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hear Kathy read her CedarS “Met” for the week.
Accept God as your Life and find abundant good!
Metaphysical Application Ideas for The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“Life”
for July 10 –16, 2023
by Kathy Fitzer of Lake St. Louis, MO
kathyfitzer@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION, GOLDEN TEXT AND RESPONSIVE READING
There is a lot in this Lesson about how the living God cares for His children! The themes of salvation, grace, and sufficiency run throughout. I found myself wanting to know more about what it means that God is our salvation? As used in the Golden Text, salvation comes from the Hebrew Yeh’-shah and includes the ideas of liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety, and victory. God is a living God — an ever-present and active force of Good — that is a rock, or foundation, upon which our lives are safely established and from which they unfold. The Common English Bible translates the verse as, “The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock! Let the God of my salvation be lifted high!”
It occurred to me how natural it is for us to bless and praise God in gratitude for the fact that this ever-present, saving Life is our salvation — that which delivers us from whatever would try to disturb our natural state of peace. We bless God by mentally kneeling before Him in praise and gratitude — acknowledging that God is always the Doer, that we do nothing by ourselves, but that we reflect and express the fullness of the Life that is God. We lift up (magnify and exalt) our awareness of the ever-presence and supremacy of divine Life (the God that is also Truth and Love). By doing so, we are able to shift from a mortal to a spiritual view, and see and experience the supremacy of God’s power — the power of Good!
The Responsive Reading focuses on Nehemiah reminding the Israelites of all that God had done previously to provide for the Children of Israel on their journey through the wilderness to the “Promised Land” that God had assured them they would possess. It must have been particularly meaningful to think gratefully back to their history of God “hearing” the cry of the people when facing the Red Sea with the Egyptians fast on their heels. After all, hundreds of year later, the Jews were just returning to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon. Cyrus, King of Persia had freed them after he conquered the Babylonians. But the Persians were still imposing imperial power over the Jews. The temple and the city walls had been rebuilt, but there was still a need for the people to reestablish and build up their relationship with God. Surely, if God had heard the cry in the wilderness, He would also hear their cries and respond to their needs. All they had to do was to turn to Him and acknowledge His supremacy.
Considering this recounting of God’s care is also of comfort to us. As we go through personal and collective trials, we can be confident that Love is leading us into the promised land of divine Life. The “land” which God promised that the Children of Israel would possess and that God swore to give them wasn’t a piece of real estate and it wasn’t a promise specifically given to a people of long ago. Rather, I think of the promised land as a state of consciousness that understands God’s ever-presence and omnipotence … and so is able to perceive the good that God is forever supplying.
At the Annual Meeting of The Mother Church, 1906, the new president, Willis F. Gross spoke about how the Children of Israel crossed both the Red Sea and the Jordan on dry ground. He said,“‘With a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm’ were the children of Israel delivered from the bondage of the Egyptians, but this deliverance did not put them in possession of the promised land. … The way out of the wilderness of human beliefs has been revealed. Through the understanding of God as an ever-present help, the sick are being healed, the shackles of sin are being broken, heavy burdens are being laid down, tears are being wiped away, and Israel is going up to possess the promised land of eternal, harmonious existence.”
Mr. Gross goes on to reassure us, “Friends, our progress may be fast or it may be slow, but one thing is certain, it will be sure, if we are obedient to the loving counsel of our ever faithful Leader. The Christ is here, has come to individual consciousness; and the faithful disciple rejoices in prophecy fulfilled, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world’” (My.42:30–2; 43:32–13).
SECTION 1: HELD SAFE AS WE ARE GUIDED TRIUMPHANTLY FROM SENSE TO SOUL
As we navigate this experience we call life, it could be tempting to feel overwhelmed or discouraged at times — as the children of Israel must have felt as they made their way through the wilderness. But, the Bible is full of promises of how God leads and helps and preserves us, so that we don’t need to be afraid or feel overwhelmed by difficulties. Each Bible citation in this section offers some kind of promise as to how God cares for us and guides us (and everyone).
I’ve found it helpful to carefully consider each promise in terms of how it applies to a specific situation in my life or in the world.
- For instance, “the sun shall not smite thee by day” doesn’t mean we shouldn’t apply sunscreen. But, to me, it does combat the suggestions regarding consequences associated with being out in the sun too long, and the accompanying fears (cit. B2, Psalm 121:1-6,8).
- And, “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” is a promise that there is a “way out” of whatever difficulty we are facing, and provision from perhaps a most unexpected source (cit. B4, Isaiah 43:16,19).
- Whether the problem appears to be hopeless relationship issues (big or small), emotional turmoil, lack of supply, or a health problem, there is an answer! And God (“the only Life, substance, Spirit, or Soul, the only intelligence of the universe, including man”) will reveal it in a tangible way (cit. S1, 330:11-12).
Rather than moving through a series of mortal experiences (good or bad); rather than having to travel a bumpy road from physical birth to physical death, we are actually being guided “from sense to Soul, from a material sense of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for them who love God” (citation S5, 566:1-9). It’s always a mental journey, rather than a physical one.
The key to seeing and experiencing the good that is always present — even when it seems far, far away — is to dedicate every thought and every action to “the eternal builder, the everlasting Father, to the Life which mortal sense cannot impair nor mortal belief destroy” (cit. S6, 428:15-19). In other words, we need to trust that we are being held in safety, being guided by, and truly being lived by an infinite power of Good that we can’t see with our mortal eyes, but has been shown over an over to be there in times of need. We need to let ourselves be lifted up and carried by that power, just like a giant ship is lifted up and carried by the ocean. The great thing is that — unlike the ocean — this power of Life is ALL GOOD and there is not even a seeming downside.
SECTION 2: CHOOSE LIFE!
It has often been said that life is all about choices. I firmly believe that! This doesn’t mean that we always get to choose exactly how things will go in any given human scenario. But, we choose how we think about things, and how we will respond. We choose what perspective from which to look at things — from a changing, turbulent material perspective, or a reliable spiritual perspective.
Paul told the Romans, “to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (cit. B7, Romans 8:6). This idea is expanded in this paraphrase from The Message: “Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing.”
Our choice really comes down to whether we are going to let ourselves be absorbed by material testimony, or whether we’re going to look at things through the lens of Spirit and correct the thoughts coming to us so that they align with what is truly going on in the Life that is governing every idea every minute of every day. We don’t have to change the thing or the person or the situation. We do have to align thought with the law of harmony.
Mary Baker Eddy tells us, “Our proportionate admission of the claims of good or of evil determines the harmony of our existence …” (cit. S11, 167:6). A few days ago I woke up feeling the early symptoms of a cold. I had family responsibilities and a fun day at the lake planned, and I knew I had a choice to make. There have been times in recent years that it has felt more difficult for me to reject physical symptoms or suggestions of conflict. But, that morning I clearly realized that I had a choice. And I chose to turn my whole thought to the allness of God. I started by praying with the Lord’s Prayer … “Our Father-Mother God, all harmonious”. God, being all, and all harmonious, there could be no room for anything inharmonious. And, then I just got really happy that there really is only one Life and it is all good!! I could feel the concern that this might “develop” into something melt away. I knew I was safe in Love. And that was the end of it!
We can always choose whether to view things from a material perspective and worry about what might happen, or about what mortal sense says is happening. Or, we can choose to see what God, Good, knows, and live our lives according to what Life has designed. Sometimes it can seem like a real struggle and the answer doesn’t come right away. But, persist. Choose Life!!!
SECTION 3: LEAN ON THE SUSTAINING INFINITE!
SEE TRIALS AS OPPORTUNITIES!
I loved the opening Bible citation in this section. “The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. … The Lord upholds all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down” (cit. B8, Psalm 145:9,14-16). No one is left out. God doesn’t judge whether an individual deserves to be helped. Life is providing an opportunity for good and for freedom to all — whether it looks like it or not.
Sometimes it looks like there is a lot of “undeserved” suffering and that a lot of bad things happen to a lot of good people. But, the promise remains, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee” (cit. B10, Psalm 84:11,12). And, Science and Health opens with, “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (cit. S18, vii:1-2). So, how do we think about those promises when things aren’t going well?
Most, if not all, of you are familiar with Mary Baker Eddy’s words, “Trials teach mortals not to lean on a material staff, — a broken reed, which pierces the heart. … Trials are proofs of God’s care” (cit. S14, 66:6-7,10-11). I have also heard more than one person comment, “Well, then, it would be fine with me if God didn’t care so much for me!” But do we really mean that?? God isn’t sending the trial. God doesn’t even know of the specific trial because God, Good, doesn’t know evil. But, God provides the way out of trials. Just like the sun when it comes up wouldn’t know if you were about to run into something or fall off a cliff, it simply sheds its light and keeps you from hurting yourself.
In all honesty, when are we more likely to turn to God —when everything is going perfectly — or when we are facing a trial? And, don’t our skills in anything (like math) get better when we have to use what we know to solve a problem? I’ve attached a link to an article by Judith Hardy Olson from the March 8, 2021 Christian Science Sentinel titled, “The Truth About Trials”. I thought it presented a helpful perspective. https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1j2mwoq3mwc?s=copylink
The Bible story in this section is evidence that regardless of how long a trial seems to have lasted, there is always hope. The king of Judah, Jehoiachin was in his 37th year of exile when Evil-merodach succeeded Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon. Don’t be fooled by the name Evil-meodach. In the Hebrew the name was Amel-Mardul, meaning man of Marduk”. The point is that, although, it appears to me that Jehoiachin was not particularly faithful to God while he was king. But, he wasn’t a bad person, and he was preserved during his exile and ultimately released from prison and lived a good life. Again … God is good to all! No matter what difficulties you are facing, know that God’s love and the reality of the Life which is truly all good will come into view as you refuse to give up, keep thought close enough to God to lean on Him, and focus more on the blessings than the trials.
SECTION 4: LET GO OF OLD BELIEFS TO
LET IN THE NEW, AND BE PURIFIED
What happens when you try to add water to a glass that is already full? It spills, right? Or if you add apple juice to a glass of milk, you’ll end up with something that doesn’t taste like milk or apple juice and doesn’t taste good. If you want apple juice, you need to first pour out the milk. You could also think about the ineffectiveness of adding fresh water to muddy water. It just doesn’t work. Mary Baker Eddy explains how this relates to what goes on in our thinking. “The old belief must be cast out or the new idea will be spilled, and the inspiration, which is to change our standpoint, will be lost” (cit. S22, 281:27). She goes on to say, “For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence” (cit. S23, 492:3-11). We have to stop believing the testimony of the material senses, and we have to stop depending on our own abilities. As Paul instructed the Corinthians, “We don’t have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all we do” (cit. B16, II Corinthians 3:4,5, CEV).
To me, these are the ideas behind the parable in Bible citation 12 in this section. Wikipedia gives an easy explanation of the scenarios described: “New cloth had not yet shrunk, so that using new cloth to patch older clothing would result in a tear as it began to shrink. Similarly, old wineskins had been “stretched to the limit” or become brittle as wine had fermented inside them; using them again therefore risked bursting them.” We need to let go of old beliefs — which we often try to hold onto when we’re not certain about what’s coming. All we need to know is that good is coming, because “it is [our] Father’s good pleasure to give [us] the kingdom” (cit. B13, Luke 12:32).
The woman with the issue of the blood had glimpsed the authority of Christ which Jesus so fully embodied. She threw out all belief and concern that by touching Jesus she would make him unclean. And because of her faith, her persistence, and her total dependence on God, touching the tassel of Jesus’ robe (representing the authority of God’s law) resulted in her being made clean (cit. B15, Matthew 9:20-22). Emptying thought of material beliefs, we make room for the “holiness, harmony, and immortality” that constitute all real being (cit. S23, 492:3-11).
SECTION 5: FEARLESSLY PROFESS AND
PRACTICE WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE
The early apostles weren’t afraid to tell others about what they had learned from Jesus. They understood that everyone is entitled to know Christ and to understand the freedom that comes from the knowledge that Life is God. So, they fearlessly preached “the word of the Lord” (cit. B20, Acts 13:49,52). Paul was stoned as a result, but he was safe. And he and the apostles celebrated because God “had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles” (cit. B21, Acts 14:4,19,20,27). Later Paul discerned that they should go to a specific area, and as a result, Lydia and her whole household were drawn to their message and followed the teachings of Christ (cit. B22, Acts 16:9,10,14,15).
I think that sometimes we’re afraid to share our understanding of Christian Science and the blessings this understanding has brought to us because we don’t want people to think we are proselytizing or being pushy. But, if you knew about the presence of a gold mine with resources so infinite that it would never run out, wouldn’t you want to share that knowledge with everyone? So that everyone could be blessed?
I can’t say that I am as good as I would like to be at sharing this precious Science that I love so much. But, reading this section of the Lesson makes me see that I need to share it more freely than I do — out of love for my fellow man. And, I think that can mean things as simple as not being afraid to verbally give God the glory when something good happens, or to ask someone if it would be okay for me to pray for them if they are having difficulty, or to openly share healings and acknowledge what God has done for me.
It’s right to listen and let Love lead. But, imagine if the apostles hadn’t shared, or Mary Baker Eddy and the early workers in Christian Science had kept the knowledge of this Science to themselves! We feel free to invite friends to a party or to a show or a concert. Why not feel equally free to invite them to Sunday School, or church, or a lecture? What we have in our understanding of Christian Science is too precious not to share! I’m going to try to be better and invite you to give that possibility some thought, too.
SECTION 6: TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY
God is extending an open invitation to drink freely from the fountain of Life that is continually pouring out inspiration and blessings (cit. B25, Revelation 22:17). As we drink from this fountain — in other words, as we let ourselves be filled with the truth that we are the children of God — “we see that man (that is everyone) has never lost his spiritual estate and his eternal harmony” (cit. S31, 548:1). The challenge is never the need to fix things in our lives. Rather, it is to see all the good that is already there because God is ever-present! As the Christian Science textbook puts it, “Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life” (cit. S32, 215:12).
More good is pouring out than we could ever possibly imagine. And, recently I’ve realized more and more that all we need in order to receive that good is to open our hearts to receive what our dear Father-Mother is showering on us. And the key is grace, defined in Strong’s Concordance as: “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life … including gratitude”. Grace isn’t one-sided. It’s not just something we get, but it must be expressed. And, when it is, it acts as a lubricant and as a multiplier — making everything run smoothly and revealing abundant goodness.
I like the translation of citation B24 from the New Living Translation of the Bible: “God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (cit. B24, II Corinthians 9:8). We have plenty to share because of the never-ending source of supply. As we realize that all good comes from God and that God is forever pouring out this goodness of Life, we can drink it all in and let it shine freely through us — being as gracious in our dealings with others as God is gracious in dealing with us. We can let go of every hurt — so there is plenty of room for the goodness of Life to flow freely! Praise God for his goodness!
Some GEMs of BIBLE-BASED application ideas (from Cobbey Crisler & others) should be POSTED during the week and others will be added to the string and EMAILED together later in the week. You can always check for current GEMs at CedarS INSPIRATION website, whether or not you’ve SUBSCRIBED here for this free, inspirational offering.
Also later in the week, look for Ken Cooper’s
“POETIC POSTLUDE”
contributions related to this Bible Lesson.
THANKS to all you PRECIOUS DONORS for ALL of your ONGOING SUPPORT!
Every camper & visitor will be blessed by your generosity, vision & LOVE!
ANOTHER MATCH WAS MET and its project operationally completed before camp! Thanks to several generous donors to our special A/V Appeal we were able to finish building a CHAPEL AV BOOTH that will protect not only new, donated equipment, but also all our hymnals for worship services and for CedarS Sunday Hymn Sings, like tonight’s first one of our Third (2-week) Session of 2023!
If you haven’t lately checked out the GIVING TREE, there are still plenty of other smaller areas of need to fill yet this summer! Campers & staff will also be blessed bigtime by the donations made to additional areas of camp, including the horse program, activity equipment, camperships, and Christian Science nursing and practitioner services.
We’re deeply grateful for EVERY GIFT of love & support,
The CedarS Team
P.S. For more about ways to keep CedarS operations ever more green and flourishing and/or to make a planned gift, a required IRA distribution or an ENDOWMENT GIFT (that will all be MATCHED), feel free anytime to call or text me (Warren Huff, Executive Director Emeritus and Project Manager) at 314-378-2574. I can put you in touch with our Financial Advisor/broker who donates all fees for stock transfers and freely shares tailored, tax-advantaged giving approaches.
