PYCL: Be a Truthful & stress-free reflection!

[PYCL: Be a Truthful & stress-free reflection of divine light & power!]
CedarS PYCLs–Possible Younger Class Lessons for:  
"Truth"
The Christian Science Bible Lesson for January 27, 2013
by Kerry Jenkins, CS, House Springs, MO (314) 406-0041 [Bracketed inserts by Warren Huff]

[PYCL Point 1:  Walk the path of Truth laid out in this lesson.] 
This would be a perfect lesson to take a walk with. It's too bad we are not all at CedarS where we'd have access to a Bible Lands Park walk and could use that for a basis for this lesson!  In the meantime, let's try a walk either figuratively or literally using the path of Truth laid out for us in this lesson and illuminated by the Christ Truth.  One way to try this would be to take full sheets of paper, or cut them in circles for fun, and write in marker something from the lesson that you can talk about as leading in a path of Truth, or shedding the Christ light that helps us see the path.  You can place these papers at a distance from your class.  If you have a larger church you could put them in a few places where your class could sit on the floor and discuss one of the topics and then move on to the next paper.  They could be connected with string, or you could have them walk together holding flashlights to “search” for the next idea.  Then, when they've found the next paper, they can all hold their lights on that idea.  Be dramatic and walk around “the long way” to find things.  Also you could put up “road signs” with ideas that are qualities of Truth that lead to the next idea or story.  Discuss, for example, how the story of Solomon asking for wisdom is an example of Truth lighting up his thought.  Did it lead to wise actions?  What did Solomon do that showed this wisdom?  You can obviously use the example of his helping those women decide the fate of the baby.  But you could also discuss how he built the famous temple in Jerusalem and made wise deals for building materials with other countries.  How did this light of Truth temporarily blind Saul?  How was it present in the story of Jesus healing the woman with the issue of blood?  (Obviously, the whole walk around the church would be something to do with the very little ones, and only if they are a fairly peaceful group.  Sometimes movement helps to keep them focused.)

[PYCL Point 2: Talk about being truthful to be spiritually powerful.] 
You can certainly talk about Truth and being truthful. Why is it important to be truthful?  What does it do to us when we are not truthful?  You could read the testimony included in the back of MyBibleLesson.  It is from the Dec 27, 2010 Sentinel or from time4thinkers.com/liar-who-me.  It is important to be clear, I think, that lying doesn't make God love you any less (He can only know you as you really are), it just makes you feel like you are farther from God.  Honesty gives you power for good. (S24)  (Also the passage “Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is human weakness, which forfeits divine help.” S&H, 452)  Where does the resistance to telling the truth come from?  Why do we sometimes lie or feel tempted to lie?  Isn't it because we think that some good will come from it?  Why would telling the truth give you power or lying make you weaker?  What kind of power are we talking about?  Does lying always involve another person or do we sometimes kind of fool ourselves?  These are just a few thoughts on this subject.  I'm sure the kids will have their own ideas and so will you.

[PYCL Point 3: Show how meekness, mercy & grace in each story light up the right path.] 
This week I've been thinking about how Saul came across the Christ on his way to murder Christians.  I was thinking that perhaps it could be seen as a story of how the bright light of Truth that he saw on his journey, actually revealed his blindness and made it felt by him.  It was the Christ Truth which illuminated the path that he was ultimately to take, bringing Christianity to that part of the world.  It might be interesting to talk with the kids about how Saul was following a path that he was very certain was the right one.  It's easy to look around us and think badly of others, to judge harshly.  But many people are doing what they “think” is right.  Our job is to always be looking to Truth to figure out what way we should go.  In section 6 the Science & Health citations use words like “intense opposition”, “human resistance”, and “give up error”, as well as “yielded”.  These are interesting words to discuss as we talk about following after Truth and the path that Jesus blazed for us.  Jesus taught us that the qualities of meekness, mercy, and grace are aids in discerning Truth.  Think of each story in this week's lesson with these qualities in mind and you will see how they play a part in our search for the right path.

[PYCL Point 4: Share how we are each naturally attracted to the Christ light that heals.] 
Flowers turn naturally toward light, well actually all plants do.  It is especially evident with sunflowers, which follow the sun as it rises and sets and constantly turn to face the sun throughout the day.  If you've ever tried to grow plants from seed in your house by a window, you've seen how the tiny plants lean toward the light.  Discuss this natural phenomenon.  Then think about the woman with the issue of blood with this thought in mind.  Think about the years of her looking in every direction for healing.  Do we sometimes do this to solve problems?  I know I sometimes have.  If you have a disagreement with a friend, do you first pray about it to see what God reveals to you about the situation?  Or, do you mull it over, rehearse the wrong done, talk it over with another friend or two, make a big mess out of everything, and then have to pray to untangle the whole thing?  I'm sure this woman was working hard to find healing; I don't mean to imply that her search was a bad thing.  But we are naturally led to the light and I love thinking of how she was lead to that Christ light that brought her full and complete healing.  That “robe” is always there for each of us, at any time.

[PYCL Point 5: There’s nothing more stress-free that a reflection – YOU!] 
Finally, you can certainly talk about reflection.  You can use the moon as an example of how something doesn't always contain a light of its own, but can reflect brilliantly the light from the biggest source.  In the moon's case, the sun; in man's case, God/Truth.  You can show how a mirror reflects back light from a flashlight so brightly and talk about how this is similar to how we naturally reflect Truth's brilliance and beauty and wisdom, goodness, honestly, integrity and so on.

Have a brilliant and Truthful Sunday!