Lesson Met for December 2-8, 2002 by Gary Duke, CS
SUBJECT: God the Only Cause and Creator
Golden Text: “…O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine;”
Who is the host? Who causes us to shine? Please think about the difference between reflection and personality.
Resp. Rdg.: “In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.” We can only “rejoice all the day” when we’re listening to, and acting upon divine inspiration. In addition to joy, another by-product must be righteous exaltation.
Section 1: S4 “Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress. The age seems ready to approach this subject, to ponder somewhat the supremacy of Spirit, and at least to touch the hem of Truth’s garment.” If we’re pondering, affirming and understanding God to be the only cause, won’t we experience human progress just as the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment? (Mark 5:24-34)
Section 2: Hannah was miserable because she was barren, having no children, which was a terrible disgrace in her culture. Are we ever miserable with the belief of being barren, lacking anything? If so, the only lasting answer is going up higher, just as Hannah did by giving her precious son Samuel to the priesthood via Eli. Abraham was willing to also “sacrifice” Isaac. If we’re ready to give up our most prized possessions with the realization they are not ours to begin with but we are only the caretakers, as God is the creator, aren’t we being fitted to receive more? (S&H 3:24) B8 Hannah bore five children and Abraham was the father of many nations.
Section 3: B9-12 there’s no healing medicine but God and if we think otherwise it is “vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” When one takes an aspirin to relieve pain, is the root cause of pain (misapprehension of God) healed or just masked? That’s why we must “abandon pharmaceutics” and instead “look deep into realism.” S12
Section 4: How do we know Christian Science is the ultimate science? The same way John came to know Jesus as the Messiah, which was through healing. B14, S17
Section 5: How did Jesus demonstrate his resurrection and ascension? B16, 17 “He plunged beneath the material surface of things, and found the spiritual cause.” S21 Please list how you can plunge beneath the material and experience daily resurrection and ascension.
Section 6: “It is our ignorance of God, the divine Principle, which produces apparent discord, and the right understanding of Him restores harmony.” S24 Please memorize this statement as it summarizes true cause and creation. If we ever believe in a power apart from God either personally or even globally, go right back to this statement to restore harmony.