Discover the substance of your being is intact in God NOW!

[Discover the substance of your being is intact in God NOW!]
CedarS Metaphysical Application Ideas on the Christian Science Bible Lesson: “Substance” for March 14, 2010
by Dan Carnesciali, CS, of St. Louis, MO [with bracketed italics by Warren Huff]

 

[Editor's Note: The following application ideas for this week and the Possible Sunday School Topics that follow are offered primarily to help CEDARS campers and staff (as well as friends) see and demonstrate the great value of daily study and application of the Christian Science Bible lessons year-round, not just at camp! You can sign up to have them emailed to you free — in English by Monday each week, or by each Wednesday you can get a FREE TRANSLATION in French from Pascal or in Spanish from Ana. Soon a free German translation will be available again from Helga. SIGN UP at www.cedarscamps.org/newsletters]

The Christian Science Bible Lesson [and the new TMCYouth “Question of the week” about it] are great discovery tools to help you discover the substance of your being. To God, without trying to change, you are what you need to be. God knows nothing else. This true nature of God's universe is unfolding to you today. 

 

[More spiritual unfoldment and growth await you, or young people you know ages 16-30, at the upcoming and uplifting Southeast Spiritual Activist Summit near Atlanta.  Just click here for more info and for a link to sign up for this event that TMCYouth has asked me to publicize, which will be held over the weekend 8PM- March 26 to 4PM-March 28.  There will be talks by Christian Science lecturers including Q&A sessions and workshops all about your spiritual growth on topics such as Class Instruction, Answering Tough Questions about Christian Science, and Becoming a Full-time Healer.]

 

Golden Text  (G.T.):

“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it:”  With God, it's a slam dunk every time! Every time. And you know it because Mind's Mind is your Mind.  It is so true that nothing can shake it. Your being is as established as the Sun is fixed at the center of the solar system.

 

[With “March Madness” (the NCAA Basketball Championship Tournament) coming up soon, I am reminded that this citation was a basis for a buzzer-beating, three-point shot that won a District Championship for the Principia Girls Basketball team in 1995.  It capped a come-from-way-behind “immaculate 4^th quarter” that affirmed shots directed by God were not “air-balls” that something could be put to — nor “bricks” that something could be taken from – but swish or “nothing-but-net” shots.]

 

Responsive Reading:

The world craves a material inheritance and it's willing to fight for it. But somehow that substance doesn't satisfy. There's always something else…  In the age when life was really simple, the author of Psalms pondered the desires of the heart being satisfied by trusting in the Lord, being happy and satisfied in the Lord. The law of God is in your heart and it is guiding you. It is absolutely stable, but it is not rigid. It is dynamic and happy. That joy and peace is a healing inheritance.

 

Section 1 – Blessings

God created the wonder of Life. The earth is full of [the Lord's] riches. God is rejoicing in His creation, so we should too. God's creation can't fade over time. It endures in its current state of perfection (B-1).   God will prosper you and your children. He will prosper your thoughts. “[You] are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth” (B-2).   Let's pause here for a moment and reread that second quote from the Bible. He/She which made heaven and earth has blessed you. It is astounding! “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (S-1).  If you need blessings, then lean on what is substantial. 
[This opening line of the Preface to Science and Health is also CedarS 2010 metaphysical theme citation.]

 

The universe including man is spiritual, reflecting only the substance of Spirit (S-2).  Clearly no problem exists without the human mind. The human mind has a twisted sense of substance. So, what needs to be healed is not a “thing”, but that twisted sense of substance. Dispel false belief, don't argue with it. Dispel means to drive off, to cause to vanish.

 

When you begin praying, take a moment to take stock of your mental state. If you have a feeling that prayer isn't going to work, then don't forge ahead. Pause and listen to God. Reframe things properly (according to what is real) and then begin praying (S-3).  Rather than working, working, relax and know that God is responsible for healing. Mind is substance (S-4).  If healing were dependent on human effort, we'd all be sunk. What's needed is to become aware of, and stay with, what is real.
 

Section 2 – Bounty

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (B-4).  God answers that prayer. She has blessed us with spiritual abundance (B-5).  Spiritual abundance takes shape tangibly and meaningfully in what we need. 

 

MyBibleLesson.com summarizes the Shunammite woman story like this: “The woman is the widow of a man who died before paying off his debts. Left with nothing, the wife was about to be deprived of her only resource: the sons on whom her future depended.  By law, the family's ‘creditor' could have taken her sons in exchange for the debt.” One could read this healing as a manifestation of material wealth through prayer, but it's much more than that. Healing is going on at many levels here. It appeared that the situation was hopeless. But that was overturned. She understood her inseparability from substance. When these false beliefs were eliminated that's when she saw what God had been doing for her (B-6).

 

We have sufficiency in all things from God. That's awesome (B-7).

 
[2 Cor. 9:8 is another CedarS sustainability theme citation which is especially helpful for us to be able to pass along “charitable donations” of camperships to the many applicants for them this summer. Details of meeting the need follow this Met. As The Amplified Bible puts B-7: “And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation.” It goes on (verses 9-11): “As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever.  And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].  Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.”] 

Spirit feeds and clothes each of its spiritual creations, tenderly expressing the father-motherhood of God (S-9). Be open to that supply of thoughts and embrace it (S-10). (Supply isn't things, is it?) 
 

Section 3 – Death Defeated

Let's find out how substance and healing relate. Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord” (B-8).  Elisha was a traveling prophet. He stayed with a husband and wife who lived in Shunem and provided a place for him to stay when he was passing through. You remember what happened. Elisha stayed with the couple often and one day their young son collapsed out in the field. The son was carried to his mother and he died. The mother put him in Elisha's room and hurried to Mount Carmel to get help from Elisha. (Boy, practitioner calls were more difficult in those days!) Elisha came to the house and raised the boy from death (B-9).

 

In the biography of Mary Baker Eddy named Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer, we see how much she emphasized the necessity of Love in order to be better healers. For example, she said, “The healing will grow more easy and be more immediate as you realize that God, Good, is all and Good is Love. You must gain Love, and lose the false sense called love. You must feel the Love that never faileth,– that perfect sense of divine power that makes healing no longer power but grace. Then you will have the Love that casts out fear and when fear is gone doubt is gone and your work is done. Why? Because it was never undone” (Christian Healer p 146 – Amplified version p.167).

 

Life is substance, not matter. It is and always will be God, never dependent on matter (S-13). Life is the law of God, of Truth. That Life is your being and it is permanent. No immortal idea has ever been destroyed. Not one (S-15).  You are not in a decay experience or a death trajectory. That's false belief. Say “No!” to matter substance, divorce, decline and death. You are not in them and they are not in you.

 

Matter feels like substance. Do you know why? Let me attempt to steer clear of a “Sunday School answer.” When you go to a movie theater and watch a movie, the images move smoothly. But, the images are actually flashing on the screen 24 times a second! When you are in the movie theater, images projected on the screen are pretty convincing. You might even duck when something hurtles towards you, especially with the new 3D movies. (Some of us remember when TV was black and white and at that time that seemed pretty realistic.)  But, movies are just a presentation. And that is all error is. Matter seems solid and real due to perception, appearance and experience. But it is not substantial. It appears to be substantial. Even physicists do not think of matter as substantial. Some refer to it as whirling energy or waves of thought. Say “No!” to error's presentation.
 

Section 4 – Spiritual Substance Sustains

In this story of the woman from Shumen, the prophet Elisha warns her that her family needs to flee to the land of the Philistines because a 7-year famine is coming. After seven years, she returns and attempts to retrieve her house and land (B-11).  Imagine that you are that woman.   You know it is right that you get your house back.  If your substance is material, then you will fight with other humans to get what's “yours.”

 

Now, imagine you are this woman, and you understand that there is no substance in matter. Whether or not the king returned your house and land, you know that your needs are met. You know that your need for shelter and livelihood are spiritual needs, and they are permanent.  Those needs are provided for. You know that all your needs and everyone's needs are provided for. You know that no false belief of lack can attach itself to a spiritual idea, including you. You wait, and listen, listen, listen for God's outpouring of spiritual ideas. While apparently in lack, you look for ways you can give to others. None of this makes sense to the world, but from this basis you experience shelter, security, and livelihood.  As these spiritual concepts manifest themselves in your consciousness, shelter and livelihood properly and presently manifest themselves. Your substance is spiritual; your sense of home is within you. It's from God. The whole way, you give gratitude, saying, “Awesome! Goodness and mercy [are] following me all the days of my Life. I [am] dwelling in the [consciousness] of [the Father] [now] and forever” (B-12).

[After 7 years of prayerful listening and obedience you arrive with your son at the king's palace to make your request for restoration at exactly the right time—at the divinely-orchestrated moment–just as Gehazi is telling the king about the remarkable raising from the dead of your son by Elisha. Because of your prayerful listening and “Obedience” (Misc. 116:10)  you are not a “neophyte… inclined to be too fast or too slow” – nor disobedient, making your “moves before God makes His, or mak(ing) them too late to follow Him” (Misc. 117:23-30).  Because you are “leaning on the sustaining infinite” (S-1) for your demonstration of supply, “nothing could be put to” your timing “nor anything taken from it” (G.T.). You find this day and each day “big with blessings” (S-1)–thanks not only to a full restoration of your land, but also to repayment of the last seven years of harvests (B-11). You prove that it pays to: “Be sure that God directs your way; then, hasten to follow under every circumstance.” (Misc. 117:31)]

 

Things that are substantial cannot decay. Nothing that is substantial can be lost. That's what being substantial means. Mary Baker Eddy says, “It is impossible than man should lose aught that is real, when God is all and eternally his.” (S-20) If your substance is spiritual and incorporeal, then it is impossible for you to decline. Substance is entirely established. But, you must choose carefully what is substantial.
 

Section 5 – Healing

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again” (B-13 New Living Translation). Can you imagine being whole in spirit, soul and body in every way?

 

Jesus Christ restored health through an understanding of what health is. To the human mind health is unpredictable. You may get a cold or have an injury. The Bible tells us that some people directly challenged Jesus' healings. Those people said that spiritual healing wasn't right, it wasn't lawful, it wasn't moral.  They just couldn't understand how the healings were possible. So they opposed them (B-15).   As Mrs. Eddy says, “To himself, mortal and material man seems to be substance, but his sense of substance involves error and therefore is material, temporal” (S-26).  In biblical times, like today, people say such healing isn't possible, because spiritual existence is out of the realm of physical possibility. The human mind, basing its conclusions on matter, says this can happen and that can't happen.  Those conclusions become “law”. 

 

Opponents of spiritual healing, when presented with certain unmistakable cases, label them cases of “spontaneous remission.” That means healing occurred absent of treatment. In other words, they regard those cases as mysteries. [I know full well that Christian Science healed me as I applied citation S-25, S&H 162:4 as detailed at the end of a Thanksgiving Met.]

 

To the one Mind, there never will be any sickness, because wholeness is a permanent state of the universe. Whether you or someone else thinks healing is possible depends on your/their sense of substance. Your task is not to change them, but to uplift your sense of substance to Christ.  Christ is what is whispering the healing message of the gospel into your ear. Christ is moment by moment imparting the true idea of God to you (S-24). Christ, the present activity of God, is bringing the Truth into remembrance. You already know the Science of Christianity. Christ is just reminding you of what you already know.

 

Continually draw your conclusions from “a diviner sense of the facts” and you will become the master of matter (S-27). The understanding of Christian Science you seek is not outside of you. It is within you. There is one Mind, so the true understanding cannot be out there.

 

Section 6 – It's like Forever

“The goodness of God endureth continually” (B-17).  “Spirit is the life, substance, and continuity of all things” (S-29).  Continuity means “being in immediate connection” (Random House Dictionary).  The true you is coexistent and co-eternal with God (S-30).  Eternity is not infinite time, but infinite now.  In God's now, health, healing, happiness are immediate and continuous.

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[This weekly Metaphysical Newsletter is provided at no charge to the 1,200 campers and staff who were blessed last summer at CEDARS–as well as to thousands of CEDARS alumni, families and friends who request it, or who find it weekly on our website.  But, current and planned gifts are much-needed to cover the costs of running this service and of providing camperships for ongoing inspirational opportunities.  Your support is always tax-deductible and welcomed–but during the economic downturn, your help has been and continues to be especially needed and appreciated!  
Two ongoing needs are to raise significant dollars:

     1)  to underwrite camperships for the hundreds of campers now applying for aid; ($800/week) and,
     2) to provide care for our large herd of horses and feed them until grass starts to grow again in our pastures.  “Adopt the Herd” donations will be matched!

 

To make a charitable donation to our 501C-3 tax-exempt, charitable organization:

1) Write a check payable to CedarS Camps and mail it to the office:
           1314 Parkview Valley, Manchester, MO 63011; or
2) Call Warren or Gay Huff at (636) 394-6162 to charge your gift using a Visa or Mastercard or to discuss short-term or long-term gift of securities or property that you are considering; or
3) CLICK HERE RIGHT AWAY TO SUPPORT CEDARS WORK with an online gift using PayPal.com, which can be funded using a Visa or Mastercard account.]

 

[Camp Director's Note: This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 9-year series of CedarS Bible Lesson “Mets” (Metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians. (To keep the flow of the practitioner's ideas intact and to allow for more selective printing “Possible Sunday School Topics” come in a subsequent email.) These weekly offerings are intended to encourage further study and application of ideas in the lesson and to invigorate Sunday School participation by students and by the budding teachers on our staff. Originally sent JUST to my Sunday School students and 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, application 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. The thoughts presented are the inspiration of the moment and are offered to give a bit more dimension and background as well as new angles (and angels) on the daily applicability of some of the ideas and passages being studied. The weekly Bible Lessons are copyrighted by the Christian Science Publishing Society and are printed in the Christian Science Quarterly as available at Christian Science Reading Rooms or online at eBibleLesson.com or myBibleLesson.com. The citations referenced (i.e. B-1 and S-28) from this week's Bible Lesson in the “Met” (Metaphysical application ideas) are taken from the Bible (B-1 thru B-24) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (S-1 thru S-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 the ideas helpful in your daily spiritual journey, in your deeper digging in the books and in closer bonding with your Comforter and Pastor.]
Enjoy!
Warren Huff, Executive Director   director@cedarscamps.org    (636) 394-6162