Ken’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Poetry relating to this week’s Bible stories
Friday, May 12th, 2023
By Ken Cooper, poet from Great Britain
Click here to print PDF version
Ken Cooper’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Poetry & selected “Combined Bible Translations” relating to this week’s Bible stories
inspired by The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“MORTALS AND IMMORTALS”
for Sunday, May 14th, 2023
- Click “A BLANKET GIFT” to hear and see Ken’s new poem on You Tube [ I AM THE CHRIST, I’VE ALWAYS BEEN AT ONE WITH GOD AND YOU, AND LIKE A BLANKET I WRAP ROUND TO KEEP YOU EVER NEW.]
- Click “CLOTHED ANEW” to hear and see Ken’s new poem, on You Tube [LIFE, TRUTH and LOVE now what I wear, They’re perfect and sublime.Thus I express these clothes of God, And wear them all the time]
- Click “THE WIDOW OF NAIN” to hear and see Ken’s poem, read by Sue, on You Tube [“Weep not!” This message is so strong, For good is true and doubting wrong! My life transformed in simple trust: To follow Christ my humble must!”]
- Click “NO PROBLEM!” to hear and see Ken’s shared Christian Science SENTINEL poem (shared version). [Mortal reasoning bereft of hope……I AM THAT I AM…..Problem solved]. or I DO DWELL IN PERFECT LOVE as I reflect Thy will.]
What are we looking at, – the mortal or immortal? It’s interesting to see this week’s lesson in conjunction with that of last week, when the Golden Text asked the question “How long will you go limping along with two different opinions, facing two ways, and refusing to decide? [which are we believing, the mortal or the immortal??] If you believe the Lord is God, then follow and devote yourselves entirely to Him”. The thrust of this week’s lesson is very much to focus on the immortal facts of being, – in simple terms, who are you going to believe made man, indeed made everything that exists?
The Bible Lens for this week refers to an article, “The wheat and the tares” by Robert A. Moss,
in which it makes the key point, as Mary Baker Eddy mentions: “Like produces like.” [S&H 551:6] This is so fundamental, and it is emphasised by Paul in his letter to the Romans, “So, this is our conclusion: if God be on our side, can anyone be against us, – there is nothing to fear, there is nothing else to concern us.” (Responsive Reading: Romans 08:31). The existence of only One Mind confirms the approach we must take: “The verity of Mind shows conclusively how it is that matter seems to be, but is not. Divine Science, rising above physical theories, excludes matter, resolves things into thoughts, and replaces the objects of material sense with spiritual ideas.” (S&H p.123:11). WE MUST REPLACE THE MORTAL WITH THE IMMORTAL, AND THIS COVERS EVERY ASPECT OF CREATION.
A few weeks ago a friend asked my wife if she thought I would be willing to write a small poem that might be written by a blanket (!) that was being given as a birthday present to one of her friends. I knew them both, and that morning, in the midst of my prayers, the words just came to me in love, and two verses were written. We shared these later that day and she was overjoyed.
“HELLO, I AM YOUR BLANKET NEW
SO LET ME YOU INFORM:
MY SIMPLE PURPOSE IN MY LIFE –
TO KEEP YOU COSY, WARM.”
The words had stirred my thought, and made me think of the spiritual implications. It was like planting a good seed, and it led to further blessings…Seen from a material point of view, this blanket had size, shape and colour, and had been bought for a price. It was “mortal”. Yet before it was bought, it had been in thought, and that thought was both in Mind and Love. The wearer would feel both the material warmth and the spiritual love. Take away the material blanket, (be unclothed) the recognition of its spiritual love would still leave one clothed upon, and wrapped in Love. Mary Baker Eddy wrote : “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.” ( SH Cit. 23 p.261:4)
SO IF YOU’RE EVER FEELING COLD (apart from God, unloved)
JUST WRAP AROUND WITH ME (the love with which I was given)
AND YOU WILL FIND MY LOVING HOLD (embraced and so maintained, secure, unremovable)
A JOY AND CONSTANCY. (forever kept in thought)
The idea of being wrapped with a blanket of love just resonated with me, – when out driving I could sense the protective blanket covering everything I saw, when I looked around, when walking with the dog, on a cloudy day, I felt that the clouds were like a blanket, and again everything I could see was wrapped in love. The mortal sense was gone, replaced by the immortal grandeur of knowing the presence and power of God. This is the universal Christ-message, changing things in to God-thoughts. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (II Corinthians 9:15), the recognition of our inseparability from God:
SO LET MY LOVE ENFOLD YOU TIGHT
THEN YOU WILL GLOW AND SHINE,
FOR YOU WILL KNOW WITH FULL INSIGHT
THESE WORDS OF GOD: “YOUR MINE!”
In sharing this poem with a dear friend and practitioner, he mentioned the coat of many colours worn by Joseph. To him this represented the myriad hues of all the qualities of God. Although Joseph’s brothers stripped him of this coat (blanket) he never lost the qualities he continued to share, – the mortal gave way to the immortal.
He really did “GLOW AND SHINE!”, as Mind directed.
The GOLDEN TEXT could well refer to the experience of Joseph thrown into the pit: “While we live in these earthly mortal bodies, we groan and sigh with their burden. but it’s not just that we want get rid of these mortal bodies. Rather, we want to be clothed right now with our new immortal bodies, enwrapped in the spirit of Life so that our seeming mortality is forever forgotten, and we experience life eternal.” As Joseph was untouched by the jealousy of his brothers, the lies and spite of others, he kept himself wrapped in the blanket of love, and he was a blessing to all. He constantly showed full insight, and “YOUR MINE!” was proved. What an example he gave. God’s love is universal, – we all share the infinite blanket of Mind and Love, each of us a seed and full grown ear of corn, fulfilling God’s purpose. God holding us.
In this lesson, we are urged to put off the old man, and put on the new. I am reminded of the opening page of “FOOTSTEPS OF TRUTH” where Mary Baker Eddy writes:
“We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied. Let us disrobe error. Then, when the winds of God blow, we shall not hug our tatters close about us.” (S&H p. 201:13)
The poem “CLOTHED ANEW” continues with this theme, recognising God as our Tailor….
“I saw these clothes in Tailor’s shop, They looked just made for me. I tried them on, they fitted snug, My purchase meant to be.
One piece it shone like LIFE divine, Another showed much LOVE!
And fully wrapped with strongest TRUTH, All fitted like a glove.”
When we are clothed upon with the qualities of God, we fulfill our immortal purpose, as it says in Romans 8:28 “ We know and fully understand that God is governing every detail of our lives, to ensure we fulfill the good that He has planned, for our purpose is to express and reflect Him, which is what we already do.” When we are dressed with the clothes / armour of God we are untouched by error.
Whenever we are challenged by mortal circumstance, know that right now the lie of mortality cannot separate us from the Truth of our immortality. Check just what you are wearing! The Responsive Reading concludes “I am convinced beyond any doubt that there is nothing, no other power in the universe, no angel no demon, no event today or tomorrow, that can ever separate us from God’s infinite Love, as is so clearly present in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). Dressed with Life, Truth and Love, death, lies, and hatred are nothing to us. They have been removed from our wardrobe.
“The rain poured down, the wind sure blew! The weather at its worst
But what I wore protected me! God’s man untouched, not cursed!
LIFE, TRUTH and LOVE now what I wear, They’re perfect and sublime.
Thus I express these clothes of God, And wear them all the time.”
Our true status is as God’s son /daughter, dressed in the uniform of purity. In a programme celebrating the coronation of King Charles 111, they showed the care, attention and love that went in to the tailoring of the thousands of uniforms that were required. It was commented that when these uniforms were then worn those wearing them had hearts full of what they represented. They stood tall and proud. They lived in the moment. It is similar indeed to the story of the Prodigal Son, when his true status (and ours!) was conferred: “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:” (Luke 15:21, 22) The mortal was replaced with the immortal, self was replaced by service, the full grown wheat.
In Section 5we have a demonstration of service: “Jesus is the name of the man who, more than all other men, has presented Christ, the true idea of God, healing the sick and the sinning and destroying the power of death.” (SH Cit.25: p.473:12–15). Jesus wore the clothes of the Christ constantly, and was rightly called Christ Jesus. The above text is followed by “Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.” (SH Cit.26 p.476:32–4).
When Jesus saw the funeral procession, he was not taken in by the clothes of mourning, the wrapping of the mortal blanket round the body. He saw what was true, – the immortality of man, embracing everyone there. The despairing mood of the mother is transformed:
“As I walk in step with broken heart,
A sudden feeling makes me start;
I look up and my gaze is quick led
To a white-robed man straight ahead
How to I explain what I now so feel?
His look so loving, calm, and real.
Compassion o’erflowing, reaching me;
“Weep not” a command, not empty plea!”
The authority of Jesus rang true
“He looks at my son, Love in his eyes:
“Young man, I say unto thee, arise!”
This is not now a foolish word,
I see it’s death that is absurd!”
Mortal or immortal?
“Weep not!” This message is so strong,
For good is true and doubting wrong!
My life transformed in simple trust:
To follow Christ my humble must.”
When we wear the clothes of Life, Truth and Love we are following Christ, declaring our immortality and love for God.
When we are with God, we are not with anything else. Matter has no hold. The shared sentinel poem “NO PROBLEM!” is a confirmation that mortal thought is not the way:
“Besieged by overwhelming odds, what chance is left?
Mortal reasoning bereft of hope.
The battle is not won on the platform of the enemy.”
Mortal thinking leads to mortal results. “Beloved Christian Scientists, keep your minds so filled with (wrapped with the blanket of) Truth and Love, that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them.” (Miscellany, p. 210:2–4). So wrapped and dressed with the Christ, we are at one with the truth God shared with Moses:
“I AM THAT I AM”
No problem!
NO MORTALS, JUST IMMORTALS. EVERYTHING. EVERYWHERE.
Ken writes:] Copies of the 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. His Christian Science published poems can be found on JSH Online.
Selected Bible verses, including the Golden Text, for this week’s lesson, can be found in my combined translations, a free copy of which is available on an excel spreadsheet for those who may be interested. The spreadsheet also includes a genealogy from Adam to Jesus, with related notes. Shared with love. Write to Ken on kengcooper@btinternet.com.
