Trick? (Sinners in the hands of an angry God) or Treatment!

[Trick?  (“Sinners in the hands of an angry God”)

or Treatment!  (Cherished children embraced in Love's tender mercy!) 

Happy Halloween!]

Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“Everlasting Punishment” for study during the week of October 25-31, 2010,

by Rick Stewart, C.S., of Dresden, Germany

[with bracketed italics by Warren Huff]

 

[Halloween is normally celebrated on Oct. 31^st but in many US communities children may be going door-to-door in costumes and trick-or-treating on Saturday night, Oct. 30^th this year.]

 

[Editor's Note: The following application ideas for this week, and the Possible Sunday School Topics that follow, are offered primarily to help CEDARS campers and staff (as well as friends) see and demonstrate the great value of daily study and application of the Christian Science Bible lessons year-round, not just at camp! You can sign up to have them emailed to you free — in English by Monday each week, or by each Wednesday you can get a FREE TRANSLATION in French thanks to Pascal, in German thanks to Helga or in Spanish thanks to a team of Ana, Erick, Claudia and Patricio. YOU CAN SIGN UP at www.cedarscamps.org/newsletters]

Mary Baker Eddy sure chose some humdingers for Bible Lesson subjects, didn't she?  But she did so with good reason.  As a young girl she had been required to repeat the Westminster Catechism every Sunday.  This form of systematic instruction included memorized statements of Calvinistic doctrine and had been written and formulated in the 1600s.  The Westminster Catechism, in its long and short versions, is a central catechism of Calvinists in the English tradition throughout the world and included statements of  church doctrines, one of those being the doctrine of predestination and everlasting punishment.  After her discovery of Christian Science Mrs. Eddy knew there were questions about the nature of God that had to be answered if one hoped to have a demonstrable understanding of the Science of Christ, and an understanding of God.

 

In her autobiography, Retrospection and Introspection, pages 13-15, she relates her early experience with this doctrine:

 

“THEOLOGICAL REMINISCENCE”

 “At the age of twelve  I was admitted to the Congregational (Trinitarian) Church, my parents having been members of that body for a half-century. In connection with this event, some circumstances are noteworthy.  Before this step was taken, the doctrine of unconditional election, or predestination, greatly troubled me; for I was unwilling to be saved, if my brothers and sisters were to be numbered among those who were doomed to perpetual banishment from God   So perturbed was I by the thoughts aroused by this erroneous doctrine, that the family doctor was summoned, and pronounced me stricken with fever.

“My father's relentless theology emphasized belief in a final judgment-day, in the danger of endless punishment, and in a Jehovah merciless towards unbelievers; and of these things he now spoke, hoping to win me from dreaded heresy. 

“My mother, as she bathed my burning temples, bade me lean on God's love, which would give me rest, if I went to Him in prayer, as I was wont to do, seeking His guidance. I prayed; and a soft glow of ineffable joy came over me.  The fever was gone, and I rose and dressed myself, in a normal condition of health. Mother saw this, and was glad. The physician marveled; and the “horrible decree” of predestination – as John Calvin rightly called his own tenet – forever lost its power over me.” Retrospection and Introspection, by Mary Baker Eddy, pages 13-15

 

(The whole account is worth reading!)  Just think, as a girl of 12, Mary was ready to take a stand against what she ultimately called “this erroneous doctrine” of “perpetual banishment from God.”  But she is not alone in standing against the belief of “everlasting punishment,” and the “erroneous doctrine” of an eternal hell awaiting some. 

 

In 1855  Boston Biblical scholar, Thomas B. Thayer, explained at length the fact that references to Gehenna (the word translated as hell)  in the New Testament are not a hell. This is his conclusion:

“Now no one believes in such a hell as this. A material hell of fire, and torments by flame, have been long ago abandoned.  And the Savior cannot be understood as believing or teaching future torments,…” (See The Origin and History of the Doctrine of Endless Punishment by Thomas B. Thayer, 1855)  Excerpts from this work can be found at the following link: http://30ce.com/developmentofhell.htm

 

This week's Bible Lesson clearly explains the simple concept of turning from sin or evil thinking and returning to God.  It is a clear answer to the question; does an all-loving, merciful God punish some of His children eternally? 

 

The Golden Text begins our answer: Isaiah 55:7 (Contemporary English Version):

   Give up your crooked ways

   and your evil thoughts.

   Return to the LORD our God.

   He will be merciful

   and forgive your sins.

 

The book of the Prophet Isaiah is the oldest completely maintained book of the Bible.  It is believed to have been written around 700 B.C.  In 1947, a 7-meter-long scroll was found in a cave above the Dead Sea dating back to the 2^nd century; it included a complete version of the Book of Isaiah.  And from this earliest of Bible books we have the promise that when we straighten out our thinking we find God mercifully forgiving our sins.

   

We are further introduced to this subject of sin forgiven in the Responsive Reading, Luke 7:35-50.  Here is the account of a woman anointing Jesus' feet as he visits Simon, the Pharisee.  (Mrs. Eddy writes of this event at the beginning of the chapter, Christian Science Practice, pages 362-367 in Science and Health.)  Mrs. Eddy characterizes the quality of this woman's thought as the key to her devotion and the key to Jesus' pronouncement, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:47-48)

 

Sections 1 and 2:   Genesis 18 and 19 deal with the story of ancient cities Sodom and Gomorrah.  The fact is that no evidence of these cities seems to exist today.  I have often wondered what happened to them.  What was the great calamity that destroyed them?  Did God destroy them as the Bible account relates?  God's conversation with Abraham seems to imply that God did rain down destruction.  But I have a problem thinking of God as destroying a city.  So I found it interesting that the topical notes at the top of the Bible page read, “The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham.”  For me I could see where a natural disaster of devastating proportion could occur, and only individuals that were tuned in, or receptive to God's loving direction and protection would be warned or protected.  So then it was not necessarily an overt act of destruction by God, but rather an event that destroyed and that only Abraham and his nephew Lot were warned.  Why?  Because both of them had reflected qualities of thought: faithfulness, moral courage, hospitality, neighborliness, that kept their thought open to God's protecting directions.

 

In a BBC documentary that investigated the possible history of Sodom and Gomorrah, the following facts were revealed.  The climate and vegetation at the edge of the Dead Sea in the Bronze Age (the estimated era of these cities' existence) could have supported the cities.  And certain conditions that could have resulted in a destructive 6.0 earthquake appeared present.  The link below to BBC explains some of these factors  http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/sodom_gomorrah_01.shtml

 

So you might say hellish thinking, self-destructive thinking, led to the atmosphere of thought so imbued with evil that God's loving voice of salvation and protection went unheeded.  The only one who heard the saving voice of a loving God, was Lot.  His actions were very different from those among whom he lived.  And his actions were characterized by moral courage as he sought to protect the strangers that had come to Sodom.  These strangers, these angels ,had come to find those worthy of salvation, and they only found Lot and his family.

 

The Science and Health citations for these sections (S-1 to S-11) reveal the qualities of thought that are destructive and lead to separation and the qualities of thought that protect and preserve.

 

Section 1:   Abraham, and saving the city “that all should come to repentance” (B-3).  The Bible (B-1) notes that it is iniquities – wrongdoing, sins – that seem to separate us from God.  So you might say hellish thinking, self-destructive thinking led to the atmosphere of thought so imbued with evil that God's loving voice of salvation and protection went unheeded.

Section 2: The angels at Sodom and Gomorrah
As you think about God sending the angels to check out Sodom and Gomorrah, whether to save it or not, it is helpful to think in terms of Mrs. Eddy's description of angels in Science and Health:  “ANGELS. God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality.”

Lot “entertained” these angels and so he included them in his experience.  What qualities of thought are we entertaining?  Do they lead us to edification, to good, or to destruction?

Sections 3, 4 and 5:  Nabal, Abigail, and David [Trick-or-treating headed wrong, then right!]

Section 3:  Citation B-7 tells us of Nabal, a very rich man (three thousand sheep and a thousand goats).  He was harsh and evil in his dealings with others.  It was sheep shearing time, and that was traditionally a time of great feasting and celebration, a time of great excess, more than enough.   The name of the man was Nabal: This is another indication of his character, because the name Nabal means fool.  In the ancient culture of Israel, names were often connected with a person's character; we don't know if Nabal was given this name or if he earned it, but we will certainly see that he matches his own name.

 

David, the future king, sends his men calling [“door-to-door”], asking Nabal to share some of his excess in harvest time. (At this time David is an immigrant, a foreigner, and his main advocate, Samuel, has just died.  So David is sort of a nobody to Nabal.)  David says that he has helped protect Nabal's herds.  Nabal's shepherds were in the wilderness where they would naturally suffer some loss from the hostile surroundings.  David's men protected them.  That gives David the moral argument that if his men had not protected Nabal's animals, Nabal would have lower profits.  He refuses to recognize David's request for hospitality [the treat].  David had shown Nabal's herders hospitality, but Nabal was not willing to do the same for David.  So David prepared to attack Nabal.

 

[The trick part implied in the question: Trick? Or Treat! Watch–in CedarS PSST (Possible Sunday School Topics) to be posted and emailed to our free subscribers later in the week–for other examples of trick-or-treating throughout the Bible that will be useable for fun Sunday School learning and discussions.]

 

Section 4, Citation B-8:  When Nabal's wife Abigail hears what he has done, and what David is about to do, she acts quickly.  First she hears a report from one of Nabal's herders that David had treated them fairly. So she wastes no time thinking that this is not her fault; she humbles herself and immediately gathers up all sorts of food to offer to David and his men, a real feast.  David is so impressed that he spares Nabal and does not attack.  And he thanks Abigail for her actions [and for her acknowledgement of his future higher selfhood as the King].  She not only saved herself and Nabal, but David acknowledges that she saved him from shedding blood.

 

I love this thought from Science and Health, “The divine method of paying sin's wages involves unwinding one's snarls, and learning from experience how to divide between sense and Soul” (B-18).

 

Isn't that what Abigail did in her wise and humble actions?  She made good for something that she was not responsible for.  The situation was turned from a possible violent confrontation to one of blessing and respect.

 

Abigail's action reminded me of a recent visit to my hometown.  I had flown home to take care of some personal business and also made use of the time to visit  family, old friends, and of course my former church.   While there I found myself beginning to dig into an occurrence that had not been too pleasant.  It appeared that a loved one had been treated somewhat coldly and I wanted to try and make it better.  I had been doing a little investigation to determine what had actually happened.  And I was getting caught up in the matter.  I guess you could say without realizing it, I was sympathizing and believing that an error had actually been committed.  And the result had been a distancing, somewhat of a separation from church.  Now this family member was not distanced from God; they were daily studying the Bible Lesson and living very closely with the Father.  But there is something very special and supportive about being in church.  And I yearned for this loved one to be right where he wanted to be and feel the love that was actually there.

 

Just as I was getting too involved in sympathy, the thought came to call a long time friend.  I reached him, initially asked what he knew about the situation, and was starting to “get into the problem” again.  At that point this friend was eager to share something and asked, “Rick, do you have some time?”  I could reply, “I have all the time in the world.”  My wife had lovingly insisted that I make this trip alone, no kids, no wife.  So I really was completely free to listen to this friend.  We talked about church challenges over the years.  He shared some beautiful healings and triumphs.  And then he made the most helpful observation.  He shared that when he had faced challenges in church work or his career, and when he actually “knew” he was in the right that he found it most crucial to humble himself and stop knowing he was right.  Instead he would know what was right.   As he humbled himself and yearned to see God manifest and reflected – “God's righteousness” and not self- righteousness – that major things would resolve themselves effortlessly.  So he stopped trying to see who was right, or in the right, and instead prayed to see the Right.

 

Isn't that a little like Abigail?  She was not the problem, but she was the solution as she listened to God's guidance and followed through.

 

[This idea is compelling not only to Sunday School students but to all of us who have friends engaged in what we know to be self-destructive behavior: “…designate those as unfaithful stewards who have seen the danger and yet have given no warning” (S-19).]

 

Section 5:  Nabal continues to be “churlish” and pays the price.  In Bible citation B-10, Abigail would like to tell Nabal what has taken place, but she finds him drunken and in the middle of a feast fit for a king.  She waits until morning when the effect of the wine has worn off.  When she tells him, the Bible says “his heart died within him and he became like a stone.” He died.

 

This experience reminded of a quote from our Leader in the article entitled “Obedience” in Miscellaneous Writings, “The nature of the individual, more stubborn than the circumstance, will always be found arguing for itself, — its habits, tastes, and indulgences.  This material nature strives to tip the beam against the spiritual nature; for the flesh strives against Spirit, — against whatever or whoever opposes evil, — and weighs mightily in the scale against man's higher destiny”  Miscellaneous Writings 119:11-17.

 

In Bible citation B-11, Ezekiel writes, “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit:  For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth,…”

 

Science and Health citations S-21 to S-23 make it clear that it is the forsaking of sin that allows us to escape the misery of sin.  We seek to “awaken… man's dormant sense of moral obligation….”

  

It is God's will that we, as His children, live and prosper, not be tortured and suffer.  God is not in the torturing business but in the saving business.

 

Section 6:  Say “No” to sickness and sin [as Jesus does in this section (B-13); and as do his ancestors: David in Sections 3-5; and Abraham in Sections 1-2.  See B-12.]
The temptation to suffer from sickness as a reality, or actually as a legitimate part of life, is a lying temptation that Jesus denied through his ministry.  In Bible citation B-13, Matthew 12, Jesus heals a man that is blind and dumb (some translations identify deaf also).  Rather than rejoice in this power and shared freedom, the Pharisees accuse Jesus of using black magic or casting out the disease through Beelzebub.  Jesus reasons that a kingdom divided against itself would not stand.  If he was healing through Satan, then Satan's kingdom could not stand.  If we look at other terms for Satan, i.e. Liar, adversary, tempter, whisperer, father of lies, than we can understand Jesus' comment regarding the sick.

 

But if ,as Jesus says, he is healing through the word of God, then God's kingdom is come!  “But if I cast out devils by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matt 12:28).

 

Citations S-24 to S-29 outline turning from error to God.  Healing sickness and destroying sin.  A personal devil and an anthropomorphic god do not bring us to the saving Principle or divine Love.

 

Citation S-27: “Be no more willing to suffer the illusion that you are sick or that some disease is developing in the system, than you are to yield to a sinful temptation on the ground that sin has its necessities” (S&H 381:4-7)

 

Years ago I had moved into a new neighborhood.  As I met the neighbors I remember one little girl introducing herself to me, “I am illegally blind.”  Well I knew she probably meant to say that she was legally blind, but I have always found that a powerful statement of the illegitimacy of error of all kinds.

 

Suffering of all kinds is illegitimate.  Whether arising from sin or sickness, what a joy to know that we have divine authority to annul the suffering.

 

Citation S-29:  As our Leader writes, “The real man being linked by Science to his Maker, mortals need only turn from sin and lose sight of mortal selfhood to find Christ, the real man and his relation to God, and to recognize the divine sonship” (S&H 316:3-7).

 

No need to suffer now or eternally.  We turn to God and turn from error.  We discover that our God is not angry with us, and dangling us over the fire.  Our Father-Mother God tenderly cherishes each and every one of us as His beloved child.  The Son of God, our Savior, comes to lift us to a higher view of ourselves and out of suffering of all kinds.

 

As our Master stated, “I am come that they might have life, and… have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  And, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

---

---

Thank you for reading, praying about and acting on this very special announcement:
      Thanks to a recent matching funds offer, if CedarS can raise $30,000 in tax-deductible gifts in the remainder of 2010 and another $30,000 in January 2011, we will realize our 50-year-dream of having a lake on site that is large enough for many campers to enjoy watersports at the same time! We would have to start the well-engineered earthwork soon to have it built in time to catch spring rains before our 50^th anniversary Jubilee summer to which all Cedars alumni and supporters are warmly invited!  
      To complete our campsite — solely designed to encourage spiritual growth– this body of water would be the “Mediterranean S(k)ea” that would set in proper context the present and future editions of CedarS Bible Lands Park. With the addition of the Mediterranean, Bible study at CedarS and in our freely-shared “Mets” will come even more alive for campers of all ages blessed by an actual or virtual visit to our present 500 ft. scale model of Israel and to a future Antioch, Ephesus, Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, Rome, Alexandria, … as well as to Paul's ship-wreck island of Malta (Melita), and to Cyprus, Crete, Patmos, … More to come as you help the idea come to full fruition!

ONLINE GIVING UPDATE:  We hope you will use your Visa and Mastercard as well as Discovery Card and American Express and virtual checks directly (without going through PayPal) to make monthly and one-time donations.
Your support is always tax-deductible and welcomed–but during the economic downturn, your help has been and continues to be especially needed and appreciated!  To support CedarS work you can make a charitable donation to our 501C-3 tax-exempt, charitable organization in many wonderful ways.
Thank you for also considering writing a monthly check payable to CedarS Camps and mailing it to: CedarS Camps, 19772 Sugar Drive, Lebanon, MO 65536; or for calling Warren or Gay Huff at (636) 394-6162  to discuss gifts of securities or property you are considering giving to benefit CedarS.]

 

[CedarS weekly Metaphysical Newsletters are provided at no charge to the 1,200 campers and staff who were blessed this summer at CEDARS–as well as to thousands of CEDARS alumni, families, Sunday School teachers and friends who request it, or who find it weekly on our website or through CS Directory. But, current and planned gifts are much-needed: to cover the costs of running this “free” service; to provide camperships to make inspirational opportunities possible for our deserving youth; and to complete Stages 1 & 2 of Bible Lands Park (BLP).   (Click on —http://blog.cedarscamps.org/— for other pictures and write-ups on CedarS Bible Lands Park.)

 

[Camp Director's Note: This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 10-year series of CedarS Bible Lesson “Mets” (Metaphysical application ideas) contributed weekly by a rotation of CedarS Resident Practitioners and occasionally by other metaphysicians. (To keep the flow of the practitioner's ideas intact and to allow for more selective printing “Possible Sunday School Topics” come in a subsequent email.) 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” 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.]

You can now click on the pdf symbol (at the right) to download a pdf version of CedarS Lesson mets for easier printing and for better reading from mobile devices.
Enjoy! Warren Huff, Executive Director   director@cedarscamps.org]