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Give Loving Attention Daily to Your Core Commitments,
especially when surrounded by temptations that idolize matter!

Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Bible Lesson titled

“MATTER”
for September 23, 2018

by Warren Huff of CedarS Camps, Lebanon, MO
[with apologies for delays due to my day-job demands]
417-532-6699 director@cedarscamps.org

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When I read the Golden Text and Responsive Reading featuring the Ten Commandments, I knew that it was a divine coincidence for me to jump-in as a Sunday-sub for this week’s Met (to cover for a travel issue). You can see from a sample of photos (attached atop the online version) why I connected right away with this week’s lesson. They show me (as Moses) interacting with some of our several hundred summer 2018 campers and staff visitors to CedarS Bible Lands Park (BLP). Not shown are scores of fall 2018 BLP visitors from local churches, as well as a Principia College class preparing for their upcoming Abroad to Israel and Jordan. All these groups repeated modified Ten Commandments pledges (listed below) and after that had a hand in moving a full-sized ark of the covenant across the Jordan River into the(ir) Promised Land.

Golden Text: “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: … thou hast given commandment to save me;” (Ps. 71:1, 3) By God’s command(ments) we are saved, blessed, favored, prospered…
Like all architects, “Spirit, the great architect” (S&H 68) has guaranteed the quality and longevity of His work by using ten categories of Specifications. Click here to find and apply some fun links I explored before taking my architect’s licensing exam between the ten traditional Architect’s Specs and the Ten Commandments.

The Responsive Reading including all Ten Commandments and in the whole lesson features their delightful value and promise of saving us (GT) and of giving us success when we treasure and strive to practice them in our Promised Lands. Our core commitment to an apply a meaningful-to-us version of the Ten Commandments allows a strong and growing love for God and for our fellow man to be lived daily; it makes easier to overcome ten temptations that are fairly common to all these days. (They are taped to a hula hoop as you can see by clicking-on the next two Downloads in our online version.)

First below [in bold, bracketed italics] are ten idolizing-matter temptations that seem to surround us (as in the two hula hoop pictures). These are nothing more than suggestive fables or “dust-man myths” that are overcome (“Dust removed 3X faster” as the ‘Pledge’ polish advertises) when we take and keep the following Ten Pledges or Core Commitments (based on the Ten Commandments*) as written on the pictured Ten Commandments soccer ball that reinforces our 2018 camp theme of how to “LIVE LOVE INFINITELY!”.

  1. *[When it’s hard to stop worrying:]
    *I pledge to remember God saving us from slavery and trust divine Love to do so again! So, no worries!
    *[Explanatory Note:] As Moses I often educate my Christian audiences that in Judaism we regard the first Commandment as “I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (RR) In synagogues “we” combine your first and second Commandments into our second Commandment. Note the difference of remembering God’s past goodness and projecting it into the future to eliminate worries, versus doubting God and projecting our “ingratitude in advance” by worrying.
  2. [Whenever I am thinking most about things or bodies and so start to worship them because I believe the lie that they will free me instead of enslave me:]
    I pledge to stop the idol worship of things and bodies that are not up to the job of being God or of freeing me.
  3. [When out of habit I’m tempted to say unthinkingly ‘Oh My God!’ (OMG!):]
    I pledge to stop saying OMG or ‘Oh My God!’ unless I expect God to answer quickly. (A sample APP: This happened several years ago when a fire started with dry thatch in a mower and was spreading fast during a mid-session Sunday rest hour… About 20 people responded in person and deep prayer to a radio call for help. Using Jesus’ model of gratitude in advance we were eager to see just how God would work this out without hoses anywhere around. In total prayer, at the end of my rope, I called out aloud “Oh My God, we need water, now!!” Within 30 seconds FROM A CLEAR, BLUE SKY, all of camp (300+) witnessed God’s quick and powerful reply in a downpour that lasted 30 minutes! It put out the fire and formed puddles on the roads, whereas just outside the gates and all around it stayed dry as a bone. That’s the power of not taking God’s name in vain and of saving your use of God’s name for prayers that you need to be answered quickly. You too will be amazed at God’s quick, powerful response!)
  4. [When I forget that everything is already perfect now:]
    I pledge to remember (give loving attention to) God’s always complete Sabbath day and so think and act out from perfection instead of up to it. (more in Section 4)
  5. [When tempted to disrespect authorities or their guidance, laws:]
    I pledge to respect and obey all right authority figures and boundaries in my life.
    [A sample APP for this commandment lived is related in “Getting along with Mom” from the February 2017 Christian Science Journal at jsh.christianscience.com and is reprinted in this week’s edition of MyBibleLesson.com]
  6. [When tempted to be angry, put others down or bully:]
    I pledge to re-fuse to get angry, make fun of or put anyone down.
  7. [When tempted to be dissatisfied with purity and break promises:]
    I pledge to seek deep satisfaction in ALL God has given and keep my promises.
  8. [When tempted to take what’s not mine:]
    I pledge to stop trying to GET happiness and instead freely GIVE it.
  9. [When tempted to say or think what’s not divinely true of another or of myself:]
    I pledge to see others and myself as God does and as God’s sworn-in witness “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”
  10. [When feeling jealous of anyone’s possessions or accomplishments:]
    I pledge to be grateful for its divine source and so welcome it as mine too, saying ‘Thank You God!’ (TYG!) ‘That’s Mine Too!’ (TMT, which is more powerful than TNT—or dynamite—to link me to an infinite network of abundant good for all).

Section 1—Each day take 2 tablets (or what’s on two tables of stone) for “the heart… (&) the eyes” —to have “temptation overcome”—“destroy belief in matter” (S5, B3 Ps. 119 summary)
The lesson is wonderfully focused on the Ten Commandments and the ark and their present-day, healing applications to overcoming all the idolatry, temptations and vulnerability of life in matter by the seeking and finding “safety in divine Science.” (S&H 494:19)

How fitting that the word ‘ark’ and all it implies is used five times in this section and ten more times (in almost every other section) to bind this lesson together and to us. Mary Baker Eddy spiritually saw and shared a unique insight into what the ark and its commandment contents are capable of providing and doing:“ARK. Safety; the idea of reflection, of Truth, proved to be as immortal as its Principle; the understanding of Spirit, destroying belief in MATTER… The ark indicates temptation overcome and followed by exaltation.” (S5, caps on MATTER are mine since it’s the subject of the lesson)

Section 2—With the ark leading the way “walk at liberty” into your Promised Land! (B6, Ps. 119 summary)

Here’s an APP for that! Pledging to keep each of the Ten Commandments and having them precede us in the ark into our Promised Land, can stop or redirect the flow of water for us today like it did for the children of Israel when the Jordan River stopped to allow dry passage for all the people as told in citation B5, Joshua 3. Several years ago right after Dan Sheets built CedarS portable commandment container or ark of the covenant using specs spelled out in Exodus 25:10-22 (with gold paint instead of goldJ ). Jaime Rybak led a group carrying the ark and with guardian angels on its lid around the rented school buses filled with all of camp ready to leave CedarS for Big Surf Waterpark where heavy rain was predicted to greet us. Unable to reschedule, and on God’s promise in Bible openings we proceeded. God stopped the rain on cue (like the Jordan River (B5) as we arrived and greeted us with sun and a beautiful rainbow. That’s yours too!

Section 3—Be made “wiser than your enemies” by commandments that make the walls fall flat! (B8, Ps. 119 summary)

Ken Cooper’s poem “The Fall of Jericho” can be downloaded in either its color or black-ink version via this link to the online version of Warren's PS additions by clicking on the DOWNLOADABLE PDF FILE in the UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER.

When Ken sent this, he commented: “The fall of Jericho is such an inspiration! It was like a final hurdle, – either “How unfair!!” Or “Let’s clear it!” The Bible says “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust..” and that’s all we have to do. Trust God’s ALL POWER. Joshua’s calm instruction was with authority, and despite no evidence of any change over six days, the seventh day saw the shout like the joy of all completed creation and the absolute nothingness of error proved. Joshua was saying “Trust me because I trust God”. The walls fell flat, they were no more!”[See PS#3]

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Miscellaneous Writings of the significance of the so-called miraculous account in citation B7 (Joshua 6) of how Jericho was taken: “Joshua and his band before the walls of Jericho…went seven times around these walls, the seven times corresponding to the seven days of creation: the six days are to find out the nothingness of matter; the seventh is the day of rest, when it is found that evil is naught and good is all…
in the case of Joshua and his band they had all to shout together in order that the walls might fall; and the disciples, too, were of one mind.”

We, today, in this classroom, are enough to convert the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole world will feel the influence of this Mind; as when the earth was without form, and Mind spake and form appeared.” (Misc. 279:13, W’s PS#4 for full quote at TMCYOUTH.com recommendation)

The Science and Health citations in this section further identify the enemy as:

  • idolatry. A belief in other gods, other creators and other creations must go down before Christian Science.” (S12, 535:12)
  • Contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism …
  • the belief in material conditions.

Today, let’s unite across the world to see the nothingness of matter! Let’s “all shout together in order that the walls [of resistance to good and of belief in past material conditions, in unhealthy bodies and in past, cold, church culture] might fall.”

Section 4—“be not deceived…and serve other gods, and worship them” (that are not up to the job of being God, B9) —Stay “undefiled in the way… wander not from thy commandments …nor “forget thy word…” (rather find) delight…in thy statutes…(and) live…and keep thy word” (B12, Ps. 119 summary)

In the story in citation B10, the Israelites made a big, tactical miscalculation when they thought that they could merely haul around with them to fight their battles for them a physical symbol –or “graven image”—of the ark of the covenant instead of the mental or spiritual ark of the kingdom of heaven that one always takes along when the power of instinctively loving God “with all your heart, soul… and mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (B20) is internalized with every thought and externalized with every action. Such commandment-cherishing is the true basis of the Ten Commandments and the ark of the covenant that one can never lose nor forget.

Grace Wasson, CSB, shared a one-liner in a Christian Science lecture over 50 years ago that I’ll never forgotten. She said “Whenever there’s loving attention, memory is inevitable.” Applications of this delightful idea never cease—from giving you a key to remembering names, to repeating facts and ideas on exams, to short term recall, to long term recall, to the most important, overarching thing to give our loving attention to, and so inevitably “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” (RR, 4th commandment)

On God’s first celebrated Sabbath day in chapter 1 of Genesis, God rested in His/Her already perfect work as hundreds (and hopefully you) have pledged to do already in the Ten Commandment soccer ball pledges listed in the Responsive Reading.

At the close of every Sunday School and Sunday church service is read “the Scientific Statement of Being” (NOT of Becoming). When we, as a united, grateful church family, finally give our undivided, loving attention to the foundational fact of our already perfect, “very good” status as “the divine image and likeness”(S8) here are some of the catalogue of errors listed briefly in this section’s Science and Health citations that will be eliminated:

  • “the opposite error of many minds.” (S15, 1st & 22nd commandment)
  • “Falsehood…” (S16, 9th commandment)
  • “envy…” (S16, 10th commandment)
  • “hypocrisy…” (S16, 9th commandment)
  • “malice, hate, revenge…” (S16, 6th commandment)
  • “steal away the treasures…” (S16, 8th commandment)

Section 5— “delight…” yourself in God’s “commandments, which… (you) have loved.” (B16, Ps. 119 summary)

New Testament characters and writers, far from leaving the commandments behind, find them grounded in the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18) and take them to their highest source of love for God and man. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” (B13, I John 5:3) After all, Jesus said “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Matt 5:17

In Solomon’s finishing and dedication of the TEMPLE in this section, we see the symbolic honoring of the ark of God’s covenant in “the shrine of Love” (S18) where “his mercy endureth forever” (B14). As magnificent as the architecture of this structure was, nothing could match the cloud of God's glory and teh presence of divine Love that filled the house of the Lord as the people sang and praised God for his enduring mercy or Love. (For those who have experienced CedarS Hymn Sings, remember how full of the glorious presence of Love we all feel as we unite in praising God in one beautiful song after another!)

When love motivates our every thought and act, we, and all around us, will also radiate the glow of divine Love—the true essence of the Ten Commandments and of each of us as equal, unified members of “the whole family of man (that) would be brethren.” (S20)

Section 6—Be graciously upheld by cherishing and expressing the child-like love behind each commandment that you may Live Love Infinitely! (from B21—Ps. 119 summary, B17-B20)

In Matthew 18:1-4 (B19) Jesus sets up as a model the priceless, healing gift of child-like receptivity! Child-likeness is a reflection of the “gentle beam of living Love” (Hymn 23, that is) “so far above all mortal strife.” Typical human striving was exhibited by Jesus’ disciples who were busy fighting amongst themselves over who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He brought in a little child to humble their striving and open their child-like receptivity.

You will be blessed by reviewing—with child-like receptivity as praised by Jesus and by Mary Baker Eddy (in S23 & S24)—the Sunday School resources of an engaging, animated series of podcasts about the Ten Commandments written by Barry Huff, our son who teaches Bible Studies at Principia College. While TMCYouth “rated” this animated series as designed “for Sunday School students ages 11-14,” you are sure to find it connecting with the child in you in many new, fun ways that bring out deeper meaning to many citations throughout this lesson. For instance, the animated podcast of just the First Commandment more deeply explains citations in the Responsive Reading and citations S8, B9, S15, S21, S22 and S24—and especially citation B20 in this section about the roots in Deuteronomy and Leviticus of the answer given by “a certain lawyer” in response to Jesus’ question about what was written in the law about how to inherit eternal life.

Note that in last week’s lesson citation B20, Luke 18:18-30 a “certain ruler” asked the same question about eternal life.

Click the following link for a real treat: https://www.christianscience.com/youth/sunday-school/resources/ten-commandments-animated-series

Some background of citation B20: Notice that the specific commandments that overcome each of the FIRST five temptations (in the RR list and on the picture of my ‘10C’ hula hoop) are the ways that you are to “love God with all your heart…” (B20, Luke 10:27 from Deut. 6:5, part of the twice a day prayer of Jews called the Shema).
Note that the specific commandments that overcome each of the SECOND five temptations (in the RR list and on the picture of my ‘10C’ hula hoop) are the ways that you are to love “your neighbors as yourself.” (B20, Luke 10:27 from Leviticus 19:18)

Ken Cooper has an analytical offering of this citation and others also called “Three Great Commands.” It is attached as a top-page Download online to click on.

Section 7—“Do his commandments…to have right to the tree of life…(& to) enter in through the gates” (B26, Revelation 22:14)
Cobbey Crisler
notes on this citation B26 thatAccess has been won for us, but we also have had to earn our entry. For Revelation 22:14 states, “They that do his commandments… have right to the tree of life.” Blessed are they that do his commandments—that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Accepting that divine invitation, we sit down at the feast which has been promised to us throughout the Bible – the Agape, the feast of Love in the now fully revealed tabernacle of God and His two witnesses.” [More at W’s PS#8]

Cobbey has additional insights relative to the commandments and the “great red dragon” of Revelation in citation B24. “The great red dragon has seven heads and ten horns [Revelation 12:3]. What would that perhaps relate to? Methodius, an early Christian, writing at the last of the Third Century, indicates to those to whom he is writing that the ten horns of the dragon are the opposites of the Decalogue. What could gore us, lay us absolutely open, completely open to the world’s weapons than to deny the Commandments, fail to use them, or openly live in opposition to them?’

“Take the Commandments [Exodus 20: 3-5, 7, 8, 12, 13-17]. Reverse each one. Look what’s happening to our world today. See if the dragon’s horns are not goring humanity freely and with license.

“Thou shalt commit adultery” [Exodus 20:14]. Beginning to look like the rule rather than the exception. When that happens, that’s one of the dragon’s horns, if Methodius is correct.

“Thou shalt kill” [Exodus 20:13]. There’s hardly a television program in which we don’t come up with some fictionalized representation of murder.

“Thou shalt steal” [Exodus 20:15]. Time magazine reports shoplifting as the key crime in our country.

“What are the rules? Why are we ignoring the Commandments? What would the seven head, perhaps, relate to in Revelation 12:3? They have crowns on them. They’re claims to sovereignty when the crowns are on those heads.

… “This dragon [Revelation 12:3], is again the nature of our enemy here. What are the weapons? The dragon has heads, horns, crowns on the heads, a tail, flood. All these are weapons…
…“The flood. In Isaiah [59:19] we’re told when the enemy comes in like a flood, what happens? “The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” The enemy does come in like a flood. Overwhelmed, one problem after the other. You get through treating one part of your body and it moves to another part. Or it combines in some kind of weird crescendo leading towards total disaster or death.”

“As this flood of propaganda, as well in effect, reaches towards our house where we live, where did Jesus tell us to build? On the rock [Matthew 7: 24, 25]. Then if the flood comes, and the flood still comes, but when it subsides and is through, we discover that our home is still there. Our foundation then is important in resisting this flood in our mental warfare. It is a flood. It’s not a trickle. The intent of the flood is to drown everything before it.” …

Weapon, then? Love. To the human sense of things it appears the most helpless type of weapon to use in a battle of what would seem to be between forces of a mentally galactic struggle. But instead, we discover Love to be the real and only weapon. It’s what resists the virus. It cannot come in and break up the host. Love then must be the leaven that gradually changes the whole lump of human thought…”

“No wonder the dragon has got ten horns [Revelation 12:3] because the Commandments are our defense. We know what NOT to do. That’s what the Commandments [in Exodus 20: 3-5, 7, 8, 12-17] have told us. We also know what TO do. That’s what the Beatitudes [in Matthew 5:3-11] have told us. “That ability of being able to say “yes” and “no” is the simplest mental defense that we have. …

“Mental defense and Commandments and Beatitudes readymade, spiritually given to us so that we may never be in doubt what to say “no” to and what to say “yes” to. But the beast would break our commitment to such a standard. It’s the only standard that resists the flood of the enemy, even by the Spirit of the Lord.”
“War in Heaven”: Conquest of Inner Space, by B. Cobbey Crisler** [more in my PS#7]

I love Lona Ingwerson, CS, [lonaingwerson@gmail.com] and her insight in a poem with a line about the great red dragon as “ripe for destruction—his destruction not mine!” (S29, 565:3)

I also love Mary Baker Eddy’s total clarity that is her unique contribution to the ultimate lesson of Christ Jesus and all the Scriptures: “The ten horns of the dragon typify the belief that matter has power of its own, and that by means of an evil mind in matter the Ten Commandments can be broken. The Revelator lifts the veil from this embodiment of evil, and beholds its awful character; but he also sees the nothingness of evil and the allness of God.” (S31)

Mary Baker Eddy’s juxtaposition of the allness of God and the consequent nothingness of matter is also in our Fifth Tenet as to what the crucifixion of Jesus did to uplift faith to understand “the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.” (S&H 497: 22)

Finally, knowing the allness of all-inclusive God and the nothingness of matter is what completely armed Jesus with the Love that led to his undefeated record against all the sin, disease and death that were thrown at him. Mary Baker Eddy states that “The “man of sorrows” best understood the nothingness of material life and intelligence and the mighty actuality of all-inclusive God, good. These were the two cardinal points of Mind-healing, or Christian Science, which armed him with Love.” (S&H 52:19)

May we all be super-enthusiastic “cardinal fans” (fans of "the two cardinal points of Christian Science," NOT necessarily fans of the St. Louis Cardinals!) We can go into the upcoming fall season of “world-(belief)” playoffs, certain that we are armed with the "Love (that) never fails" and that is the foundation of the Ten Commandments. Let's cherish and delight in new application of them to our lives as we gain an ever fuller understanding of “the two cardinal points of Christian Science” (52). We and our team are assured of victory over the great red dragon! It is truly “ripe for destruction” (S29) and sure to fall to our uniquely powerful weapon of all-powerful, divine Love.


**You can buy your own transcripts of most of Cobbey Crisler’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


Thanks to ALL you precious and generous supporters!:
1. INCOMING GIFTS and pledges of CAMPERSHIP FUNDING guaranteed that we met the needs of all who wanted to come to CedarS this summer! The RESULTANT BLESSINGS have already been life-transforming and greatly appreciated by about 400 worthy recipients and their families and churches. Lots of new reports of life-changing fruitage will be shared this fall.

You can see pictures of our best-yet summer-yet at www.cedarscamps.org or on FaceBook or Instagram. (The password is CedarS.) We're grateful to say that CedarS 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sessions averaged over 300 guests each session and that our Memorial Weekend and August Family Week totaled well over 400 Family Campers and staff.

Please sign up to give whatever you can on a much-needed MONTHLY basis to support CedarS life-changing work! [You can start at any amount and adjust monthly as you wish at: www.cedarscamps.org/giving ] All of your gifts add up to big blessings in the lives of today's Sunday School students (tomorrow's joyous workers in our Christ-centered church!

2. Also, thanks to generous donors, we will be undertaking LOTS OF NEEDED UPGRADES TO KEEP CEDARS FACILITIES and vehicles FUNCTIONING UP TO THE LEVEL OF ITS MISSION! (UPGRADING our of vehicle(s) and replacing original Crown Lake spillway will start as soon as possible this fall! Strengthening our internet service for more efficient office operations and for our staff and fall guests and a few other items are still goals before next summer … details to come.)

3. CedarS “Adopt the Herd” Matching Fund has been met!

In the time since Giving Tuesday you helped raise ~$65k for the Riding Program, which will be doubled through the Adopt the Herd Matching Fund, for a total of $130k Adopt the Herd match!

With heartfelt gratitude and love,
Warren, Gay, Holly & your CedarS Family

P.S. If you haven't yet given, or are blessed with more to give, we still have many needs, big and small, that you can help meet by clicking on https://www.cedarscamps.org/giving/tree/.

You can also reach a member of the Founding family nearly anytime by
PHONE at 417-532-6699.

or MAIL to our Summer-Fall address at camp (in red below) your tax-deductible support to our 501-C-3 organization.

(Our not-for-profit, Federal Identification Number is #44-0663883):

The CedarS Camps
19772 Sugar Drive
Lebanon, MO 65536

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 huge proof of your ongoing LOVE made visible and are greatly appreciated!! They not only defray the costs of running this service but also provide greatly needed camperships and essential program 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/meta

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