PSST: Honor and respect God each and every day! Learn how to keep promises!

[PSST: Honor and respect God each and every day! Learn how to keep promises!]
Possible Sunday School Topics for the Christian Science Bible Lesson

for Sunday, July 10, 2016 on

“SACRAMENT”

by Aubrey McMullin, C.S., Godfrey, Illinois
(618) 578-9407 aubrey.mcmullin3@gmail.com

PSST Subject: Sacrament, as defined by the 1828 Webster's Dictionary is "an oath… or in present usage, an outward and visibly sign of inward and spiritual grace."
What is an oath that we take daily in our practice of Christian Science?
How are we practicing outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace?
How do we value grace, and what is the significance of manifesting it outwardly?
Hymn 278 is a great one to look at when contemplating the importance of grace and sacrament. What oath or promise does each verse give us?
And what does each verse provide in directions for how to uphold these promises?

PSST Golden Text and Responsive Reading:
What does it mean to worship and bow down to God?
How do we kneel before Him? To worship, as defined by the 1828 Webster's Dictionary, means to honor and respect. What are some ways that we honor and respect God each and every day? Are we following the Ten Commandments?
Do we understand the 6 tenets and practice them on a daily basis?
What are some other ways we demonstrate honor and respect for what we know to be Truth? What from the Responsive Reading shows us what the results will be when we bow down to God and show Him/Her honor and respect?

PSST Section 1:
Who is the true Wayshower? What is our theme this summer at CedarS?
How does following Christ Jesus alter our lives? What does it mean to truly desire holiness? What is the way of holiness in which we discover wholeness? What role do innocence and purity hold in our desire for holiness? Mrs. Eddy says that "if we desire holiness above all else, we shall sacrifice everything for it" (SH citation 4, page 11:22-27). What are we sacrificing for this desire for holiness? How are we achieving holiness by what we are sacrificing? If we trust matter, can we also trust Spirit and vice versa?

PSST Section 2:
How are our needs met consistently, sufficiently, and wonderfully?
What are our motives and how do our motives change the results of our actions? What did Jesus do before he actually fed the multitudes with the loaves and fishes? How did this show his honor and respect for God? How did having compassion help Jesus in trusting God and respecting God? What does Mrs. Eddy say about right motives in this section of Science and Health? What is the outcome of right motives? What happens when we allow Love to be our incentive and our motivation in all that we do?

PSST Section 3:
What is the true meaning of Sacrament? On page 54 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy asks us, "Who is ready to follow his teaching and example? All must sooner or later plant themselves in Christ, the true idea of God." What does this mean?
Are you ready to follow his teaching and example? How do we set our own examples of this sacrament? What is the spiritual signification of all that we do?
There are many ideas that embrace following his teachings and examples. One we know well is to love thy neighbor as thyself.
How do we see this as a sacrament, or promise/oath, and how do we uphold this daily? What are some other sacraments we know and practice daily?

PSST Section 4:
What is humility? How can we humbly obey God? What is divine humility? How does the crucifixion demonstrate humility? How does it demonstrate divine humility? What is the difference between these two senses of humility?
How does "not my will, but Thine be done" demonstrate humility?
What does it mean to humbly obey God? How can we practice divine humility more in our activities? Several references to self-immolation have occurred in the lesson this far… What do you think self-immolation is? What is its importance?
What is another way of saying "self-immolation" that Mrs. Eddy uses in Pulpit and Press? (Hint: page 10) What was the supply of this self-immolation and life-giving love?

PSST Section 5:
What are some eternal lessons that we learn in life?
Is "spiritualization of thought" a onetime deal? Are we ever done learning how and when to "cast the net on the right side?" What is the net representing in this story? When are we needed to cast the net on the right side? Is it only in the darkest moments, or is it even still in the morning after the darkest moments? Let's look at Mrs. Eddy's definition of resurrection, and think about what some resurrecting moments have taken place in our experiences in the last few weeks, maybe months, maybe years.
What resurrection has taken place for you already today? Perhaps someone wants to share a moment they had where "spiritualization of thought" assisted in the recognition that "Man's extremity is God's opportunity" (SH p. 266 & 634).
Take a look at Hymn 425. What is the one guarantee stated consistently in this hymn about what comes from hardship?

PSST Section 6:
How are we being led onward, upward, and Spiritward/Godward?
Look at the sixth tenet, which is what closes this week's lesson, and think about why that would be what wraps up our lesson on Sacrament.
Why would a promise to do unto others as we would have them do unto us be important? Does it end with practicing the golden rule? NO! It goes further than that! Our promise includes being merciful, just, and pure!
How is our practice of the 6 tenets and all of the other oaths and promises that we've talked about building a sense of humility and honor for God? On page 258 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy reminds us that "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis." How are we being broadened and heightened? What is our boundless basis?

[Warren’s P.S.: BONUS ITEM 1. Click www.cedarscamps.org/metaphysical/audio/ and again on Prac Talk: Christie Hanzlik's skit summary of 6 stories in the Sacrament Bible Lesson. (A SCRIPT FOR IT IS OFFERED BELOW AS ITEM 3). After waiting about 30 seconds for it to download, you can listen to and reenact a relatively-short skit that summarizes the six stories in this week’s Bible-Lesson! (Sorry we don’t have a video version with costumed disciples and all on stage. So, imagination is helpful!)

W’s BONUS ITEM 2. Simply DO what God requires! Check out the connection between the 1^st & last citations (B1 and S29):
Citation B1 from Micah is a classic statement of what God requires of us; [it’s included in our 6^th Tenet as “to be merciful, just and pure”. (See citation S29, 497 and the online Download of the evolution of this tenet as documented by the MBE Library)] Here’s how God’s simple requirements are paraphrased in The Message, “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.” [B1, Micah 6:6, 8; “solemnly promise” S29, 497—underlining added]

BONUS ITEM 3: A SCRIPT for a Possible Activity Idea for the Bible Lesson on Sacrament

This activity is a six-part skit to tell the stories that are in the six sections of the Bible Lesson in 15 minutes or less. Really! We tried it at camp and it was a fun way to get everyone engaged in the lesson. Maybe it could work in a Sunday School class too!

The teacher can be the “omniscient narrator,” and can lead students through acting out all six sections of the lesson. The skit draws upon the idea in the lesson that “Spiritual teaching must always be done by symbols.” [S13, 575:13] Students can see how the symbols are used in the stories and then find their deeper meaning, and figuring out what it means to say, “Christians, are you drinking his cup?” [S17, 33:27]

List of symbols in the lesson (there may be more):

Bow (kneel), water, cup, bread, wine, table, morning, net, fish, wilderness, Gethsemane, resurrection

Section I:

John the Baptist appears on stage, sprinkling a little water on the front row

Narrator: “You’re John the Baptist. Are you the Christ?”

John the Baptist: “Me? Nope, not me. It is Jesus that is here to teach us all. I saw a spiritual vision that showed this to me.”

Jesus appears on stage

John the Baptist: “Behold, there he is!”

John’s two disciples: We love this guy. We’re going to be his disciples now.

Section 2

Jesus calls his disciples into a huddle. “I have been speaking all day to these people [motion to multitudes]. Let’s give them bread to eat.”

Narrator: The disciples were very confused, they said “what bread? We don’t have enough to feed these crowds…there are over four thousand here plus more women and children”

Jesus: We have plenty of bread….you will see it if you use your spiritual sense.

Narrator: The disciples said, “We’ll trust you, Master”

Disciples” “We trust you, Master.”

Section 3:

Narrator: Jesus calls out to his disciples: “Hey guys, it time for me to face the crucifixion. Let’s go to Jerusalem”

Jesus: “Hey guys, it time for me to face the crucifixion. Let’s go to Jerusalem”

Narrator: And when it was time for the Passover meal, Jesus said, “Let’s have a simple dinner together before I’m crucified.”

Jesus: “Let’s have a simple dinner together before I’m crucified.”

Narrator: And so they all sat down at the table

Narrator explains that at the table Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; ths is my body.” And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying “drink ye all of it.’”

Jesus and disciples: sing first verse of “shepherd show me” or another hymn

Section 4:

Narrator: Now it the time of the crucifixion is near. All of the disciples leave and lay down asleep. Jesus is alone in the garden of Gethsemane, and bows down low on the ground. He says, “Oh father, if it be possible, would it be ok if I don’t drink this cup?”

Jesus: “Oh father, if it be possible, would it be ok if I don’t drink this cup?”

Narrator: Jesus really wanted the company of his disciples. He went to find them and they were all asleep. Jesus says to Peter: “What, could you not watch with me one hour?”

Jesus: “What, could you not watch with me one hour?”

Jesus goes back to the garden, “OK, father, if I need to drink this cup, thy will be done.”

Jesus: “OK, father, if I need to drink this cup, thy will be done.”

And right away the chiefs and elders decided to crucify Jesus and they bound him and carried him away to crucify him.

Section 5:

Narrator: But don’t worry, “weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.” Jesus arises and Mary Magdalene sees him (they don’t hug). Mary Magdalene runs to tell the disciples, who are eating that she saw Jesus. They don’t really believe her. And then Jesus goes to the disciples (minus Judas) as they sat and ate, and said to them…”Why wouldn’t you believe Mary? I have arisen.”

Jesus: “Why wouldn’t you believe Mary? I have arisen”

[move the table on its side to look like boat]

Narrator: Several of the disciples were on a boat fishing and they fished all night but nothing. But in the morning, They see Jesus on the shore. He asks if they have caught anything, and they say no. And he tells them to cast the net on the other side of the ship. They cast the net on the other side and they could not bring the net in because there were so many fish.

And then as soon as they got to land, Jesus was already cooking fish for them and he said, “Come and eat with me.”

Section 6:

Now that they finally understood that Jesus was resurrected and they knew what he wanted them to do, the disciples went around sharing bread with all kinds of people.

List of possible acting parts:

John the Baptist

Jesus

One of Two disciples with John the Baptist (section 1)

One of Two disciples with John the Baptist (section 1)

Peter

Nine more disciples

Mary Magdalene

Multitudes