Ken’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Bible EXAMPLES of UNITY WITH GOD PROVING WHAT WE ALREADY ARE.
Friday, January 6th, 2023
By Ken Cooper, poet from Great Britain
Ken Cooper’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Bible EXAMPLES of UNITY WITH GOD PROVING WHAT WE ALREADY ARE.
inspired by The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
SACRAMENT for Sunday, January 8TH, 2023
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW “I AM”
- In Ken’s five line shared Christian Science Sentinel poem “FREE” we learn that understanding “God’s thought is me” gives the maximum freedom possible!
- In Ken’s poem “THE WOMAN OF CANAAN” we see the persistence of love, with all one’s heart, overcome rejection, and prove the power of Love in all our lives.
- In Ken’s poem “JUST LET” the beauty of just letting go all personal thinking is highlighted, for then what is left is God!
[Ken writes:] “One of my favourite Bible verses is Jesus saying near the start of his three year mission. “I cannot do anything on my own. I always and only listen to the directions of the One Father. For this reason, my judgments are always fair and never self-serving. I’m committed to pursuing God’s agenda and never my own.” What a statement of humility! The greatest man that ever trod this planet, acknowledging that the only power he had was of God. His conviction of this truth set him apart, and was the reason he achieved what he did! This to me is the message of Sacrament, – the absolute surety that when we give our lives to God we live as God has ordained / appointed for each one of us. This is well explained In the Golden Text: “Humble yourselves before God, and He will lift you up, making your lives significant in His service. When you kneel before God you stand tall for the Truth.”. When we let God’s thought rule our lives, we cannot be affected by the false claims of matter, – we are “Upheld by Love”
In the shared sentinel poem “FREE” this is the simple message:
“Upheld by Love
I soar so free!”
I read a comment that fish were not aware that they lived in water, and likewise we forget that we live in Love! In Spirit! When we pray, it is to align ourselves with what we truly are, at one with God, as His thought and witness of all “I AM THAT I AM”. What greater freedom and health can there be!
“God’s thought of me!
As God can only think good when He thinks of us, it must conform to His vision of what he saw was all very good. When we think of someone, what is in our thoughts? But this goes far deeper, for
…God’s thought is me!
This takes out all human / mortal thinking, to demonstrate One Mind, – as shown in the Responsive Reading “Take my heart and hand and lead me in Your truth and so teach me: You are the God of my salvation; On You I stay with full attention every moment of the day.” (Psalms 25:5)
This is indeed sacrament, total submission to the One Mind, Love: “Just as shepherds keep watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, through His love, not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you eagerly and happily want to do, ……”
“Then when God, the Chief Shepherd of all, appears, you will get a glorious crown that will shine brightly and with beauty for ever: it will never fade away …everyone should be humble toward everyone else! The Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud, but gives His grace and surety to everyone who is humble before Him. Bow yourself in the presence of the almighty hand of God, let God take control that He may exalt you, lift you up, in the time of His choosing.” (1 Peter 5:2,4,5,6)
When we let God’s thought be our thought, as did Jesus, when we live in the absolute, then we fulfil Jesus’ comment in the sermon on the mount: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) In Sacrament we recognise the perfection of God and of everything He, the Word, is thinking / saying. When we love God with all our heart, the claims of matter fall away, become the nothing they are. And we experience God’s perfection. “All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all.” (S&H p. 468:10–11). This is the NOW of Sacrament, the lifting up of thought to One Thought; it becomes the glorification of God.
This was experienced by the woman from Canaan, a gentile appealing to the Jew, one Jesus of Nazareth. to heal her sick daughter. In my poem “The Woman of Canaan” we see her pleas turned aside, –
“I know he heard my frantic plea,
But he did not respond at all!
His disciples were no better,
Were annoyed by my constant call!”
It’s could be a bit like turning to God with 65-75 % of one’s heart, being turned away and tempted to give up! Not so this mother! She urged again to get the healing response she so desired.
“I could have left, – did this man care?
My need was great, he must sure see!
I went up close and begged again,
With tears I cried “Oh Lord help me!”
Sacrament is not seeking anything less than all thy heart, – “100%”! And this is what she was offering, – her commitment opened her thoughts to a deep response that Jesus found greater than he had in the whole of Israel. It gives great comfort that when we pray with such depth, we attain that unity with God that true Sacrament provides, and healing has to follow.
“And with his love I knew right then
That just one crumb of Truth does heal;
That what he spake was straight from God!
The devil’s illness never real!”
God being All-in -all, there is no devil, no illness, just One Mind, perfect peace, the joy of being. Doesn’t this prove: “What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds.” (S Cit 7 p. 4:3–5). To God be the glory.
Sections 3-6 deal in depth with the last supper, the crucifixion, resurrection and fulfillment of Jesus and his eternal grace and love. The expression of humility is awe-inspiring, the result miraculous, – but “no miracle to Love” (Science & Heath citation 27, p. 494:15)
My poem “JUST LET” is a plea to do exactly that!
And blest are ye who seek the Christ,
Who open their hearts to be pure.
Doesn’t this link back to the Canaanite, – the determined commitment to seek the Christ, for when seeking the Christ with all the heart self will vanishes, for opportunity is focused on reaching forward , not back.
So “Let” and find eternal grace, –
An inner peace that cannot hide:
Dissolving wrong and sense of self,
All personality and pride.
That last supper was setting the base for all that followed. In sharing the bread and wine the total commitment of Jesus was being shared with the disciples. Is our commitment at the same level? The washing of feet was the further dissolving of personal pride, – leaving the disciples more aware than ever of their duties one to another. And with Jesus the willingness to “Let Go!” was the guarantee of his success, for self was completely removed, and the will of God could not be touched by matter, material belief or hatred. His prayer was a clear understanding “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—but it is not my will, but yours, that must be done, that I want done, and will be done.” (Bible cit. 10, Luke 22:42). And in giving all to God, God is glorified.
In humble trust “But as Thou wilt”,
Let go! No need to do! Just let…..
We do not need to do anything, because God has already ordained it. In the silence of Sacrament, the All-power of God, the beauty, majesty, wonder of all that God is, is revealed. For we behold what we are, what God is. “Let Go, Let Love” is the summit of experience, what Jesus proved to mankind.
TO LET LOVE IS TO DEMONSTRATE AND THUS PROVE, THE BEAUTY OF HUMILITY, THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GHOST, THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD, TO THE GLORY OF GOD.
SACRAMENT: THY WILL BE DONE THROUGH US! HOW MARVELLOUS IS THAT!
Bible verses are taken from my combined translations, a free copy of which is available on an excel spreadsheet for those who may be interested. The spreadsheet also includes a genealogy from Adam to Jesus, with related notes. Shared with love. Write to Ken on kengcooper@btinternet.com.
Copies of these poems are available in pdf format in color and B&W as DOWNLOADS at the bottom of the online version of this Poetic Postlude to this week’s Bible Lesson. The full range of Ken’s videos on YouTube can be found on KenGCooperPoetry. All Ken’s poetry and other writings can be found on Ken Cooper Poetry.
