PSST: “man, fold to thy heart thy brother … worship rightly …love each other; Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.” (Hymn 217:2)
Possible Sunday School Topics for The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson:
“Man”
for August 29-September 4, 2022
prepared by Merrill Boudreaux, C.S.
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P.S.S.T. Golden Text /Deuteronomy 14:1: “Ye are the children of the Lord your God:”
How would you answer the question: Who am I?
Do you always remember who you are, child of God or one of God’s children?
Do you know what your rights are as a child of God?
Responsive Reading (RR)/Galatians 3:26,29; Gal. 4:1,2,4-7; Ephesians 1:3,5,11,12
Interestingly, note in the RR that we all are the children of God. See Mary Baker Eddy’s spiritual definition of Children in Science & Health 582:28-29:
“CHILDREN. The spiritual thoughts and representatives of Life, Truth, and Love.
“Sensual and mortal beliefs; counterfeits of creation, whose better originals are God’s thoughts, not in embryo, but in maturity; material suppositions of life, substance, and intelligence, opposed to the Science of being.”
What do you consider to be qualities of children? Of course, if you are a child, then you must have A PARENT. Do you know who your real parent is?
Is your parent, Father-Mother God, pleased with you? See your answer in Matthew 3:17, “…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
P.S.S.T. Section 1 – Consider again what it means for all of us to have one Father.
Is there anyone outside of all?
Jesus modeled this inclusivity for us in this statement from Science & Health 476:32-7, which is a good memorization opportunity:
“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. Thus Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is intact, universal, and that man is pure and holy. Man is not a material habitation for Soul; he is himself spiritual.”
P.S.S.T. Section 2 – The basis for our statements as to who we are can be found in Genesis 1, in this Bible Lesson citation B5/Genesis 1:26,27,31.
Consider the question: What did God use to make man, you?
What was available to him but himself, his spiritual selfhood.
So we are Spirit’s stuff, created by Spirit, and forever known by Spirit.
P.S.S.T. Section 3 – Read together the parable or story Jesus used as a teaching point in citation B10/Luke 15:1-31. The key here is that the prodigal son had to remember who he was. With that remembering he returned to his original state, the one he previously abandoned. What did he find? His Father waiting for him.
Do you know of any other Bible stories where a person was restored? For examples, think of Job, Jacob, Lazarus, Mary Magdalene, and Jesus following the crucifixion.
P.S.S.T. Section 4 – One of the big dividing points in society today is diversity.
It is considered that race, ethnicity, social status, political parties, geographic locations divide us. Why is this? Because we do not remember who we are – all from one Father-Mother, all children. See the healing message from Paul in citation B13/Gal.3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
See also Jesus’ response to the question, “Who is my mother, or my brethren?” (Mark 3:33) found in Mark 3:35, “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” So, the question for you is, do you do the will of God?
Read together Hymn 217 from the Christian Science Hymnal, Pay particular attention to the second verse.
Hymn 217
O, he whom Jesus loved has truly spoken, That holier worship, which God deigns to bless,
Restores the lost, and heals the spirit broken, And feeds the widow and the fatherless.
Then, brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother, For where love dwells, the peace of God is there:
To worship rightly is to love each other; Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.
Follow with reverent steps the great example Of him whose holy work was doing good;
So shall the wide earth seem our Father’s temple, Each loving life a psalm of gratitude.
P.S.S.T. Section 5 – Do not shy away from studying the Lesson-Sermon each week, for we are reminded in citation B14/II Timothy 3:16,17,
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Let us run and embrace that which helps us remember who we are! As with many Bible characters, we put off the old man and put on immortality. See cit. S29/SH 261:32.
What does immortality mean to you?
Do you desire to understand that you live forever?
P.S.S.T. Section 6 – Read together the 2nd Tenet of Christian Science from Science & Health 497:5/cit. S32.
“2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and infinite God. We acknowledge His Son, one Christ; the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and man in God’s image and likeness.
What is a key takeaway in that tenet?
One God, and man in God’s image and likeness. That is you, a perfect child of God.
Remember that!
