Celebrate divine Mind’s expression & governance!
Lesson Application Ideas on “Mind” for February 16-22, 2004
By Gary Duke, C.S. (St. Louis)
Mars is receiving a lot of news coverage as the two NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, send pictures and data back to earth. Many are lauding the human intelligence expressed and rightfully so, but aren’t these achievements also celebrations of divine Mind’s expression and governance upon which we can depend? For instance, the law of gravity is keeping Mars, Earth and each of the planets in their proper orbit. The Sun is 1.3 million times bigger than the Earth, which creates gravitational attraction and prevents us from flying off into space. Similarly, we are directed on our daily path by divine Mind, which keeps us from straying too far and brings about healing. To the degree we acknowledge and put into practice these spiritual laws, we’re able to achieve meaningful progress for ourselves and humanity. Now let’s blast off in exploration of this Bible Lesson…
Golden Text (Nothing Else but God): “…I am the Lord, and there is none else.” (Isa 45:6) Isaiah wrote this about 200 years before Cyrus II, the Persian emperor, captured Babylon and the Jewish slaves. Cyrus was shown the statement of Isaiah and was moved to repatriate Jews back to Jerusalem. [Researched Bible Guide (RBG)] Though the Bible was written thousands of years ago and S&H is 129 years old, the ideas will move us, just like Cyrus, to think and act with inspiration ~ truths which are timeless.
Responsive Reading (Job Gets It!): Haven’t we all had a bunch of “bad” days strung together and wanted a little chat with God? Job went from being on “top” right down to the “bottom” with a series of misfortunes, including death of family, disease and deprivation in many forms. After listening to God, Job acknowledged the wonder of His creation and organization. This sense of gratitude was eventually expressed in prayer for his friends, resulting in healing for all, including Job. We too may rise above the limited view of ourselves by acknowledging God’s allness, do good for others and experience healing.
Section 1 (Mind is the Glue): “The world would collapse without Mind, without the intelligence which holds the winds in its grasp.” (S2) Just imagine the chaos resulting from even slightly altering the numerical system! Similarly if man, as the compound idea of a perfect and good God, could be even slightly altered by sin, sickness or death, God would be unexpressed, resulting in collapse of the universe.
In 1955, the Big Bang Theory was introduced stating, “The universe originated billions of years ago from an explosion from a single point of nearly infinite energy density.” (Webster) Some current astrophysicists have likened the Big Bang to a large can of alphabet soup exploding and the letters arranging themselves into the Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary! The Bible has a different opinion: “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (B3), and Mrs. Eddy says, “Mind, supreme over all its formations and governing them all, is the central sun of its own systems of ideas, the life and light of all its own vast creation; and man is tributary to divine Mind.” (S2)
Section 2 (Wisdom Exposes Error): You’ve heard the expression, “When you’ve only got a hammer in your tool box, the solution to every problem looks like a hammer.” Joab, King David’s general, was going to use his hammer, the army, to destroy a whole city to catch the anarchist Sheba. A wise woman negotiated with Joab to deliver Sheba to the general in exchange for sparing the city. Wisdom prevailed. (B7) Wisdom can prevail in our lives too when we yield to the correct influence: “In a world of sin and sensuality hastening to a greater development of power, it is wise earnestly to consider whether it is the human mind or the divine Mind which is influencing one.” (S6)
Section 3 (Commit to the Lord): Have you ever felt like you didn’t want to go to practice, whether it was sports, musical rehearsal, etc., but you went anyway because you knew it was right to go? Funny thing, after you began practice you started to really get into it and have a good time! It’s the same with any worthwhile endeavor. The very act of doing the right thing establishes the right thought as noted in the proverb, “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” (B13) Whereas those who say, “When I feel like it, I’ll do it” are expecting heat without lighting a single log in the fireplace. Uzziah, a highly regarded king of Judah, understood this principle during his 52 year reign which began at age 16, “…and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.” (B12) “Whatever is governed by God is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life.” (S11)
Section 4 (Perfection): One trick of mortal mind is for us not to act until all material conditions are “perfect,” which by the very definition of material is impossible! As a result, not much gets done until the calendar and clock become false gods. How about trying the inspirational approach of Jesus: “And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” (B15) We too can learn and act on inspiration from God instead of human doctrine. “Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.” (S16)
Section 5 (Free from Non-Intelligence): Sickness is non-intelligent, as demonstrated by Jesus in the healing of the woman who was bowed over and sick for 18 years. Non-intelligence tried to coerce again via the ruler of the synagogue who declared healing on the Sabbath day to be wrong. (B19) How do modern day conventions attempt to hinder healing in Christian Science?
“Jesus illustrated the divine Principle and the power of immortal Mind by healing sickness and sin and destroying the foundations of death. Mistaking his origin and nature, man believes himself to be combined matter and Spirit. He believes that Spirit is sifted through matter, carried on a nerve, exposed to ejection by the operation of matter. The intellectual, the moral, the spiritual, – yea, the image of infinite Mind, – subject to non-intelligence! (S22)
Section 6 (Mind is All-in-all): Doesn’t All-in-all suggest God, “All,” is the basis of “all” ~ right thought, action and results? Mrs. Eddy proved through her healing, “…Mind is All and matter is naught as the leading factor in Mind-science. Christian Science reveals incontrovertibly that Mind is All-in-all, that the only realities are the divine Mind and idea.” (S27)
What is the reward of All-in-all based reality? “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;” (B23) Mourning in some form is the world’s conventional response to sin, disease and death which can be healed by yielding to Mind. Healing would allow removal of the sackcloth, a coarse goat hair cloth worn by mourners and the penitent in biblical times which was itchy, restrictive and unattractive. Removing the sackcloth of mortal thought and putting on the Christly garment of Mind’s allness is the ultimate reward.
Section Summary Benediction: To acknowledge nothing else but God and His idea would allow everyone experiencing what Job went through to finally get it, to understand Mind is the glue by which wisdom exposes evil and leads to healing. As we commit to the Lord, we experience perfection, freedom from non-intelligence and living from the metaphysical basis of Mind being All-in-all.
For feedback contact Gary Duke, C.S.
(314-822-8319 Gary@GaryPDuke.com)
