You are “in the Spirit!” (and spiritual!)
Application Ideas for the Lesson on “Spirit” for Aug. 4-10, 2003
Prepared by Corde Hanzlik, CS (Austin, TX)
We have a unified source of existence and completeness in this Lesson on Spirit. In the Golden Text we find we are in God and he in us as we have been given his Spirit. We don’t have to get Spirit. We have it. Of course, God isn’t in us as in body – He’s far too huge! We have His qualities, essence, feeling, all-presence ever available.
The Responsive Reading explains that each one of us is special as we reflect (are given gifts) God of various types. What is the list of diversities? Word of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues, but we are all of one Spirit. Of course this is a short list. Think of your own talents as gifts. You have many and will develop many more! Thank God, the Giver of all.
Sect. 1 The Bible expands the RR to again tell us of the numerous gifts from and of God and that we are witnesses, practicers, of them. We acknowledge the gifts and they are free! Our Father, God rejoices in our spiritual identity.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures tells us where and how to start establishing our gifts by “reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is.” and that “God, Spirit, is All-in-all.” (275) In the next marker (331) we find that God has no limits. So can we? No! The physical senses would try to limit our expression if we believe them, but we don’t. If God is all, where can false, lying limitation be? No where. Not here. We are spiritual!
Sect 2. Samuel has the blessing of not only knowing God, but actually hearing God. Many of the early prophets did literally hear, and talk with God. We can too. It took three calls to Samuel for Eli, his guardian, to understand what was going on. The Lord was speaking clearly to the young boy to establish many gifts for Samuel’s future occupation as a prophet of God. Maybe we have to listen hard to hear God and realize that He’s talking to us. There seems to be so much interference.
The Science and Health tells us that the ears really have nothing to do with listening to God. What language is necessary? “The language of Spirit”. Mrs. Eddy tells us that we need to be as little children – totally receptive, unbiased. We mustn’t adult-terate the word. Our childlike understanding is present. (130 and 323) We never lose it, but we sometimes have to look very hard for it. We speak the language!
Sect 3 As God had blessed Samuel with the special gift of prophecy, Samuel was spiritually prepared to carry out his work for God. God told Samuel in prophecy, too, to expect a visitor, Saul. One of Samuel’s duties was to select Saul to lead God’s chosen people and to guide them as a spiritual seer. In Joel, we learn that all of us will “prophesy” and “see visions”.
We are spiritual seers! By the definition in Science and Health, we are given the gift to not only understand the simple things of life, but to understand beyond all human knowledge, total reality. We must strive to maintain our “conscious, constant capacity” (209) to know our power and authority in the realm of God. (481) We know God and us as having the “infinite, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” That is certain.
Sect 4 As God spoke to Samuel (and us), He spoke to Jesus. Jesus definitely had numerous gifts from God. In this section, Jesus is a healer, but he also used the qualities given to all prophets. He read someone’s thought, the woman that had touched his garment. Although he had the crowd of distractions around him, Jesus was tuned into God, so clearly that he felt the desperate, yet faithful, touch of the woman who had been ill for 12 years. He knew as she did, that physicians weren’t the answer. When the woman confessed touching him, he blessed her. He restored wholeness, and comfort. He calls her daughter. Wouldn’t he really have called her sister for a right relationship? He called her “daughter” as God would know her. He knew her right relation with her Father-Mother God and was teaching her. Aren’t we the sons and daughters of God, too? Of course! We go in peace, too.
“Christ presents the indestructible man, whom Spirit creates, constitutes, and governs.” (316) With all of the gifts we receive from God, perhaps to change the accent on syllables of presents, verb form, to the noun, presents of the Christ. Indestructibility is an amazing gift! We witness the ultimatum of Love in healing. (411) We can use our gift to “discern the thought of the sick and the sinning for the purpose of healing them”. (95) Error can’t hide. Our ability to “read” thought “depends on our spirituality”.
Sect 4 Last summer, we had an entire Lesson on The Lord’s Prayer. This week we have Jesus giving us the prayer as the right manner of worship. The prayer is an infinite source of ideas. To consider the “our and us” concept is tremendous. The present (daily bread), past (forgive us) and future (lead us, deliver) are covered. Spend some extra time with this resourceful prayer. It must be important.
Mrs. Eddy gives us clear instruction on technique and meaning. The closet/sanctuary door is closed to sense, open to Truth, Life and Love. (14). A closed door also keeps us in. Isn’t her instruction on the “how tos” what we have to practice all of the time to hear God? Mrs. Eddy also instructs us of the promises of The Lord’s Prayer – it meets every need and is instantaneous. (16)
Sect 6 Paul puts himself down as the inadequate human do-gooder in the letter to the Corinthians. He stresses the success of spiritual demonstration as we turn everything over to God, the supreme Doer. All is of God, “our sufficiency”, rather than the letter. We are His witnesses. We are His able ministers.
We must use the talent of spiritual healing for proofs in keeping with progress. (233) We can’t do anything with out Love. Four of the citations state the key ingredient of all healing – Love – “the vital part”. (113) Actually we are hot with Love – aflame! It is demanded of us, using our diversities of gifts, to heal, practice and live the word of God, Spirit. Let’s get busy!
