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Silence the witness of mortality! Declare your innocence! Take your case to the Court of Spirit!
Metaphysical Application Ideas for Mortals and Immortals
Weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson for May 11-17, 2009
Prepared by Kathy Fitzer, C.S. of St. Louis, MO

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 from Pascal or in Spanish from Ana. JUST SIGN UP at www.cedarscamps.org/newsletters

Imagine that you are being tried in court for something you didn’t do. AND, you were not permitted an attorney. False witnesses were lined up to testify against you, and the jury-box had been stacked with people out to get you. Would you stand for such a thing? Wouldn’t you insist on a change of venue where you could have a fair trial? Well, you have to be just as tough – and just as hopeful – when your consciousness (expressed as body or thought) is under attack. False witnesses are constantly testifying against us, saying that we will suffer if we work too hard or stay up too late or eat the wrong things; or we will get hurt if we fall, that certain problems are an inevitable part of being a particular age, and that we are helpless victims of circumstance. Lies!!! Why believe the fickle, false evidence presented by mortal mind testifying to your mortality, instead of the lasting evidence of Spirit bearing witness to your immortality? You are the innocent child of God, heir to the Kingdom. When false accusers present bogus testimony, silence the witness with Christ, Truth, appeal to the court of Spirit, and be free!

Golden Text: We tend to blindly accept the evidence presented by the limited physical senses – accusing us of being mortal. Why not accept the far more reliable and beneficial evidence of Spirit – testifying to our immortality?

Responsive Reading: The same Spirit that animated Jesus, animates us! We are the children of God. And if we’re children, then we are heir to the same glory (the same magnificence, splendor and bliss of heaven) that Jesus was heir to. This glory doesn’t come without a struggle. We have to be willing to work — as Jesus worked. And, we must have the conviction and expectancy that Jesus had. Stand on tip-toe and continually ask God, “What’s really going on? Show me who I really am!” We are told, “ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Sometimes we have to be patient in order to get the full picture. Sometimes we need to appeal to a higher power, and really trust. But, “all things” means ALL things! Jesus demonstrated that good people don’t escape trials. But, redemption of the body comes as we keep our eyes on the promised glory, and refuse to settle for a wrongful conviction. Jesus endured false accusations and was crucified. But, he appealed to divine law, and redemption followed in the resurrection and ascension! Don’t give in to false testimony! Silence it!

Section 1: Wake up to the facts! Don’t be fooled by a dream!
A dream can seem so real! In the middle of it, we don’t even know we’re dreaming. But, as we start to wake up, we realize that something about the situation just doesn’t make sense. Mortal existence (the belief of a limited life that starts with being born into matter and ends with dying out of matter) is a dream! There’s always something popping up that just doesn’t make sense. Mortal existence is the false report of a false witness. (S-3)  But, Christ is the true witness that shines as a bright light to wake us up! (B-2&3) Sometimes, even when we know the dream isn’t real, its hard to shake it. We may even think we don’t WANT to wake up. But, whether a dream is good or bad, we know we have to wake up in order to go on with our lives. If we’re going to be able to go on with the kind of life that isn’t susceptible to any kind of limitation or destruction, we have to be willing to wake up from the dream of mortality — not just the bad parts of mortality, but the parts that say they are good, or fun, too. We’re heirs of God. What is our inheritance? The kingdom of heaven – eternal harmony!  Wow!  When do we get to claim it?  When we stop hanging on to the false-witness’ report of living in a dream-state of corruption (decay) and mortality (subjection to death). We need to believe the faithful witness that doesn’t lie — that represents happiness and health that can’t be reversed and aren’t short lived. (B-2) Jesus’ resurrection showed that he couldn’t be killed. And, in his ascension the mortal body disappeared altogether, showing that Jesus’ identity (and ours) was/is never confined to a mortal body. The mortal body ultimately disappears, just as a dream vanishes in the presence of reality. (S-2) As we persist in entertaining (and acting out) only thoughts that can’t be corrupted – thoughts that have their source in the Principle of good; as we clothe thought in the reality of immortality (never accepting the dream of death for anyone) we will be victorious over all mortal limits!  Death in all forms (including depression; sleep problems; hope, job, or relationship dead-ends; immobility and other long-standing physical or mental problems) will just disappear – be swallowed up in reality!  The key to success lies in Paul’s message to the Corinthians, which is for us, too: Work hard, be strong, stay awake.(B-1)  If you were handed a stack of counterfeit bills, you’d give them back – lay them aside — because you’d know them to be worthless. So, lay aside this counterfeit sense of self — this dream of mortality — and get on with living the life that can’t be separated from the Principle that governs it. (S-5&6)

Section 2: Stuck in the court of error with false accusers? Christ to the rescue!
Don’t put up with lies being told about you — even little subtle lies that you’ve accepted because the convincing argument has been making its case for such a long time. (B-4&5) God’s law of Truth IS in operation! We must constantly pray to have our eyes open to this law! (B-7) The “trial” that appears in Science and Health (S&H 8-11) paints a picture so absurd that it helps us realize that the testimony of EVERY witness against us – including health laws (that flip-flop requirements for well-being and strength with threats of doom and destruction) and mortality (that threatens punishment by death for doing good) must be seen as baseless, and SILENCED. Ask yourself … who is the witness and what court is this case being tried in? The court of error is stacked against you from the beginning. As the accused, you aren’t even afforded an attorney! But, even though the sentence of death has been passed (in other words, no matter how serious things seem) Christ, Truth, comes to give hope and salvation! How often our faith is put on trial! But, USE the trial as a wake-up call which turns you to accept the ever-present help of Christ. USE the trial to stop the slow-death of accepting more and more layers of mortal belief that weigh you down, and praise God (the Father of Christ) that “by his boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you.” (B-7, Amplified Bible) We’ll go through lots of trials, but Christ (Love’ divine message of salvation) is ALWAYS there to say, “Delay the execution; the prisoner is not guilty!” We don’t need to EVER be afraid! No matter how intense the trial gets, just keep holding on to your innocence, and watch for Christ to break through and rip off the doors of whatever would try to imprison you! Claim your inheritance! (Check out the full trial on pages 430-442 of S&H and check out how Mrs. Eddy uses humor to show the absurdity of mortal mind’s accusations.)

Section 3: Appeal to the court of Spirit and the jurisdiction of Christ, Truth
In God’s eyes, you are innocent. Declare this innocence, and appeal every false sentence! Take your case to the Supreme Court (of Spirit) where there is a proven record of deliverance of the “soul” (material sense) from the “pit.” (B-8) In this court, your “witness is in heaven” and you have no criminal record — only the “record .. on high” where your innocence is recognized and defended. (B-9) God has given us counsel – Christ, the defender. (Hymnal #392) We are God’s “Holy One” and, as such, our Father will not allow us to be corrupted by lies and false witnesses. (B-10) Just as Jesus was raised from the sentence of death, so are we! The power of Christ to roll away the stone and set man (you and me) free to walk forth in liberty is here and now ! (B-11, S-12) Christian Science, the law of God or Science of Truth, is the Holy Ghost or comforter that faithfully defends our innocence with the utmost tenderness and love. If you’re in court, and you have a good lawyer, don’t you trust him/her to defend you? You don’t need to understand every detail of the law … you just have to show up in the right courtroom and cooperate with your attorney and trust that the judge is righteous. In “the trial” in Science and Health, the man who had been previously unjustly treated, who had no counsel to defend him from the lies of material sense, now has Christian Science to set the story straight. He was guilty of nothing but loving his neighbor. And that is not a crime! (S-13-15) Even if material sense says you really did do something wrong, you need to check in with what God says. It’s not a sin to love one’s neighbor or do the best you know how to do under every circumstance. God lovingly governs all; never punishing anything but sin. (see S&H 412:1) Remember, Science is unwavering. It is the law of Truth. There’s no power to oppose God. So, the ONLY option is for “the physical senses to give up their false testimony” – to be put to silence! Trust the counsel of Christian Science to defend and liberate you in EVERY trial! And, remember to follow only the advice of your attorney!

Section 4: You are innocent! Spirit silences the false witnesses!
The defense continues in this section. God is identified as the judge, the lawgiver, the defender, the king. (B-13 &14) What else could we ask for? And, God’s law isn’t in effect sometimes, and capable of being undermined at other times. “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” (B-12) The world can make us feel pretty vulnerable. It says we are subject to attacks of disease, economic distress, character flaws, slander, pressure, fear, and who knows what else. But, we’re not under the jurisdiction of the world. We are God’s witnesses. We were created to show off God! (B-15) God couldn’t exist without His expression any more than music could exist without its notes, or mathematics exist without its numbers. (S-17) And, so the law of God maintains His ideas. When presented with a sentence, we need to ask, “Who says? Under what authority do I suffer?” When you silence the false witness (silence the lie), with Truth, the evidence is destroyed, and the condemned is freed. (S-22) Science obliterates all false testimony — wipes it out completely. (S-18) You’ve probably seen TV shows where a trial is going badly for the defendant until some revelation of truth blows the testimony of a key witness right out of the water! That’s what happens when we let Christian Science plead our case. The lies of material sense are uncovered and we are found to be NOT GUILTY! Once our innocence has been proven, we don’t have to worry about a return of the problem. The Judge, basing his findings on His law-book, the Bible, rules: “The plea of False Belief we deem unworthy of a hearing.” Man is judged innocent of breaking physical laws, because so-called physical laws have no bearing on man. Spirit has jurisdiction over man, and the jury of spiritual sense, of course, rules in favor of man’s innocence! (S-20)  God’s word (God’s law) is settled – established. (B-12) It can’t be overturned. Thus, mortality is destroyed and man’s immortality established forever!

Section 5: Pick up your bed and walk!
We don’t need to go through a long trial experience, but if the trial does seem to go on for awhile, remember to appeal any erroneous decisions handed down by Judge medicine. We can’t afford to lie around (literally or figuratively) waiting for a healing – like the man at the pool of Bethesda. (B-18)   The “waiting on tiptoe” that Paul spoke of in the Responsive Reading connotes a sense of expectation and action; lying around waiting leads to drowsy dreaming — and being led astray by the “lusts” of the mortal body — in other words, succumbing to whatever the body is demanding at the moment. What’s needed is active thought – shaking off the bondage of mortal (deadening) beliefs. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven is within each one of us. (B-19)  It’s a state of thought that is free of limitation (sin and sickness) and full of righteousness and freedom. (S-20) Jesus came to bear accurate witness to God’s man — to tell everyone, and show everyone what God’s man is like. Being a true witness naturally led to the healing of “all that were oppressed of the devil.” (B-17) To oppress is “to keep in hardship by the unjust exercise of authority.” The court of error is never just. That’s why we have to take every case to the supreme court of Spirit. Sin – that would put us to sleep to our true nature as the child of God – has no authority over our bodies as we “admit God to be the only Mind and Life.” (B-20 & S-25) Give your permission to be governed only by good! Following Jesus’ example (believing that the Son of God has come) enables us to experience the power of Christ. Change your view; stop accepting (and being distracted) by that which isn’t! Jesus demonstrated that asserting divine authority over a mortal sense of life frees the body. The Holy Ghost with which Jesus was anointed is the eternal Science (the authority of Truth) which commands us to rise up out of the trash heap – (stop lying around waiting for things to get better) and exercise our freedom as a resident of the kingdom! (B-19, S-27) Are we going to let false witnesses keep us down? No way! Bottom line … “suffering, sinning, dying beliefs are unreal.” They are not from God, so they are not.
SILENCE those witnesses and live by divine authority! (S-28) You are NOT GUILTY of mortality. You are immortal!

This weekly Metaphysical Newsletter is provided at no charge to the 1,200 campers & staff we hope to bless again this summer at CEDARS, as well as to CEDARS alumni, families and friends who request it. However, current and planned gifts are needed to help cover the costs of running this service and of providing camperships.

CLICK HERE TO RIGHT AWAY SUPPORT CEDARS WORK ONLINE!
In the next few weeks another $6,500 in campership contributions is needed
to help guarantee that any Christian Science Sunday School student who wants to come to camp can do so. To also help cover transportation costs to send these dear ones to camp, your donations of earned airline tickets, or frequent flyer miles, would be VERY helpful.
Your support in the short-term or long-term is always tax-deductible and appreciated — especially at this time.

You can always discuss or charge any gift you are considering by
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Camp Director’s Note: This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 8-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 the “Possible Sunday School Topics” come on a following page or subsequent email.) This weekly offering is 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, background and new angles on daily applicability to 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. 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 the 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, Camp Director, director@cedarscamps.org (636) 394-6162

Possible Sunday School Topics (P.S.S.T.) by Merrill Boudreaux for the Christian Science Bible Lesson: “Mortals and Immortals” for May 17, 2009

[Warren: Since the trial theme and “witness of God” theme from the Golden Text are woven throughout this week’s lesson, the following P.S.S.T. for the lesson depart from a section-by-section breakdown. Visual learners should especially enjoy the fun, cartoon portrayals of the three different stages of Mrs. Eddy’s trial (S&H 430:13- 442:15) as it is depicted at the end of this week’s MyBibleLesson -see http://www.MyBibleLesson.com ]

The core of this week’s lesson is the trial allegory in Science and Health, beginning on page 430:13.

Here is a set of questions to assist students:

1. What are the definitions of the word, “trial”?

2. Are there different types of trials?
courtroom trial, Olympic trials, athletic trials – like a swim trial,
marketing trial for a product introduction or change, children who try their parents.

3. What is the difference between those trials?

4. Are there any similarities to these different trials?

5. What is the purpose of each trial? To find the truth, to determine how far one can progress toward a goal. Whether in a court of law, or on the other trials mentioned, the objective is to find out what is the truth.

6. How does the statement, “Trials are proofs of God’s care.” (S&H 66:10) work? Does it mean God sends us trials to test us, or does it mean that when we try ourselves to prove how far we can go, or to seek the truth, God is with us even when tried by someone else, aiding us, supporting us, assuring us that God cares and is ever-present in our experiences?

7. Are you innocent? Is mankind innocent?

8. What would be the basis for your decision? How alike is the image to the original? (See S&H Marker 25, 276:17)

9. What is an allegory?

10. Can you share a story of your own, how God’s love and care for you was proven when you had a trial of your own?

11. What is a witness? What is the purpose of a witness?

12. What is a testimony?

13. What testimony or proof can you offer that you are an heir of God? If
you are an heir of God, and you are, what are the rights
associated with being an heir, or direct descendent , of God?

14. Would being an heir make you like God, created in the image of God? Would that image be short-term or permanent?

15. Would that image be mortal or immortal? Why? On what do you
base your conclusion?

[Warren: The Midwest Spiritual Activist Summit last weekend was a huge success as I will eagerly testify–along with over 350 other “I-witnesses”! Thanks to all the CedarS “Met” recipients who last week gave over $1,500 total to help underwrite this event that nurtured great spiritual growth in all who attended. About $3,000 more is needed for the Midwest Summit to be “not guilty” of going in the hole-“innocent” of that transgression– as all other Summits sponsored by The Mother Church have been. Thank you in advance for sending checks made out to: Lafayette Square Christian Science Society, c/o Sue Loomis, Treas., 1819 Park Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104]

Warren Huff, Executive Director The CedarS Camps Tel: (636) 394-6162
Website: www.cedarscamps.org Email: warren@cedarscamps.org

 

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