Possible Sunday School Topics (P. S. S. T.) for the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on the subject of
“Reality”
for Sunday, September 29, 2024
by Tom and Amy Evans, former staff members and big fans of CedarS
Spiritual understanding takes work. Tom entered the text of this entire Bible Lesson into ChatGPT, an AI large language model, and asked it to count the number of words that were related to light. The AI couldn’t do it! It told Tom there were only 11 words related to and including “light.” Then Tom said “you are incorrect. Try again.” This time ChatGPT apologized and said there were 6 words. Wrong. The third time, Chat GPT said there are 14 references to light and light-related words. There are far more than 14 references to light throughout the Bible lesson this week. There is no artificial spiritual intelligence or understanding. This comes only from God. Enjoy finding light as symbolism for insight, spiritual progress, and understanding reality throughout this week’s Bible lesson.
P.S.S.T. for the Golden Text and the Responsive Reading
Look at this bountiful supply Isaiah describes in places where there is often a sense of lack; light in dark prisons, food on bare hills, food and drink, people not hurt by hot sun or desert wind. How are these answers to prayer examples of reality? What does it mean to say that the “right time is now”? (II Cor. 6:2)
PSST for Section 1 – Light
Notice the correlation between light and uprightness in the Bible in Section 1. Talk with your class about how the Bible passages reference beginning and morning. How might this section inform our day or week or school year (many schools are only a few weeks into a new school year)? Are you looking towards the light of spiritual reality in your life? Does your Sunday School class know where to find the definition of Day in Science and Health? Do they know about the Glossary? In Science and Health citation 3, notice that even dawn, which is beautiful, does not give us a sense of God’s ideas. What does Science and Health citation 4 tell us about gaining a sense of spiritual understanding? (Try substituting the word understanding for light)
PSST for Section 2 – Understanding is the universal and perfect remedy
Use Science and Health citation 7/p. 584:4 to interpret the story of Hezekiah in Bible citation 5. There are some strong directions in Science and Health citation 10. How are you rising in the strength of Spirit? What are some ways that you “resist all that is unlike good”? Consider the final sentence in this citation; “It is well to be calm in sickness; to be hopeful is still better; but to understand that sickness is not real and that Truth can destroy its seeming reality, is best of all, for this understanding is the universal and perfect remedy.” (393:32).
- Give an example of when you were calm in sickness (or any challenge).
- Give an example of when you were hopeful.
- Give an example of when you understood the unreality of sickness (again, or any challenge).
- How is that understanding better than calmness or hope in healing?
- Explain why understanding—referred to as light throughout this Bible Lesson—is the “universal and perfect remedy.”
PSST for Section 3 – We are ageless, at our “eternal noon”
Continuing on with this theme of light, look at Science and Health citation 15. Virtue is compared with a radiant sun. True manhood or exemplifying God‘s qualities, is compared to noon and is not declining. Build on this analogy and talk about life lived to the fullest now and always. Students are not growing into manhood or womanhood, neither are your parents or grandparents falling away from their prime. Make a case for the final sentence in this citation, “Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand.”
In Science and Health citation 17, I love the fact that sight and hearing are not described as part of the five physical senses, rather Mary Baker Eddy spiritualized these ideas stating that they are part of the spiritual senses of men, and these spiritual senses are eternal. When you view aspects of your life through the lens of reality, how God sees you, how does that help with healing?
PSST for Section 4 – The first shall be last and the last shall be first
Discuss Bible citation 11/Matt. 20:1-14 with your class. What do you think of the story from an economic standpoint? (it doesn’t seem fair to pay the same wage to those working different lengths of time!) What about from a spiritual standpoint? Do we all have equal access to God and healing? The Bible Lens Research from the Christian Science Quarterly has further insights to you can share and discuss:
“At this period, a penny was the typical wage for a full day’s labor. For listeners who assessed work according to human economics, equal pay for unequal labor must have seemed entirely unjust. Yet Jesus defines value spiritually. Scholars view his message as a rebuke to original adherents who esteemed themselves better than latecomers to the Gospel—or to followers of Jewish background who placed themselves above Gentile believers.
“This kingdom parable is sandwiched between two nearly identical precepts: “Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first” (Matt. 19:30) and “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Matt. 20:16). Heartfelt commitment to Christly teaching, no matter when it begins, receives God’s grace.”
Science and Health citation 22/116:5 includes the passage, “The last shall be first, and the first last” and also talks about God as all-inclusive. How does this connect with the story about the workers? Science and Health citation 24/233:1 reminds us that every day we have opportunities to prove what we’re learning about in Christian Science. How can we destroy “sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit?” (Hint: Mary Baker Eddy says to follow our exemplar “as Jesus destroyed them.”)
PSST for Section 5 – Pouring out Spirit
Carrying over from citation 24 in Science and Health, Bible citation 14 talks about God’s pouring out of spirit on the attendees on the day of Pentecost in Acts, chapter 2.
- What does Pentecost mean? (50 days after Jesus’ ascension)
- What would it be like to tangibly experience God pouring out his spirit on us?
- Was there any physical difference for the apostles gathered together that day than any other day? (Probably not)
- Are we ever closer or further away to God in reality at any given time? (No)
- What do we need to do to open our eyes to the light of reality?
Look at Science and Health citation 27, specifically the last paragraph. Look at the change Mary Baker Eddy describes in the disciples after Jesus ascends. Notice that she uses light as a synonym for understanding. “The influx of light was sudden. It was sometimes an overwhelming power as on the Day of Pentecost.”
PSST for Section 6 – Growing brighter to the perfect day
In Science and Health citation 32/496:9, the concluding idea of the Bible lesson, Mary Baker Eddy asks readers to consider if they are living a life that “approaches the supreme good.” Appropriately, in this lesson if someone is indeed following God and looking to reality then they will experience this theme of light: “then the way will grow brighter ‘unto the perfect day.’”
- How are you living that life approaching the supreme good?
- How are you demonstrating the healing power of Truth and Love?
- How is your way growing brighter?
