Editor’s Note: The following background information and application ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson for each weekly lesson and for this special lesson on Thanksgiving are offered primarily to help CedarS campers and staff see and demonstrate the great value of daily study of the Christian Science Bible lessons year-round, not just at camp. If more information or the text of this Lesson is desired, please see the Director’s Note at the end. The citations referenced in the “met” (metaphysical application ideas) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. The Bible and Science and Health are the ordained pastor of the Churches of Christ, Scientist. The Bible Lesson is the sermon read in Christian Science church services throughout the world.
Rejoice in your most gratitude-filled Thanksgiving yet!
Lesson Application Ideas for Lesson on “Thanksgiving” for Nov. 24, 2005
Prepared by Corde Hanzlik, CS of Austin, TX
All of us at CedarS recognize the thanks-giving spirit of this holiday season and wish you to experience your most gratitude-filled Thanksgiving yet! We at CedarS have so much to be grateful for – for each and every precious camper, counselor, staff member, specialist, director and for a great number of donors – who, collectively in all the smaller and larger ways they can give, make camp happen. We give special thanks for the loving and principled establishment of CedarS by Founder, Ruth Huff*. Through her obedience to God’s direction, so many lives have been touched by the Christ-love witnessed and practiced at camp and continued at home to bless others.
The Golden Text of the Thanksgiving Lesson completely nails the exuberance of our deep gratitude, “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” This Lesson is one that we should keep tally sheets of the ” praise(s), rejoice(s), sing(s), blessed(s)”. Starting with the Responsive Reading (11 of them) by the end of the Lesson, we’ll have with pages of them! We are told to praise God with music, even a ‘loud noise’. (To some. That may translate to rock music.) God’s glory is total, everywhere, all-inclusive!
Section 1: Harmony reigns in praise – sing it!
The 2 Psalms markers are our reminders of honoring God, “I will, I will …” Think about the first one that says, “I will shew forth all thy marvelous works”. Aren’t we His marvelous work? Of course! If you ever doubt yourself, remember, that you are really a marvel, special to God and everyone! We can’t mess up if we let God direct and care for us. (B 3,4) We praise Him, look what we get.If “Music is the rhythm of head and heart,”(S&H 1) we should be making music all of the time. All mankind should dwell in harmonious relation. All are cared for. (S&H 2) Through gratitude, we are all blessed with infinite good provided by Soul.(S&H 4) Music is a wonderful metaphysical metaphor to explain that harmony is always intact and permanent. Discord might try to distract us to believe something has destroyed harmony, but no, it never touches the true integrity of the harmony. The only change necessary is a correction of alignment and execution, perhaps by simple tuning. One never has to change the harmony.Let’s see where the last citation takes us as it is an amazing transition into the next section – sustenance proven.
Section 2: Yea, Elijah!
The 2 Bible markers, 6 and 7, are reminders to us of all that God means to us and does for us. Thank, God! Elijah proves to us as he did to the widow woman, that God takes care of us in even the most dire of situations when we are obedient to Him. There is no impossible or incurable situation with “this sovereign ever-presence, delivering the children of men from EVERY ill ‘that the flesh is heir to'” (S10), not ALMOST every ill. Elijah knew to ask the woman to inventory her own house (thought) as to what she had. Her selfless willingness to serve Elijah and fulfill his request to bake him a cake, gave her the bounty of blessing. She was going to prepare sticks for her sons. (To die) The little meal and oil that she had would be wasted, unused. Through Elijah’s request, she was able to see that even the smallest of amount of good provision was enough to sustain them forever. The limiting lie was proven false. What do we have in our house (thought, consciousness) that we are not using to the fullest?Our blessings are of God’s providing and directing, not human “hunting and gathering”. There are no limits. (S&H 7,8) If we measure amounts, there will always be too much or too little. Even the Goldilocks ‘just right’ won’t be right forever if measured in matter. We have the blessing and promise of His attributes to sustain us. (S&H 9) Real supply. So, we will rejoice! (S&H 11 Put the ‘rejoice’ on the list)
Section 3: Abundance of Life’s life!
More “I will, I will…” What happens when we do all that we are told to do in marker 11 and 12? We are able to raise the dead as Jesus raised Lazarus. Jesus didn’t say, “Oh, I am so sorry that I didn’t get here in time to help your brother.” He said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me… that they may believe….” Who was the only one there besides Jesus that knew what Jesus could do and who Jesus was? Lazarus! Coming forth was a logical step. Lazarus knew that he wasn’t dead either! He responded to the Christ beckoning to “Come forth!” To the rest of mortal witnesses, he said, “Loose him, and let him go.” Don’t see him as dead. Let go of the “dead” belief!This summer at camp we had the “building blocks” of the Beatitudes and the six Tenets. What are the chief stones in marker 13 of Science and Health? Upon theses stones, the Christ-foundation, and our building blocks, can we fail? No! What is real? Who’s the builder? (S&H 15)
Section 4: The key to our spiritual building
The key is a three-letter word – let. In B14 we see the ‘let’ word. It often seems difficult to do, but it is a requirement. If we really do “love the Lord the God” as the command requires, why wouldn’t we let go and let God. He does such an amazing job! We see that in the last Bible citation. We have grace, sufficiency, good works, seed, fruit and all bounty.Mrs. Eddy gives us our commands in S&H 17, 18,19,20 and 21. The big one in the last marker, to rejoice. It is sometimes the most difficult command in our times of learning. Mrs. Eddy gives us the requirements for rejoicing – self-forgetfulness, purity, affection, practice, understanding. We are blest abundantly!
*If you wish to order a copy of Mrs. Huff’s history of The CedarS Camps, to place your order. click on or paste in this link http://www.cedarscamps.org/alumni/downloads/cedarsBook.pdf
Camp Director”s Note: The above sharing is the latest in a long series of CedarS Bible Lesson “mets” (metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians. This document is intended to initiate further study as well as to encourage the application of ideas found in the Weekly Bible Lessons as printed in the Christian Science Quarterly and as available at Christian Science Reading Rooms.* Originally sent JUST to campers, staff and CedarS families who wanted to continue at home and in their home Sunday Schools the same type of focused Lesson study and inspiration they had felt at camp, CedarS lesson “mets” are in no way meant to be definitive or conclusive or in any way a substitute for daily study of the lesson in the books. The thoughts presented are the inspiration of the moment and are offered to give a bit more dimension, background and daily applicability to some of the ideas and passages being studied. The Lesson-Sermon speaks individually through the Christ to everyone, providing unique insights and tailor-made applications for each one. We are glad you requested this metaphysical sharing and hope that you find some of these ideas helpful in your daily spiritual journey, in your deeper digging in the books and in closer bonding with your Comforter and Pastor.)
