Ken’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Bible EXAMPLES of why we praise & adore God.
Friday, December 2nd, 2022
By Ken Cooper, poet from Great Britain
Ken Cooper’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Bible EXAMPLES of why we praise & adore God.
inspired by The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“GOD THE ONLY CAUSE AND CREATOR”
For Sunday, December 4th, 2022
- In Ken’s poem, “REJECT, RESPOND, REJOICE!” we see the lies of error overcome by seeing the allness of God, and the joy that follows.
- Ken’s simple reminder in “GUARANTEE”, confirms everything is “Made by God”
- In Ken’s poem, “LOVE RESPONDS: TWO BLIND MEN HEALED” the recognition of the Christ also opens our eyes.
[Ken writes:] Our Golden Text this week is clear: “I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart and being; I will share with everyone I can all Your great wonders and marvellous deeds.” (Psalms 9:1) It sets the scene so well of our divine purpose and expectation, and with the lesson “God the Only Cause and Creator” illustrates what we all pray on a daily basis:
“Our Father which art in heaven,
Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Adorable One.”
(S&H p. 16:26–29)
“Father-Mother” is by definition a Creator, a Generator of All-Good, and in “Adorable One” we see and praise all creation as inseparable from God, as “Only One”. We are intrinsically, necessarily, at one with Oneness, and share all the qualities of God. When we praise God we align ourselves to all that God is, and partake of the pure joy of Sonship. We cannot therefore align ourselves to what God isn’t, because nothing else exists.
Every one of us are expressions of the great wonders and marvellous deeds of God. As the Responsive Reading shares: “When I gaze at the beauty and magnificence of the skies and meditate on Your creation— on the moon, stars, all of which You have made and set in their place, It makes me marvel at the true nature of man, always in your thoughts, for You, the God of all things, are always with us.” (Psalms 8:3,4). It reminds me of “Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.” (S&H pp. 476:32–4). Jesus showed us what “God the Only Cause and Creator” meant in practice.
As we have seen in previous Cedars Camps articles, denial is always followed by affirmation. Last week, the denunciation of “Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Hypnotism and Mesmerism” is followed this week by the affirmation of “God the Only Cause and Creator”.
This is brought out in my poem “REJECT, RESPOND, REJOICE!”
Now here is good advice for you:
Just DON’T accept what isn’t true!
DON’T let yourself be taken in
By false belief, disease, or sin!
How can we show forth the marvellous works and deeds of God when our thoughts are side-tracked by false belief? The belief in genealogy is a trap set to ensnare this essential fact, – spiritual man was never born. Our true lineage is of God, and has no beginning or ending. When we learn of Jesus as the “the son of David” this may be the fulfilment of material expectations and prophecy, a reflection of the unfolding line of progress and goodness, but the material history must be expunged if we are to accept God as the only Cause and Creator, – His Father / Motherhood as the only Father-Motherhood that exists. Mary glimpsed this truth, – and the birth of Jesus was her demonstration of life in God, Jesus the proof that human genetics were irrelevant to the true man. Jesus confirmed this when he clearly stated: “Before Abraham was I am”. (John 8:58 Before) .
This in no way detracts from our gratitude of the human scenario cared for by Divine Love, which we witness in our lives, and the beautiful story of the nativity. The statement “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (SH 494:10-11) meets us where we are, and lifts us to experience the truth of our being. Indeed the last citation for this week’s lesson states clearly what we experience: “Through divine Science, Spirit, God, unites understanding to eternal harmony. The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress.” ( S Cit.29, p.506:10). This encapsulates so well the Bible story. In Genesis 1 and Revelation we see the absolute truth, the now of God’s creation: the rest of the Bible is the human journey to discover how Love looks after its own, each stage a source of joy and praise. The poem continues:
For be clear, with spiritual seeing,
Man expresses GOD’S TRUE BEING.
When we see God we see ourselves, and when we praise God we fulfill what we are for how can we praise and not be lifted above all mortal dreams and limitations? Not recognise the Allness of God and man, glory in the God of all creation? The past does not matter: I AM is all there is.
With GRATITUDE just fill your heart!
And so REJOICE IN FRESH NEW START,
For then is victory truly won:
KNOW GOD AND MAN: IMMORTAL, ONE.
We can only praise what is, – this is after all the self-fulfilment of the great commandments. “Thou art worthy, our Lord and God, to receive full glory, and honour, and power: because You have created all things, yes, everything, and for Thy will and purpose they now exist, and have been so created.” ( B cit. 3, Rev.4:11). The denunciation of error is complete. “There is but one primal cause. Therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from this great and only cause.” (S Cit.2, p. 207:20–23).
It’s a fundamental point: GOD IS THE ONLY CAUSE AND CREATOR!
This leads me to my simple reminder “GUARANTEE”. I have it on the wall in my office:
I have this simple guarantee:
“MADE BY GOD.”
When this was originally penned, my thought was very much in reference to myself as “Made by God”, and all that that implied. Not formed by any material means, but by God! What can be better, more perfect! It is a guarantee with no time limit!! (That’s unique!) . But what has become evident is that this simple statement covers EVERYTHING, for there are no exceptions to this fact, this rule. Whenever faced by any challenge, it can follow the rule referred to earlier, – Reject, (NOT MADE BY GOD), Respond, (MADE BY GOD), Rejoice, (MADE BY GOD)! Wherever we look, whatever we see, the joy is the same, – Made by God. And when we say “God Made ME”, we know this ME is Mind Expressed, – and again this covers everything there is! When we look with our “EYES: Spiritual discernment,” (S&H p. 586:3 (only, to ,)) we see clearly that EVERYTHING IS “MADE BY GOD”.
It is a fact that Jesus knew and practiced, and urged us to know and do the same.
In my poem “LOVE RESPONDS: TWO BLIND MEN HEALED” the recognition of what Jesus saw opened the eyes of two blind men..
A crowd is approaching, people call out;
“Jesus is coming!” – he’s near, – we both shout:
“Have mercy on us, we hear you near-by”
But the people tell us “Hold back your cry!
Both blind men rejected this call to be quiet, and their response was to cry out the more. We must not be put off when seeking the truth, – indeed the ability to rejoice is a sure way to overcome all negative persuasions. It puts error in its place! The two men continued to call to Jesus, and they sense his response:
Yet someone is beck’ning, …is it the Lord?
Expectant stillness descends on the crowd.
We feel pure love, it envelops we two:
“What will ye that I shall do unto you?”
Love always responds with the surety and power of Love. The compassion of Jesus was evidenced in their immediate healing, for Jesus saw them as God made them, and reaching out he touched their eyes, their understanding:
The touch of the Christ revealed to us men
Perfection in God is now, never when!
Not just the vision of seeing with eyes;
Beholding true manhood! – Far greater prize!
When we win a prize don’t we rejoice? When we behold what God has made, what greater prize can we have! The two men followed Jesus, their eyes opened, as are ours: “Divine Love is infinite. Therefore all that really exists is in and of God, and manifests His love.” (S&H 340:12) This is Cause and Creation. Love knows our needs before we ask, and has within infinity already supplied them. Love in action. THE TOUCH OF LOVE IS THE TOUCH OF INFINITE PERFECTION, EXPRESSED IN OUR UNITY WITH GOD, THE ONLY CAUSE AND CREATOR. REJOICE!
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 Prelude 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. (Links work on Metaphysical page).
