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[See and Know God! No blind faith needed.]
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“God”
for Sunday, January 3, 2016

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

[Please consider W's PS #2 to help meet a $1,748 year-end need.]

This is a great post-Christmas gift to you and all mankind, this Bible lesson that confirms that a deeper understanding of God's changeless nature of good is always bestowing on man the best gifts. We are called upon to understand God intelligently, with pure hearts, straining out the clouds of material sense that have us thinking of God as quixotic or undependable. It is material sense testimony that sends us messages of pain, sadness, and separation. These errors that Mrs. Eddy dubs "The wintry blasts of earth…" (S4) are not from God and they illustrate nothing of God's nature. We can't look to these false messages to explain anything to us of the nature of God or of man, His idea.

It is wonderful then that this lesson opens with the passage from James that includes the idea of gifts from God being only good and this goodness being unchanging. The Message interprets "no variableness" as "nothing fickle", so nothing that is arbitrary or without thought and intelligence behind it. We see this confirmed throughout the lesson, God's love is consistent, constant, and impartial. Without understanding this about God, there would be no reason to worship Him or to obey him except for fearing some sort of unknown consequences. Fear is not a good reason to follow or obey, though it has been used for millennia to keep order in society. Far better we know Him as Love, as divine power and presence and Mind. This is the knowledge that Jesus best revealed to mankind; it is the understanding that enabled him, and us today, to heal.

The Responsive Reading contains a snippet of the story of Moses discovering the burning bush and is preceded by the Bible beginning with God establishing light as the first act of creation (Genesis 1:1-4). In Moses' story we have the light of the fire that did not destroy the bush. To me this fire represents the light of divine intelligence, communication, revelation. It is also depicted without destruction (the bush is not consumed), it needs no matter to fuel this revelation, to partner with it in any way! Sometimes, I think, we get confused or muddied in our thinking. We think we need to combine what we know of matter, with what we know of God in order to proceed. This is a sort of impurity, a mixing of matter and Spirit in an effort to make them cooperate with one another. Moses was an example of someone who relied entirely on God at every turn after this important revelation in the desert. He is often portrayed as being someone who represents purity. And his ability to see God "face to face" is a wonderful example of the beatitude (found in B9, quoted in S8 and commented on in Download 1) about how the pure in heart see God. Since this lesson is all about "seeing" God, Moses is the perfect opener!

Section 1: God is a tender shepherd.
Citation B2 speaks in God's voice of His everlasting love—it has no "shadow of turning" (meaning it doesn't change)—from that Golden Text. You can look through this section and see all the ways that God's nature is revealed. We see Him as: Maker, husband, Redeemer, Holy One, shepherd, head above all, not to mention the qualities of power and love [and all the Bible-based synonyms for God found in citation S1 and read and applied to camp and to life by Chrissie Sydness in today’s “Daily Lift” podcast]. Again, it is the "wintry blasts of earth" (S4) that might make us feel that we are separated from that Love. But all we really find ourselves losing is a more material sense of love that needs elevating in the light of God's genuine, caring, warm and present Love. And citation S5 is the perfect example of how God is definitely not "fickle", He never turns joy into sorrow…etc. There is nothing "more" out there than Love (S1).

Section 2: The pure in heart see God.
"Thou shalt have none other gods before me." (B7) This is a way of stating the purity of God's nature; there is nothing and no one sharing His throne. Just as when we climb to a very high altitude where we are closer to the sun and actually feel the results of the sun's rays more intensely, so Mrs. Eddy tells us that "We should strive to reach the Horeb height where God is revealed; and the cornerstone of all spiritual building is purity." (S7) At Moses' spiritual altitude, he understood God better; this understanding was built on the purity of thought that put up fewer "barriers" between himself and his Father-Mother. Ridding ourselves of whatever is "merely material" in our sensations, affections and worship (S10) is a way to reach that height.

Section 3: Is God ever beyond our sight?
Moses was faced many times with the suggestion that there was no way out. But in each case God was there to prove that man is never without God's goodness and care. The sea parted, water sprang from a rock, quail and manna rained from the sky. These are powerful examples of how God is always with us, providing for us. To find God we need look no farther than our consciousness. This is where the kingdom of heaven in man exists and is revealed to thought. How can we tell that the kingdom of heaven is within each of us? When we let in the light of God we see God's gifts; the kingdom of heaven is illuminated. Since it is within, it goes everywhere with us—no matter what, God, good, is ever-present.

Section 4: God's creation is always whole and clear sighted.
The story of Jesus healing the man who was born blind is a terrific way to illustrate the grand nature of God and His creation. The better understanding that Jesus had of God enabled him to heal this man (and many others). He knew God didn't create man with certain rules that were separate from His nature of equality, justice, goodness. He didn't establish laws of heredity. Again, He is not fickle! We too can wash away the man of dust from our own eyes and see God and man clearly. [See CC commentary in PS#1.] We need not be like the "neighbors" in this story that were blinded by dogma (criticizing Jesus for healing on the Sabbath). This dogma made them unable to see God's goodness, not only for this man, but also for themselves. Jesus' mission revealed to man not only God's unspeakably consistent love for His creation, but also man's nature as God's child.

Section 5: Another kind of vision of Truth.
Cornelius saw a vision about the nature of man and of God. His vision was shared by Peter. Both had a clearer understanding of God as the Father of all mankind. An accurate view or understanding of God helps us see all mankind as our brother. We can be assured then, that when we harbor less than absolutely loving thoughts of our neighbor, or of another, anywhere in the world, we are not understanding God's nature accurately. [See Download options online of Cobbey Crisler's comments on citation B17, Acts 10] Citation B16 ends with "Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good." Try inserting Mrs. Eddy's translation of "the house of the Lord" from the 23rd Psalm here. So roughly, "Because of my consciousness of Love I will seek thy good". This may not be a scientific way to look at that passage, but I find it helpful. When we are conscious of Love, we are dwelling in the kingdom, we are in the house of the Lord, and we will perceive all mankind as our brothers and sisters. Consciousness is another way of saying understanding. If we are conscious, aware, seeing—we are understanding.

Section 6: Not blind faith, but Clear Sighted Understanding!
Paul caught the Athenians worshiping an "unknown God". [See Download options online of Cobbey Crisler's comments on citation B18, Acts 17] Paul began to preach to the Athenians about God who is one with man, within man and in whom we live. This is a God who is in our very heart. We obey and love what we understand. The term "blind obedience" is something that we think of negatively and for good reason. While we want our children to be obedient, for example, we want even more for them to understand why we are asking them to listen to us. In this way the understanding of the inherent goodness of whatever we are asking is within them and will stay with them throughout life. In the same way we obey and love God when we understand His nature. We recognize the good gifts that He is constantly bestowing on us. Christian Science, the Science of understanding God, raises the level of all that is in the world including religion and medicine (S28). This is a remarkable thing! In this same passage we are told that Science helps thought to be acquainted "intelligently" with God—not dogmatically or blindly. Our very being or existence is in God—it is a worthwhile endeavor to know Him better.


[W's P.S. #1 Cobbey Crisler’s (CC) Commentary for citation B14 (John 9:2-7)
John 9:2. “who did sin? (A) This fellow over here? Or (B) his parents?”
John 9:3. Jesus had that paper before him as in the examination room on that point many times before. “He says, (C), none of the above… [Or per Warren proposes (D) DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA) the molecule that supposedly carries encoded genetic instructions Does Not Apply!)] Neither hath this man sinned or his parents.” What’s that saying about origin? Where is that man? His roots are not in parents of in some reincarnated experience…”
Notice what he does in John 9:6 and what it may remind you of. “He spat on the ground, made clay of the spittle.” That reminds you of man being made of the dust in the Second Chapter of Genesis Verse 6 and 7, doesn’t it? Would Jesus ever mock God if he considered that was the real way that creation occurred? Yet, it almost looks like a mockery of that. He’s taking on that concept of the man of dust. He’s spitting on that ground, into the dust, making clay of it, and slapping it on the eyes of the blind man.
John 9:7. The man goes to the pool of Siloam. He can’t see his way there. He’s got mud all over his face. He doesn’t go seeing. He comes seeing.” He comes only after he has washed off that symbolic making or formation of man out of the dust.
In a way, it might even give us a greater hint on what the true meaning of baptism is, the immersion in Spirit, nativity, and washing off every trace of the dust man.” The Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple, p. 52-53]


[W's P.S. #2: Thanks to all you regular and recent donors, we are close ("only" $1,748 away from) raising the amount needed for our Maintenance Musts Matching Grant by year end! We need to raise the whole $25,000 by 12-31-15 to get any part of the matching grant. This and other needs are featured on our Giving Tree, with gifts starting at $1. God bless you for clicking here and selecting your year-end present "to put under our tree." Every gift matters, is tax-deductible and adds up to big blessings in the lives of Sunday School students.]

[IT WOULD BE A HUGE, HUGE ANSWER TO PRAYER to have MORE MONTHLY GIFTS ONLINE which you can easily set up at https://www.cedarscamps.org/donate/?a=donate-recurring .

To discuss privately how to transfer securities or other assets to help support and perpetuate CedarS work, you can reach a member of the Founding family nearly anytime by calling the Huffs or their daughter Holly Huff Bruland at 636-394-6162

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


[CedarS 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.

[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/ ]

[For additional "Director's Notes" on the history, development & 4 translations of CedarS weekly Bible Lesson "Mets" go to Notes in our online version of it.]

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