Tour Creation! Application Ideas & Questions for “God the Only Cause & Creator”
by Kerry Jenkins, CS (St. Louis, MO)
As always the Golden Text sets the tone for this lesson, which reveals thoroughly the visible substance, or reality of the spiritual universe of God’s creating. We are treated to a tour of creation through our Father-Mother’s eyes. It is insisted upon that to progress humanly we must begin with God. The synonym Principle appears frequently on this “tour”. If you look up principle in the dictionary, the first definition will be “the ultimate source, origin, or cause of something.” (Webster’s unabridged, 2nd Ed.)…Other definitions that follow are equally illuminating-have some fun with them if you like!
If we always start with God/Principle we can expect to truly see His/Her goodness all around and move forward, progress. Starting at the Golden Text and moving through the sections there will just be some questions to ask yourselves all week as you study. If they are helpful to you great! But if you hear God ask you different questions-ponder those by all means! And see what new things your Father-Mother has to say each day in answer to these questions, as you actually take the time to really listen for what He has to tell you. (Hey-this is often the hardest part! When we try to listen our quiet gets invaded by responsibilities-“What do I have to do today? How is that test going to go? Did I do those math problems right? How am I ever going to finish all this work? What movie will I get to see Friday night? Etc. etc. These are just interruptions-not God’s answers-it takes some discipline to learn to really listen-I’m still practicing this every day!
Our Golden Text indicates that the works of God (which are all good) are actually visible since we are here invited to “see” them! And the Responsive Reading encourages us that through praise, “the earth will yield her increase…” this just means that our worthy efforts visibly express our gratitude and yield good results, This “increase” gives us a bounty of goodness, whether it’s ideas, friendship, wisdom-whatever.
Section 1. Does every thought or action that I have, have its source in Principle? If not, (and that certainly includes me!) how can I “…begin [today] by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is.”? (S3)
Section 2. This section has that great passage in Hebrews about faith and substance and evidence. What evidence will I accept as real and substantial to me today? Can I, even once, today successfully see Spirit, as more real than any false evidence that matter has to show me? (You can because Principle is your one and only source of discernment!)
Section 3. How can I “seek” God’s wisdom today as diligently and enthusiastically as I might look or dig for a buried treasure? This would be a treasure to which we had a reliable map…i.e. you knew that if you dug there, you’d come up with riches! God’s wisdom is a treasure, but He has promised we can “see” it and that it is “…ever appearing.” (S15) So this is not a stagnant process!
Section 4. The story of Solomon here. Why did Solomon’s speech please God? What am I asking for today? The Bible promises us that when a son asks his father for bread he is not given a stone! So don’t be afraid to ask the source of all good for the ability to see a specific example of His goodness today!
Section 5. This section has the story of the palsied man who couldn’t get off his bed. His friends wanted to bring him to Jesus-they actually climbed onto the roof and took off roof tiles to get him to Jesus! This sure is “seeing” Gods power and presence in action! How persistent am I in seeking out the Christ, wanting to see the action of God today? What kind of friend am I?
Section 6. This has the story of the young man who died and was being carried out in a funeral procession from Nain. Jesus raises him from the dead. Why does “believing” in Jesus, in the Christ, or in the source of all being, Principle, “abolish death”? How is that relevant to me today? This section ends (S30) with this statement: “Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress.” Maybe all these other questions are superfluous, or maybe they are stepping-stones to the great question of spiritual causation leading to a week-a life-filled with progress!
