Do NOT be Satisfied with a Distorted View… See Things Clearly and Live!

Don't be Satisfied with a Distorted View… See Things Clearly and Live!

Application Ideas for the Weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson for May 7-13, 2012

Subject: Mortals and Immortals

Prepared by: Kathy Fitzer of St. Louis, MO

 

[Bracketed Notes from Warren Huff, CedarS Camps Director and Editor of its Weekly Newsletters: The following application ideas for this week, and the Possible Sunday School Topics (PSST) that will 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 thanks to Denise, Martha and Pascal, in German thanks to Helga and Manfred or in Spanish thanks to a team of Ana, Erick, Claudia, Marrocco and Patricio. YOU CAN SIGN UP at www.cedarscamps.org/newsletters]

 

It may seem like a big leap to give up the commonly held concepts relating to a life cycle as beginning with birth, maturing, and finally ending in death. But, we'll never get the clear view if we continue to gather our evidence from the five physical senses and judge according to outward appearances. This lesson teaches us the need to discern between the partial view (the mortal view) and the clear view (the immortal) view. The word mortal has its origins in a word that was used to describe that which was fenced in, had boundaries, and was limited. It grew to mean that which must surely die. Immortal, on the other hand is that which will surely not die and is never fenced in or limited. To the uninstructed human thought, we appear to be stuck in mortality. And we're tempted to spend our time trying to fix these mortal circumstances we're stuck in. But, through an understanding of God's law we are able to gain a clear view of what is really going on and human thought (and human experience) is transformed. Where discord appears to be, harmony is seen. Instead of sickness, is seen health. And instead of death (stoppage of any kind) is seen life and vitality. There are lots of analogies that help us understand how this works. Trying to see things in a dark room vs. a brightly lit one; the view through a veil (or screen) vs. a view without the veil; trying to see through foggy glass vs. clear glass. What we need to do is stop looking at the distorted outward picture and let God show us His creation, made in His likeness.  This clear view is seen as we understand that all things are of God and that the universe (including man) is the shining forth of God's splendor. From glory to glory – inseparable!

 

Golden Text: “When full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless … Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.” This translation from the New Living Translation was hopeful and helpful to me. All it takes to see things clearly is UNDERSTANDING. And, that's something we can gain moment by moment — because God is constantly giving it to each of us. As we let Christ, Truth, clean the steamed up mirror (remove the veil) of all that would corrupt our understanding of reality (all the mortal beliefs that would try to separate us from God) the view becomes clear and we see God as God is, and man as man is!

 

Responsive Reading: The glory of God fully revealed

Two definitions of glory from dictionary.com helped me appreciate the phrase, “from glory to glory:” (1) a state of great splendor, magnificence, or prosperity, (2) the splendor and bliss of heaven; heaven. When the clouds are removed, we see “with open (unveiled) face” what God is presenting to us to see. God gives us the understanding (the light and knowledge) to see the splendor (great brightness; brilliant light or luster) of heaven (God's kingdom) right here and now. We need to give God the praise for all things. It is through His grace (His divine influence, freely given) that we receive a clear view of reality. Challenges come to us…. we have problems.  But, for every trial that comes to the “outward man” (the material, mortal appearing,) God strengthens and renews the “inward man” (our spiritual, immortal identity,) giving us the understanding that clears away the mist, lifts the veil, and reveals harmonious reality (the bliss of heaven) as ever-present reality!  So, when faced with trials, do we focus on “the things that are seen” or the things that “are not seen”? Don't get stuck mesmerized by the steam, or admiring the veil…. look carefully and see what God sees – all the good that is eternal (without beginning or end; not subject to change; perpetual and enduring.)  From glory to glory means we start with the divine Creator and focus on seeing only that creation…. regardless of the distorted images that would attempt to parade before us.

 

Section 1: Let mortal sense yield to immortal fact.

If we allow ourselves to get sucked into believing and living according to what is being paraded before our eyes – if we start thinking from the standpoint of the outward man – we'll start believing that we can live (at least do some things) independently of God, or that we are helpless in the face of circumstances beyond our control. Outward things (whether good or bad) are all temporal. They have a limit. Just like the most beautiful flower that eventually fades, a life lived based on a mortal view (a me-centered, [egotistical,] outward man view) eventually fades. (B-2) [Instead of having an EGO that Edges God Out, we should] give God the credit for making and maintaining all things, and our lives are “redeemed.” (B-3) God releases us from captivity and restores us to the way He made us. No more veiled, misty view! Our prayers shouldn't be to have some problem removed or fixed. We want the mortal lie to be “swallowed up of life.” (B-4) Let limitless Love swallow up all sense of limitation (whether it seems to be limited health, wealth, ability, opportunity, companionship, etc.) Refuse to believe that you were born into a material set of circumstances or stuck with a mortal destiny. That's just the distorted, veiled VIEW! Remember: “The foundation of mortal discord is a false sense of man's origin.” (S-3, S&H 262) But, glory to glory means all things have forever been alive in the brilliance of God, as unique and necessary individual ideas. God is the “I AM” and doesn't know birth or death — for Himself or for His children.  So, yield to Truth…. You are God's (Spirit's) image or reflection – always have been, always will be, right here, right now! The whole, limited, mortal facade was never really created. It's just like the distorted images that appear through fogged-up glass, but aren't really there. Use your God-given understanding (that we ALL HAVE,); clean the glass; yield to the unveiled view; and “the real sense of being, perfect and forever intact, will appear.” (S-5) The inward (undefiled) man will be made new and seen as the only you!

 

Section 2: Make your top priority to please God and walk with Him!*

According to the report of the “outward man”, what we make of our lives is up to us. We are responsible for coming up with creative solutions to the many challenges that come our way.  We're constantly bombarded by things demanding our attention…. doing well in school or at work, family “obligations”, being part of a “team”, making sure we make good decisions. But, really, there's just one thing we have to worry about…. pleasing God.  As we recognize God to be the Creator and Maintainer of everything in the universe, it will become natural for us to concentrate on following the lead of the “Unseen” — yielding thought by thought to that perfect model which seems to be hidden by the veil, but which is always appearing to human consciousness. The source of this appearing is never used up — and can't be forever hidden. (S-8 & S-11)) We're told in Hebrews that Enoch (who didn't die but was “translated”) “pleased God.” (B-9)  Consider this definition of please: “to be the pleasure or will of.” (dictionary.com) It is natural for a creation to respond to, to please, or to be obedient to its creator. The paint brush doesn't act contrary to an artist, or notes contrary to a musician, or a new idea contrary to its developer. As we are clear about our relationship with God…. that we are the idea of Mind, naturally obedient to this perfect Mind…. we will find the best course is to make every effort to respond to the inner voice (that is Love speaking to us) and will desire above all else to “please God.” (S-6) God has formed us to express Him — in unveiled glory. (B-6) That's a privilege that brings the promise of the freedom to live (not necessarily a life of ease, but definitely a life of freedom!)
*[We can expect our life and our walk with God to be balanced… otherwise walking would be difficult. Take heart all you students (and others) with outward evidence of an imbalance between your language arts skills and your science/mathematical abilities. After an insight that “The divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout His creation” (S-7, 507:25) I gratefully affirmed that I reflected God's intelligence and evenly balanced abilities… and the next day my previously very uneven SAT Math and SAT Language scores came out exactly equal and high enough to get me into the selective college of God's choice.]

 

Section 3: Be smart! Give up a false sense of intelligence for the true.

The early scribes (“wise men”, as Jeremiah refers to them in citation B-11) presumed to have “a corner on smarts” (on wisdom) as they judged according to the “letter” of the law. They became self-appointed experts […. “wise in their own eyes”. Isa. 5:21] But, they forgot the key ingredient…. a constant turning to God for fresh inspiration, wisdom, and direction. (B-11) They based things on the “outward” rather than the “inward.” We fall into the same trap whenever we start categorizing people (including ourselves) as smart or not smart based on test scores or grades or place in society or even past performance. There is one source of smart — God, the all-knowing, divine intelligence. Any outward evidence of intelligence based on “brainpower” is unreliable because it is mortal (limited, and subject to loss.) Acknowledge the source of “smarts” to be immortal Mind — incapable of being divided into many minds, but reflected by all — and you free yourself from “self-imposed” limitation. (S-12 & S-13) The intelligence that is “omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence” is discovered and visibly expressed as we see beyond the veil — as we wipe the glass clean of all false, mortal beliefs about limited personal intelligence. (S-16) Intelligence is a present possibility for ALL. Forget the past and claim unlimited [and balanced] intelligence NOW!

 

Section 4: Stay above the fray by accepting God's gift of inexhaustible wisdom.

So much to learn, so much to do — never enough time or intelligence to accomplish it all. That's what the foggy view would have us believe. Not true! When it seems you've reached your limit, remember the tree that looks dead until a new branch starts growing from it. (B-15) Remember that God's gift to each of us is “wisdom and knowledge and joy.” (B-14) We're being called on to change our standpoint. (S-20) Instead of looking at things through the veil of limitation, step around it or lift it up and see that “immortal Mind is ever active.” (S-17) Mind (intelligence and ability) isn't trapped in a brain or a personality. It is independent of cloudy, mortal concepts. It is almighty and ever-present and reflected by all that is real. Immortal man reflects Mind…. is the active, untiring thought of Mind. See clearly that you (and all) have “existed forever, and [are] always beyond and above the mortal illusion of any life, substance, and intelligence as existent in matter. We're not going to be fooled by an illusion… right?!?!

 

Section 5: God is the only healer …. not the human mind or mortal methods.

It seems to be human nature to seek material answers to heal (or fix) our problems, whether they be health-related or anything else. Thousands of years ago, the prophet Jeremiah questioned why the people were still facing so many problems in Gilead where there were physicians as well as well-known medicines (from the resin of the balsam tree.) (B-17) Since that time, physicians and medicines have multiplied. Certainly every effort is made to alleviate suffering using material methods, and much good is accomplished. But, diseases have increased and very few have been considered cured. At the same time, there is an effort to find relief by applying “mind over matter” methods or natural cures of herbs, hygiene, diet and exercise. We're all faced with decisions every day regarding how much we'll depend on material methods for our health. And, we're grateful for the temporary aid we receive when we feel we need it. But, we can't afford to be satisfied with the partial view that we get as we look through the darkened, foggy window. As Mrs. Eddy points out, “the human, mortal mind so-called is not a healer, but causes the belief in disease.” (S-21) All of the advertisements, all of the talk about disease, doesn't lessen disease, but multiplies it. The more we depend on human means…. including mere human reasoning, will-power, or wishful thinking…. the more we are just changing the belief.  It doesn't work. (S-23 & S-24)  We have to leave mortal mind (alias matter) out of the equation entirely, not try to fix it with mortal means. Matter is the clouded image… the illusion of distorted being. Understanding the unchanging law of God, good, is the only true and lasting healer!  It is never God's will that we are sick or die.  We express God by living full lives… living in Spirit here, now, and forever! As we turn understandingly to Him, the Truth of His being is revealed and every misconception destroyed. So, even as we are looking through the “glass darkly” our desire (and our striving) must be to gain a clearer understanding that will allow us to see God face to face… and see ourselves as His complete image!

 

Section 6: Refuse to give the darkened, mortal picture any credence!

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between a 6 and an 8 if there isn't enough light. But, even if you were looking at an equation through a darkened veil, you would not believe that 4 + 4 = 6, because you know that 4 + 4 = 8! As clearly as you know that, Jesus knew that life is eternal. So, when he saw the body of a young man being carried in a funeral procession in Nain, and his mother shedding tears of grief, he wasn't confused by the darkened picture. He knew that God's man is immortal…. that God's man lives! And, consequently he stopped the parade of mortal mind, and saved the young man and his mother.  Jesus was able to heal so effectively… even bring the apparent dead back to life… because he understood his immortal nature, as well as that of others.  He didn't confuse a 6 for an 8 (the mortal for the immortal) because he knew the immortal nature of man so clearly.  Jesus declared, “The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” I can do nothing on my own …..” (B-21, New Living Translation)  “From glory unto glory, from strength to strength we go, While grace for grace abundantly Doth from His fullness flow.” (Hymn 65) The key is to understand the inseparable nature of man as God's expression… inseparable from all that God — Life, Mind — is. (S-28)  The Bible speaks of God's comfort and mercy. (B-20 & B-23) Compare this to the comfort and mercy of light. Light rescues us from the confusion that may arise in the dark by naturally displacing the darkness, not by knowing the dark picture and saving us from it. Perfect God, as perfect Principle, naturally displaces all that appears to be imperfect in our lives as we acknowledge (turn unwaveringly to) that Principle… or unchanging law of God. We can learn from Jesus how to keep the legitimate model before our lives…. how to choose life in all things! (S-26) Refuse to let mortal mind dig into its own set of assumptions (symptoms, severity, etc.) Lift the veil and see your reflection in the light of God's perfection!

 

Section 7: Put on immortality now! No reason to put off the inevitable.

It is commonly believed that after we die we discover our spiritual, immortal selfhood. But, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is saying that we shouldn't wait for the event called death. But, like Enoch, we can put on immortality now. We can live our lives in accord with God, and act out our immortal nature right here, right now. (B-24)  Christ Jesus came (and the Christ continually comes to human consciousness) to save us from the false belief that we've ever been stuck in a limited, doomed, mortal body. The veiled view presents a society, a political and economic structure, and human bodies subject to corruption (to dishonesty, decay, infection, errors, allergies and alteration.) But, we're not stuck in the dark. We have the instruction of Christ Jesus and Christian Science which has given us sufficient understanding to put off the old man and wear with confidence our immortal nature as the child of God. (See Eph. 4: 20-24 and S-29)  No need to wait. We have everything we need to demonstrate our inseparable, harmonious, and eternal nature as the children of God. (S-30) The love of God is lighting our path. Christ, Truth, is tearing down the veil that would suggest separation. Take it step by step… but keep walking in the right direction. Refuse to be confused by the false pictures presented by looking through the foggy glass. Science, the knowledge of reality, presents the unchanging facts. As we stick with those facts, we will demonstrate more and more our immortal nature that never had a thing to do with the false picture of mortality. Immortality is the fact.  Accept it and live!

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 [P.S.:  ANNOUNCING A RECENT CEDARS MATCHING-GIFT CAMPERSHIP FUND!  Each NEW campership donation to CedarS will be matched (up to $50,000!) so that no Christian Science Sunday School student need be “un-camped” this summer!  (Even transportation costs can be covered as needed! Donating your frequent-flyer miles or even offering car rides or gas money can make the critical difference to otherwise “uncamped” children and families!)  Daily applications for this aid are being met by daily supply from friends of Christian Science Sunday School pupils like you! Click on http://www.cedarscamps.org/giving/campership-fund.htm for links to all ways to give.]

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[P.P.S.  CedarS will gladly send a DVD & info on our programs for all ages; session dates & rates; 2012 online enrollment; transportation… to help get anyone in your church family to camp! Note that due to Outdoor Cooking & Building being full for 1^st session, we have added that program for 3^rd session as well.]

 

[P.P.P.S.  Thanks to a recent gift an addition to the laundry room has been built to house high-efficiency, commercial washers and dryers. By helping to donate the last few thousand dollars due upon delivery of these “green machines”, you can help CedarS make this desperately-needed upgrade that will save lots of electricity, water, and man-power!]

 

[P.P.P.P.S: Sample testimonial, thousands available upon request:  “I have been so incredibly happy since attending CEDARS. I have made a diligent effort to read the lesson every day and work in prayer. I cannot express in this letter how much of a difference I have felt. I am really liking the Footsteps of Truth chapter so far (thought it would be a good chapter to start with!). Thanks so much!” (Camper) Click here for all recent Fruitage from campers, staff and parents.]

 

 ^{[Camp Director's Note: This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 11-year series of CedarS Bible Lesson “Mets” (Metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians.  (Ask and look for “Possible Sunday School Topics “and “Possible Younger Class Lessons” in subsequent emails.) 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 “and Sunday School ideas 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!

[P.S.S.T. Live with 1 reality, not 2.]

Possible Sunday School Topics for the Christian Science Bible Lesson 
on “Mortals and Immortals” for study during the week of May 7-13 2012

by John Biggs, CS, of Bend, Oregon  johnbiggscs@gmail.com, 541.316.0809
[bracketed italics by Warren Huff, CedarS Director & Met, PSST & PCYL Editor]

 

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to consider these offerings! Sunday School is such a garden for cherishing our beloved family of God's ideas. Thanks for all you give to your church and community. If you'd like to discuss any of these questions (or any others that pop up in your study) with a global Sunday School community, please consider going to http://bit.ly/LfuZj9 to participate in the discussion already going on! That specific link takes you to the discussion for this week's Bible Lesson, and in the broader community there are a whole range of conversations. Join in or start your own!

 

Are there two realities – a mortal and an immortal? Is there a compromise between these two statements?

 

Golden Text (GT):  Is this passage saying that there is a real mortality which will be removed when immortality is revealed? If you have a window for your classroom, or a mirror, you might enjoy getting some mud and making it difficult to see the reflection or image of your students properly – and then cleaning it up of course. When the image had mud on it, was the real student actually dirty?

 

Responsive Reading (RR):  This RR reminds me of Proverbs 3:5, 6. You may enjoy exploring with your class the various Bible passages that relate to others. What are we recognizing as substantial, real and true, as we live each day? What are some of the things which are “not seen?” How could an unseen thing be substantial?

 

Section 1: What is God? Is God a very large being sitting in the sky, making stuff out of other stuff? To anyone who's studied Christian Science even a bit, the obvious and quick answer is, “No!” But take a moment with your class to really dive in to this. When we pray, are we praying to a separate Being which we want to change stuff in our lives? Do we live our lives as if we were separate from God? Have we put God in a box, so to speak? Citation S2 makes it so clear there is no compromise between the reality of God and the “mortal seeming.” Is this something we can live, right now? What issues or thoughts might try and convince us (or are convincing us) that we can't see and express Truth? Can you all help each other shed light on the presence of immortal good?

 

Section 2: Are we included in the statement made in citation B6 – “This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise”? How do we show forth God's praise? Are we ever in a situation where we could not do this? If we're showing forth God's glory, does that go along with or support being unselfish? Sometimes it can be hard to think of how or when to be unselfish – could this verse be a help? Use citation S8 to talk about creation and its infinity. Do we ever think of creation as a thing with a stopping point? What is the relevance of infinite creation to our immediate day and life?

 

Section 3:  Does citation B11 [about the wise being ashamed] mean people should not go to college? What is the important distinction or reason that the ‘wise men' are ashamed? Have you or your class ever experienced what is talked about in citation B13 – God giving you wisdom? When I played football in high school, our strength training coach always told us that we didn't work out to become strong; we are strong, and we work out to express our innate strength. My wrestling coach said the same sort of idea: we're not champions because we win; we win because we're champions. I am mentioning these anecdotes because of citation S12. Do you ever measure your strength or intelligence by certain accomplishments? Or are we letting our accomplishments simply be the natural effect of who we already are? Do we ever let mortality be the matrix of immortality? (S14) What is a matrix? [One synonym is medium.]

 

Section 4: Regular readers of these PSST's know I'm always on the lookout for ‘anthems.' Citation B16 is my anthem for this week. Does this passage inspire or comfort you, too? What are the hallmarks of our times? Oil, war, and partisanship? Or wisdom, knowledge, strength, salvation? How can we live the truth of this? Does citation S17 shed some light on this? Share some stories about how each of you have reached what you thought was your limit, but then were able to keep going? If you have internet access at your Sunday School, you might like listening to this song on Time4Thinkers' Weekly Musician about Grant Taylor's realization of the unlimited nature of life. http://time4thinkers.com/weekly-musician/grant-taylor-flame/

 

Section 5: Are you giving? The answer is almost definitely yes! So how can we keep giving? How do we keep shining more? You might like sharing and discussing this blog from Time4Thinkers, about living more selflessly: http://time4thinkers.com/whats-in-it-for-me/ The passages from Science and Health encourage us to dive deeper into the source of giving. Are we giving and healing because of some really nice opinions or thoughts we have? Can our ability to give and to heal really be limited?

 

Section 6: How important is “comfort” to you? At the ropes courses of all the Christian Science summer camps and outdoor centers, and in other activities too, the counselors always talk about leaving your comfort circle or zone. What is the difference between leaving your comfort circle, and the [Mothers' Day] comfort spoken of in citation B20? Is there a kind of ‘comfort' which isn't conducive to growth, and a kind that is?

 

Section 7: How do we “put on” incorruption and immortality? Are there any pre-requisites for that? What might encourage this, and what discourages this? Can we break God's rules (S30)?

 

What is the relevancy of this subject and lesson to your individual day? Is this Bible lesson just a pleasant discourse and hypotheticals, meant to give us a positive thought for the day? Or is this something we can live? Why does this lesson matter to YOU?

 

Thanks so much for all you give to your church and community!

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