truth, and Love as our very being, perfect, harmonious, pure and immortal. Have faith in this reality of being and it will surely dawn and prosper.

 WHEN WE KNOW THE TRUTH OF WHAT SUBSTANCE IS, WE HAVE PERFECT FREEDOM.

 “Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear, – this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony” (citation S31, 324 2-4) .

LET GO.

 LET GOD.

 WALK WITH GOD AND BE FREE.

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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.

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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.