Join us for the best summer yet!

[Enthusiastically demonstrate Spirit’s all goodness & everywhere-ness!]
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“Spirit”

February 7, 2016

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

What does this synonym reveal about God? The broadest, most encompassing thing it says about God's identity is contained in the Golden Text. Spirit is all good. There is no evil in it, no darkness, no matter. That sounds simple, but to really put that understanding into action or demonstration takes spiritual progress, elevating consciousness–another thing that Spirit does well! We can know this as a fact, but what to do when we are confronted with the opposite suggestion, that there is good and evil, that God/Spirit is not, in fact, all? This lesson helps us to understand how Spirit communicates with us, right where our understanding is, to help us to be conscious of this present goodness. "Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear." (S29) This is just one of many statements that points to the ways that Spirit informs our consciousness of its presence and power!

How is Spirit connected with man? The Responsive Reading* takes care of the answer to this. Through the Holy Ghost Spirit communicates to us a deeper understanding of God and Spirit's goodness and power. The Holy Ghost [that descends “from above” in the form of a “dove” of flash of recognition to each of us**] is linked with understanding, revealing, illumining, recognizing. (Check Science & Health citations that include the term, Holy Ghost!) This spiritual creation story from John is a great way to connect with Spirit as the source of all true being. The understanding of Spirit as the origin of all goodness descends on each of us, and purifies our sense of self, man, and God, in order to bring healing and progress to mankind.

Section 1: We can't see in the dark.

Okay, maybe a little… But seriously, this is one of my favorite passages from the Genesis creation story, the part about light. Earth was without "form, and void". Matter is shapeless and empty because it is always in the dark. The dark can make things confusing, unclear, incomprehensible, scary even. (This is not to say that there isn't beauty in the night time, I'm speaking metaphorically here!) But God makes light. Light reveals. Truth, which is made clear in the light, gives form or shape to objects which before were invisible or shapeless. Goodness becomes apparent. There is no hiding in the light. Spirit knows everything about His spiritual creation. (B2)*** That's because we were created in the light of spiritual understanding, not in the confusion and darkness of matter or a material womb. Darkness "obscures" the light (S3); material sense would confuse us, muddy the waters of our clear consciousness. Obscuring is not the same thing as eradicating. Material sense sometimes does get confused, but this is a "supposition" not a truth and the light of truth eliminates the obscurity of darkness.

Section 2: Spirit is the source of our identity, and supplies us with what we need.

If we know, for sure, that Spirit made us, wouldn't we want to spend our lives getting to know Spirit and Spirit's creation, Spirit's kingdom? [B5*] This is the gist of this second section. Citations B8* and S11 encourage us to discover that spiritual kingdom, and through it, the reign of Spirit in a real and visible way. "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord;" (B7) "Spirit names and blesses all." (S6). "Man is the family name for all ideas,–the sons and daughters of God." (S7) Each time the word "all" is used we are reminded of the Golden Text statement about Spirit's goodness. His goodness is all encompassing, no darkness in it, no matter involved. Spirit, the source of our identity, the supplier of every need, is worth seeking out and understanding.

Section 3: Spirit is the one and only true consciousness (and if it ain't good, it ain't Spirit's)

Who among us hasn't felt like our thoughts are irretrievably sad, angry, lonely, grief-stricken, etc. at one time or another? Maybe this is a helpful way to think about the story in citation B11.* This man was mentally ill. The Bible refers to him as having the "spirit of an unclean devil (or spirit)". We don't have to be completely out of control mentally to understand how this man might have felt. The understanding that Spirit is one, that there are no other consciousnesses that have control over us, is a powerful, healing truth when we yield to it. This man didn't want to yield immediately did he? He "…cried out with a loud voice, saying, let us alone;". Maybe sometimes we feel the same way with our more powerful feelings, we literally try to chase away the healing power of Spirit and wallow in the seeming power of whatever emotion appears to be in control. Look at the Science & Health portion of this section and we see that "Erring human mind-forces can work only evil under whatever name or pretense they are employed;" (S15). And evil tries to tell us it has a real identity that is more powerful than good. Spirit, the only consciousness that is real and powerful, is also good. It brings harmony, peace, deep joy. Citation S16 tells us that we should cast out the belief of "evil spirits" in whatever guise, whether depression, hatred, anger, frustration, envy–any form of mental illness, the belief that something other than Good governs man.

Section 4: Spiritual progress/purifying our hearts, helps us "…triumph over the body."

Who doesn't want to do this?! We really can't see/understand Spirit by looking at matter or the body. This was the need that Jesus perceived in Nicodemus, who appeared to have some kind of recognition that Jesus was an important guy, but didn't quite understand the depth of Jesus' role. [B14*] Jesus pointed out to Nicodemus that whenever we start from matter, we are limited in every direction. We must be "born again", "…of water and of the Spirit". [B14*] Matter doesn't "enter into the kingdom of God". We cannot bring our material concepts and unclear sense of man and God along with us if we expect to progress, move forward spiritually. Step by step we must "deepen human experience". It is especially cool in this section that citations S21 and 22 are linked. By denying the "claims of matter", every day, we then "Emerge gently from matter into Spirit." We have to take a step at a time, purifying thought as it comes. This is true demonstration. This is progress.

Section 5: Spirit communicates His goodness to all creation.

Here again in citations B15* and B16* we have a glimpse of spiritual baptism as we have in the Responsive Reading. We have a sense of the same purity that Jesus was calling for in the last section too. The day of Pentecost was that amazing experience where many were gathered together and filled with the Holy Ghost. Remember that the Holy Ghost is linked with understanding and revelation? How wonderful that this understanding was illustrated by men literally comprehending and speaking one another's language regardless of culture or country. Peter reaffirms here that the promise of this gift of understanding Spirit/God is "to all that are afar off" as well as to those present. Spiritual sense is how we understand and perceive Spirit. We all have it. Citations S25 and S26 help us to distill this idea by defining spiritual sense as "…the discernment of spiritual good" and "…"a conscious, constant capacity to understand God." These are both achievable demonstrations. We can all discern spiritual good in a multitude of ways and we are all capable of maintaining a mental space in which we can consciously understand something of God, right where we are. In these ways we hear Spirit communicating His goodness to us because we are exercising our step-by-step ability to really dig deeper and recognize the good around us and attribute it properly to Spirit.

Section 6: Matter is blind and deaf to spiritual progress.

Have you ever noticed that even when you have made some spiritual headway, that your thoughts can try to tell you you don't really understand Christian Science, or God? Even when you have had a number of healings you might be tempted to think that you won't have another, or you can only have them at camp, or…. Matter can't help you move forward. Progress is spiritual and it springs from spiritual sense, so don't be tempted to listen to discouraging thoughts. "ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Quench not the Spirit. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." B20. This is all really great advice, we should follow it! With each step we take, resisting the temptation to listen to matter's false suggestions, basking in Spirit's goodness, we find ourselves feeling deeper joy, more harmony and healing.

When I was working towards Journal listing as a Christian Science practitioner I kept a record of all the healing work that I had a part in. It was for more than a year or so and I remember despairing to my husband that though there was a lot of good work, there were not enough examples of physical healing to qualify for listing at that time. He gently suggested I check my records. I was astounded that I had literally dozens of good examples in there. What had happened that I truly believed that there were not enough? That's the nature of material sense. It obscures and denigrates what it cannot understand and appreciate. I quickly submitted my application for Journal listing with several fine examples of healing to refer to. Don't listen to material sense. Open your God given spiritual sense to see all the good that Spirit provides to you and all mankind!


* [W: You can download insightful, Bible commentaries by B. Cobbey Crisler on this and other citations as listed in the upper right corner of CedarS online version of this Met. Additional, new CC insights will be copied and added throughout Monday, February 1st.]

** [W: Hear a great application idea about receiving and demonstrating proof of the anointing Spirit on YOU in “Watch for your dove”, today’s “Daily Lift”, by (CedarS alum) Jenny Sawyer. ]

*** [W: Hear and see a beautiful campfire song version of “Whither… “ as in citation B2 (with an awesome descant written by Dwight Oyer) as sung at a session’s end at A/U and at other Christian Science camps at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoGmeUA5WvI]


[W's (Warren's) added PS: Horse-loving matching fund donors will match dollar-for-dollar your "Adopt the Herd" gifts to provide needed care for our wonderful herd of horses. Other needs starting with $1 items can be found and met on our Giving 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 or planned gifts to 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

or MAIL your tax-deductible support to our 501-C-3 organization
(Our not-for-profit, Federal Identification Number is #440-66-3883):

The CedarS Camps Office
1314 Parkview Valley Drive
Ballwin, MO 63011

[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.]

American Camp Association

MAIN OFFICE
(November - May)
410 Sovereign Court #8
Ballwin, MO 63011
(636) 394-6162

CAMP OFFICE
(Memorial Day Weekend - October)
19772 Sugar Dr.
Lebanon, MO 65536
(417) 532-6699

Support our mission!

CedarS Camps

Back
to top