Talkin’ ’bout the “Man” in the mirror!
A Met about the Lesson on “MAN” for 3/9/03 by Corde Hanzlik, CS
Let’s remember as we look through this week’s Bible Lesson that it is our story, our being. What man am I – dreamy Adam or the awake ideal? See the comparisons in the Responsive Reading. We are not comparing apples and oranges, but only spiritual things with spiritual. This Lesson gives us lots of citations to make a list of all the wonderful qualities in the Lesson that describes who we are. So, get lots of notepaper.
Of course, the Golden Text sets the tone for the Lesson. How can we not be satisfied recognizing our mutual likeness with God in righteousness? Get it? It’s you! It’s us! As God is, we are. So the first qualities that we can put on our list are righteous and satisfied.
Section 1: God almost brags about His creation. Each of us is precious to Him/Her. And why not, as we are His image and likeness, and totally good as God sees and knows us. Always and forever. God must really love and trust us if He gives us dominion over absolutely everything – liquid, solid, gas; vertebrates and invertebrates….everything! God needs us to be His precious ideas. Ideas precious, not obsessive ‘rings’ that would blind us to good.
(Don’t forget to add to your list from the Science and Health. Keep asking, “What am I?” as His reflection.) Try putting a post-it note that says “divine Science” on your mirror to remind you how to look in the mirror to not be fooled by dream sense. (S&H 515) You know, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall….” , but there is no fairy tale Snow White. Simply perfect you!
Section 2: God has trusted us completely to give us such power and dominion. Do we trust Him? We must trust Him, completely, as Elijah shows us. (I Kings 18) Elijah knows that God cares for His ideas. With that confidence, it doesn’t seem so pushy for him to have made the request of the suicidal mother. Even after her explanation of what she had or rather what she didn’t have and what her plan was, Elijah simply restated his request and God’s statement of provision. He never tried to talk her out of her mission of destruction. He didn’t need to. Her big test was that she had to fear not, be obedient and trust. She was cared for. God proved that she and her son were precious to Him.
Don’t forget your quality list. What is true in this story for you?
So, (S&H 258) sums up that we are freely, forever developing, gaining, enlarging, perfected,… We are never contaminated by the ‘real’ oil slick of true spiritual oilness. That is, allness. We are totally blest, even if it seems only a crumb-sized comfort. (S&H 592 and 234) (Check your quality list. Might need more paper!)
Section 3: Oh no! It’s not enough to starve? Need we be tested by a fiery furnace too? How much trust must we have? King Nebu. is simply a a big old cucumber. (we know that from Veggie Tales) What does he know? But, the king learns more than that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, is all-powerful and All! The 3 men knew God’s omnipotence or they wouldn’t have gotten into the furnace. Who was the fourth figure in the fire? Like the “Son of God’. They trusted in the Christ! They didn’t even smell like smoke! (So have you put incombustible on your Quality list?) So King Nebu learned the power of the Christ, too. Jesus wasn’t to be around for centuries! Freedom from time.
What freedom! Freedom? Count the words free, freedom, liberty, (human rights, divine right) in the Lesson. Then quiz the others in your family to see how many they have come up with.
If you are reading the Full (oxymoron) Text, you might not be aware of the context of S&H 475. “What is man?” is the question. What am I? Check out the whole answer.
Section 4: In Luke 4, Jesus shows us the Way. Are we anointed with the same demands as he was? To preach, heal, preach (again), recover sight, set at liberty (oh, there’s another one), and preach (again)? You betcha! The prophecy that he read from Isaiah about him, he was teaching to us to do as his fulfillment. Then he did it. Well? We’ve got work to do. It’s our turn.
The Christ as taught by Jesus is our proof of dominion. We don’t have to accept any of error’s lies as “The power of Christian Science and divine Love is omnipotent.” We cure disease, but most important, we prevent it. Break the dream! Insist on harmony! Realize the nowness of health. (S&H 412 – and what hymn might that be? O dreamer, leave thy dreams for joyful waking, O captive, rise and sing, for thou art ????. Call the Sunday School Superintendent and request that hymn this week.)
Section 5: Oh, a favorite camp song – Rejoice! Again I say, Rejoice! (Don’t’ forget to sing it joyously) How many times have you explained some idea very carefully to someone only to have them say, “What?'” Philip was too busy looking to matter and the human Jesus for answers that he didn’t get the big picture. Each of us is the glorified proof of God, His love and care for us, as we embody the Christ, Truth. There’s zero separation of us from God or God from us.
We don’t like to conform, be like everyone else, but (S&H 337) Christly conformity is great! Actually, we are already conformed. Through that conformity we are reminded of our oneness with the Father, our dominion over the lie of separation, ever joyous, “scientific and intact”. Ask your English teachers to help you to diagram the citation S&H 76:22-26. It boils down to 3 simple words.
Section 6: We are back at the beginning – God blessing us, giving us all through Christ. When we know that, we can recognize the list of garbage lies listed in Ephesians, has no power to even tempt us off track away from our birthright (not birth wrong or wrong birth). As we know our spiritual being, as God’s image, we are perfect, continuous (continually His), and mighty. (S&H 324). By faith in our right birth and spiritual being, we are one with God, of His universal family. Saddam is included in the family, too. We know that “Truth and Love reign in the real man” (S&H 476).
So, how’s your list? It is his list, too. What God knows to be true about each of us is all there is to know and be. So, we are free!!!!! And we are very good! (no junk)
