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FrançaisSing Alleluia! The Universe is controlled by its Almighty Creator!
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Bible Lesson: “Is the Universe, Including Man, Evolved by Atomic Force?” for December 17, 2006
Prepared by Kathy Fitzer, C.S. of St. Louis, MO
Editor’s Note: The following background information and application ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson for this week are offered primarily to help CedarS campers and staff (as well as friends) see and demonstrate the great value of daily study of the Christian Science Bible lessons year-round, not just at camp
The answer to this question is an obvious “no” if we know the Truth. The Lord God omnipotent reigns! Proof after proof of God’s sovereign power appears in the Bible, and in personal experiences in modern life! Start with Mind; stay with Mind. Leave matter out of the equation. Climb the heights. Welcome Christ into your consciousness and see the universal harmony of the kingdom of God – here and now. Sing Alleluia!!!!
Golden Text: God’s in charge! There is no other power! That deserves an Alleluia – in other words, praise, adoration and giving a whole lot of thanks! Because if God reigns, holds supreme control, nothing but good has any power! No matter how bad things may seem, a big strong Alleluia can break the mesmerism and reveal God’s control.
Responsive Reading: The Psalmist’s response to God’s dominion should be our response. We need to be full of praise (and that includes gratitude) for all that God has done and “speak of” God’s sovereign power, greatness, and splendor! When we think about the honor, majesty, strength, and beauty that are in God’s kingdom, we should just beam – and not keep the good news a secret. Our lives should shout with praise for God’s faithfulness (His dominion that “endureth throughout all generations”.) The Lord reigneth!!! Rejoice!! Nothing can rob you of your joy and gladness – don’t let it go!
Section I: The Majesty of Mind!
Notice the number of times the word majesty is mentioned in this section. Majesty refers to sovereign power and authority. The last line of the Lord’s Prayer celebrates this majesty. It echoes the verse in B-2 that we read this week. Nothing can compete with Mind, and we need to start and stay with that fact. When you sit down to pray about something, do you ever wonder where to begin? It’s spelled out here – start with God’s Allness and realize that in reality there is no other mind or power than divine Mind. (S-3) What constitutes the kingdom (the universe) of Mind? Why, ideas, of course. And these ideas are obedient to the Mind that formed them. (S-2) If you have an idea, that idea can only take the shape or develop according to your plan for it. It is not self-acting, and no one can come into your thought and change your idea. You are God’s idea – a complete idea. As an idea, you are not self-acting, but rather you respond to the Mind that made you. Nothing about you can become diseased, depressed, confused, overworked, underworked, or afraid – not really. And this will become your experience as you acknowledge and praise the fact that God’s rule is strong and firmly established. God’s world is unshakable. (B-1) And God’s world consists only of the wisdom and knowledge of God. (B-3) The dominion of Mind is all there is and ever can be! (B-4) Alleluia! Stay with the majesty of Mind! Don’t let go!
Section II: Acknowledge God’s Majesty! Time Stands Still and Miracles Happen!
Tempted to think, “This will take a miracle!” Ever feel as though you’d be okay if you just had a little bit more time – especially at the holidays or at exam time? Here we have a practical application of the ideas developed in the first section. When the Gibeonites called on Joshua to help defend them from the Amorites, Joshua got his miracle. If you try to take the verses about the sun standing still literally, there is a dispute among scholars as to whether they mean that it stayed light so the Amorites couldn’t escape, or whether it stayed dark so Joshua’s army could surprise the Amorites. (B-8) The point is, it doesn’t really matter. What appears as a miracle to human sense is divinely natural to spiritual sense. (S-5) Joshua had learned early in his career that God was with him (and would be with all Israel) just as He had been with Moses. (B-7) God’s omnipotence defeats every enemy! Understanding this omnipotence gave Joshua the confidence to go forward and win! Joshua’s prayer for the sun to stand still could be interpreted as “Lord, give me time enough to finish my task and make the victory complete.” (Harper Collins Study Bible NRSV) No matter what you are facing, you don’t need more hours, just more sunlight – more inspiration (see glossary in S&H for definition of sun). Sunlight is literally the light of Soul, or Mind, and it is ever-present. You are tributary to (subject to) this Mind. (S-7) Spiritual power is superior to all material resistance, no matter how intimidating that resistance may seem to be. (S-5) Light is always superior to darkness, right? Acknowledge God as the power fighting your battle (whatever form your battle may take – a deadline, a delayed healing, a relationship issue that has come to a head) and you will find that time stops being a factor – the sun and moon stay still and you get your miracle! God is the doer. Be the watcher. Trust the omnipotent.
Section III: With God or With the Help of God? There’s a Difference!
Eve said, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” (New Revised Standard Version, B-10) Eve represents error – the finite, false belief of life as separate from Spirit, as coming from dust, then a rib, then an egg. (S-12) God doesn’t produce man through mortals. That would suggest that God is the author of sin. Any belief that life is separate from Spirit destroys the foundation of immortality, and causes the temple (body) to crumble. (S13) The Living Bible translates Cain as “I have created.” How often may we be tempted to think of ourselves as creators, doing things with God’s help? Whether it is a family we think we have created, or a school, work, or church project. We have to stop thinking of doing things with God’s help and realize that we are with God, serving as witnesses to His power. God directed the Virgin Mary to name her son, Immanuel, “God with us.” (B-12) Jesus so fully understood his Christly nature, his inseparable relationship with God – that healing naturally resulted. The majesty of God, good, naturally destroys the erroneous evidence of evil commingling with good (the basis of Adam and Eve). When asked if he was the Christ, Jesus simply pointed to his works. (B-14) Such works could only be done by one who knew his nature to be with God, knew that Life can evolve from nothing but Spirit! (S-14) Jesus showed us the way. Just as Mary’s spiritual sense was illumined sufficiently to silence material law and its order of generation, so must our spiritual sense be illumined. (S-11) Although the corporeal Jesus was not one with the Father, “the spiritual idea, Christ, dwells forever in the bosom of the Father, God, from which it illumines heaven and earth.” (see S&H 333: 16-20np) Jesus knew his spiritual origin. He knew his Christly nature and that it is eternally with God. As we know that our Christly nature is eternally with God – that we are the shine of God – we will approach whatever comes to us to do (including healing) from the standpoint of doing it in our “Father’s name” — recognizing that God is the doer. We’ll stop feeling the pressure of trying to do what we do with God’s help.
Section IV: God Reigns! Entertain Christ and be Holy!
Isaiah prophesied the coming of a messenger that would tell of God’s supreme authority, and announce the peace and salvation that results from accepting the good news that God reigns. Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Although his name meant “innocent or clean,” the role he played in Roman bureaucracy was considered traitorous to Jewish law. Having heard of Jesus, he climbed a tree to get a look. Then something happened that he certainly couldn’t have anticipated. Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down because Jesus had to go to his house. Had to – as if it were part of God’s plan! (Harper Collins Study Bible, NSRV) And the rest is history – Zacchaeus received him, his life was transformed. He gave generously to the poor and restored what he had cheated people of, according to strictest Jewish law. He was saved. (B-15) Jesus saw his innocence and restored it. Jesus knew that God’s kingdom remains intact and that man is ever pure and holy! (S-17) Although Zacchaeus didn’t know he was looking for healing, he was attracted to Christ and willing to accept Christ into his consciousness (his home.) Most of us, consciously or unconsciously, do things (and entertain thoughts) that aren’t “holy.” Sometimes, we may even justify these actions with, “I’m not perfect!” Or maybe we know something isn’t right, but feel justified because we think we have to do it to fit in with our friends, keep our job, or make our spouse, parents, or someone else happy. The great thing is that Christ doesn’t accept anything but the best from us. Christ seeks us out, and by divine necessity, comes to our house – our consciousness – to free us and to tell us to be perfect because that’s how our Father in heaven (harmony) is. (B-17) You – the real you, the only real you – and your Maker are correlated in divine Science. (S-18) You are mutually related – so there can’t be one without the other. God is holy, so you must be holy (complete and perfectly pure). (B-18) And whether it is sickness or sin that would suggest that holiness is absent, Jesus brought us the good news that the Christ is here, now, and the real man can’t get away from that holiness. (S-15) So, climb the tree (go up higher in thought) to catch a glimpse of Christ passing by, and accept the invitation to entertain Christ in your home – your consciousness. You won’t lose a thing, but are sure to gain the health and happiness that has always been yours!
Section V: Christ – Truth – Makes Free!
Jesus brought the good news of the kingdom of God being present here and now, and he delivered concrete evidence of this kingdom- he healed! (B-19) God, being omnipresent and omnipotent, His kingdom must also be ever present. What does it take to see something that is present, but hidden from view? Light! Truth! Jesus presented Christ, the true idea of God. (S-21) He made it clear that whatever he did was the effect of God, of Truth. Most of the people he spoke to didn’t get it – just like today. But, to those who did believe him, he assured them that if they followed his teachings, they too would know the truth, and the truth would make them free. (B-20) Christian Science has made Jesus’ teachings understandable and practical. We have to start and stay with what is true according to Science, or the understanding of truth. (Student Reference Dictionary) Focusing on darkness, you overlook the light. Focusing on the lie of matter, you don’t see the truth of Mind. So, start and stay with MIND! What is Mind’s idea like? It must be good, it must be healthy, it must be intelligent, it must be settled, and it must be complete in every way! Mind’s idea can’t be limited because Mind isn’t limited. (S-23) If you look to the body (or emotions) to tell you how you are, you’ll always get a mixed review – sometimes good, but sometimes bad. That’s because you’re looking at an erroneous presentation of man. But Truth DESTROYS what we seem to have learned from error. (S-24) I love the powerful words describing what Mind and Truth do to evil and error – destroys, disposes. Imagine a giant disposer (like you find in a sink) and toss every erroneous suggestion in – then let the blades of Truth annihilate it. And, remember, error can ONLY suggest! Truth rules! God reigns! That’s what Jesus came to make clear. Still, material knowledge tries to usurp the throne and put material knowledge – physiological and psychological theory – out there and call it God. No way! Memorize this and take it to heart: “God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power.” (S-21) Don’t even think about having to just “live with” something, watch it, fear it, or hope it goes away. Persist in knowing the truth – be free!
Section VI: God’s Kingdom Has Come
Imagine being able to consistently see and experience the ever-present harmony of a kingdom under the control of supreme wisdom – divine Mind! (S-25) No mistakes, no disease, no death. The prophet Isaiah told us to look up and see the glory (the light, the Christ) of God that never sets – just like the sun and moon stayed for Joshua. John saw it and described it for us. (B-22, 23, & 24) We don’t have to wait to get to heaven before experiencing this harmony. The light of Christ reveals the present possibility of dwelling in (being conscious only of) this kingdom where God (Mind) reigns forever and ever. As we “learn of the real and eternal” – rejecting all theories (medical and psychological) based on material development – we are preparing for this reign and rule of universal harmony. (S-28) That includes rejecting theories of birth order (middle-child syndrome, for instance), theories of IQ, heredity, limitations based on being a product of one’s environment, belief in accident and chance, or even accepting sadness as something that we just sometimes are. The subject of this lesson asks the question – is the universe, including man, evolved by atomic force (evolved from material particles)? It just can’t be, if we start from the basis of Mind being all! Mind created a spiritual universe and gave man dominion over all. (S-26) This is the truth, and nothing can change it. Science – Truth – is revealing itself. (S-29) The only thing standing between us and our view of the reign of this spiritual harmony is false belief – error. Error has no power to stop Truth. An erroneous statement in an equation, or a false premise used as the basis of a legal brief, will bring faulty results time and time again. But remove the error from the equation, change the premise, and the result is entirely different! That’s how it is in the Science of Mind! (S-30) Error of belief crops up time and time again in the form of disease or limitation of any kind. But, focusing on the error, working from the basis of a universe evolved from matter, will never enable us to fully see the majesty and glory of Mind – the kingdom of God! Accept the view of Spirit and cry, “Alleluia, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!!!”
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 citations referenced (i.e. B1 and S28) from this week’s Bible Lesson in the “met” (metaphysical application ideas) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (B1-24) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. (S1-30) 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. 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.)
Enjoy!
Warren Huff, Director director@cedarscamps.org
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