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[Firmly refuse to entertain suggestions of evil to have quick, remarkable healing!]
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“God the Only Cause and Creator”
for Sunday, June 7, 2015

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

{Click to give all or part of the $5,000 needed to complete a JumpSport MATCH to provide campers with 4 of their best 10'x17' netted trampolines for safe skill-development and fun!]

The Golden Text is the foundation for uncovering the core of our lesson this week: getting a deeper understanding of God as the only source of creation—a creation that is wholly good. It is echoed and amplified in the final section to include the wisdom that guided this magnificent creation and renews “the face of the earth”—makes this spiritual creation apparent to mankind and leads us forward. This is followed by the briefest of recaps of the first chapter of Genesis (Responsive Reading) to give us a foundation on which to build our understanding of spiritual/true creation.

Section 1: The “all-ness” and “only-ness” of God’s creation.
This section begins with “the other creation”. Here, instead of the Genesis version, shared in the Responsive Reading, we have “the Word”. [As elaborated by Cobbey Crisler in future CedarS online Download 1,] the Word, from a Greek point of view would have meant that inward sense of reason and understanding, and also the written word. To the Jews it was meant to refer to God (New International Version Study Bible). This combined sense of the Word leaves us a powerful understanding of God’s creation, eternally unfolding, intelligent, within us, as God’s understood message to man—the Christ. All that God creates, being an outcome of the Word, would have to express the qualities of intelligence, eternity, goodness. “All creation took place through him, and none took place without him” says the JB Phillips translation of John 1:3. If we accept the statement in Genesis 1 and the implied statement of creation here: that His creation is good, then we can look to Mrs. Eddy’s words in this section to see how we must push beyond the mortal appearance or suggestion, that there is “another” creation that is less than perfect and much less than eternal.

Section 2 and 3: Everything God makes is good and praiseworthy! So evil is no part of God’s creation.
One definition of Principle is “source”. If you think of Principle in this way when you look at citation S5 where “Creator” is defined, you can see that Mrs. Eddy tells us that matter and evil “have no Principle”—matter and evil have no source! Isn’t that an interesting idea? This leads us to that age-old question about where does evil come from? And we answer that it has no source, it has no origin other than the false idea that we have a mind separate from Mind/God. Isn’t it just like the serpent to urge us to contemplate something that isn’t even the right question to ask? When we are looking for healing in any area, the best progress to be had comes from refusing to follow the false trail that leads down the twisting paths of serpent thought. Turn thought toward the light, the light that is mentioned in the first Genesis creation. That’s what is real and worthy. That is what leads to healing. One healing I had that really brought this idea to light happened many years ago. You can read about it by following this link: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1x4163eie9c?s=e

This is a testimony I shared about a dog sledding accident where I really felt that the firm refusal to entertain the suggestions of evil were the key to this very quick and remarkable healing.

Section 4: God made man.
[As elaborated by Cobbey Crisler in CedarS online Met Download 2,] Mary's conception of Jesus most clearly illustrated the fact that God made man. This is the wonderful thing about Jesus’ example to man. Through understanding what he did and why, we too can overcome the hurdles of the false belief that man is born of matter, even though this goes against everything we see, feel, and are educated to believe. I love to take citation S17 and put it in the first person: “In Science [I am] the offspring of Spirit. The beautiful, good, and pure constitute [my] ancestry.” and so on. This is really a great treatment for refuting the suggestion that man is made of and born into matter. Looking at citation B15 we have a great opportunity to see this passage in light of the idea that temple is another name for body. So if God doesn’t dwell in “temples made of hands”, this would indicate that God doesn’t dwell in the material body, the false concept of man. Matter cannot tell us about our true origins, nor about God. We are not trying to fit our understanding of God “into” a material model. Much like the refusal we must make to the suggestion that evil can have a source, so we have to be alert to deny the suggestion that matter has a legitimate or substantial source or Principle.

Section 5: Never doubt the source of healing.
It is helpful to be reminded by this story of Philip (B19), that even when working shoulder-to-shoulder with a Christ-like individual like Jesus, we can be tempted to think we don’t really know God. This happens when we are questioning our ability to heal, when we doubt our own understanding, or past healings that we were once sure of. Mortal mind is never satisfied, because matter is never more than temporarily satisfying. Jesus, the best expression of that “Word” that we talked about in the first section, illustrated most clearly the intelligent goodness of God. He worked from the basis of God as the only cause that there could be, and lifted people out of sin and sickness and even death through this understanding.

Section 6: Philip figures it out.
It looks like Philip learned his lesson from the previous section. Here in citation B21 he is found healing all sorts of evils, just as the Master did! Apparently he figured out that God is the source of Christly healing and that God is evident and apparent in this work. All this healing becomes the foundation for the early church as well as for our church today. Understanding that God is the source of all good, and hence all reality, we can demonstrate this goodness more readily through healing. The source is not in a person, either past or present. The source is always God.

Section 7: Understanding spiritual causation=human progress.
This is what we all yearn for: seeing/‘beholding’ the wonders of God’s presence and goodness around us. Citation S27 gives us much to ponder. “Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress." I think that’s because this kind of progress, springing from understanding spiritual causation, begins from that “boundless basis” (S&H 258:13) from which we derive as ideas of God. We get to see/behold the beauty of this creation by starting with God as the only cause! Think of all the things that keep us from moving forward: human history, habits, genetics, age, disease, and so on. These are all beliefs that stem from a supposed cause that is material. Erase that cause, dig deep into the true cause and source of all existence, and we find only a Christly foundation of good. This gives us [God’s original principles—the only solid] something on which we can confidently build! [As CedarS 2015 metaphysical theme states this: Put it all on the altar to alter everything!]


[Bracketed italics added by CedarS Director, Warren Huff, who’s forever grateful for all the good already received and LETTING 3 SPECIAL NEEDS BE KNOWN –
Significant funding is still needed for these special opportunities:
1. 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! (~$15.5k needed to reach $50k goal)]


[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!


[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 online version of it.]

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