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[Dance daily as God’s reflection! Wash off every trace of dust man. (RR, PS#1)]
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on

“Man”
for Sunday, March 5, 2017
[TOP NEEDS OF THE WEEK]

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

Our lesson this week begins and ends with part of the final verse of Psalm 23: "…I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." (Golden Text) This keynote conveys the message that man is, in his true and only state, at home in heaven, the house of God. We never leave this house, move away, never go back there. Our consciousness/identity is safe and secure in this spiritual, holy dwelling. In some way, each section illustrates how man can find himself/herself at home in Love. We find that our dwelling place is in Mind as an idea, in Spirit, rather than derived from material parentage, inheriting all from Spirit, not error. Our home is a place of eternal and infinite purity from which we are constantly refreshed and newborn, and it is a place from which we never depart, and to which we never need journey back!

Responsive Reading: There are rich references here to where we are securely living. We are "settled in heaven" with God's "word", with His Christ. There is so much rejoicing in this home that we all surely want to be aware of living here. There is justice ("everlasting righteousness"), everlasting laws—(God's)—"Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever." "O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."—is related in The Message as: "Surprise us with love at daybreak. Then we'll skip and dance all the day long." (Ps. 90:14) What an amazing and lyrical statement of how we can find our consciousness governed when we rest our thoughts in our true spiritual home, each day. I dare you not to smile when you read that rephrasing of verse 14 of Psalm 90! And the New Living Translation says in verse 10 and 12 of Ps.84: "A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else. What joy for those who trust in you." What a priceless blessing for us, a "single day" is eternity, no time there, all is the unfoldment of good for the man of God's creating!

Section 1: How is man truly created?

Mary Baker Eddy tells us in citation S2 that "…creation consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities…" Creation is not a material process, either physical or artistic in endeavor. Spiritual ideas are at home in Mind, and Mrs. Eddy tells us that these ideas are "embraced" in this Mind! Have you ever thought of yourself as "embraced" in infinite Mind? Mind or intelligence is often depicted as light, and the NLT gives us another lovely sense of this illuminated home in citation B2: "How precious is your unfailing love O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. 9. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see." We, being spiritual ideas, reflect this illumination of Mind. This lovely reflected intelligence is conscious of the fact that we live in God's home (tabernacle—B3). We have to awaken that consciousness by "…acknowledging the supremacy of Spirit, which annuls the claims of matter…". (S4) That's our job as His reflection; we shine with that reflected light, actively eliminating the dark suggestions that man is created of matter, dwells in matter. We had a lovely healing in our family based on this idea of acknowledging God as the creator. One of our boys developed a very high fever a week or so after he was born. He was listless and not very responsive. I had been cherishing his spiritual origin throughout the pregnancy, however, and my consciousness of him as a spiritual idea, safe "…in the covert of [His] wings" (B3) was just not far from my thought. When Mrs. Eddy tells us that we must acknowledge God's supremacy, this is a demand on our consciousness to vigorously deny any other power over our life. This was just what I was doing during that time. It was a time of refuting any thoughts that would suggest vulnerability based on a model of helpless mortal "newborn-ness". This child was nothing less than a creation of dominion, of joyous light, (not heat!). The fever quickly dissipated, but more than that, this healing reinforced for me the truth that we are not mortally based, helpless creations, but divine reflections.

Section 2: Our divine origin makes us "priests and kings"!

There is no shame in spiritual creation, only in a material origin. When we claim matter as our point of origin, we then find discord, sadness, sickness and sin. This is where that second chapter of the Genesis myth tries to explain what material sense sees. I love citation B4, "As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed…saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth:" This verse refers to those who looked to idols as their gods, but you might say that today, we look to our material parentage with the same sort of reverence, as our source of life. Matter/human origins let us down. While there appear to be advantages for some, these advantages eventually end in injury, illness and/or death. That is the so-called "circle of life" in matter. When we live life in Christ, discerning Spirit as our Father-Mother, we see the unlimited scope of life as eternal, unfolding in continuous intelligence, joy, curiosity, enthusiasm, and vigor. We can demonstrate this at any age (in fact we should!). In many small ways, each day, we can overcome the suggestions that we are limited by matter, or material origin. I have witnessed healings of varicose veins, supposedly connected with pregnancy (material origin), various symptoms of aging, and inherited disorders. All these proofs point to man's true nature as "kings and priests" unto God, and not as material beings independent of a spiritual God. This reaffirms our dwelling place to be divine, right there with Spirit.

Section 3: Stop blaming matter and heredity to see what God can do! [See W’s PS#1&2]

Heredity is one of those subjects that is looking to find fault or blame in someone else. It may not be the kind of blame that is bitter, but it nonetheless is looking for a source of origin other than God, Good. The story here of the man born blind, poses that question of blame. "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" ask his disciples. Today, we might not think of it in terms of sin, we'd say that there might be some sort of hereditary disorder, another form of the same blame game. The Message couches Jesus' response this way: "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause and effect here. Look instead for what God can do." What if we were to ask this question every time we faced a challenge? "What can God do here?" Instead of trying to sleuth out a source of creation other than God (like the "stock" or "stone" in Section 2), we can halt our thoughts, turn to God, and think on our spiritual ancestry. We can remember that heredity is really "…what we seem to have learned from error…" (S18). Whether the problem we face is considered "hereditary" or caused by someone's unkindness toward us, the answer comes from the same place. There is no other cause that has power. "What can God do?" What can Good do? In fact, Mrs. Eddy asks on p.135 of Science & Health "What cannot God do?"

Section 4: Man's eternal life found in spiritual rebirth [“born from above” as in W’s PS#3]

Two interesting things about the story in citation B13 involving Nicodemus. First, Nicodemus comes to Jesus "by night". He does seem to recognize something of Jesus' importance. But he's hedging his bets, playing it safe by inviting Jesus in the dark of night so that he can be said to have recognized Jesus' possible Messiahship, but also, so that no one in the church sees, and perhaps is critical of him for "fraternizing" with Jesus. When Nicodemus admits right away that he recognizes that Jesus might just be important since he performs "miracles", Jesus responds that the only way to the kingdom is through this spiritual rebirth, (in essence, not by inviting him to a secret "dinner party".) As always, Jesus affirms that we have to be active and engaged in healing to experience the sense of home that we find in the kingdom of heaven.

A second interesting thing in this story is found in the idea that Jesus is sharing with us that his own spiritual origin is available to all of us through this kind of spiritual rebirth. That even Nicodemus can perform amazing healing work as he understands that he is not born of matter, but of Spirit. This spiritual birth is not measured by calendars (S20), but by demonstration of eternal Life through healing. Only in our recognition of our spiritual status can we overcome the suggestions of a material origin. Mrs. Eddy puts this spiritual rebirth rather elegantly: "Let us shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight." (S20) Isn't "shaping our views" in this way, like being constantly reborn in our consciousness?

Section 5: Christ Jesus showed us the law of life. [See W’s PS#4.]

As we move away from the idea that we begin and end in matter, we make room in our consciousness for the truth that we live continuously in Spirit. Jesus proved this on several occasions, even in his own resurrection. In citation B16 he interrupts a procession of mourners, perhaps to be thought of as a procession comprised of the idea that we are born, we live, we die—sometimes early, sometimes later. You might say he brought this human procession of beliefs to a stunning halt when he told them to "weep not" and told the young man to "Arise". The young man did just that to the joy of his widowed mother! Jesus was able to raise the dead by understanding man's true origin in Spirit. If we are truly only living/dwelling in the house of God, we are always there with God. We cannot be interrupted and kicked out, or welcomed back at a later date after we "die". (S30) We remain forever in that kingdom, reflecting Life and Mind, fully vigorous and intelligent. I loved the article that was included at the end of the Bible Lens in the February 27 Sentinel. Here is a link to that if you are interested. https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1984/7/86-28/world-s-procession-or-master-s-footsteps?s=s The author really helps us to see that we don't have to join the world's "procession" of fear, etc. Through recognizing our divine sonship, we are exempt from the claims of mortality. We demonstrate this today, in numerous small ways, so that we can come to gradually recognize the presence of Love, and our home today in the kingdom.

Section 6: On Spirit's stage, the curtain of matter is lifted, and man is seen in the light of Truth.

I know that this is probably not what Mrs. Eddy intended in this statement (S31). But I love the double entendre of thinking of the curtain here as not only an obscuring barrier of matter that hides man's spiritual nature, but also as a stage curtain, that when lifted, reveals man as "…never born and as never dying, but as coexistent with his creator." "Ta Da!" There we are! At home in the consciousness of Love that has been unfolding to us as we demonstrate step by step, our spiritual origin as God's children!


[Warren’s (W’s) PS#1—Cobbey Crisler (CC) on John 9:1-7 (B13) Wash off the dust man!
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 as 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.”
“Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple” by B. Cobbey Crisler]

[W’s PS#2—CC on Ps. 16: 5-6 (B10) and the source of your inheritances
"Psalm 16:5, heredity is being dealt with in this pharmacy of the Psalms. "The LORD" is what? "The portion of mine inheritance!" Sometimes we're proud of our inheritances. At other times, we're ashamed of them. To anchor inheritance, heritage, and heredity in God, is, first, a radically different concept of origin, where we came from. Secondly, it only allows for the expression of the nature from which it is flowing, and that's divine. The only inheritances, then, can be divine, if that logic prevails.

In Verse 6 you will note that [deep] concern the psalmist [has] about hereditary limitations on his ability. Apparently he comes to the conclusion through accepting the divine fact, the prescriptions he’s had filled, "Yea, I have a goodly heritage.”
Leaves of the Tree: Prescriptions from Psalms
by B
. Cobbey Crisler]

[W’s PS#3—CC on John 3:1-7 (B13), you must be born "from above
“John 3:1 begins with an introduction to "Nicodemus." Nicodemus was a rather cautious man that ran around back alleys after twilight. He didn't want to be seen by his day time friends. …
“John 3:2, "He comes to Jesus by night.” He's in a rather awkward position because he is a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Jews, that later convicts Jesus. If what he says is accurate, it is an unfortunate commentary on the motives that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. If he is really speaking for the Sanhedrin when he says, "We know that thou art a teacher came from God,” then that is a tremendous commitment. If we know that you are a teacher come from God, where is the evidence? What evidence do they use as proof? Such semeia, or signs, or significant results, can’t happen unless God is with you.
“John 3:3, “Jesus makes this comment, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” You know how popular that particular verse has become in our century. Yet it’s based on a misapprehension of the original word. We really don’t find John here using the Greek word “anothen” here in the sense of “again”. It can suggest the idea of “again.” But John uses it more in these terms, “from above."
"Anothen” means "from above." Now look at that statement that Jesus is making, "Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom, or dominion, of God." This is a theological breakthrough that’s incalculable. You can’t see the kingdom, which, by the way, he told us was not only within, but here, right here. It wasn't a future far off thing. "But to see it one must be born from above.” This is a definition of nativity which sounds totally impractical for us as human beings, and yet it's apparently something that Jesus based his whole theology upon. And he got the results from the concept that man is born from above…
“A nativity higher, is that practical?
“John 3:4. Nicodemus wonders about that himself. He even goes to the extreme of saying, "How do you do that? Do you climb back into your mother’s womb, and get born all over again?” This is obviously a negatively impossible event, so Nicodemus is somewhat laughing up his sleeve.
“John 3:5. Then Jesus says, "Except a man be born of water, which was the usual way by which children were born in the presence of water, "and of the Spirit, · he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The normal, natural biological birth is not going to do anything. In order to enter the kingdom or dominion of God, something about nativity has to be understood. A nativity that is higher and not tied into biology. Why?
“Because of John 3:6 one of the most practical statements ever made in the Bible, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” And it's not going to rise any higher than its source. Should we be doing something about recognizing origin in Spirit? Is this what is behind the meaning, again, logos? Get to the meaning. Nativity in Spirit. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” It's never going to go anywhere else. That's pretty clear cut.
“We've got to get out of that concept of flesh. Again, is this really practical theology? Or is it, again, pie in the sky? If we have any concept of arising at some spiritual goal, then we've got to start as if we originated there…
“How practical this is, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man already there." Never moved. That claim, then, of heavenly nativity. It has to have something that is of major importance, John including it, and giving it so much space.”
John, the Beloved Disciple by B. Cobbey Crisler]

[PS#4—CC on citation B16, Luke 7:11-16 widow’s dead son raised at Nain
“Were it not for Luke, we would not have had preserved for us one of three recorded times that Jesus raised someone from the dead (Luke 7:11-17). There is a significant fact about the accounts of raising the dead in the Bible. They are not all in the New Testament. The significance is that not all healings made a sufficient impact at the time to have impressed upon human memory the location where it occurred. This is why you will find statements mentioning when Jesus went to a particular village.

However, in every case of raising the dead, from the Old Testament all the way through the New Testament, the human mind was startled by seeing what it accepted as the impossible, occur. This is what is in common about Zeraphath. Shunam, Nain, Capernaum. Bethany, Jerusalem, Lydda, and Troas. They didn't forget where it happened. The details of the healing are particularly sharp.
In this case we have a city called Nain, probably a village as it is today. There is still an ancient cemetery outside the gate. There was a lonely widow at the head of this procession. Jesus, detecting thought again, saw her entire situation at one glance. He came to her and said, "Weep not" (Verse 13). He dealt with the heavy) weight of grief on thought, touched the coffin (Verse 14), strictly forbidden under Jewish law, and then said, "Young man.”
Notice the radical nature of that. The only one supposedly there who could not hear was the one Jesus addressed. He must have expected that man's faculty of hearing to be normal. "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." He doesn't help him either.
Dominion over death is part of that unqualified dominion God gave to man. As a matter of fact, dominion, as a word, as a concept, simply can't be qualified. If it is, you no longer have dominion. (Verse 15,) "He that was dead sat up, and began to speak. He delivered him to his mother. "
Also, it might be interesting for you to recall that of the three times Jesus raised the dead, womanhood played a prominent role every time. It was Jesus' compassion and awareness of the thought of this woman that lead him to raise her son. In the case of Lazarus (John 11:1-46), Mary and Martha urgently had requested Jesus to come. In the case of Jairus it was his twelve-year-old daughter (Luke 8:41, 42, 49-56).
These things don't just happen. If Jesus is dealing with mentality, if he is requiring much out of the patient's thought, then there must be a receptivity in order to get a result. I think that we can derive a certain conclusion about the receptivity of womanhood, especially on the subject of resurrection. For if you move ahead a few chapters in your thought right now, you will recall there was no man anywhere near the tomb, including those who are reputed to have been Jesus' closest disciples. But the women were there and receptive to
resurrection.”
Luke, the Researcher” by B. Cobbey Crisler

[W’s PS#5—Order info for Cobbey Crisler transcripts and CDs:
You can buy your own transcripts (and audio CDs) of most of Cobbey’s 28 talks at a new website: www.crislerlibrary.co.uk Email your order or inquiry to office@crislerlibrary.co.uk, or directly to Janet Crisler, at janetcrisler7@gmail.com ]


[TOP NEEDS OF THE WEEK:
1) $1500 (in $50 increments, 4 hours given! 26 to go!) to split apart a key tractor to replace its clutch so it can do its mission of helping keep CedarS mowed and well-manicured.
2) Professional horse training ($120/day). Goal= To hire a trainer for 6 weeks to prepare our horses for campers. Gifts are matched! (8 days given! 15 to go!)
Thanks to earlier outpourings of love and support, CedarS is doing other needed Maintenance work before our 56th season, our "adopted" herd of horses are also being well cared, AND a growing stream of campership applications are being granted. However, we still need donations of about $125,000 more to grant the campership requests that traditionally come during this season. We also need almost $16,400 to meet our $50k match for Adopt the Herd! (CedarS Adopt the Herd matching fund opportunity goes through the end of our fiscal year, 9-30-17.) Thank each of you grateful for this service and our work, way beyond words and whinnies, for your much-needed MONTHLY gifts, past and ongoing, able to be given at:
www.cedarscamps.org/giving ]

[You can also reach a member of the Founding family nearly anytime to discuss current credit card and equity gifts as well as planned giving at our winter home/office by PHONE at 636-394-6162

or MAIL your tax-deductible support to our 501C3 organization
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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. But, 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.]

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