PYCLs that explore ways to stop postponing happiness and have a great, fully alive, time in Sunday School and everywhere!
Possible Younger Class Lesson ideas for the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“PROBATION AFTER DEATH”
for Sunday, October 22, 2023
by Kerry Jenkins, CS, of House Springs, MO
kerry.helen.jenkins@gmail.com • 314-406-0041
PYCL #1: What is probation?
So, usually it’s a waiting period where your behavior is being watched and evaluated. If God is Truth, or Love, or all-knowing Mind, why would there be a need to watch your behavior?
Wouldn’t you already be known completely?
Aren’t we, as expressions of these synonyms, actually made of them, and therefore already fully accepted, loved and cherished?
If we have things that need correction, we are shedding these things, like skins we have outgrown, not changing who we fundamentally are.
So, if probation after death is a waiting and evaluating period after we die, and before we are permitted into heaven, then we need to discuss a few things.
For example, what is death? And where is heaven?
I think even the little kids might be willing to discuss these things. Some may be uncomfortable with them, you can decide. But my oldest son, for example, was super curious about death when he was in pre-school. I finally found I had to answer with clarity and confidence, in ways he could understand, without trying to be metaphorical in any way.
In our first section we can borrow some of Mary Baker Eddy’s words from citation S1/487:3-6 where she says that “Life is deathless…” and that Life “…is gained by walking in the pathway of Truth both before and after that which is called death.”
Also, in citation B4/Prov. 12:28 it tells us “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”
So, when we are walking in “right” paths, paths that God/Mind is directing, there is only Life, no death, it does not exist.
You might tell a story about a walk you are taking in a desert. You might see a cactus, an owl, a lizard or snake. Then all of a sudden you come across a penguin…what?! No! There just aren’t any penguins in the desert, it is not possible. In the same way, there is no “death” in Life, there is only life. Can you find hatred in Love? No! There just is no hatred in Love. No irritation, anger, or revenge either. There is no error, no lie, no deceit in Truth either. In the same way, there just is no death in Life/God. There is no “end”, no decay, no accident that can end Life.
Spiritually we reflect that because we are not “bodies”, we are spiritual consciousness and that never ends, that is our identity. (cit. S19/368:20-24)
Can you draw this identity? Can you take a picture of it?
Is there a way to end that spiritual being?
No, because it isn’t in matter and matter is the only thing that ever seems like it has an ending. Would there ever be a waiting or testing period for a spiritual consciousness?
Now for heaven…Where is it? Is it a “place” where we “go”?
No, it is a present state of spiritual consciousness that is joyous, peaceful, content, knowing, discerning and so on.
If that is the case then we have nothing to fear about “going” somewhere after the death of the body, because we are always able to access the presence of God’s kingdom right here and now!
You could think of Life as a kind of board game that has no place on it for death….it just continues to unfold!
PYCL #2: Eternal life is about progress.
What if you were learning something new, but you never got better at it. You’d get discouraged and quit right? If you wanted to play a sport, or an instrument, or learn a language, or how to read, you’d have to get better and better at it, or you would not have a good feeling about things right? This is true for life.
When we want to grow and live, and thrive, we must progress. In this case it means we must constantly discover more about God, about Life, Love, Truth and so on. We must constantly learn more and demonstrate more of spiritual awareness and consciousness. This might be a little above the youngest, but the idea of getting “better” at something is not.
The minute we are not interested in progress in our understanding and growth, we are “dead”. When we are interested in what we are learning in school, we find it more fun to be in a class. When we are interested in Life, we find it more invigorating and joyful to be alive! “Death” is when we are no longer discovering new things about ourselves and God.
PYCL #3: What does patience have to do with things?
There is a theme in this week’s lesson of “patience”. It might be worth discussing with older children.
Why might patience be important? What does patience bring to us?
Why are we impatient sometimes? Is it because we “want” things to be different than they are?
How is this wanting a spiritual thing, or is it?
Maybe we need to recognize that patience means waiting for Mind to reveal to us the actual harmony of the present state of Life…
Look for some examples in the Bible of patience. You can suggest one or two and see if the children can come up with others. Some obvious ones are Joseph and Noah. Maybe Jacob was a good example of patience, Jesus was patient enough to deal with the crucifixion, Paul was patient when he was imprisoned a bunch of times, stoned, had to travel all the way to Rome. Moses walked with his tribe for forty years in the desert. Patience could lead to infinity, to experiencing infinity now.
What about patience is spiritual? How is it good in everyday life?
When are we just being willful when we are impatient?
PYCL #4: Does Life/God want us to wait for good?
Sometimes we think that we have to put off our good, our joy, even our life. We may think that we can’t be happy until Sunday School is over, or we are finished with a particular class or test.
Maybe we are dreading an event or chore.
These are ways that we put off living a full and satisfied life. We don’t even realize we are doing this.
When we have something to do that we don’t look forward to, or that we even dread, we are saying that we can’t be fully happy until this task or chore is over. We are putting off living fully and freely!
Make a list of all the ways we might put off Life/life. Then think of how we can overcome these stumbling blocks and not put off our joy.
Maybe it is by not procrastinating with something.
Maybe it is paying more attention to the moment we are in and fully living in that moment, even this one in Sunday School!
What of God is present in this very moment that makes it worth being totally present and alive to it?!
Have a great, fully alive, time in Sunday School!
