[PSST: Rejoice in the oneness & perfect control of divine Mind, not atomic force]
Possible Sunday School Topics (PSSTs) for The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson:
“Is the Universe, Including Man, Evolved by Atomic Force?”
for June 12-18, 2023
prepared by Merrill Boudreaux, C.S., for CedarS Camps
pegasus6524@gmail.com • 314-308-1059
P.S.S.T. Golden Text (GT)/Psalm 89:8,11: “O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee?… The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.”
Anchor this Lesson with a clear statement of oneness as found in Science & Health 361:15,
“…‘I and my Father are one,’ – that is, one in quality, not in quantity. As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being. The Scripture reads: ‘For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.’”
Consider that all that exists is God and God’s manifestation. So the universe, including all its aspects, exists with and because of God, nothing else. Read together from Science & Health 502:28 and Hymn 135 from the Christian Science Hymnal (printed here):
“The universe reflects God. There is but one creator and one creation. This creation consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities, which are embraced in the infinite Mind and forever reflected. These ideas range from the infinitesimal to infinity, and the highest ideas are the sons and daughters of God.” (SH 502:28)
Hymn 135
I know no life divided, / O Lord of life, from Thee; / In Thee is life provided / For all mankind and me: / I know no death, O Father, / Because I live in Thee; / Thy life it is that frees us / From death eternally.
I fear no tribulation, / Since, whatsoe’er it be, / It makes no separation / Between my Lord and me: / Since Thou, my God and Father, / Dost claim me as Thine own, / I richly shall inherit / All good, from Thee alone.
(Hymn. 135:1, 2)
Responsive Reading (RR)/Psalm 96:7,11,12; Ps.33:5-7; Ps.147:4,5,8,14,15,18,20.
What must rejoice when acknowledging one creative force?
- The heavens rejoice
- The earth be glad
- The sea
- The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
- The clouds
- The rain
- The grass
The result of such rejoicing is “…peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat” (Ps.147:14). See this statement affirmed in Hymn 157 from the Christian Science Hymnal, especially verse 3 (printed here):
Hymn 157
Jesus’ prayer for all his brethren: / Father, that they may be one, / Echoes down through all the ages, / Nor prayed he for these alone / But for all, that through all time / God’s will be done.
One the Mind and Life of all things, / For we live in God alone; / One the Love whose ever-presence / Blesses all and injures none. / Safe within this Love we find all / being one.
Day by day the understanding / Of our oneness shall increase, / Till among all men and nations / Warfare shall forever cease, / So God’s children all shall dwell / in joy and peace.
(Hymn. 157:1–3)
P.S.S.T. Section 1 – Nothing is left out of the universe, the only universe there is, as created, sustained, and maintained by God. Read together citation B2/Job 12:7-10 and cit. B3/Jeremiah 51:15.
If one desires to understand the universe, then look away from the physical universe to “its divine Principle, God…” Think about oneness. Remember the saying early taught in Sunday School: “There is no spot where God is not.”
God does not need atoms, or subatomic particles, to be fully expressed. Why? Because citation S5/SH 209:5-8,10-11 says,
“Mind, supreme over all its formations and governing them all, is the central sun of its own systems of ideas, the life and light of all its own vast creation; and man is tributary to divine Mind.
“The world would collapse without Mind, without the intelligence which holds the winds in its grasp.”
P.S.S.T. Sections 2 – Not only do the visible things in the universe point to God, Mind, but so do the invisible things. Think of how over time we have come to see things beyond what the unaided eye can see. Not only through the microscope and telescope but consider also inspiration in the creative process of “seeing” music, art, poetry, novels, designing sports plays, automobiles, and architecture. Never discount inspiration and give Mind, God, the praise as you develop and cultivate listening. Listening with more than ears. See cit. S8/126:9.
Ask students to memorize citation S11/264:15-20:
“When we realize that Life is Spirit, never in nor of matter, this understanding will expand into self-completeness, finding all in God, good, and needing no other consciousness.”
Consider, One Mind, One consciousness, One God, and you and the universe created, sustained, and maintained by this One creative force.
P.S.S.T. Sections 3 – As you continue to consider creativity, especially as you listen this summer for right ideas to support your campers, siblings, family members, or those with whom you are working, acknowledge citation S12/506:18,
“Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.”
We referred to the “finest of the wheat” in a previous section. Let us reiterate: That is you.
See also citation S15/455:20-25, “God selects for the highest service….” That is you, as you follow Mind and serve with inspiration.
P.S.S.T. Section 4 – Pray to be guided and not blind-sided as stated in citation B13/Ps.119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
See the good that came to the people because of Joshua in the scripture story in cit. B14/Joshua 3:7,8,14-17. What can you conclude from this story? Perhaps, that even the physical laws, so-called, are obedient to the universal laws of adhesion, cohesion, and attraction, as stated in citation S19/124:20.
P.S.S.T. Section 5 – What does the scripture tell us that God said in citation B17/Isaiah 42:5,6, “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee,…”
Read together the Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26. These are promises that are for your aid as you put into practice the universal laws of Life, Love, Mind when praying about our world and anything that challenges you, whether it be a physical challenge for yourself or someone else, the climate, wars, or inhumanity.
Use the tools from this Lesson in your prayers. Of note is citation S27/392:21-27, “Stand porter….” This is a good memorization opportunity.
P.S.S.T. Section 6 – Ask students to summarize all the elements mentioned in this section showcasing God, Mind, in control, and as the only Cause, Creator, Sustainer, and Maintainer of the universe. Examples might be:
- Heavens, heights
- Sun, moon, stars of night
- Mountains, all hills
- Fruitful trees and all cedars
- Beasts, all cattle, creeping things, flying things
- Young men, maidens, old men, children
- Flowers, birds, turtles
- Arctic regions, sunny tropics, winds, festive flowers, mighty billows
All of these “point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect” (cit. S28/240:2-6,10-11).
Let us conclude with citation S30/264:28-1, “The universe of Spirit is peopled with spiritual beings, and its government is divine Science.”
