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[Take off the brakes and take on what you are called to do!]
Metaphysical Application Ideas from CedarS Camps
for the Christian Science Bible Lesson for November 18, 2012 on
“Soul and Body”
by Dan Carnesciali, CS of St. Louis, MO (314.374.5616/dancarne@gmail.com)
for the Christian Science Bible Lesson for November 18, 2012 on
“Soul and Body”
by Dan Carnesciali, CS of St. Louis, MO (314.374.5616/dancarne@gmail.com)
Every day your identity and your understanding of your destiny unfolds. This is where Soul comes in. Your true identity is an expression of God, Soul. Uniqueness, understanding, wholeness, creativity spring from Soul. If you wonder, “Who am I, what am I supposed to do?” listen with your heart. On issues like this, “head-thinking” can get very confused with questions like this. “Heart-thinking” will guide you more truly. This Bible lesson is about our connection to God.
I have a list of qualities for the seven different names for God that was published by MyBibleLesson.com. In the morning I like to look at the list and see what quality of God jumps out. I try to embody that quality during the day. Some qualities of Soul are: poise, color, stillness, joy, hope, identity, spiritual sense, elasticity, good timing, rhythm, courage, morality, boldness, agility, humor. Friend, you have all the qualities of Soul within you. You have them already.
Golden Text:
The full passage that the Golden Text comes from reads, “And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” (New Living Translation) God made you a temple built to last, a beautiful temple. God makes temples that properly glorify Her. When you get the opportunity to write or speak, pray, “Please God, let them see and hear You, not me.”
Responsive Reading:
St. Paul says, “… God reveals things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets.” How do you connect to Spirit? Christ, the divine Comforter or Advocate, the Holy Spirit, is connected to God. It has never, never been separated from God. It's always powerfully the presence and power of God with us in every moment. Connect with Christ and you connect with God. You experience God. In reality, God is having the experience. And you are that experience.
Section 1 – Heart and Soul
God, Soul rejoices in you. (B-1) If there is any reason you feel God is not rejoicing over you, question it! Can you think of one good reason why God would not rejoice in God's very own creation? In God's eyes, God's reflection (spiritual man, not mortal man) cannot be less than Godlike. Mortal mind would deceive you and get you to blame yourself. Mortal mind is ignorance, not a thing, not an entity (a thing with existence).
What I just said was a metaphysical statement. Now, for some straight talk. In the second passage (B-2), the key word is “if”. Look how key it is for you to obey God's voice and follow God's laws. “The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.” (B-2) This is practical and I don't think contradictory.
If you don't obey God's voice, what are you going to hear? If you don't follow God's direction, what are you going to feel and experience? This goes along with what Mary Baker Eddy says (with an “if”) here. “Soul has infinite resources with which to bless mankind, and happiness would be more readily attained and would be more secure in our keeping, if sought in Soul.” (S-3, 60:29)
Section 2 – Transformed!
Until Jacob wrestled with the angel, he had a reputation for being someone you couldn't rely on, a scoundrel, a cheater. Did God punish him? No, God had a plan for him. Jacob was transformed and became a leader. The location where Jacob wrestled with the angel and was transformed at a place later named Peniel, which means “face of God.” (B-3)
Notice how the word “deliver” is used in this section. You need deliverance when you are in trouble and at the end of your rope. Mortal sense would deceive you that God is distant. However, in reality God doesn't share God's power. There is no power left over for any other power. Foster an expanded sense of God's power and allness. There are times when you have to declare this. And, there are times when gentle persistent listening is better.
It is human nature to like having a God to save you and deliver you. However, it can be an indicator that you hope to “use” or control God. Don't turn to God for help just when things get bad. That's jokingly referred to as being a “teabag Christian.” That is when you wait until you're in hot water to activate your faith.
God's love and health flow through God's ideas. That's the incredible blessing we now enjoy. It is natural for you to trust God. God is not out there. God is right here. “I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (B-6) (New Living Translation)
Section 3 – A Temple?
In his letter to the Christians in the city of Ephesus, Paul wrote how they were a building or temple of God. “You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone. Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord. And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God's own Spirit to live.” (B-8) (Contemporary English Version) In his letter to the Christians in the port city of Corinth, Paul asks, ‘Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says, “I will live with these people and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”' (CEV) (B-9) [Mrs.] Eddy defined Temple as “Body; the idea of Life, substance, and intelligence; the superstructure of Truth; the shrine of Love;” Superstructure is the visible part of a building above its foundation. (mybiblelesson.com) (S-10) “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (B-10) (New American Standard Bible) God prospers that temple. God cares for it and maintains it. Let us refuse to criticize God's temple (our bodies).
Section 4 – Spiritual Sense Sniffs Out What is Real
Whatever you magnify becomes bigger to you. I know that sounds like a simplistic statement, but it is true. When you magnify certain thoughts, you make them more powerful. If you focus on a little problem, it becomes a big problem. The principle at work is this. If you hold up a nickel close to your eye, it obscures everything so all you see is the nickel. Did reality change or just your perception?
Think of what happens when you magnify God's work like Job said. (B-11) In Job 33:26-28, Job said, “You'll see God's smile and celebrate, finding yourself set right with God. You'll sing God's praises to everyone you meet, testifying, ‘I messed up my life-and let me tell you, it wasn't worth it. But God stepped in and saved me from certain death. I'm alive again! Once more I see the light!'” (B-12) (The Message)
Healing comes when our spiritual sense magnifies God, when it changes our thinking. [The stated and practiced purpose of The CedarS and its Bible Lands Park is “to give each camper an appreciation of spiritual sense and an abundance of wholesome, joyous activity.”] Spiritual sense lifts us up, and shows us what God is seeing, feeling and experiencing. It shows you a different view from what material sense sees, feels and experiences. Jesus told us that, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) It is recorded in Luke that Jesus went to a city Nain where there was a funeral procession. He stopped the procession and commanded the man to rise up. Jesus was so tuned into spiritual sense he was connected with God and witnessed what Soul was seeing and feeling. Because of Jesus' witness, the power of Soul was powerfully present and the young man was healed. (B-14) “The Christ element in the Messiah made him the Way-shower, Truth and Life.” (S-15, 288:29)
“When understanding changes the standpoints of life and intelligence from a material to a spiritual basis, we shall gain the reality of Life, the control of Soul over sense, and we shall perceive Christianity, or Truth, in its divine Principle.” (S-16, 322) If you change your perception in small ways, it adds up and makes a big difference. Turn away from the mortal picture for just a moment. Rather than attempting to realize infinite Truth, which feels like a big task, change your view “for just a moment”. That seems much easier to do. Can spiritual sense give you spiritual vision? “The lens of Science magnifies the divine power to human sight; and we then see the supremacy of Spirit and the nothingness of matter.” (Mis. 194:6)
Section 5 – In Step
Like the previous section, this one instructs how to experience God's wisdom. When you are faced with problems, divine wisdom can seem a world away. When this happens, it is a good time to question the validity of the problem you are facing. Ask, “Is that true? Is it really, really true?! Is it absolutely true?” In Proverbs 3, it says, “Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. They'll keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip.” (B-17, The Message) Let's look at the passages from Paul's letter to the Christians in Colossia. “Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ-the Message-have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense.” (B-18, The Message) [As the final important point or tenet of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy directs us to “watch and pray for ‘that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus'” (B-19, Philippians 2:5 & S&H 497:24)] Christ is the divine manifestation of good. (Divine means from God, godly, sacred.) It is the coincidence of the divine and the human. It is the divine influence present in human consciousness. It is the sweet impulse of Soul, awakening you to who you are as a child of God.
Section 6 – Pray for God to Use You
In this section, qualities of Soul are: satisfied, blameless, awake, conscious, spiritual and preserved. The word that really shows up big time in this section is glorious. Glory is the state of honor, praise, praiseworthiness, exalted and radiant beauty.
“I cry out to you because you answer me. So tilt your ears toward me now – listen to what I'm saying! I am innocent, Lord, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.” (B-20, CEV) As I mentioned earlier, pray “Please God, let them see and hear You, not me.” That's always a good mental state to start an activity. Going further, if you expect others to see God instead of you (because you are letting God shine through you), do you have that expectation for yourself? Challenge yourself to go beyond that mortal vision. When you look at you, see God. Pray for God to use you. Pray that God uses you to reach others and connect with others, and that they perceive that they are being touched by Love, touched by Soul.
During your day, monitor your thoughts to see if they are based in mortal sense or spiritual sense. See if they are Christlike responses or if they are reactions. When I am driving and someone cuts me off or makes some unwise maneuver, I choose to respond by witnessing their innocence, their blamelessness. Wow, does that make a difference in what I experience. It short circuits the negativity I would have experienced if I believed what the five senses were projecting. (That's letting “the very God of peace sanctify you wholly”, B-21) “We are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (B-24, The Message)
You have so much to give the world and the world so needs what you have to give. What is holding you back? Fortunately, as Soul's idea, everything you need is already within you. You have the gifts, the desire and the design. It is time to take the brakes off and be that bold idea that takes on what you are called to do.
[These application ideas from a Christian Science Practitioner who has served as a Resident Practitioner at CedarS Camps are provided primarily to help CedarS campers and staff (as well as friends) see and demonstrate the great value of study and application of the Christian Science Bible lessons daily throughout the year, not just at camp! YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP for weekly emails from past CedarS staff of possible ways to share Bible Lesson applications with older, as well as younger, Sunday School classes at www.cedarscamps.org/newsletters Warren Huff, CedarS Director & editor of these notes & bracketed, italic additions.]
[YOUR QUICK SUPPORT IS DOUBLY NEEDED!!
1st “Emerge ‘n See” Response: Based on wonderful responses to our recent pleas for help to buy hay to make up for a significant shortage caused by unexpected, dry conditions in the Midwest this summer, we were able to buy quite a bit of good hay to feed our horses! Thank you SO much!! We still need to raise over $7,000 to cover the unbudgeted expense of being unable to grow all of our own hay this year. (http://www.cedarscamps.org/giving/adopt-the-herd-fund.htm shares details.) Fortunately, MATCHING FUNDS DONORS FOR “ADOPT THE HERD” have committed to match your gifts up to $50,000 to buy hay and to underwrite the excellence of CedarS' popular and effective Riding Program. Here's a sample of fruitage: “I am getting to know about horses and how to ride them. … I am very grateful to know that God is at my side all the time.” Camper
2nd “Emerge ‘n See” Response: We recently discovered that several of CedarS' original cabins and structures whose electrical wiring was not in metal conduits, have become fire hazards due to critters gnawing through the wire insulation. Running new wire inside conduit (plus fixing our backhoe and doing other needed — but more routine — maintenance throughout camp will cost $50,000. The good news is that about $2,700 in recent phoned-in and mailed-in donations as well as e-gifts to http://www.cedarscamps.org/giving/maintenance-fund.htm have enabled work to proceed and that MATCHING FUNDS DONORS FOR “MAINTENANCE MUSTS” will match your gifts up to $25,000 till year-end! “What a wonderful experience it was to be at CedarS over Labor Day weekend. I will keep it in my heart forever: the beautiful surroundings, the embracing architecture, the loving and selfless staff. CedarS and all who love it and serve it is… a very special and holy place.” College Summit Participant
[We have an inspiring, non-partisan gift for anyone wanting it during our U.S. post-election and Thanksgiving seasons. You can click http://www.cedarscamps.org/metaphysical/founding/ to hear now via that link (or to order a free CD by this link), two inspiring, non-partisan talks, designed to rally us together around the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Thanks for e-giving, calling or mailing to our winter office (address below) your greatly appreciated & needed gifts to help support CedarS horses, buildings, and programs that all support Christian Science youth and their appreciation and application of the Commandments, Beatitudes and Scientific Statement of Being. “I will carry with me always the lessons learned, friendships made, and spiritual understanding gained.” Counselor
[CedarS Camps Office, 1314 Parkview Valley Dr., Manchester, MO 63011
or to make a monthly pledge or a single, credit or debit card gift over the phone,
call us at 636-394-6162.]
call us at 636-394-6162.]
[Additional Director's Note: You can sign up to have these application ideas emailed to you free — by Monday each week in English; or by each Wednesday you can get a FREE TRANSLATION: in German, thanks to Helga and Manfred; or in Spanish, thanks to a team of Ana, Erick, Claudia and Patricio. A voluntary French translation by Pascal or Denise cannot be guaranteed due to their busy schedules. An “official” version of the weekly Portuguese translation should be coming soon on a new webpage for CedarS Mets, but in the meantime you can email Orlando Trentini to be added to the list.
This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 11-year series of CedarS Bible Lesson “Mets” (Metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians. (Ask and look for “Possible Sunday School Topics “and “Possible Younger Class Lessons” in subsequent emails.) These weekly offerings are intended to encourage further study and application of ideas in the lesson and to invigorate Sunday School participation by students and by the budding teachers on our staff. Originally sent JUST to my Sunday School students and 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, application and inspiration they had felt at camp, CedarS lesson “mets “and Sunday School ideas are in no way meant to be definitive or conclusive or in any way a substitute for daily study of the lesson. The thoughts presented are the inspiration of the moment and are offered to give a bit more dimension and background as well as new angles (and angels) on the daily applicability of some of the ideas and passages being studied. The weekly Bible Lessons are copyrighted by the Christian Science Publishing Society and are printed in the Christian Science Quarterly as available at Christian Science Reading Rooms or online at eBibleLesson.com or myBibleLesson.com. The citations referenced (i.e.B-1 and S-28) from this week's Bible Lesson in the “Met” (Metaphysical application ideas) are taken from the Bible (B-1 thru B-24) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (S-1 thru S-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 the ideas helpful in your daily spiritual journey, in your deeper digging in the books and in closer bonding with your Comforter and Pastor.]
This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 11-year series of CedarS Bible Lesson “Mets” (Metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians. (Ask and look for “Possible Sunday School Topics “and “Possible Younger Class Lessons” in subsequent emails.) These weekly offerings are intended to encourage further study and application of ideas in the lesson and to invigorate Sunday School participation by students and by the budding teachers on our staff. Originally sent JUST to my Sunday School students and 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, application and inspiration they had felt at camp, CedarS lesson “mets “and Sunday School ideas are in no way meant to be definitive or conclusive or in any way a substitute for daily study of the lesson. The thoughts presented are the inspiration of the moment and are offered to give a bit more dimension and background as well as new angles (and angels) on the daily applicability of some of the ideas and passages being studied. The weekly Bible Lessons are copyrighted by the Christian Science Publishing Society and are printed in the Christian Science Quarterly as available at Christian Science Reading Rooms or online at eBibleLesson.com or myBibleLesson.com. The citations referenced (i.e.B-1 and S-28) from this week's Bible Lesson in the “Met” (Metaphysical application ideas) are taken from the Bible (B-1 thru B-24) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (S-1 thru S-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 the ideas helpful in your daily spiritual journey, in your deeper digging in the books and in closer bonding with your Comforter and Pastor.]
[PSST: Reflect the living God & act it out! (See sections 6 & 4.)]
Possible Sunday School Topics by Merrill Boudreaux
Possible Sunday School Topics by Merrill Boudreaux
for Christian Science Bible Lesson: “Soul and Body”
for November 18, 2012
[with bracketed italics by Warren Huff, CedarS Director & Met editor]
[with bracketed italics by Warren Huff, CedarS Director & Met editor]
PSST: Golden Text: What is a temple? What is typically housed within a temple? If you are a temple, what is housed within you? We do not mean your living body but your spiritual being. What makes up the living you as the reflection of the living God?
PSST: Responsive Reading: Can the physical senses ever tell you who you are? What teaches you who you are? The Holy Ghost. What is the Holy Ghost? Christian Science revealing God with you and God telling you what God knows about you. How can you be instructed of God? See the question in Science & Health (p.495:25): “How can I progress most rapidly in the understanding of Christian Science?” and its answer.
PSST: Section 1: Does God rejoice because you exist? How are you blessed of the Lord? Are you the only one blessed of God? What resources or qualities is God giving you right now that others can see or identify you by?
PSST: Section 2: Read the Jacob and Esau story. Even when someone has done something outside his true character there are always opportunities to return to who you are, your real self. Jacob was alone, yet there was a man wrestling with him. Who was this man, a physical being or an angel visitant? Where was the wrestling going on? In Jacob's consciousness. Here is a great role play opportunity for wrestling between Jacob and his consciousness. Ask students to turn to Psalm 22. This could be the prayer Jesus prayed on the cross as he wrestled with the ordeal he was going through. You know you are Abraham's seed, are you also Jacob's seed? Are you Israel's seed? Are you one of the children of Israel? See that definition in the Glossary (S&H p.583).
PSST: Section 3: What makes you a fellow citizen with the saints of the household of God? How do you identify each other? Are you precious in God's sight? Are your fellow saints? What is a saint? Citation B-8: “…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
PSST: Section 4: You are God's work: How do you magnify – praise and glorify – in your daily life? How did Jesus magnify God when he met the mother and her son in citation B-14? How did the son in that story glorify God? He woke up from the belief of death. Are there other instances in the Bible of Jesus raising the dead? Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, and himself. Because of the action of Divine Truth in our lives, the result must be what? Citations S-16, S-17, S-18.
[Four examples of resurrection are included in a humorous, 6-minute sketch about Jesus putting a Jerusalem undertaker out of business. We have enjoyed acting out this skit in a “Reader's Theater” format with 5th-6th grade Sunday School classes when the raising of Lazarus or of the widow's son at Nain were in the lesson. The raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead (Luke 8:41-55) is included in the sketch as is the resurrection of the widow's son at Nain (B-14, Luke 7) For $10 you can download the copyrighted script for “Death Doesn't Become Them” by Martha Bolton from the lillenas.com website by clicking here. The tenor of the text conveys the certainty of immortality when the Christ is present.]
PSST: Section 5: What is the common word in citations B-16, B-17, and B -18? Wisdom. Where is wisdom found, in your brain or in your Mind? What is the difference between them? Citations S-20, S-21. Ask students to share examples from their experience where turning to God, Mind, resulted in guidance beyond a human opinion or thought. Citation S-24. What are the results when wisdom from Mind reigns in our lives? Citations B-17 and B-18: Happiness, life, grace, safety, discretion (what does that word mean?), glory; peace, gratitude, doing or action.
PSST: Section 6: Are you ready for the big finale? It's all about reflection.** Find the phrases about reflection and its result in this section's citations:
B-20, “when I awake, with thy likeness”
B-21, “your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless”
B-22, “it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”
B-23, “the temple of God”
B-24, “are changed into the same image”
S-25, “Spirit, Soul,… reflected by man”
S-26, “Man, in the likeness of his Maker”
S-27, “Man… the image, of Love… the reflection of God”
S-28, “the body will reflect what governs it”
S-29, “the scientific relation of man to God”
S-30, “Man… governed by Soul”
[**Using D.I.A.L. as an acrostic for Divine Image And Likeness sheds new light on an old ad: “Aren't you glad you use D.I.A.L.? Don't you wish everyone did?” This was a slogan for Dial soap, and I have given hundreds of bars of it to Sunday School students over the years,not to advocate the use of Dial soap, but to give students a tangible reminder of their spiritual identity. Its presence in their rooms or bathrooms, hopefully reminds them to use their spiritual status – as perfect reflections of God in all they do. Since this week's lesson and the 6th section define us many times as “the image and likeness of God,” we have divine authority to feel the stress-free worth of being the very image and likeness — the reflection — of God who is always shining us!]
[PYCL: Wrestle with angel ideas until they bless you!]
CedarS PYCLs–Possible Younger Class Lessons for:
“Soul and Body”
The Christian Science Bible Lesson for November 18, 2012
by Kerry Jenkins, CS, House Springs, MO (314) 406-0041 [Bracketed inserts by Warren Huff]
CedarS PYCLs–Possible Younger Class Lessons for:
“Soul and Body”
The Christian Science Bible Lesson for November 18, 2012
by Kerry Jenkins, CS, House Springs, MO (314) 406-0041 [Bracketed inserts by Warren Huff]
[PYCL: Deal with deep thoughts at an early age…]
I love how this lesson helps us understand better that we have an identity, a body, a mind, an individuality, but that none of this exists in matter. This understanding, that we continuously add to throughout life, gives us freedom from the limitations of a “mind” in matter, heredity, physical barriers, even death itself. What fun to be able to share this even to a small degree with children. It might be helpful, in order to keep the discussion grounded, to look at citation S12 and notice that Mrs. Eddy points out here that if we are convinced of matter's “realness” or substance, then we find God to be insubstantial or beyond our reach. Our goal is to practice turning away from matter as the measure of what is real, and to become more and more comfortable with turning towards God, Soul to define what is true about us. My three-year-old often asks me if God is “real”. I explain to him that love is real, but not something you can feel with your hands or see with your eyes, and yet it is the most powerful force in his life. And we will talk about the people that he knows love him, etc. and how he knows that that love is felt and seen in different ways than with his hands or his eyes. Then we talk about how that is how we might think of God. The most important and powerful force in the universe, but not detectible by our human senses. As you can see, these fairly complicated questions come to the mind of our little ones at an early age and we have a great opportunity to work together with them to find answers.
I love how this lesson helps us understand better that we have an identity, a body, a mind, an individuality, but that none of this exists in matter. This understanding, that we continuously add to throughout life, gives us freedom from the limitations of a “mind” in matter, heredity, physical barriers, even death itself. What fun to be able to share this even to a small degree with children. It might be helpful, in order to keep the discussion grounded, to look at citation S12 and notice that Mrs. Eddy points out here that if we are convinced of matter's “realness” or substance, then we find God to be insubstantial or beyond our reach. Our goal is to practice turning away from matter as the measure of what is real, and to become more and more comfortable with turning towards God, Soul to define what is true about us. My three-year-old often asks me if God is “real”. I explain to him that love is real, but not something you can feel with your hands or see with your eyes, and yet it is the most powerful force in his life. And we will talk about the people that he knows love him, etc. and how he knows that that love is felt and seen in different ways than with his hands or his eyes. Then we talk about how that is how we might think of God. The most important and powerful force in the universe, but not detectible by our human senses. As you can see, these fairly complicated questions come to the mind of our little ones at an early age and we have a great opportunity to work together with them to find answers.
[PCYL:] Here are some things to look at together to help in our search for what Soul and body mean to us:
[PCYL: Find face-to-face, angel ideas worth wrestling with until they bless you!]
Look together at the story of Jacob in light of this subject. Maybe you will see together that in this context the story of Jacob is about the struggle that each of us has with our mortality, (Jacob was afraid that he and his family were going to die at the hands of Esau). This was not just a metaphysical struggle, he really was scared, he knew that Esau was coming with essentially an army, and he knew that Esau had good reason to wipe him out. Jacob's struggle was with that fear that he could lose his life, that life was limited and that the mistakes he made were things that he didn't have the opportunity to fix at that point. How could he expect anything different? What is the lesson for him and for us in this struggle? Why did the circumstances change? When Jacob was blessed by that struggle, what did he say? He said “…I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” In the Bible it tells us that we can't “look on the face of God and live”, but this statement has deeper implications that you can share with even these younger kids. Why is his life preserved by seeing God “face to face”? What does that mean (face to face)? How can we understand God this clearly? Look at Jacob's story for the answer! We have to “wrestle” with the things that matter seems to constantly tell us, like: “you live in a material body that gets sick, injured, sad, etc.” This wrestling is not a chore, it may be hard, but like we've said before, it's like anything that brings reward, like a sport or practicing an instrument, we have the thrill of a great game or performance. So our wrestling with these “matter thoughts” gives us that glimpse of God that heals us!
Look together at the story of Jacob in light of this subject. Maybe you will see together that in this context the story of Jacob is about the struggle that each of us has with our mortality, (Jacob was afraid that he and his family were going to die at the hands of Esau). This was not just a metaphysical struggle, he really was scared, he knew that Esau was coming with essentially an army, and he knew that Esau had good reason to wipe him out. Jacob's struggle was with that fear that he could lose his life, that life was limited and that the mistakes he made were things that he didn't have the opportunity to fix at that point. How could he expect anything different? What is the lesson for him and for us in this struggle? Why did the circumstances change? When Jacob was blessed by that struggle, what did he say? He said “…I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” In the Bible it tells us that we can't “look on the face of God and live”, but this statement has deeper implications that you can share with even these younger kids. Why is his life preserved by seeing God “face to face”? What does that mean (face to face)? How can we understand God this clearly? Look at Jacob's story for the answer! We have to “wrestle” with the things that matter seems to constantly tell us, like: “you live in a material body that gets sick, injured, sad, etc.” This wrestling is not a chore, it may be hard, but like we've said before, it's like anything that brings reward, like a sport or practicing an instrument, we have the thrill of a great game or performance. So our wrestling with these “matter thoughts” gives us that glimpse of God that heals us!
[PCYL: Play a 10 Commandment game of tossing broken Commandments and un-Godlike thoughts out of your temple, consciousness, body!]
Talk about what a temple is. Why does the Bible talk about our body being a temple? What things do we let into church? Would we bring in evil things and display them at church? Do we want to bring those things into our body or consciousness? Look at citation B9. Can we throw out of our body/temple whatever isn't “us”? When we do this aren't we then His “people”? With the little ones can you play a game where you “throw” out bad or un-Godlike thoughts to keep your “temple” pure and belonging to God? You can have them dramatize this by pretending to throw those thoughts far from them. You could use the Ten Commandments here in your discussion to talk about what you allow in your temple. Aren't they wonderful for checking our thoughts and keeping things right with God? You could pretty much spend the whole class on this if you chose!
Talk about what a temple is. Why does the Bible talk about our body being a temple? What things do we let into church? Would we bring in evil things and display them at church? Do we want to bring those things into our body or consciousness? Look at citation B9. Can we throw out of our body/temple whatever isn't “us”? When we do this aren't we then His “people”? With the little ones can you play a game where you “throw” out bad or un-Godlike thoughts to keep your “temple” pure and belonging to God? You can have them dramatize this by pretending to throw those thoughts far from them. You could use the Ten Commandments here in your discussion to talk about what you allow in your temple. Aren't they wonderful for checking our thoughts and keeping things right with God? You could pretty much spend the whole class on this if you chose!
[PCYL: Match up a false postulate punched out by the truths in each section!]
It might be interesting to look at citation S15 with the slightly older kids and extract each individual “postulate” from the paragraph. Write them out in simple statements (they aren't all that complex anyway!). But spread them out on a page or on separate pages and talk about what a postulate is. How do these relate to our subject this week? Can you find how each postulate goes with a certain section or more than one section? You could reduce each section to an essential idea, one to a page, and then have them look at these postulates and match them up or move them around on the table according to where they make the most sense.
It might be interesting to look at citation S15 with the slightly older kids and extract each individual “postulate” from the paragraph. Write them out in simple statements (they aren't all that complex anyway!). But spread them out on a page or on separate pages and talk about what a postulate is. How do these relate to our subject this week? Can you find how each postulate goes with a certain section or more than one section? You could reduce each section to an essential idea, one to a page, and then have them look at these postulates and match them up or move them around on the table according to where they make the most sense.
[PCYL: Help pupils make a pile of garbage thoughts. Take turns disposing them in the trash]
This is just one sentence but it is such a great image: look at the end of citation S15 where it talks about the “temporal debris of error”. What is debris? Can you have them visualize a pile of debris, trash, useless garbage? What does Mrs. Eddy say comprises this debris in this passage? What overcomes this debris or the belief in this “garbage thought”? Have the little ones crumple up pieces of paper with debris thoughts [and trash talk] in a pile on the table. Then, think up all the ideas that overcome them as we understand better “what constitutes man as the image of God”. Each time they have another great true idea about themselves, they can sweep some or all of the rubbish from the table into a trash basket. Everyone can have a turn.
This is just one sentence but it is such a great image: look at the end of citation S15 where it talks about the “temporal debris of error”. What is debris? Can you have them visualize a pile of debris, trash, useless garbage? What does Mrs. Eddy say comprises this debris in this passage? What overcomes this debris or the belief in this “garbage thought”? Have the little ones crumple up pieces of paper with debris thoughts [and trash talk] in a pile on the table. Then, think up all the ideas that overcome them as we understand better “what constitutes man as the image of God”. Each time they have another great true idea about themselves, they can sweep some or all of the rubbish from the table into a trash basket. Everyone can have a turn.
[PCYL: How the solar system works; being tributary to God; body as servant, not master!]
Look at citation S22 and talk about how we serve God, not in matter. What does it take to be a good servant? You can talk about the way the solar system works if you wish, and how that is a metaphor for how we relate to God. If we are “tributary” to God, then we are NOT tributary to our matter body. What does that mean for us? Our body must serve us, we do not serve our body!
Look at citation S22 and talk about how we serve God, not in matter. What does it take to be a good servant? You can talk about the way the solar system works if you wish, and how that is a metaphor for how we relate to God. If we are “tributary” to God, then we are NOT tributary to our matter body. What does that mean for us? Our body must serve us, we do not serve our body!
[PCYL: Bring in a mirror! Wrestle with and kick out every unlikeness!]
Finally, you can always bring a mirror in with the little ones and look at citation S26 for inspiration. Talk about how there is no “physicality” in the reflection, nothing that we can really feel or touch. (This goes well with the opening ideas in this pycl). Help them think about the idea that this is similar to how we reflect God; we don't reflect in a mortal body, rather more like the mirror reflects back to us a perfect image of our face. So when our body “feels” unhappy or not well, we know that this is not that reflection and we can “wrestle” that idea down and kick it out!
Finally, you can always bring a mirror in with the little ones and look at citation S26 for inspiration. Talk about how there is no “physicality” in the reflection, nothing that we can really feel or touch. (This goes well with the opening ideas in this pycl). Help them think about the idea that this is similar to how we reflect God; we don't reflect in a mortal body, rather more like the mirror reflects back to us a perfect image of our face. So when our body “feels” unhappy or not well, we know that this is not that reflection and we can “wrestle” that idea down and kick it out!
Have a great Sunday School class!
