De-mist-ify the death belief! Claim and live Life! Now!

De-“mist”-ify the death belief!  Claim and live Life!  Now!
Application ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on “Probation after Death” for April 23 – 29, 2007

By Corde Hanzlik, CS, of Austin, TX

Editor’s Note: The following background information and application ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson for this week are offered primarily to help CedarS campers and staff (as well as friends) see and demonstrate the great value of daily study of the Christian Science Bible lessons year-round, not just at camp!       BY EACH WEDNESDAY: CHECK www.cedarscamps.org/metaphysical/  FOR A FREE TRANSLATION of this weekly “met” offered in FRENCH by Pascal Bujard of Switzerland AND NOW in SPANISH by Ana Arcioni of Spain.

We’ve had many Lessons in the last few weeks that have shown us very clearly that death is not real.  Why would we need yet another Lesson specifically mentioning the “d” word?  The first 2 Lessons, “Reality” and “Unreality,” really gave us the basics of Christian Science in what Life is, what Truth is, what Science is, using the examples of Lazarus and Jesus; that giving and yielding a mortal, selfish sense of life to recognize that God is our Life, the only Life.  Jesus is the ultimate example.  He is risen!  Then we had to answer again, “Are Sin, Disease and Death Real?”  It alerted us to the serpent talk that would suggest death-claims, matter’s existence.  And, last week in “Doctrine of Atonement,” we gained the true understanding of our Christly oneness and only-ness with God, sealed forever, at one, as never needing to atone for sin.  There is no sin.  This week’s Lesson, “Probation after Death,” handles the process, the apparent legitimacy and what happens after death – teachings accepted by the Adam dream scenario.  All of these Lessons show, disprove and refute old theological teachings that have no place or base in Christian Science.  Mrs. Eddy totally blew the cover off of death-claims, God’s responsibility for it, and man’s vulnerability to it, through her Science.  There is no death law.  There is no matter.  The Golden Text tells us announces our freedom.  (Start counting the “law” words/synonyms, “statute,” “commandment,” etc.)

The Responsive Reading claims us as sons (and daughters) of God, our Father/Mother.  Let’s not yield ourselves to any other law.  Commandment equals lamp, then light is life!

 

Section 1  – Spirit? or Matter?

Which do we believe and live by- the natural, seasonal routine of life presented in B1 and B2, or God’s newness and freshness of B3, B4, B5?  Matter wants to process everything.  It claims a beginning, in between and an end.  God knows no time.  He only knows fulfillment!  That’s His Law.  Are we willing to abide by that law?  Of course!

S&H markers 1, 2 and especially 3 demystify (or is it de-“mist”-ify) the death belief as a major issue by suggesting that every spiritual awakening/demonstration overcomes the death-belief.  Either here or hereafter what is termed death, there is no process.  We don’t escape from the material form to find freedom.  We are free now!  We are infinite, “never born and never dying.”  We prove Life during what material sense calls time, putting off limitations of all types.  We are never separated from Life, never have been, never will be.  What is it that becomes extinct in S&H2?  Belief.  Not matter, but belief and the error of belief.  We are intact. (S&H4)  Even under what mortality would call violent and untimely circumstances, we can never die.  (S&H5, 6) So let’s claim and live Life!  Now!  (We really don’t have a choice.)

 

Section 2 – Monkey see, monkey do?

Do we want to be like Hezekiah (B8) – beg for God’s help because he got himself into trouble by deviating from God’s law?  Or, are we steadfast in God’s law (B6, B7) knowing our salvation is safe in His hands?  What is our attitude of prayer?  Desperation?  No.  Confidence!  (Find ways to be more confident this week!)  Rejoice in His statutes.  “I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”  What is the theological “great transgression?” The Adam and Eve scenario that includes sin, disease and death.  Wouldn’t B9 and S&H10 indicate that we gain nothing through death?  “The living shall praise thee.”

So how do we do this praising business?  Living spiritually, feeling blessed, being peaceful, loving, “gaining a proper sense of the infinite.” (S&H7,8)  Again, in S&H 8, matter sense wants to justify a time element to death, to process.   If we don’t become aware of eternal Life now, we might have the tendency to believe mortal sense when it suggests death at any time.  (S&H9,10)  But, we know the great I AM!  We know our happiness in Him.  We gain nothing, not even a promotion, through death.  Death presents the total awakening to one fact, there is no death.  Jesus proved that one for us.  (S&H11)

 

Section 3 – Do we believe the real proof of no death, Jesus?

Jesus foretells us of his mission through his dissertation to his disciples.  (B10, 11, 12) Then he proves it by example with the dead man of Nain.  Why did Jesus care so much about the mother and not merely the dead man?  He could have gone by into the city, but chose to help her.  The raising was secondary.  He knew in his time that this woman would have had a difficult time surviving for as a widowed, sonless woman, she would have no means to earn a living or own anything without seeking other desperate options.  In a way, it would have been 2 deaths, her son’s and her’s.  Jesus knew all along that the man had not died, really, so raising him was no problem.  Mortal thought saw him as dead, so mourned.  You wonder what the man would have started saying as he sat up.  Would he have said, “I wasn’t dead.  Life is all there is!” or “What happened?  What’s going on?  Who is this guy?  I’m okay, mother.”

By Jesus’ example of raising the man, he showed that God doesn’t send evil or trouble to His children, specifically the mother in this story.  The theological or societal binding of mankind has no power to limit us, God’s ideas.  (S&H13, 14)  This week let’s refuse to be fooled by death beliefs.  Remember, matter likes to process.  But in marker S&H 15, “there is no death process.”  We need to be alert to the fact too, that there is no life process either.  There is only Life that knows no beginning or end, only fulfillment.  We will be and play as children to turn from the false sense to the true.  (S&H17)  It is interesting that as adults explain death to children, how easily children accept the idea of whatever has died to still be alive, but somewhere else?  In their innocence, explanation is easily accepted, while the adults have hang ups.

 

Section 4 – What’d he say, say what’d he say?  (spin-off on a camp song)

Do we really believe what Jesus told us and continues to tell us?  (B16)  What is life but an understanding of him and his doctrine of Life.  All four markers in this short section prepare and teach us what is.  We cannot be blinded by false sense to our Christ-link of everlasting Life as taught by Jesus.

 

Section 5 – Are we modern day Hezekiahs?

NO!  We have seen the light!  (B17) “Repent (look, think again): for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (B18)  Hezekiah was looking for some Pharisaical process for life and leading his people to see the one God.  We don’t need that.  We know that the kingdom is within.  Not a process or a place!  There is only one God!

Who are the children?  (S&H21) Just us Christian Scientists?  NO!  Jesus was speaking to the world.  It is our job to know that.  What do we know of our relation to God?  Indestructible, harmonious, ordered, under spiritual law, perfect, eternal, unchanged.  (S&H22)  That’s a lot!  Marker S&H 23 is a favorite.  We had part of it 2 weeks ago.  If you take the English grammar approach to the first sentence and cut all of the descriptive words, you would end up with a sentence  that says, “Joy constitutes man.” That is our “state of existence.”  Intact.  Now.  Here.  No process, no place.  (S&H24, 25)

 

Section 6 – Thank heavens for the light!

Take a look at B24 first to see the other markers.  There is no mystery!  We don’t have to go through the Jewish method to the Greek, from the Adam to present, atom-day mortality.  We are not a corrupted bunch of mortals that must work our way out of trouble (the Adam dream).  We are not mortals asleep, but we are spiritual ideas awake to the truth of life, Life in and of God.  No process, no place, but thought-probation.  Remember, the sin that is overcome is the belief that we can ever be separated from God.

As we “obtain the victory over death,” we are living. (S&H26)  There is no death.  We are immortal!  What is demanded?  “Growth in Christian character.” (S&H27)  That’s the probation.  We will be changed, awakened, in thought, to our true selfhood, never subject to death or any of matter’s limits.  We prefer Science to suffering (S&H28), but material sense seems persistent.  But, aren’t we already in our God-defined Paradise, the kingdom of heaven?  No process, no place!

Camp Director’s Note: The above sharing is the latest in a series of CedarS Bible Lesson “mets” (metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians.   This document is intended to initiate further study as well as to encourage the application of ideas found in the Weekly Bible Lessons as printed in the Christian Science Quarterly and as available at Christian Science Reading Rooms.   * Originally sent JUST to campers, staff and CedarS families who wanted to continue at home and in their home Sunday Schools the same type of focused Lesson study and inspiration they had felt at camp, CedarS lesson “mets” are in no way meant to be definitive or conclusive or in any way a substitute for daily study of the lesson in the books.   The thoughts presented are the inspiration of the moment and are offered to give a bit more dimension, background and daily applicability to some of the ideas and passages being studied.   The citations referenced (i.e.   B1 and S28) from this week’s Bible Lesson in the “met” (metaphysical application ideas) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (B1-24) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.   (S1-30) The Bible and Science and Health are the ordained pastor of the Churches of Christ, Scientist.   The Bible Lesson is the sermon read in Christian Science church services throughout the world.   The Lesson-Sermon speaks individually through the Christ to everyone, providing unique insights and tailor-made applications for each one.   We are glad you requested this metaphysical sharing and hope that you find some of these ideas helpful in your daily spiritual journey, in your deeper digging in the books and in closer bonding with your Comforter and Pastor.    Spirituality is your innate estate that connects you moment by moment with God.    (See S&H 258:30) Christ is the gift of light that Jesus gave.    This Christ light of spiritual understanding comes with and reveals infinite blessings.   So, have fun unwrapping and cherishing your very special, spiritual gift(s)!      Then, wherever you are, share them with all as big blessings that make the Infinite difference!
Enjoy!
Warren Huff, Camp Director     director@cedarscamps.org (636) 394-6162
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Another new, visually-oriented and very helpful resource for study of the weekly Bible Lesson is being produced by The Christian Science Publishing Society and can be found at: myBibleLesson.com.    What a great auxiliary to lesson study– maybe even reading beyond citation markers using the handsome new student books now sold in Reading Rooms!     MyBibleLesson contains word definitions, Bible background, timelines and translations, plus many healing ideas to use.    Why not check out this effort to help bring to life each beloved Bible lesson in order to bless the youthful thinker and Sunday School student (and teacher) in us all!

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