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[Share only “The real… constantly accentuating harmony in word and deed! (Mis. 206)]
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“Unreality”
for Sunday, October 4, 2015

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

The fact that there is only one God—all good—always present—always acting and knowing—gives this week's Bible lesson a structure of integrity to build upon. This is our Golden Text, and for good reason. If we can grasp even a little of the reality of God as the source of all life, goodness, power and presence, then the seeming power of unreality loses its grip, and we are left with the Scientific demonstration of this goodness in our own experience. We are left with the evidence of truth, healing.

We might think of this lesson as a sandwich cookie or ice cream sandwich. The Golden Text (G.T.) and Responsive Reading (R.R.) on one side and the sixth section on the other. These "outer layers" contain the solid declarations of reality—that there is only one God, that this is the only fact—and that we can rejoice (sing—praise—be fearless) in this fact right now! The middle isn't exactly "soft"—it contains a variety of examples of how these facts erase the universe of suggestion that unreality is what is substantial in our experience, rather than spiritual reality.

Section 1: One God=universal harmony (S1 and G.T. combined!)
The first Bible citation is similar in statement to the Golden Text. If you look at preceding verses from this passage in Deuteronomy it tells us that we should search "all of history" (New Living Translation of the Bible) and look at what God has done. God has showed us, through so many examples, that He is the only God, from the very beginning of this history. This citation is followed by that very "beginning" in all its declared goodness (B2). Shouldn't we search this history as well? We can look at all the examples in the Bible, from the rescue from slavery in Egypt and before, to Jesus' remarkable healing work, to the apostles, including Paul. But shouldn't we search our own history as well? What about the record in our own experience/lives? Do we have an amazing record of healing in our own lives that might have taken a "back seat" in our thought as the years go by. This back seat could be just a question of forgetting about some healing that we had, or it could come in the form of doubting the significance of that healing as the Children of Israel did only a few weeks after their escape from Egypt which included a parting sea! "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." B3, italics added. This "word" is part of that eternal creation story that is restated in John 1:1. This reality is forever, not just in the distant past, not dimmed by shadows of unreality. When we praise and serve God we are orienting our entire lives towards God (see the Bible lens from this week's Sentinel about this citation: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2015/9/117-39/bible-lens-september-28-october-4-2015 ). You might read this Psalm (B4) from the standpoint that we can only come into God's presence with a song… that we really can't feel and discern His presence unless we are serving with the joy and willingness that a song represents, regardless of your singing skills.

Section 2: God’s goodness and "only-ness" frustrates the schemes of error/unreality.
Once more it is reiterated both literally (B6:"thou art God alone") and implied, as in citation B5 and B7, that there is only one God, who is good. Another translation of citation B7 tells us that being "firstfruits of his creatures" means "… we, out of all creation, became His prized possession." (NLT) It is a "scheme" of unreality to suggest to us that we are less. His works are "done in truth" and there is no evil in that truth. If we don't feel like we are walking in that truth–that "only" path referred to in citation B6–should we give in to despair? No, this suggestion is not from Love and we must continue to reach beyond that suggestion that can only come from material sense, not from God. Error, and the five corporeal senses "…afford no indication of the grand facts of being; even as these so-called senses receive no intimation of the earth's motions or of the science of astronomy, but yield assent to astronomical propositions on the authority of natural science." (S7) In other words, the five senses don't tell us anything about God. Want to read something really cool about this from Mrs. Eddy's article "Christian Healing"? Check out page 16:16 to the end of that paragraph on the next page. It's a bit long to print here but very worth a read! So what do the five senses "testify to"? Only to unreality. They might be able to perceive beauty or truth that hints at spiritual reality, but they cannot see God. The truth is that we are His "prized possession", we are beautiful, intelligent, perfect (complete/whole) in every way. Our senses will never, ever, back that truth up one hundred percent, all the time.

Section 3: When dealing with depression/mental illness look to God ("hope thou in God") B8, not to material cause.
Depression and mental illness seem to be one of the more aggressive claims of the day, at least in the "first world". It is tempting, even when we just feel down, to look for some cause. Here, the Bible points to the only path out of the quagmire of any suggestion that we have a separate mind from God—look to God (the only God!), our creator, our beloved and loving Father and Mother. His messages to us are the only way out of a "valley" experience of any kind. If you've ever watched a puppy chase their tail, then you have seen exactly how productive it is for us to look for a cause that will alleviate any deep seated mental unrest. I may have shared this experience before, but one year in particular I felt besieged by depression. There were plenty of human causes that made sense, but none of them could I change at the time, and no amount of pondering them brought me out of this sense of despair. I did, however pray about it every day, and get up and do whatever task I needed to do. (It might have helped that we were living in a giant barn of an unfinished log house with two small wood burning stoves that required me to bring in firewood for a solid 6 hours a day—including gathering it, splitting it and hauling it in by sled to be stacked by the stoves—our only source of heat in a very cold climate). The winters were dark and long and we had no electricity. Several kerosene lamps in the middle of the cavernous room, on a small table, provided light for the house. I'm sure there are all sorts of diagnoses that would explain this challenge—seasonal, postpartum, blah blah blah. But none would break the lie of just feeling terrible. What finally broke through in the end was my dear husband and his understanding of divine Science, the wordless presence and power of Love. He put his arm around me one morning as we were watching the sun rise over the Alaska range from our front window—probably around 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning. It wasn't what he said; it was the love that he poured out to me. He pointed out a specific region of the world that needed my prayers and love. I had beaten myself up about the selfishness of being depressed, believe me, I knew, and it didn't alter the course of my feelings. I knew what he said was true, and that alone wouldn't have lifted the heaviness. What did was that love from God that I know he felt for me, the compassion that was not "tired" of me feeling that way (it was miserable to be around). It was a wordless sense of being united with Love, even for a moment, that broke through the unreality of that cloud of sadness. "Through divine Science, Spirit, God, unites understanding to eternal harmony. The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace." (S18) We can't struggle and strive against depression or other mental illness. It is not a reality to contend bravely with, to "pull oneself up by the bootstraps" against. We daily look to God alone, and one day, we see that the light is on, that in this light there is no darkness, never was. The darkness can't "argue" with that light, it must succumb to the wordless, powerful reality of the music of divine Love. No valley is too low, and no mountain of error can obscure this Love, this "glory of the Lord" (B11) Every verse of the precious poem by Mrs. Eddy, "Christ My Refuge" speaks to this subject. Check it out in Mis. 396:17 or in our hymnal #253.

Section 4: There is no darkness in light but a bright light casts out all darkness.
I was struck by this light and dark analogy as it applies to citation B13, that passage we all know so well: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:" We can govern our consciousness, our "dwelling" (B14) and keep it filled only with light, love. This prevents unreal suggestions from mastering our experience. Divine Love, being the All and Only, leaves no room in our consciousness for fear, unless we are blind to His presence. Jesus demonstrated this with the two healings shared in this section. Fever represents fear (as defined by Mrs. Eddy in Science and Health p.376:26-27), and leprosy was one of the most feared diseases of its day. Through Jesus' great desire to love and serve God, fear just never entered into the equation. His consciousness only permitted the presence of Love. It wasn't about ridding the woman of fever or the man of leprosy, as much as it was about filling them with the conscious presence of Love, a consciousness that is so full, there is no room for fear/the unreality of disease. The light of Truth makes that lie of error disappear. Let's uplift our own experience to Jesus' level of orienting our whole being towards God, so that our greatest desire becomes the desire to serve Love. Then the unrealities of disease, or any fearsome suggestion, falls due to our full consciousness of God's presence and light.

Section 5: Reality and unreality "never really mingle" (S27)
Material sense screams to us that we are mortal, or at most, mortal with a spiritual component. Jesus' parable of the wheat and tares explains that this is a myth of material sense. It is a dream from which we can awake. Have you ever wondered why the story of the wheat and tares is analogous to the kingdom of heaven? Maybe try looking at it this way: This is a story of a one and only, good creator. He plants only good, fruitful crops. There comes a suggestion that there are poisonous and deeply rooted weeds entangling themselves among this good crop, but reality–spiritual maturity–distinguishes between the unreal and real, revealing God's harmonious rule in His kingdom. Does the wheat "care" about the tares? Does the farmer in the parable? Why not? Because unreality has no bearing on reality. The tares are gathered in our thought to be "burned", destroyed once and for all, so that they can never again present themselves as "fact" in our thought. They didn't need to uproot the good or displace it, because we can wait until our thought is consciously aware of God's allness. The truth or reality is gathered, the lie or unreality is removed from its place where it had no ability to alter the power and reality of the good "crop" in our consciousness. We live in the kingdom, our consciousness is a part of reality and never is contaminated by the lie of "another", material existence. God "exterminates" (S26) all seeming opposition, all that is unreal in our consciousness, until our crop of wheat grows unfettered, and we see this in our experience.

Section 6: [The last part of this lesson’s all-good “sandwich cookie” of reality!]
What the Golden Text (G.T.) and Responsive Reading (R.R.) started—belting-out their solid declarations of the harmony of reality—this section finishes [with an exultant crescendo! We can all join in this music of the spheres because all know it by heart! May all “come… with songs and everlasting joy…” (B22, Isaiah 35:10) The whole of Isaiah 35 was revealed to CedarS Founder Ruth Huff as the purpose of the camp—and CedarS staff is still working to fulfill it.) Mary Baker Eddy proclaimed “To-day is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, 171:3)

We too can rejoice (sing—praise—be fearless) right now [in an irrepressible joy that no unreality can take away. This lesson helps “to break this earthly spell” (S29) of UNREALITY’s false promises and pronouncements by showing us that all these deceptions are divinely banished—and will forever vanish—thanks to the all-harmonious REALITY of our all-powerful and ever-present God, good!]


[We are forever grateful for all the good already received and are LETTING BE KNOWN not only ONGOING NEEDS, BUT ALSO GOOD NEWS! Thanks to generous donors responding quickly to our announced $7k need to replace fencing washed away in a flash flood, we have funds to finish the work very soon and to turn-out our 77 horses into our lush lower pastures! We, and they, are SO grateful!!

Significant funding is still also needed for in these three special areas:
1. “Adopt the Herd” Matching Opportunity! Generous donors, aware of the ongoing need to care for CedarS herd, will match donations for our horse program! (~$7.5k needed to reach $50k goal)]

2. "Maintenace Musts" Matching Funds! This hugely helpful matching grant offer has been renewed by dear supporters to match up to $25,000 through year-end 2015! With recent gifts for needed fence repairs totaling $7.5k, we have "only" ~$17.5k to raise by 12-31-15.

3. 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.

[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.
19772 Sugar Drive
Lebanon, MO 65536


[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. THIS WOULD BE A HUGE ANSWER TO PRAYER! Or you can always call the Huffs at 636-394-6162 to get information or discuss privately how to transfer securities or other assets to help support and perpetuate CedarS work.]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 version of it.]

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