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Be now-minded, “bold and loving and sensible!”**(GT, B-19)
CedarS metaphysical application ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on the Subject of “Mind” for August 17-23, 2009
by Rick Stewart C.S., Dresden, Germany
[with bracketed notes by Warren]

[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]

Every Sunday the Christian Science Bible Lesson is read as the sermon in Christian Science churches around the world. It also forms the basis for instruction in the older Sunday School classes. But remember that the whole week leading up to Sunday you can study and live the ideas in the Bible lesson at camp and at home. And Mary Baker Eddy says that it is this study “on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends.”
As the ideas of the Bible Lesson are studied, applied, and lived, the effect is a living, practical Christianity that stirs human thought to a change of base. And that “change of base,” is what this particular Bible lesson helps us understand. The change of base that is the change from believing in a personal mind, contained in a material body to that of the reflection of infinite Mind, the one true Mind, God.

The importance of this week’s subject, Mind, might be illustrated by the following quote from one of the great thinkers of this age. The physicist, Albert Einstein, is reported in a well-known story to have said of his physics career, that everything he had done, he had done in an effort to “know the mind of God.”

A friend of my Christian Science teacher once spoke briefly with Dr. Einstein. This friend was at a Wednesday noon testimony meeting in New York City. He noticed Dr. Einstein on his way out of the meeting and greeted him with a “nice to have you here today.” Dr. Einstein spoke back almost as if thinking out loud, “I wonder if these people really know what they have?”

Do we? Let’s discover a little more in this week’s lesson …………..

Mind

Golden Text
The Golden Text is a central theme and introduction for the ideas in the lesson. This week’s Golden Text is 2 Timothy 1:7 It is also in the Lesson as Bible citation (19) at the end of Section 5
. [The Message Bible paraphrases this verse as “God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.”]

We are reminded that God doesn’t make us feel afraid, timid, shy, unconfident. God gives us power, love and a sound mind. The German translation from the Luther Bible for “sound mind” is “Besonnenheit.” “Besonnenheit” has the sense of deliberateness, considerateness, self-control, self-discipline, good judgment. It is also fun to find in that word the German “sonne” (sun) and also the English spelling of “son.” So I like to think of us as the “sun of Mind,” and “son of Mind.”

Responsive Reading
In the Responsive Reading it talks about “wisdom,” a quality of Mind as “she.” Couldn’t that be the idea of God, Mind as Father-Mother? The Responsive Reading might be seen as a check list before you go out and start your day or your next activity at camp. Do I have my climbing helmet, my harness, my rope, good shoes? Am I making sure I have the qualities of Mind with me, am I listening for God’s understanding? Did I remember the commandments, the Truth? Did I make room for the Lord’s presence in my activity? [Are God’s tablets, the 10 Commandments, written in my heart?] Did I “bind them about my neck”, wrap them around me like a muffler, or scarf on a cold day?
[Note how “the proverbs of Solomon” promise all wisdom-seekers the “length of days” and “riches and honor” that God gave to Solomon when he asked for understanding above all else I Kings 3:5-14]

Section 1
B-4 “He performeth the thing that is appointed for me……… ” Knowing God is the doer, the performer, helps us to express the qualities of Mind freely. God gives us the answers when we keep Him foremost in our thought. Like when the lawyer grilled Jesus about God. (A student in college was assigned to read a book as thick as the Bible and he had lots of other work for other classes too. There was no way he could read the whole book, but as he listened for Mind’s direction it turned out that the pages he read contained exactly what he needed to know for an exam on the book.) There is one God, one Mind and the Science of Mind that Jesus taught, teaches us. While at the University of Florida our college organization advisor once shared that the “same Mind that makes the exam, takes the exam, and grades the exam.”

Section 2
Jesus was mobbed almost like a super star would be today. People had seen wonderful things and they thronged him. The church leaders of his time resented that and tried to say that he was doing these things through a negative power, evil, Satan,
[Beelzebub]. Jesus explained that teams that are divided don’t win, they lose. If our cabin or our family seems divided or fighting against itself, doesn’t it help to see the source of the error? Jesus identified all disease, all inharmony as coming from Satan, error, or evil and not from God. Couldn’t a house divided be like Trailblazer cabin divided? … It would make camp less fun. “Inharmonious beliefs” rob Mind and they are at war with the Science of Mind or Science of harmony and health. [Note that in Luke’s version of the B-7 Beelzebub accusation, Jesus reveals that what did enable him cast out error and heal was the same “finger of God” (that wrote the 10 Commandments in stone tablets). See Luke 11:20 and Ex. 31:18. Wouldn’t it pay us to base our treatments like Jesus did on God’s laws of the 10 Commandments?]

Section 3
Many, many years ago some of the Jews were taken into a foreign land, where they were tempted to use the means of that land in becoming smarter, stronger, healthier.
[For good Bible background on this period and on the key characters in the book of Daniel, listen to the last half of a recent CedarS Practitioner Talk by Meg Dendler and Pricipia College Bible Professor, Mike Hamilton.] As the exiled Jews stayed true to their highest sense of God in daily worship and living, they ended up even smarter and healthier than all the other counselors to the king. We know the name of four of these faithful witnesses: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The king had their names changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their names were changed, but not their faithful witness to God as their king. Is matter or Mind the source for your health, strength, intelligence? Would the world try to get you to change your methods for successful living and witness? [For health care? Will you be as steadfast as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in refusing to bow down to other gods, no matter the consequences?]

Section 4
When I was around 12 years old a Sunday School teacher once asked me, “When do we start correcting the false beliefs of aging?” Do we wait till we are an old man to get started? She explained we start right now. The beliefs of age can limit us with the belief that we are too young or that we are too old. But when we begin with this Sunday School teacher’s wise counsel, our “age shall be clearer than noonday,” and we can “shine forth….as the morning,” no matter how old we are. “The old man” that we are putting off is not about human years, but the belief that man is mortal, not immortal; — material, not spiritual. All faculties of Mind belong to Mind, God, not to body, matter. We can prove that this Mind, the divine Mind we reflect is never confused, but always “clearer than the noonday.”

Section 5
B-17, Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom at hand, REPENT” (the Greek was metanoeo which is not just about remorse for wrongdoing, but is about a change of mind for the better, a change of thinking, or a change of the basis of our thought. What about the radical change Christian Science offers of giving up the belief of a mortal, sinning, diseased mind in matter in exchange for the understanding that God is our Mind. As with the Gadarene in B-18 this can result in wonderful healings of insanity and all so-called mental diseases,
[including going from the high-low extremism of living “in the mountains, and in the tombs” to sitting at Jesus’ feet, “clothed, and in his right mind.”] In college days I remember a dear lady that had been healed by Christian Science while in an insane asylum. After her healing she would help and pray with those that were there with her. Later she was released and was an active member of her branch church.

Also noteworthy is this idea of “legions” of beliefs. What if you did something you knew was wrong and you worried that your mom or dad would find out, or be disappointed in you? A legion is a great number, as in Roman times 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers. Mortal thought can seemingly multiply error a thousand fold, but Jesus simply healed the thought, brought the light of the Comforter to bear on the case, and all those extra paparazzi who love to photograph it for your thinking are all swept away in a moment…..because they are errors. You feel so refreshed after a healing, because there is nothing left to disturb. The photographs, the false images have been erased.

Section 6
We begin with Paul, who writes [that the recipe for perfection is] “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before.” (B-20)
[Like Paul, we can stop rearview mirror thinking, living and regretting.] Remember that Paul was earlier known as Saul of Tarsus. He was a persecutor of the early followers of Jesus. He did everything he could to have them arrested and even sometimes witnessed their death. But this Saul was transformed in a blinding flash of the light of Truth, the Christ.

As Saul was transformed by the power of the Mind that had been in Christ Jesus he took a new name of Paul. Earlier he had lots weighing him down, legions of bad things he did and planned to do to Christians. One might say he was a “Gadarene” kind of guy. But when he saw the Christ, he became as a clean vessel, washed and ready to be filled with God’s ideas. (The Mind of Christ.)

Like Saul that became Paul, let us accept this activity of the Science of Mind. As we accept one Mind, even God, we find that this true Mindedness removes all false images of mortal thought. This leaves us with the great Truth that God is the one and only Mind, and indeed is our Mind.

[This weekly Metaphysical Newsletter is provided at no charge to the 1,200 campers & staff who were blessed this summer at CEDARS--as well as to thousands of CEDARS alumni, families and friends who request it, or find it on our website. But, current and planned gifts are much-needed to help cover the costs of running this service and of providing camperships and otherwise-unavailable, inspirational opportunities. Your support is always tax-deductible and appreciated — but your help this year is especially precious to us! You can always charge your gift or discuss any short or long-term gift that you are considering by calling Warren or Gay Huff at (636) 394-6162. We are very grateful to announce that, thanks to many modest gifts and a couple of larger ones, all costs have been totally covered for two wonderful Christian Science lectures given to different sessions of 350 CedarS campers and staff. CLICK HERE RIGHT AWAY TO SUPPORT CEDARS WORK!

Or, while your gratitude is fresh, you can send a tax-deductible check payable to
The CedarS Camps to the camp at 19772 Sugar Drive, Lebanon, MO 65536.

We still have nice accommodations for either single or married adults at our “Celebrate Marriage” weekend, September 25-27! Please encourage all the C.S. friends you know to be touch about the possibilities of attending this spiritually-enriching weekend! Benevolence is available for the International Conference for Christian Science Nurses being held at CedarS Sept 16-20. For a CedarS video clip or update click here.

Camp Director’s Note: This sharing is the latest in an ongoing, 9-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 in a 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 and background as well as new angles 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.
Enjoy!
Warren Huff, Camp Director      director@cedarscamps.org     (636) 394-6162

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possible ways for the disciple in you to be more Mind-full and less extreme,to sit at the feet of the Christ, now-minded and perfect, …

Possible Sunday School Topics for the Bible Lesson “Mind”
for August 23, 2009, by Steve Henn, CS, of St. Louis, MO:

Help your students connect genuinely with the one Mind – help them see that Mind is the only thing going on: the “only act in town”.

PSST – GT:  Modify this phrase to fit your age-group and find ways to contrast the “not” and “but” of this statement. Perhaps you can divide a sheet of paper in two and have one side represent what we were “not” given (the “spirit of fear”); then use the other half to identify what we were given (the spirit of “power, and of love, and of a sound mind). For younger ones you could have cartoons representing ideas; for older ones you could have two stacks of note-cards, or perhaps on each note-card one side could represent a “fearful” counterfeit, and the other could have the counter-fact.

PSST – RR:  “Forget not”; “keep”; “bind”; “write”; “Trust”; “lean not”; “In all thy ways”; “Be not wise”; “fear” – Explore each of these words in their context. What is the author not just encouraging, but demanding that we do? And then look at what the promises are for those that do them. How do these promises manifest themselves in our daily lives? Consider that school is starting around this time of year – what do “long life”; “peace”; “riches”; “honor” and so on look like to the student returning to school, friends, sports, homework, classes, tests, performances, etc…?

PSST – Section 1 – The first and great commandment:  An entire year of Sunday School classes could be taught based on this subject! For this week, consider sticking with the simple idea of “one”. If there truly is only one mind, that means all players on a team are of one mind; students have the same Mind as their teachers, or even as the greatest thinkers who ever lived. How does the inspiration in this section improve the lives of athletes, students, performers, children, siblings, and teenagers (all of which are roles played by your students)?

PSST – Section 2 – No Duality:   What does a “kingdom divided against itself” look like? How does it function? What are some “kingdoms” in your students’ lives? Families, teams, performing groups, there is even a kingdom inside us – the Kingdom of Heaven. What must be true for these kingdoms to prosper? Help your students on their journey to finding harmony in each of these areas. Can we really say there is no “duality”? Doesn’t it follow after declaring “there is only one Mind” that there can be no duality?

PSST – Section 3 – Follow God:  Do your students know how old Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were when called by the king? (Do they know who Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are?) They were boys of a conquered people who listened to God for their direction. How hard is it to do what they did (interpret dreams, fiery furnace, lions’ den, etc…)? But they were not much older than your students when they started these miracles – how did they do it? Look into the citations from Science and Health in this section for answers – look with your students. Are there things your students can do today that would approximate the lives of these four Jewish boys?

PSST – Section 4 – Vim, Vigor and Vitality:   How do your students relate to “seniors” these days? Not the 4th year students in high school, but those of the older generations – grandparents, nursing homes, the elderly at public places (mall, grocery store, etc…)? This section is all about growing old and remaining lucid. Is it only for “old people” then? Remember what Mrs. Eddy says about Jesus, that he saw the “perfect man”… (S&H 476-477). How can your students begin to work on the lies of old age, decrepitude, decay now? Should they even be aware of these lies today? How do they feel about “getting old”? Elsewhere Mrs. Eddy states “Instead of blind and calm submission to the incipient or advanced stages of disease, rise in rebellion against them” (391:7-9). Do not let your students blindly or calmly think “old age” isn’t something they need to deal with. Start the battle against mortality, any sense of limitation, here and now!

PSST – Section 5 – Insanity:  How many of your students are insane? How many of your students deal with insanity on a daily basis? If either of these is the case, then certainly there are some direct and wonderful applications of this section to your Sunday School class. However, not many of us deal with this particular issue very frequently, if at all. What then is the value of this section in your students’ lives? How can it be practically applied to their experience? Perhaps they can look at the circumstances…did the insane man deserve love? Was he easy to love (living in tombs, frantic, wild)? Are there ever people in the lives of your students who are difficult to love? How can they look at this story and Mrs. Eddy’s comments about it to help guide their actions?
Another angle to take is how do we respond to “insane” thoughts – or thoughts that seem entirely out of place? If it seems we have an “insane” amount of work to do, or an “insane” schedule to keep…can anything in this section help?

[A fun and new take on this story is a back-story of an interview with Legion’s mother created by CedarS Adventure Bible Drama Campers. This spoof is a take-off of a TV show called “The View” (from Lebanon) and features a real-life dramatization of our “neighborhood” swine running.]

PSST – Section 6 – Live in the moment; work hard; high standards; listen to God: This looks like a list of life goals anyone could aspire to – whatever profession, endeavor, relationship, or pursuit they are engaged in. All four of these are nestled inside the Bible, especially B-20 and B-22. Take a moment to break that citation down with your students. What difference would your students see if they applied these four goals/principles/ aspirations to each passion they have? Consider the soccer player, actor, intellectual, son, sister, etc… [Applying these ideas makes for “a life consecrated” and changes the mental climate as Gary Duke shared in this morning’s Practitioner talk at CedarS as you can hear by clicking here.]

One Mind: It’s simple. Christian Science is not rocket science – there are no complex formulas or processes to follow. Acknowledging and understanding that there is only one Mind does so much. Refer to S-27 to see what Mrs. Eddy suggests is the benefit. Consider this simple question from S-28, “How can there be more than all?” (287:16) And consider further the wonderful outcome of such a concept, harmony, immortality, all the wonderful side-effects that Mrs. Eddy outlines in this section.

Whether you’re a teacher or a student, or simply a supporter of Sunday School, it is always wonderful to to keep in mind another simple idea often shared by Warren Huff: “If you’re not having fun practicing Christian Science, you’re not practicing Christian Science.” Take the time to help your students feel the joy – the “unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing divine Love” (S&H 264: 24)!

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