C.A.P.s or Citation Application Possibilities! (New title instead of Warren’s Post Scripts)
from Cobbey Crisler and others for citations from the Christian Science Bible Lesson on
“Mind”
for August 19-25, 2019
CAP#1—Learn daily from our “Great I Am” Teacher! Cobbey Crisler on Ex. 3 & 4 (B9, B10)
“Notice that when God appears to Moses at the burning bush and the bush was not consumed notice that, otherwise the bush would be I-was.
The bush was not consumed despite the passage of time, material elements, whatever.
That I Am is continuous and preserved.
Jesus brings out the point that God could not have used the statement “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He could not have said that using the present tense in Moses time, if what were not true? (Voice: “Eternality”). Eternality of whom? Not just God. His point was not that. His point was the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not dead, or God could not have said, “I Am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
They are I AM as well. If God is I Am, then his creation must always be I Am. That’s Jesus’ own point. We’ll get to that perhaps later as we get into the Gospels.
In Chapter 4 Moses, after he has been tested on this I-Am subject, says he is afraid that others will not be receptive. They will say, when he gets back to Egypt in that symbolic condition of bondage, “Let’s ask ourselves whether we have emerged from Egypt.” Even the geographics of the Bible can be symbolized and made quite relevant to your own experience: The bondage represented by Egypt, the extent to which we are dominated rather than exercise dominion under God, which Genesis 1, (verse 26,) indicates is man’s heritage.
Then Moses (in Exodus 4:1) despairs of being able to go back and say, “God has appeared unto me, God is I AM, forget this antiquated theology that God is I Was. Let’s begin to do something about God now.”
Moses needs some examples. God says (in Verse 2), “What do you have right there, right in your hand?” A rod. I’m sure you know what that would mean to a shepherd, and all the uses of a rod in a shepherd’s hand: the symbol of authority, the counting of the sheep so as not to lose one, the encouragement, sometimes a little bit roughly, to get into the fold, the warding off of wild beasts, the general symbolic authority which it would convey.
“What is that in thine hand?” “You have a symbol of authority you’re already exercising.” But do know really what it is? How are you regarding it?” He is told to throw it on the ground (in Verse 3) and the minute it’s thrown on the ground, it becomes a serpent. If we wish to throw down our symbol of authority and release our grasp on it and let it fall into the dust-man theory of Genesis 2 and 3, according to Genesis 3 (Verse 14), dust is the serpent’s meat.
It becomes a serpent and Moses runs from a problem of his own making. Is this relevant to us? Does this teach us a lesson for ourselves? When things that we have learned to lean upon— whatever, hope, faith, perhaps health, substance or wealth, youth. If what we’ve relied upon falls from our grasp and hits the dirt, turning into what looks like the opposite, as our health disappears, our youth disappears, our wealth disappears, our hope, our faith, our religion, whatever, and in their places we find what the serpent represents, dread and danger. Then where are we religiously? Where are we? Is there any way out? Probably the biggest question that humanity asks itself: Is there a way out?
God tells Moses, as our spiritual progenitor, our pioneer in this laboratory testing, is God telling Moses what? (Voice: “Face it.”) Face it. Don’t run from it. Take it. Is the tail of the serpent the safest part or the most dangerous? In order to grab a serpent by the tail, you will have had to overcome what? (Voices: “Fear.”) Fear. You just simply cannot pick up a serpent that way if you have not already exercised a mental dominion and security over it. The lesson, too, perhaps is implicit that we should not let go of our rod or misunderstood its meaning, turn it into a false reliance, because it really isn’t youth, health, or hope or faith. It’s something even stronger.
We see the minute he picks that illusion… it was a magical illusion. The rod was always there. The problem was the illusion. He had fled before it. Now the rod become even higher than hope or faith, it becomes what for Moses? He now understands how to overcome human problems. Is this what he has to bring down into Egypt for the rest of humanity?
What does serpent represent in the Bible? Symbolizes, right from the beginning? It’s a symbol of the devil, the symbol of the power given to any opposition to God. So we find that a serpent here can be overcome. The serpent, in just whispering or suggesting things to Adam and Eve, introduces what according to the legend? (Voice: “Death.”) Before death, sin. The serpent and sin are parallels in Biblical symbolism.
That isn’t the only news that Moses through his own experience in the wilderness is to bear to waiting humanity. That’s only half the news: That man has the power in his grasp to overcome sin. The other half of the news is in Verse 6 (of Exodus 4) when God says, “put now thy hand into thy bosom.” He does. When he takes it out, before him is the evidence, and perhaps an incurable form of this disease, leprosy. You have to realize the dreaded nature of this disease at that time. It was sufficient to virtually ostracize you from the rest of the world. He takes this out. He has the same reaction he had when he first saw the serpent. What is it? The fear, the dread, to flee before, just even in repulsion. But look at the calm instruction (Verse 7), “Don’t get excited. Put it right back. Take it out.” Poof.
The whole to-and-fro nature of disease exposed here. Is this a message that God has given the only receptive individual in that known world—certainly the only one who has reported such an event—that man also has a God-ordained, God-given dominion over sickness and disease? But he must exercise that dominion just as he has the same dominion over sin.
In (Exodus 4,) Verse 8 (is) almost as historical, even though it is a prophetic note here, it seems historical for us, especially in our twentieth century when we have seen so many denominations are now being to focus on the role of healing within their ranks. In Verse 8 the prophesy is “if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign,” the victory over sin, “they will believe the voice of the latter sign,” the victory over disease, which is most easy to accept when one witnesses it. To see leprosy healed in front of you would cause many people at least to wonder seriously about what brought it about.
“Heal the Sick: A Scriptural Record,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
CAP#2—Claim your wisdom from above! Cobbey Crisler on John 7:14 (B13, ref. Mark 6.2+):
“Verse 2 of Mark 6 (like John 7:14). See the play on word, “What wisdom is this which is given to him, that even mighty works are wrought by his hands?” That’s what a carpenter does. There’s really kind of an insidious thing there. How can he, a manual laborer, accomplish something that is out of the manual realm? And using those terms to answer itself or presume to answer itself.
Verse 3 of Mark 6 shows us that his home town is quite an obstacle. “Is not this the carpenter?” Let’s remember, the word “carpenter” here may not be “carpenter,” whether it refers to Jesus or Joseph. It’s tekton. That’s actually part of our word “architect.” In the ancient world, it could mean “architect.” It’s also been used for “physician,” “ship builder,” “sculptor,” and any craftsman of considerable skill. To narrow it down to “carpenter” is something that we have read into the text.”
“What Mark Recorded,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
CAP#3—"give to the world convincing proof of the validity of this scientific statement of being.” Mary Baker Eddy’s admonition in Ret. 93:17 (on S19 in part):
“St. Paul said to the Athenians, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) This statement is in substance identical with my own: “There is no life, truth, substance, nor intelligence in matter.” It is quite clear that this great verity has not yet been fully demonstrated, but it is nevertheless true. If Christian Science reiterates Paul’s teaching, we, as Christian Scientists, should give to the world convincing proof of the validity of this scientific statement of being. Having perceived, in advance of others, this scientific fact, we owe to ourselves and to the world a struggle for its demonstration.”
“Retrospection and Introspection,” page 93: 17
CAP#4 –Give children (AND the child in YOU) the spiritual sense that will stay with and bless them forever! Citation B17 kicks off Section 4 with “Train UP a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6, UP in caps & underlined added). This verse was selected by CedarS Camps Founder, Ruth Huff to be the tag line theme at the bottom of CedarS stationery and it remains there today—having proved its truthful dependability for 58 years straight. CedarS coordinated mission statement, also on our letterhead, states “The purpose of CedarS Camps is to give each camper an appreciation of spiritual sense and an abundance of wholesome, joyous activity.” Other great citations (Psalm 71: 17; II Tim. 1:1-5; II Tim. 3: 14-15; SH 62: 4, 16; 236: 23-6; 323: 32-3) in this wonderful section amplify this theme. See CAP#5 for more on Citation S23.
CAP#5— When injury “knocks” quickly accept truths that keep your eyes “laughing!" Citation S23 tells of a little girl’s quick healing of pain from a badly wounded finger and how she “bounded off with laughing eyes” after stating that ‘There is no sensation in matter.’ (SH 237:5). CedarS Founder, Ruth E. Huff wrote a delightful, illustrated book about seven mini-weekend adventure stories with her three grandchildren that she titled “Laughing Eyes.” Anyone wanting fun ways to give your loved ones “laughing eyes” can get a copy of this paperback for $5 (for CedarS Campership Fund) plus the cost of postage by emailing warren@cedarscamps.org.
CAP#6—Commit prayer to oneness to stop wavering!–Cobbey Crisler on James 1:6,8,17 (B23)
James 1:6 tells us how we should pray. You'll find when prayer is not prayer… "Let him ask in faith nothing wavering." Wavering suggests this to-and-fro state of mind… James 1:8 "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways."…
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect—free, large, full—gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”—as in an eclipse.
James 3:17 "But the wisdom that is from above" all stems from the commitment to oneness."
“The Book of Job: A Mental Court Case” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
CAP#7—Keep your Christ-like mindset and promise! Citation S32 this week cites "the Scriptural command: "Let this Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (SH 276.4-9) Mary Baker Eddy is quoting Philippians 2:5.
Below is a sharing from The Mary Baker Eddy Library FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANITY of the evolution of revisions to Mary Baker Eddy's SIXTH TENET in Science & Health, p. 497
Current edition 6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.
1879 “Tenets and Covenant” 3d. — And we solemnly covenant to faithfully obey the ten commandments; to walk worthy our high calling, to deal justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God; to abhor a lie, to love truth, to do good to man, to have but one God, and to strive habitually to reach that higher understanding of Christian Science contained in the sermon on the Mount, whereby to cast out error and heal the sick. We give no credence to Spiritualism or Mediumship, and object to mesmerism and medicine, never in any case using any ourself.
1887 “Tenets to be Signed by those Uniting …” Third. — We promise to love one another, and to work, watch and pray; to strive against sin, and to keep the Ten Commandments; to deal justly, love mercy, walk humbly; and inasmuch as we are enabled by Truth, to cast out evil and heal the sick.
1892 (from “Church Tenets and Rules”) 3. We solemnly promise to strive, watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus. To love the brethren, and, up to our highest understanding, to be meek, merciful, and live peaceably with all men.
1893 (from “Church Tenets and Rules”) 5. We solemnly promise to strive, watch and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus. To love one another, and, up to our highest understanding to be meek, merciful and just.
81st edition (1894) 6. We solemnly promise to strive, watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, to love one another, and to be meek, merciful, just, and pure.
1908(a) edition 6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.
April 1997, revised June 2007
**You can buy your own transcripts of most of Cobbey Crisler’s 28 talks at this website: www.crislerlibrary.co.uk Email your order or inquiry to office@crislerlibrary.co.uk, or directly to Janet Crisler, at janetcrisler7@gmail.com
As a weekly “email Met” subscribers, YOU are considered part of CedarS family and so are entitled to know the password [CedarS] that will enable you to catch some “glorious glimpses of… the divine nature, the essence of Love” (SH 333:24) poured into CedarS 2019 Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cabin groups and activities! (Here’s a link to search past sessions, back to 1962!!)