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Explore 6 radiant facets of Mind – Demonstrate infinite Mind’s brilliance and depth!

Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on “Mind”
For the week of February 18 -24, 2008
Prepared by Janet Hegarty, C.S. of St. Louis, MO

Editor’s Note: The following 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 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 of each or by Wednesday you can get a FREE TRANSLATION in French by Pascal or in Spanish by Ana. JUST SIGN UP at www.cedarscamps.org/newsletters

Golden Text:  Celebrate and depend on God’s all-powerful and infinite understanding!  [Infinite – the last word in the Golden Text, is a featured word in the first Science and Health (S&H) citation in Sections 1-5 and in the last S&H citations in Sections 2 and 6.  Springing from these key citations,]  this Bible lesson takes a close look at 6 facets of infinite Mind – infinite Mind’s allness, infinite Mind’s expression, infinite Mind’s completeness, infinite Mind’s goodness, infinite Mind’s unlimited intelligence, and infinite Mind’s Love.  When you examine a cut diamond, you notice that the top of the diamond has a large flat surface.  This surface is called the table.  The sides of a diamond are made up of many smaller flat surfaces placed at precise angles to reflect light.  These smaller flat surfaces are called “facets.”  The facets of a diamond are designed to catch as much of the light coming in through the table as possible and then to reflect that light among themselves before it is reflected out through the table.  The light reflected among the facets is what makes a diamond sparkle. (Wikipedia)  [Possible Uplifting Sunday School Homework P.U.S.S.H.]  Discover more spiritual sparkle in your days this week as you hug these 6 facets of Mind close and feel their light – spiritual illumination – reflected in your thoughts and actions.  

Responsive Reading:  Priceless gifts [- 3 steps to accept them as yours and prove them in problem solving.]  The verses from the book of Daniel give us an example for how we can accept and so enjoy the unlimited and priceless gifts of Mind.  One day the captain of the king’s guard came to Daniel with directions from the king to kill Daniel and his friends.  The king was angry with all of the wise men because a group of wise men had said that no wise man in the world would be able to tell the king his dream and explain it.  Daniel spoke calmly and wisely to the captain and reassured him that if he could have a little time, he and his friends would pray to God and God [-“The Revealer of Mysteries” -] would [tell him the king’s dream and] the give him the explanation of it.  Daniel was given the time to listen for God’s guidance and when the secret of the dream was made clear to Daniel, he joyfully thanked God.  The first 3 verses of the Responsive Reading are Daniel’s beautiful prayer of thanksgiving and praise.  To accept the priceless gifts of Mind, Daniel took three steps.  First, Daniel trusted that God would give him the understanding he needed.  Second, he humbly listened for Mind’s guidance.  Then, when he received the answer, he gave God all the credit by giving thanks and praising God.  The remaining verses from the book of Proverbs confirm that the wisdom and understanding of God is both priceless and always available.  The many “facets” of Mind, wisdom, understanding, righteousness, instruction, etc., are truly of greater value than rubies. [Possible Sunday School Topic (P.S.S.T.)]   Do you have a problem to solve?  Use Daniel’s surefire 3-step plan for the solution: 1. Know that God will give you the ideas you need.  2. Listen humbly.  3. When you get your answers, which you will, then with thanksgiving and praise give God all the credit!  [P.S.S.T. Can infinite Mind still be trusted to reveal mysteries to world leaders and to their advisers and to divinely guide them as well as us to elect them to leadership roles? “He … setteth up kings” Daniel 2:21]

Section 1:  [Infinite Mind’s] Allness. 
“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things:  to whom be glory for ever.” (B1)  “God is Mind, and God is infinite; hence all is Mind.” (S1)  I had a glimpse into the allness of Mind earlier this week.  I was driving down a familiar street when suddenly I realized that everything I was seeing was actually an idea.  I realized the stop sign I saw was not really a thing at all but it was in fact the expression of several good ideas.  It expressed order, safety, cooperation, and intelligent action.  These were the spiritual ideas behind the object.  The ideas were what the object represented, but without the ideas there would be no object.  The beautifully restored Victorian house on the corner stood out as a timeless representative of Love’s ever-present and generous shelter and comfort.    In the Oak tree I saw the magnificence of Life presented in a form that every passerby could appreciate.  The bright blue sky stated with conviction, “God is infinite.” (S1)  This experience opened my eyes wider to the allness of Mind.  As Mary Baker Eddy clearly explains, “Mind…is the central sun of its own systems of ideas, the life and light of all its own vast creation.” (S3) [Note Mrs. Eddy’s marginal heading for S3 is “Allness of Truth” and that the spellchecker tool in the Microsoft Word program still does NOT recognize Mrs. Eddy’s word “allness.” It proposes as its number one substitution “illness.”  P.S.S.T. When does a finite mind-view that fails to grasp or acknowledge divine Mind’s infinite allness offer you a trade of your infinite gift for the smallness of a finite substance that fails to satisfy or to last?  P.U.S.S.H.]  Take note of how each citation from the Bible in this section brings out the allness of Mind and the presence of Mind’s ideas.  To become more aware of the “nearness” (S3) and allness of Mind, look beyond the common objects in your day to the ideas of Mind which are the real and only substance of those objects.  [To complete this assignment, share your newfound spiritual sense of the allness of Mind with your Sunday School class and/or congregation.]      

Section 2:  [Infinite Mind’s] Expression. 
God has made man and he has “made him a little lower than the angels” and given him “honor and glory.” (B6)  To express is to represent, to show or make known, to form a likeness. (Student’s Reference Dictionary)  “God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis.” (S6)  This is the true statement of the real status of man.  Truly this man, the man that God has formed, is capable of every job that comes his way.  Why, then, do we wake up in the morning questioning how the day will go, wondering if we will accomplish what needs to be done or if we will be equal to the challenges that lie ahead of us?  To bring out the brilliant beauty that lies within a rough diamond, the facets must be shaped and polished.  God has already done this work and formed each of us to shine with the greatest fire and brilliance.  However, if we are accepting negative, fearful, thoughts our inherent brilliance may seem to be clouded for a time.  In the words of Isaiah it is time to, “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils:  for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (B9)  Who made the man that fears failure, and that thinks his power to act is within the skull or; a within a limited human personality?  This is not the man or woman that God has created; this supposed person is a “myth.” (S8)  You are “the infinite expression of infinite Mind.” (S9)  You don’t possess a mind of your own, your “consciousness and individuality are reflections of God.” (S9)  Daniel’s 3-step plan will lift you above the clouds. [P.U.S.S.H.]  Trust your Father, He is perfect and has made you perfect. (B10)  Listen for God’s perfect guidance and His infinite supply of right, [angel-] ideas. (S7)  Awake to your perfect likeness, “I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (B8)  And, be sure to [talk it up and] give God all the credit!!!! [P.S.S.T.  When have you consciously or unconsciously “entertained angels?”  Hebrews 13:2 See also S&H 299:17, 548:16 and 581:4)  How could you be a better host to angel more often?]    

Section 3:  [Infinite Mind’s Wholeness or] Completeness. 
To be complete is to “have all the necessary parts, elements, or steps.” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)  Infinite divine Mind is the source of your completeness, “the fountain of living waters,” the inexhaustible source of all right ideas continuously pouring out exactly the idea you need every moment. (B11)  Jeremiah’s word’s, though, are not just for the purpose of pointing out the infinite nature of God’s supply.  His real purpose is to awaken the people from a tendency to put their trust in other gods.  He compares these false gods with broken cisterns. (B11)  This “is an especially forceful image in a city where spring water was at a premium and the population must rely on cisterns and reservoirs.” (Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary)  What are the broken cisterns of today?  Anything that suggests the existence of more than one Mind, the existence of a matter-based or evil mind, is the false concept “that can hold no water.” (B11)  “We can have but one Mind, if that one is infinite.” (S10)  Mary Baker Eddy calls the term “mortal mind” a solecism.  A solecism is “an ungrammatical combination of words in a sentence and also, a minor blunder in speech.” (Merriam-Webster)  She uses the phrase “mortal mind” to identify the false sense of a mind in matter, the supposed limited mind which mankind believes in but “which has no real existence.” (S11)  When the cutting and polishing of a diamond is complete, during the final inspection, the diamond is given a thorough cleaning to remove any left over dust.  You are the complete and perfect reflection of the one and only divine Mind. 
[P.U.S.S.H.]  Inspect your thoughts thoroughly this week to be sure the dust of mortal mind, envy, anger, limitation, is completely washed off.  Don’t let anything dull your complete and glorious light!  [P.S.S.T. connected to the 4th Commandment: Give a Christian Science treatment to everything you see that argues incompletion — from any sense of an unending project to any incomplete sense of companionship, family or home.  Refuse to accept incompletion and affirm Sabbath-day completeness to keep it holy.  On this, among my favorite texts are the 4th commandment and the Sunday School podcast about it heard by clicking here (http://www.tmcyouth.com/downloads/audio/huff-commandments-04.mp3)]         
Section 4: 
[Infinite Mind’s] Goodness. 
Christ Jesus certainly understood and demonstrated this facet of Mind.  To Jesus there was only one Mind and that Mind was all good. 
[P.S.S.T.  Talk about the importance of giving all credit to God!  When someone called Jesus “Good Master,” he replied: “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”  (Matt. 19:16, 17)]  Which of your talents and abilities will you “enhance” and “enlarge” this week by claiming them only by reflection from God, good? See S23]   It was natural for Jesus, when he was confronted by the man “which had devils,” to refuse to accept what he was seeing as the reality of the man. (B16)  Jesus identified himself and all people as direct reflections of the perfect goodness of Mind.  The “devils” could not survive in the presence of Jesus’ pure and true thought.  The light of Jesus’ spiritual conviction outshined the darkness of a supposed corrupted mind, and brought the man’s true identity to light. [Geith Plimmer, a marvelous Christian Science Lecturer from Great Britain in the 1970s and ‘80s, analyzed Jesus’ encounter with the homeless, insane nudist from the Gadarenes as a healing of the possible claim of bi-polar disorder, or of severe mood swings between “the mountains of excited enjoyment” and “the tombs of depression.”  Geith thought Jesus might have been speaking to him after he was healed (“clothed and in his right mind”) of “the 10 Commandments providing a graded stairway” of God’s laws that would support hus steady upward movement, rather than allow God’s man to fall again through “a horrible hole.”  Both Geith and Cobbey Crisler brought out that the owners of the swine were running a black-market business – truly “the swinish element in human nature” that was “self-seen and so destroyed.” From S&H 272:8 and 411:19 where Mrs. Eddy has fuller commentary on this healing. P.S.S.T. What fear and moodiness would you love to have the Christ cast out of you or your friends so that you and they could all fully express “the spirit … of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (B17)]   

When I was a young child I remember being very fearful whenever I saw anyone exhibiting mental or physical problems.  It was troubling to me that people could be afflicted in this way.  I wondered how this could possibly happen and feared that it might happen to me or to a loved one.   Later, I overcame some of the fear through the desire to bring comfort to those that were suffering.  However, when I was introduced to Christian Science I was grateful to discover that my fears had no foundation.  God did not create even the possibility of mental or physical disorder.  “Disease has no intelligence to declare itself something and announce its name.” (S16)  Jesus proved the spiritual fact that God, good, has all power and is the only Mind there is.  You are outfitted with Mind’s all-powerful facet of goodness.  You need not be afraid or impressed.  In Christian Science you have all that you will ever need to overcome human fear.  “Ye shall not faint, ye shall not fail; In Spirit ye are strong!” (Hymn 247)                      

Section 5:  [Infinite Mind’s] Unlimited intelligence. 
Do brains, heredity, or past human experiences really determine the boundaries of our mental abilities?  They do not.  Are we bound to be poor at math because our family has a history of poor math skills?  No.  Fear not, matter, genes, brains, are not the containers for our intelligence.  “God is intelligence.” (S19)  The brilliant sparkle of a diamond is not contained within the diamond.  Even the most perfectly cut diamond will fail to sparkle in a totally dark room.  But when light passes through the table of the diamond and is reflected on the facets, the full glory of the diamond becomes immediately evident.  Come out of the dark room; shake off the false beliefs of mind in matter.  If you admire someone for their wonderful mental abilities, remember you reflect the same unlimited Mind that they do.  Unlimited intelligence is yours, too.  You are a glorious reflector of Mind’s infinite light!  [P.U.S.S.H.  Find ways to “let your light shine” by obeying Jesus’ command (and CedarS ’08 theme) to “free give!” (Matt. 10:8) “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the Giving God (who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.”  (B20) James 1:5 – Amplified Bible)  P.S.S.T. Discuss how you can be an “over-performer” (vs. and underperformer”) this week in everything you do — from exams to end-of-the-season games.  Tips for “exceed(ing) their (your) ordinary capacity”) can be found in (S23 – S&H 128:4-19) and also in an article about that by Holly Huff Bruland entitled “What Kept Me Going” on page 22 of the Christian Science Sentinel of March 28, 2007]      

Section 6:  [Infinite Mind’s] Love. 
“The children of God have but one Mind.” (S24)  What is it then that separates us from one another?  If we all reflect the one Mind, and this is true, then we are all united, we all have the same source and the same equal access to infinite good.  Any kind of fear that would suggest that we could run out of good or that another could take our good from us is a lie about the nature of God and man.  God, Love, is limitless.  Man reflects God.  Don’t be fooled into believing in selfish, fearful, suggestions. (S25)  When the facets of a diamond are cut most effectively, they bounce the light back and forth rapidly among themselves before the light bursts out of the table.  This is what creates the most magnificent “fire”, the flash of light from the diamond that catches our eye.  As united children of God, all having the same unlimited Mind, we can freely shine the light of Mind on one another. 
[P.U.S.S.H.]  All through this week, make a special effort to deeply appreciate the light of Mind you see reflected in the lives of your friends, family, neighbors, and fellow classmates.  Let the light of [“Love alone … impart the limitless idea of infinite Mind” (S28) and]  bounce on everyone you meet.  It will bounce back to you, too, many times.  You’re sure to experience greater joy in your days and an increased awareness of your own [brilliance and] beauty. [P.U.S.S.H. In “I discovered what I love,” the page 8 supplement to this week’s Lesson on “Mind” in myBibleLesson.com you can read how Roger Gordon found Mind’s guidance and joy in his college placement.  Also please treat yourself and others to daily apply the 14 ways to express Love more fully that I sent on Feb 14th as a Valentine message to CedarS network of online friends.  Paul’s analysis of Love in I Cor. 13:4-7 has been lovingly adapted for you with these application ideas:
1. Choose to “hang in there” and refuse to give up on what you know to be spiritually true;
2. Care more for others than for yourself and treat them kindly;
3. Stop wanting what you don’t have and start thanking God in advance for providing all that you need;
4. Stop bragging and instead reflect – free from pride and from all “stress to impress;”
5. Refuse to willfully force your own way, but listen to others and to God and yield to the divine right of way;
6. Stop being irritable and short-tempered by feeling the allness, calm and joy of Soul;
7. Put Love and others first instead of “me first;”
8. Stop trying to “keep score” of mistakes — quit carrying grudges;
9. Take delight in others’ successes, not in their failures;
10. Uphold the right even if it’s not popular thing to do (a CedarS Torchbearer pledge);
11. Trust “every event of our careers” to “the control that Love” holds “over all;”
       (Unity of Good 3:28 and Science & Health 514:26 both by Mary Baker Eddy)
12. Look for the best in everything and in everyone and magnify only that;
13. Forget the past and seize a new now;
14. Reflect the infinite energy of Love that keeps going and going and …
(paraphrase of I Cor. 13:4-7, adapted for you from King James, NIV, The Message, NRSV)

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 [with bracketed, italicized notes and “Possible Sunday School Topics” and Homework offered by me as editor and sometimes by the author]. 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, 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, 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. Have fun unwrapping, cherishing and sharing your special, spiritual gift(s)!
Enjoy!
Warren Huff
Camp Director
director@cedarscamps.org
(636) 394-6162
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