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[Demonstrate the continued power & presence of the Christ today!]
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“Christ Jesus”

for Sunday, March 1, 2015

by Kerry Jenkins, CS, House Springs, MO
(314) 406-0041 kerry.helen.jenkins@gmail.com

[Bracketed italics added by CedarS Director, Warren, who’s very grateful for good support already received with more needed. Now that applications are coming in daily, it is apparent that getting many to camp will depend on "Love's Provision" of campership assistance. Won't you be an angel who gives a life-altaring and life-altering experience at CedarS?]

Christian Science is singular among Christian faiths in its understanding of Jesus and the Christ. The distinction that Mrs. Eddy makes between Jesus, being the highest human representative of the Christ, coming to man in a way that we can understand; and Christ, as God’s ideal, without flesh—the practical way that God communicates His profound love for His creation, is not a distinction that is shared by many. Yet this distinction holds the very power that makes it possible for us to heal the way Jesus healed so many centuries ago. It is this distinction that makes the Christ “…the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." (Golden Text) Without a genuine understanding of this distinction, we can be led into the trap of thinking that everything Jesus did was a special power that was given to him alone, that any healing that occurs today, is at the “whim" of God, rather than because of a law of God. Jesus revealed through his virgin birth and his subsequent career of healing acts, that he was indeed “…the way, the truth, and the life…”. By following that way—that path of healing, blessing, caring, loving—we too are leaving our “nets”, the pull and allure of material existence, and dedicating ourselves to a life that magnifies the eternal Christ, present now as in Jesus’ day, and before.

Mrs. Eddy wasn’t making up this distinction out of thin air when she wrote of Jesus and the Christ that he embodied. Looking at the Responsive Reading in this week’s lesson we are instantly faced with Jesus’ own words emphasizing the importance of his works. “…the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.” “…believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” And later in John 14:12 Jesus tells us that those that believe on him will do the works that he did, and even greater works! There is much over the years that has opposed the power of the Christ to heal, but we do not need to believe the thoughts that come to us to say we can’t possibly heal today the way Jesus did, or the way Mrs. Eddy, or the “early workers” did. Those thoughts are not our own, and they are certainly not God’s! They fly in the face of more than a century of well-documented Christian Science healing. It is not “too hard” to follow the path that Jesus laid out for us, really, when you take an honest look at all that matter has to offer, it is “too hard” not to!
[After all as His sheep it's our job to follow and rejoice as the Cobbey Crisler PS on the John 10 parts of Responsive Reading point out.]

Section 1: The Christ is born to each of us today.
Jesus holds a special place in history. There is no doubt that he embodied the Christ in a fuller way than any before or since. The special circumstances of his birth are unique and holy, and, as Mrs. Eddy says in S3: “Jesus presented the ideal of God better than could any man whose origin was less spiritual.” There is something about the promise of a newborn child that inspires hope and joy. This is something that we can (and need to) experience each day, just as our Golden Text points out—“…the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.” We can have that same joyous expectancy that the Wise men of the Bible experienced, or the inspiration and amazement that the shepherds experienced near Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth. And while we are at it, we can work each day to deepen our understanding of our own spiritual origin, so that our power to heal as Jesus healed can be fuller.

Section 2: Jesus made the Way visible to us.
In this section we are challenged to believe (know, understand), that Jesus' path is the path to follow. But he doesn’t ask us to just blindly believe, he shows us through his healing works. He revealed the laws of God that heal, that bless man, that show His love for creation. We can only discover God through following Jesus’ path of demonstration. Otherwise God is a vague and powerless being, sometimes comforting, but often just watching benignly from somewhere “beyond” human experience. Maybe this sounds backward to you—how can you demonstrate these laws of healing before we discover God? But Mrs. Eddy speaks of this very thing in Science and Health p. 323:14-16 “We must recollect that Truth is demonstrable when understood, and that good is not understood until demonstrated.” Demonstration and understanding go hand in glove, as they say, and one builds upon another. But without the component of demonstration, there is never true understanding because you cannot help having harmony revealed practically with the advent of understanding. It was the powerfully practical Christ, that Jesus revealed to us as the Way (S11).

Section 3: Jesus showed us the truth!
Christian Science is the Science of reality, the truth. Jesus revealed this through his life. He shows us in this section that the essential truth in the law of God is loving. So while it is technically true that we shouldn’t “work” on the Sabbath, according to Jewish law, the true essence of such a law supports the healing love of God that makes man whole and free. That’s something that certainly belongs to the holiness of the Sabbath! What does this say to us today? We can each admit to ourselves, every day (remember that G.T.?), that the truth of being must support harmony, health, wholeness, love, peace, holiness. This is recognizing the Christ, truth, in our experience each moment. This makes Jesus works go from the realm of stories and rituals, to active discipleship.

Section 4: Jesus reveals that he is the “bread of life”.
Again we get to see that eternal life, the life that is “…the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.”, is revealed to us through demonstration, through healing. In S18 we read: “It is the living Christ, the practical Truth, which makes Jesus “the resurrection and the life” to all who follow him in deed.” This “living Christ” is revealed by activity, by practical demonstration. Life is active, vigorous, it is thought put into action. It is the law of God that all the qualities of Life are present and eternally active in our experience. We are filled with spiritual satisfaction when living this life, we are whole, active, flexible, purposeful, useful, joyous, intelligent, creative, humorous and more. We are called upon every day to demonstrate, through our actions, this life that Jesus revealed to us. This is a part of his Way that he pointed out for us. And we can welcome the vigor, joy and hope that following this path brings.

Section 5: Following “the Way” reveals the “new man”!
Everything that Jesus did revealed a new view of man and God. This view must never become old or ritualized. That would make it “dead”, or inactive, deprived of healing power. That would make the “Way” just a pleasant and comforting ideal. Every healing uncovers something new about ourselves and displays a new truth about man. From the spiritual origin of his birth (literal “newness”) to the new understanding of life that his ascension revealed, Jesus’ life lights the path for us to follow. He revealed to us, and the Christ continues to reveal to us, a new understanding of the nature of man. He showed us through his life, the Way, the truth and the life that we are to follow. Through this discipleship, we discover a new sense of self, a new man whose origin is spiritual and whose life demonstrates the continued power and presence of the Christ today.


[Cobbey Crisler P.S. for Responsice Reading on John 10: bring a shepherd’s care to all you do; be at one with God:
“Chapter 10. Not too many of us keep sheep anymore. So, this is a lost simile on the twentieth century. Should we be keeping sheep in the real meaning of it? What could you and I do more about our job, our home, our world, our political situation, our community, and church, if we introduced more of the shepherd motive into all of them?
John 10:13 shows the difference between the shepherd-motive and the hireling’s motive who was working just for pay. “The hireling fleeth, because that’s all he was working for is money.” Where’s the difference? “He doesn’t care.”
Let’s ask ourselves the question, do we care? If we care, that’s the shepherd motive. Jesus cared. He walked in the midst of the dissolute, the despairing, the injured, the grieved, and the broken in heart as well as in body. And nobody knew why he did it. The upper classes, those who didn’t have similar problems, wondered why he was with the publicans and sinners. But he said that “the whole didn’t need a physician” (Matt. 9:12; Mark 4:23; Luke 5:31).
He apparently contemplated an Israel in prophecy which the existing Israel, the establishment, had not remotely seen.
He saw the Israel in prophecy which is exactly in accord with Jeremiah’s prediction of the new covenant and Isaiah’s. The new Israel would be composed of those whose needs had been met, where the recipients were, no class, no mass, no private sector, no ghetto, but receptivity gathering the sons and daughters together. They are gathered to prove what is possible on earth as in heaven. The shepherd motive of caring brings us into that new Israel.”

[“Jesus says that he is the Shepherd and he also says he is the door. It may look like he is confused. Let me give you an example of how he isn’t. When my wife and I were in Israel, we stopped in a place between Jerusalem and Bethany. I saw what I thought was a flock of unattended sheep. There was also a rock wall with one door or gate. It was an almost complete square. As I wandered around, I was suddenly surprised by the shepherd whom I had disturbed. He rose up. He was stretched across that entry way, getting a few winks.
Right there I had illustrated for me what Jesus meant in John 10: 2, 11, 14, “I am the shepherd” and in John 10: 7, 9, “I am the door.” Now there was no confusion at all. With the sheep inside an enclosure and the only possible entrance of wild animals or thieves being that door, you had to get through the shepherd in order to get to the sheep. The shepherd was also the door.
In Mary Baker Eddy’s poem, “Feed My Sheep”, there is the statement, “I will listen for Thy voice.” [Hymn 304] While we were down in that area of Beersheba, we saw many sheep all mixed together. I said to Janet, ‘I wonder how the shepherd is ever going to sort out his sheep. They’re all just mingled together.’ I had the answer to the question very readily. It wasn’t very long before our shepherd separated himself from the crowd, walked away never looked over his shoulder at the mixed up sheep, but made some kind of identifying click or clack of his tongue or voice.
“Do you know that every one of his sheep separated themselves from that flock and followed him? He never doubted. He never looked back. The sheep did their job.. The sheep knew his voice. “I will listen for Thy voice.” These lessons are things that in the busy moments of our own twentieth century we need to contemplate. They’re not just symbols. They’re not done just as ancient history. They’re attitudes. They’re states of mind and thought. This is something we often need to consider.”
In John 10:30, Jesus’ great statement, “I and my Father are one.” If this is from the Aramaic, then, the Aramaic word would give the meaning, “I and my Father are in accord.”
Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple, B. Cobbey Crisler, p.56, 57]


[The weekly Metaphysical Newsletter is provided at no charge to the 1,200 campers and staff blessed each summer at CedarS, as well as to CedarS alumni, families and friends who have requested it. However, current and planned gifts are a big help and are greatly appreciated in defraying the costs of running this service and of providing needed camperships, programs and operations support. Click http://www.cedarscamps.org/giving/ for more about how you can provide even monthly support online. Or you can always call the Huffs at 636-394-6162 get information or discuss privately how to transfer securities or other assets to help support and perpetuate CedarS work.]

[You can also reach a member of the Founding family nearly anytime by
PHONE at 636-394-6162
or MAIL your tax-deductible support to our 501C3 organization
(Our not-for-profit, Federal Identification Number is #440-66-3883):

The CedarS Camps, Inc.
1314 Parkview Valley Drive
Ballwin, MO 63011

THANKS TO YOU PRECIOUS DONORS FOR YOUR ONGOING, GENEROUS and NEEDED SUPPORT OF CedarS IMPORTANT WORK!

[LETTING 3 SPECIAL NEEDS BE KNOWN –
Significant funding is still needed for these special opportunities:
1. Now that CedarS video show circuit is in full swing, it is apparent that getting many to camp will depend on "Love's Provision" of campership assistance. Could you be one of the angels who gives towards camperships and the life-altaring and life-altering experiences they provide at CedarS?]

2. Over 100 needed items are featured on CedarS Giving Tree that could fit the budget of every grateful Met-recipient and camper. You can choose for yourself $1-and-up ways to give to support CedarS needs. Click here to see 2 young alumni tell their reasons to give.

3. “Adopt the Herd” Matching Opportunity! Generous donors, aware of the ongoing need to care for CedarS herd, will match donations for our horse program! (~$20k needed to reach $50k goal)]


[The Met application ideas above are provided primarily to help CedarS campers and staff (as well as friends) see and daily demonstrate the great value of studying and applying the Christian Science Bible lessons 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 by clicking the "Subscribe Now" button (lower left) at http://www.cedarscamps.org/metaphysical/ ]

[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 Manfred and Jeanette; or in Spanish, thanks to a team of Ana, Erick, Claudia and Patricio, or in Portuguese, thanks to helpers of Orlando Trentini in Brazil. A voluntary French translation by Rodger Glokpor, a Christian Scientist from Togo (West Africa) has been contributed in the past. Thank you, Rodger and all translators! Go to http://www.cedarscamps.org/and click "Newsletters" to sign-up for a free translation into these languages. This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 14-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 emails to follow.) 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 serve as 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 and in a variety of useful formats 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-26) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (S-1 thru S-32). 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.]

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