Candace Lynch, CS

Go thy way, thy son liveth

2011-07-27T04:52:00.002-05:00

The healing of the nobleman's son is found in the Gospel of John. It is the first healing mentioned specifically following the changing of the water into wine at the wedding feast. After that incident, word of his activities had begun to pass from village to village. It had reached a certain nobleman in Capernaum, who hearing that Jesus had returned to the area, sought him out to heal his sick child.

Some Bible commentaries think this man was Herod's stewart, whose wife was among the women that later ministered to Jesus from their own personal means. There must have been remarkable healings being attributed to the Master for this wealthy and influential man to leave the bedside of his dying son to ask for aid.

Jesus' response seems a bit stern. "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe". The father did not come seeking teaching and instruction, with a desire to change his own thoughts, but only to get healing for his child, a healing no one else could have provided.

Despite the comment, the father urges Jesus to come back with him. He links the healing work with the physical presence of the healer, quite unlike the Centurion who will later understand that Jesus has but to speak the word and his servant will be healed. This father does not believe that Jesus could raise the dead, so he urges him to go with him before things get to that.

Jesus does not consent to go with him but sends him on his way with the assurance that the child will not die, but lives. The father is content with this so, in effect, this is a double healing for now the father's fear has been healed. He believes the word Jesus has spoken, expecting to find his child recovering.

As the nobleman is returning home, confident of the healing, he is met by his servants, come with news of his son, saying he lives. The father asks when the boy began to get better and they reply that at a certain time the fever left him altogether, no lingering after effects. Then he knew it had occured when Jesus told him the boy lived.

How many of us, seeking the help of a practitioner, would be willing to 'go our way' after being assured the need has been met, the healing was complete? The Christ is every bit as present today as it was then. The power of the word is every bit as effective here as it was in Galilee.

In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes: "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good:. (S&H 494)

The whole household had certainly been aware of the crisis and the journey to seek aid. Perhaps they had all been praying for this miracle while the nobleman was away. Imagine the reunion when he returned and could confirm the healing coinciding with Jesus' word. That whole household believed and that may have explained his wife's support of Jesus' ministry following this event. Are we as supportive of the Christ when our need has been met? Are we as confident that the Christ can heal with a word? Are we ready to 'go our way', get up out of that sickbed, go back to our daily routine, knowing that we have appealed to divine Love and the human need has been completely and fully met with no time necessary for recovery?

It certainly is something to think about.

A fresh look at Mary washing Jesus' feet

2011-07-19T09:10:00.002-05:00

I love it when there is a fresh way to look at a familiar Bible story. This morning I was reading an article that brought the incident of Mary washing Jesus' feet into a new light. Just suppose that Mary was not crying with remorse for her past life but had come to learn more of his teachings, sitting humbly by his feet, only to see that he was not being treated with respect. His feet had not been washed. Might this not have prompted those tears on his behalf? She had not brought any water or towels with her so it does not appear that it was her original intention to do this for him. But seeing it, she uses her own tears and her own hair to perform this humble service.

What a contrast to Simon the Pharisee's attitude. He was sitting at the head table, looking at Jesus with condemnation for allowing this woman to touch him this way. The Jews believed that contact with a person considered unclean defiled you. Simon was not at Jesus feet, listening with respect or asking questions or even asking to be forgiven for his sins. This woman had that attitude. So who was the more unclean?

How do we respond when we see the Christ or Christian Science not being treated with respect? Do we show our love by our actions? Or if someone comes to our services or a lecture who has problems do we look down our noses at them, not choosing to speak a friendly word or give a smile?

I will be thinking about my own actions and reactions today. Mary or Simon?

let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me

2011-06-06T06:48:00.006-05:00

I always loved that song. This morning I was reading an article in the Sentinel and a few lines really hit home. And I do mean home. We are a three generation household and things can get a bit chaotic at times. I doubt anyone visiting with us would call it peaceful here.

Most days I follow up my morning study of the Christian Science Bible Lesson with an article from the Sentinel or the Journal and then I work with some daily prayers. One of them is based on a prayer used in Mrs. Eddy's household. There are some doubts that she originated this prayer but she certainly would have been aware of it. It begins: This is God's spiritual household. Nothing can enter to annoy or destroy. Nothing can enter to manifest sin, sickness, or discouragement for God, good, keeps this household in perfect peace. There's much more and I would be happy to share it with you if you ask.

Back to this morning's article in the Sentinel. The writer says "If the world seems like an atmosphere of hate, acted out as war, how do we begin to change it? Isn't the answer that we should watch what we think? Shouldn't each live the change we want to see?" That is exactly what I needed this morning as I pray for peace and harmony for our home. She continues on "If each one begins to love instead of hate, and insists on the reality and power of divine Love, everything can change." Now that is something to consider!

Are there things in your home or household that you would like to see change? Maybe in your workplace or in your branch church. That change has to begin with your own thinking. You need to bring it in line with divine Love. Remember, Jesus told us that the kingdom of God is within you. It is already there and established. We don't have to go looking for peace and harmony as if it were missing. Be an example of world peace right within your own life and daily activities. Look to see what you can contribute today. Can you be less critical and more supportive of those around you? Can you express more patience? Can you look at those you love and see their best qualities always present? Can you do that for yourself as well?

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with you today. Live the change you want to see.

Casting off vs casting out

2011-04-27T07:16:00.002-05:00

In this week's Bible lesson there are references to God not casting off His people. I think of casting off in connection with knitting and with boating.

When you cast off in knitting you are finishing off what you have been working on. When you cast off in boating you are bringing in the lines that bound you to the dock in preparation for going out to sea. In both cases, you are choosing to do this. It is a letting go and a releasing. The Bible passages promise that 'the Lord will not cast off for ever' (Lam 3:31 and that 'the Lord will not cast off His people' (Ps 94:14). It should be a great comfort to know that God does not cast us off. We are one with Him forever.

There are times when something is cast out. That is a different situation where something is being discarded or sent away. Jesus often cast out devils, or evil beliefs, attached to people and causing illness. But many feel like they have cast out of work or relationships, excluded or discarded, seen as worthless.

We are never worthless in God's eyes. We are precious to Him as His own children, His own creation, an idea in divine Mind, cherished and held close. He will never cast us off or cast us out.

A new insight about the Prodigal Son parable

2011-04-25T07:01:00.003-05:00

I love it when this happens. I am reading a familiar passage in the Bible and suddenly something lights up, like a light bulb, and I see something I hadn't before, a get a new understanding of those words. That happened this morning in this week's Bible lesson about Everlasting Punishment. Wha this lesson is teaching us is that God does not condemn, judge and punish, He forgives. And so should we.

In the Gospel of Luke, in chapter 15, Jesus is teaching and he tells the Parable of the Prodigal Son. What an amazing example of how God is ever watching us and just waiting for us to turn back to Him, for us to recognize that we have always been His beloved child, even when we have turned away from good. I love to notice who Jesus is speaking to, and in this case he tells this story to illustrate a point for the Pharisees and scribes who are murmuring because he chooses to welcome the publicans and sinners who have been drawn to him.

What was illumined this morning is the part of the story where the young man, having insisted on taking the money he would have had when his father died and then squandering it, has now been reduced to begging for work. Instead of going home, he becomes a servant to someone living in that place and is sent into the fields to feed swine. What could be more demeaning to a Jew who abhors swine to have to care for them. But this appears to be when he 'hits bottom' and sees the level to which he has allowed his life to sink. He looks at what he is doing. The only food available to him now is the husks of the carob tree given to the swine. This is something that would only be eaten by the poorest people. He suddenly realizes that in that place where he has chosen to remain no man is giving him anything.

There may be a point in your life when you find yourself in what appears to be this same condition. You have no job or income, your so-called friends treat you in the most demeaning way. You are no longer seen as an equal. No man gave unto him. No one offered comfort, advice, sympathy, compassion, a job that offered self-respect. No man gave him hope of returning to his former status.

In the parable, he suddenly comes to himself and realizes that his father's servants are treated better than this and he decides to leave this place and these people and go home. He is willing to swallow his pride, and not those carob husks. He will go back and ask for forgiveness. When he is on his way back, his father, who has been watching tirelessly for him, sees him and runs to meet him. He is embraced and welcomed with a kiss. No lectures, no I-told-you-so. He is lifted up and clothed in his former clothing, restored in his own eyes to his rightful place. He was never less than that in his father's eyes. We are never less than that in God's eyes either. He is always ready to show us who we have been all along.

What lies are you swallowing about your life? What atmosphere have you chosen to surround yourself? What are you relying on? Have you believed you are being punished for your choices? Come to yourself. Remember who you are and who you have always been. Go home. Your Father is waiting with open arms.

What was Tabitha thinking?

2011-04-06T09:37:00.001-05:00

In this week's Bible Lesson we read about a wonderful person named Tabitha. She appears to have been an accomplished needle woman who created many coats and garments for others. She got sick and died. Her friends were devestated by this loss. They heard that Peter was in a nearby town and immediately sent for him to consol their grief. It is interesting that they did not send for him when Tabitha was so ill but waited until she was gone. Peter comes right away, he must have because the custom was to bury someone within 24 hours after death. Peter has been in a situation like this one before. He was an eyewitness to Jesus raising a young girl from death. Like that situation, Peter arrives to be surrounded by mourners. Remembering how Jesus dealt with that, he puts them all out. He needed to remove the strong claim of death and sadness. He needed some quiet to pray. And pray he does, kneeling down. This account is in the Book of Acts so it is possible that Peter told this story to Luke who recorded it. Once Peter understands that God is Life and there is never an end to Life, that Tabitha is at one with divine Life, that nothing in the form of illness could be more powerful than that divine Life, he turns to her and tells her to arise. She opens her eyes. That reminded me of when one of the prophets prayed for his servants eyes to be opened when they appeared to be surrounded by an enemy intent on killing them. She opens her eyes and sits up. The hold of illness has been broken and nullified. Now Peter gives her his hand and lifts her up. He has done this in past with the man who was lame from birth. He took him by the hand and lifted him up and instantly his feet and ankle bones recieved strength and he not only stood, but walked and leaped. Calling those who had been mourning Tabitha's death, he presents her alive and well. You can believe that news spread like wildfire and it lead many to believe in the power of God. I think Peter lifted Tabitha up in more ways than one. He lifted her right out of her own thought that she had become ill, that the illness could be fatal, and that she had passed away. He helped her awake from that dream into the reality of eternal Life. What a gift! We are not subject to decay or illness or deterioration. We are not under the jurisdiction of material or medical law. We are only subject to the divine law and power of God, who is Life. Be lifted up by this thought today.

Don't walk around with the spirit of infirmity

2011-04-05T07:27:00.002-05:00

Our Father, divine Love, does not afflict. I love the woman who is described as having 'a spirit of infirmity'. That is how she looked to others, bowed down with something. That is how she must have felt about herself. It was the infirmity, that was the result. It was this heavy spirit for whatever reason that dragged her down. Jesus calls her over to him, puts his hands on her bowed shoulders, and with authority tells her she is loosed from that infirmity God had not caused it. He was not punishing her. This false belief was all that was bowing her under. Jesus describes her affliction as someone 'whom Satan hath bound'. Satan being the belief of something or someone other than God's creation. Another power, and yet we believe that God is omnipotent. If God fills all space then how can there be another power, except if we choose to believe in it. Once we see its powerlessness it no longer can bind us in any way. We are freed. The Christ did that for her and does that for each today. God is the only Life and it is all good. Don't let anything bring you down and make you stay there. In fact, it can only suggest, it has no power to enforce anything. You are loosed!

2011-04-04T06:49:00.003-05:00

In this week's Bible Lesson we have the eye witness account from John of Jesus and the woman taken in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees were determined to undermine this man who was going around doing good and healing. They attempted to trap him in a situation that would make him look bad no matter how he answered. To accomplish this they caught a woman in the act of committing adultery. So this was premeditated on their part. Only the woman was brought before him for judgement although the man was equally at fault and by their own law should have been judged as well. They point out what Moses says in their 613 laws, that she should be stoned to death and ask what he feels should be her punishment. Should he show mercy he would be defying Moses. Jesus refuses to get into an arguement with them and stoops down to write in the dust, ignoring them. But they persist. At this point he lifts himself up, stands upright and gives his answer: he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. Brilliant. One by one, being convicted in their own heart, they leave. I notice that Jesus took time before he responded. I believe he was praying about how to handle these men and their vindictive behavior. He may have then been doodling the names of sins in the dust. Those seeing that knew that Jesus was aware of their sins. Just as he was aware of the woman's sin. But he did not expose them openly, they convicted themselves as sinners. I love the fact that 'Jesus was left alone', they stopped badgering him. This is an important lesson for us when we feel like we are being put on the spot by those who would judge and condemn us. Jesus didn't argue and neither should we. Jesus took a moment to pray so he could respond instead of reacting. When he did, he did not turn around and treat them with contempt or anger, he just let God touch their hearts. What about the woman? Her actions, which she might have thought were undetected, had been publicly exposed. Jesus had lifted himself, phycially and more importantly metaphysically, above that confrontation. Now he would lift her as well. When 'he saw none but the woman', he saw nothing but the woman's true identity as a pure and sinless child of God, he asked her where her accusers were, did no one accuse her. She says 'no man' and calls him Lord. He tells her that he does not accuse her either but that she is to go and sin no more. What a saw this morning was that not only was that woman the object of this incident but Jesus himself was being accusing by those men. His handling of the situation left him untouched by their malice as he lifted himself above it and then lifted the woman as well. An important story for all of us.Their sin was uncovered, her sin was uncovered, but all learned something from this and left humbled and chastened without bloodshed. Their conspiracy had failed. As will all attempts of evil fail before the purity and power of good.

let not your heart be troubled

2011-03-30T08:51:00.002-05:00

The Golden Text for this week's Bible lesson speaks to each of us: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. We all hold things in our heart that trouble us at times and if we do not deal with them it can lead to fear of the outcome. Abraham was asked, at age 75, to leave everything behind and start a long journey to a Promised Land. He did not let his age hold him back. At 99, God promises that Abraham will father a child and Sarah gives birth to Isaac in her 90's. Think of the medical challenges both of them overcame as they chose to be obedient to God. David, still in his teens, goes up against the seasoned warrior giant Goliath. He does not let his youth hold him back. Armed with confidence, but not choosing to wear the armor King Saul offered him, David runs to meet Goliath and defeats him. He did not let his heart be troubled by this Goliath-sized problem. Jesus had to constrain his disciples to get into a boat and leave him behind. Could have been that those experienced fishermen could see the signs of the storm they would encounter? The storm held no problems for Jesus, he simply walked right through it. Jairus feared for his daughter, who seemed to be dying. Imagine how he felt when Jesus agrees to come heal her and then is delayed by the woman healed of an issue of blood. Jairus' recieves word that she has died. But Jesus tells him not to be afraid of this news. When they get to the house the professional mourners are out front, making a great fuss, hoping to be hired. Jesus dismisses them and raises the child. That called for strong faith and pure love. The thought I will work with today is this: Step by step will those who trust Him find that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (S&H 444) Don't let your heart be troubled...or trouble you...today. Trust in the goodness of God. No weapon formed against you can succeed. No comments made against you will be listened to or believed. No evil shall come your way in any form, even illness is powerless to harm you.

being a witness

2011-03-25T07:21:00.002-05:00

In this week's Bible lesson there is a verse from Isaiah that reads: "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God: I know not any."

This prompted a trip to the dictionary to look up the word 'witness'. To witness something is to see, hear, feel, experience something. A first hand account. So God, our beloved Father Mother, is telling us that we are witnesses to His work. It is all we can see or hear or experience. Genesis One tells us that He saw all that He had created and it was very good. So as witnesses of that, we can witness only good. All we see and hear and feel today can be the good that is being expressed by God.

That also means that all we can share with others is that good that we have seen and heard and felt. We are accurate and faithful witnesses to the perfection God has created and maintains. We are good witnesses of what is true about ourselves and everyone we encounter today. So there is never anything to fear in what we see or hear or feel.

How well that fits with the Golden Text: "Consider the work of God". You are the work of God and He has made you to witness His goodness.

Whole vs. hole

2011-02-23T07:50:00.002-06:00

I may have written about this before but since it comes up in this week's Bible lesson, it is worth mentioning again. In the story of the woman with an issue of blood that she has been unable to cure despite seeing all the doctors and trying all the cures, she hears about Jesus and decides to do something very dangerous and brave. In her condition she is forbidden by Jewish law to mix with others as her issue of blood makes her unclean and would do that same for anyone she came in contact with. In her desperation she moves among the throng surrounding the Master in the hope that if she can but touch his clothes, she will be healed. And that is exactly what happens. She touches him and feels immediately that the condition has been healed. Jesus feels that touch and searches her out as she tries to slip away unnoticed. His purpose is not to expose her disobedience but to strengthen her understanding of how she had been healed. If he had let her go she would have believed she could only be healed by contact with him and he knew he was not always going to be there. But God always is. It was her faith in the Christ's ability to heal anything, including this stubborn and hopeless blood condition. Faith like that was rewarded and he just wanted her to see that by turning to God she would always find the answers she sought.

Do you have a hole or gap in your life that needs healing? Is there a hole in your budget that seems to drain away your paycheck from month to month? Is there a hole in your social life that never seems to be filled by just the right person? Is there a hole on an xray that would suggest some medical condition that needs healing? Are you currently seeking employment and not finding a good job? Whatever you are pursuing as determinedly as that woman went after her solution, you might try turning to Christian Science for healing.

Christian Science is the law of everpresent good from a loving Father Mother God. It is this divine parent meeting every human need with a perfect solution. It is the truth about your wonderful God and His love for each and every one of His children, you included. When you turn to Christian Science for healing, the prayer begins with understanding that you are whole, not hole. It turns you back to Genesis One where God saw everything He had made and it was very good.

Try thinking of yourself along these lines today and see if it doesn't make a difference. If you want to know more you can read our textbook, Science and Health, by Mary Baker Eddy. Visit a local reading room where the friendly staff can answer questions. Or contact a Christian Science practitioner who devotes their full time to being available for prayerful support and treatment. There are also many sites on the internet for more information. Don't live with something that can be healed, get help and a healing.

Take up your cross

2011-02-15T07:20:00.002-06:00

There is a direct challenge in this week's Bible lesson. I have read the lesson several times already this week but just noticed this today. It comes from the gospel of Matthew. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." That phrase 'take up his cross' resonated with me. What did the Master mean by that and how can I be obedient to that directive?

Each of us has times when we feel like we are dragging around a cross to be borne, some sense of a heavy burden we are dealing with. Or we might see some cross looming in our future, some unavoidable something that we are fearing or dreading. Some confrontation. Some physical condition that has appeared and now seems to be getting bigger, more evident, suggesting a name of some disease. It might be the world's thoughts about advancing age or diminishing funds. Whether it is a present situation that must be shouldered, weighing us down, or something we fear on the horizon, it seems to be our cross to bear. No one else can help.

What if we chose to 'kiss the cross', as Mrs. Eddy expresses it in hymn 253. She says we can 'wake to know a world more bright'. That cross certainly loomed for Jesus. He made his choice and that experience led to his resurrection and ascension. Isn't that what we all want? So what is required of us?

The cross indicates sacrifice. Is there something in your thought that you need to let go of, some wrong idea about God (I prayed about this but He didn't do anything), some wrong idea about yourself (I am somehow separated from divine Love, outside of Love's care and protection), some wrong idea about someone else (he or she is just impossible), some wrong idea about church (the services are so boring). It is our choice whether we shoulder this as a problem to be endured or take up the false idea and grow spiritually as we understand God's allness and goodness. God's law is the only law we are subject to. Mrs. Eddy tells us that "Truth is God's remedy for error of every sort".

Don't fear this cross. Embrace the opportunity to have it lift you up. Once you see the unreality of some illusion it can no longer fool you. All you see is what is really there. Good is the reality. Health is the reality. Abundance is the reality. Harmony is the reality.

Jesus and the blind man

2011-02-09T07:34:00.002-06:00

Looking for something new in this familiar story, I found some helpful insights in a book by Trench, The Miracles of our Lord. Trench points out that the man was brought to Jesus by others, which might have meant his own faith was not strong. How often when we turn to the Christ for healing is our own doubt part of the challenge. Will God, or our understanding of Christian Science, be able to heal this?

This man was accustomed to being led by others. Jesus reaches out and takes him by the hand and leads him out of the town, away from the watchful eyes and beliefs of those who knew the man and the idly curious. Perhaps to help this man with his lack of faith Jesus used a simple remedy of that day to start things off. He used saliva and onionted the man's eyes. He also put his hands on him, as we might reach out to a friend in need or distress, a comforting touch. Then he asked him if he could see anything. At this point the man looks up. Metaphysically speaking, he begins to raise his level of thinking by looking upward to heaven. Physically he was raising his sight from the ground. He does see moving forms. If this man had been blind from birth he might not have known what people look like so it may be that this blindness was the result of some disease or accident. So Jesus repeats his actions by putting his hands on the man's eyes. The man's faith must have greatly increased, his expectations about this healing improved with this first evidence of returning sight. Jesus again instructs him to look up and now he finds his sight restored, another indication that it might have been somehow lost.

What this tells me is that we need to approach every healing with the understanding that the Christ can and will restore whatever appeared to be lost whether it was health, supply, employment, self respect, or peace. Just what are we expecting to happen when we pray or ask for Christian Science treatment? Let there not be a doubt or fear that God is not up to the occasion. He is. And so are we.

Jesus led that man away from those who were holding a false picture about him or the Christ. When the healing was complete he told him to go home but not to return to town, not to go back to the past. Let's not relive the lie but rejoice in what has been revealed as the truth.

If you choose to turn to the Christ for healing, if we call upon a practitioner to support us in prayer, we can expect to feel the healing touch of divine Love, the power of God's law of everpresent good operating on our behalf, removing any false belief and bringing the truth of our identity as God's perfect image and likeness. This improved understanding, this clearer perception about God and His child, becomes clear and we 'see' it. Healing follows.

diviner concepts

2011-02-08T07:45:00.002-06:00

This week's Bible lesson on Soul has been a good one for me. I especially have liked something from the second section. The Bible verse from John reflects Genesis One: "All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made." Mrs. Eddy illuminates this further where she writes of 'diviner conceptions' and 'the only true conception of being.'

For me, that 'means my prayers and my study are to help me understand this divine conception, what Divine Mind knows about me. I am an idea in divine Mind. That is where I originated. I am a concept of God. Only what God is knowing about me, that divine concept, is true. Nothing has been added to it, or taken from it, it has remained exactly as God conceived it. It is the only concept of me and I am most lovingly and wonderfully made. That is the only conception that ever took place.

That means there are no birth defects, no unpleasant or dangerous traits handed down from one generation to another, no poor genes. I do not have to look at my family and think that I will be stuck with a certain look or action. God is my Father and Mother. All that is true about me is His concept of me.

Wonderful.

Only reflections of good can come

2011-02-02T09:09:00.002-06:00

This promise is found in Science and Health "From Love and from the light and harmony which are the abode of Spirit, only reflections of good can come." I have always read that to mean that because of the nature of divine Love and Spirit we, as the image and likeness of God, must only reflect good. That is all there is to reflect. We are the good reflection of the Original. Today I thought about it in a slightly different light.

Because God is divine Mind and we reflect that Mind (there is no other) then all we can know, all that can come to us, are good things. The things we reflect upon can only be good. Reflection in the sense of what we are thinking and believing. How comforting to know that we have the power and ability to counter any negative thinking, any false beliefs, any suggestions that something is present that God did not make.

A helpful thought to work with today. Only reflections of good can come.

Jesus' question: where have you laid him?

2011-01-21T12:53:00.002-06:00

Studying a recent Bible Lesson on Life, I was brought up short by this question. Suddenly I saw it in a new light. Jesus didn't need to know where they had laid the body of his friend Lazarus. He may have wondered where they were holding Lazarus in thought. We know where Jesus held him, safe in the encircling arms of divine Love, perfectly well and whole with divine Life.

It made me question myself, when I see someone struggling with a physical problem, or a financial question, or an unhappy relationship....where I am putting that person? My first reaction should be to pattern the Master, and immediately lift that false belief, denying that any such thing could be true about God or His beloved creation. God is the only Cause and Creator and we are told in the Bible that He saw all that He had created and it was very good. God did not and does not create physical challenges. God, good, is the source of all supply, an undisturbed flowing out of His abundance. Mrs. Eddy says the divine Love always had met and always will meet every human need. Psalm 23 assures us we shall not be 'in want'. Since God, divine Love fills all space and is always expressing Himself, Love fills all space and is always expressing itself to us, through us, for us, as us. There are no gaps in Love. There are no misunderstandings or resentments or built up anger in divine Mind.

So that question was a reminder to watch my thinking when faced with some picture of illness or lack or loss or unhappiness. Where do I immediately place that person in my thought? With God. Healing is the inevitable result.

thought for 2011

2010-12-27T07:20:00.002-06:00

Today my thoughts are turning to 2011. Inspired by something in this week's Christian Science Sentinel, I am asking my daughter to use her calligraphy skills to create a small sign. The sign will look something like this:
2011
A land flowing with milk and honey
or
A land filled with threatening giants

That is the question I will ask myself each morning. It will be a reminder to be watching for signs of the good that God has prepared for me that day. Am I seeing that good unfolding or am I feeling overwhelmed by some giant problem: a health challenge, a hefty bill that must be paid, an obligation that must be fulfilled, a poor relationship that must be corrected, a painful situation that must be soothed, something physical that must be healed.

In this week's Bible Lesson about God there is a paragraph from Science and Health that has always resonated with me. This is what I will use to deal with those 'giants' and the threat they are attempting to impose on my life. It begins: "When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought."
I love the word 'allow'. That means it is my option to choose what is abiding, taking up residence, in my thought about my life and situation. I can allow it to stay or I can reject and overcome that 'giant' imposition. That does not imply ignoring it or dismissing it without some change of thought on my part. My prayer will be to begin with God and His beautiful creation. To see that nothing else is present or has power. No 'giants' because God's creation has never changed. It remains at one with Him. As His idea, His beloved child, I have everything I need all the time and under all circumstances. God's plan for me is flowing with 'milk and honey'. That is an active flowing, never blocked or delayed or stopped.

I will post this sign on my desk and look at it every morning. I have also been praying about my spiritual study for 2011. In 2010 I studied Isaiah and his book in the Bible. It was a wonderful study and filled with inspiration that will be part of my prayerful work. I strongly encourage you to find something to inspire you in 2011 and something to study for your own spiritual growth.

May the Lord bless you and yours.

Can you 'leave your flock' and hurry to the manger?

2010-12-23T06:53:00.002-06:00

What a question! It brought me up short as I read an article in this week's Christian Science Sentinel. We are know the images of the Nativity given in the Gospels. I could just imagine those faithful shepherds, keeping watch over their precious flock, staying alert for any danger in the darkness. Suddenly, there is an angel. A messenger from God with a startling message. These men would have been familiar with the prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah who was to come. They had been awaiting his arrival for centuries. Now they were being told that he had arrived that very night and was nearby! Those men got to hear the angels sing. And they left their flock and hurried to find the manger and see the baby.

Would you do the same? Can you set aside the flock of family members, business associates, neighbors? Can you put down all those catalogs filled with tempting gifts and leave all those emails unread? Can you change your focus from the flock of bills sitting on the desk unpaid? Can you put down the 'to-do' list that you haven't been able to check off? Can you let some of those errands wait?

Can you instead listen to the angels sing? Having heard their message, can you hurry, right now, to the manger scene? Can you take moments to dwell on what happened that holy night and see the Christ for yourself? Have you ever seen a newborn baby and marveled at the innocence and purity and promise of that life? Can you believe the son of God walked among us? Can you believe the Christ still comes to us now?

I believe. My Christmas wish for you is that you do the same. Hurry. God will care for your flock while you go see.

Merry Christmas.

some new thoughts about the prodigal son

2010-09-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

I was reading an article written by one of the early workers of Christian Science and he brought out a new way of looking at this familiar parable. It is thrilling to find these wonderful insights.

The prodigal son went down into Egypt, but think of that for a moment as the mental effort every Christian Scientist must make in our desire to understand animal magnetism, to learn how to recognize it and reduce its hypnotic attraction to nothing. That young man was a sinner. How would you define sin? The writer of this article defines sin as yielding to animal magnetism's lies that would lead us down a path where we believe we can be separated from God. That young man thought that was what he wanted, to be separated from his Father's authority.

When an honest seeker of Truth comes to himself, as the prodigal did, awakens to who he really is, he is ashamed that he spent so much time in idleness and distration s(some might be in this state when they seem enslaved by the latest technolgy toys). Once we see what is trying to control us, we are not so easily ensnared.

When he returned, he was ready to work for his Father, to serve. The Father rewarded that with a ring, shoes and a robe. All of those were symbols of loving activity. So that journey into Egypt helped that young man be willing to go and do what his Father desired for him, to turn away from selfish suggestions and willfulness.

That boy learned the error of his ways and came to an appreciation of his Father's house that the elder brother never gained. He returned to take up active service.

An interesting new way for me to look at this familiar parable.

How joyful are you?

2010-08-09T07:10:00.002-05:00

Would you consider yourself a joyful person? Would those around you describe you that way? This week's Bible lesson is about God as Soul and focuses on joy as a quality of Soul that we all express as God's image and likeness. Along with joy, the qualities of Soul include true hearing and sight which are as immortal as God.

There is a very interesting example from the New Testament. In the gospel of Mark (which many consider to be Peter's memoirs) Jesus and his disciples are leaving the city of Jericho. So this is an eye witness report. As usual there is a large crowd of people surrounding the Master. As this procession goes by a blind man, Bartimaeus, he hears the commotion and must have asked what was going on. When he is told that it Jesus is passing, he begins to call out to him and asking for mercy.

Bartimaeus considered himself both blind and poor, as did those around him. He had chosen the spot on the highway to sit and beg. He had been doing that for some time. He seems to have accepted this, until an opportunity arises to change things. Had he been hearing about what this man could do? Did he have faith that Jesus could heal his condition? He must have believed it was possible for he continued to call out to him, even when those around him told him to hold his peace. Those sincere call for help did not go unanswered. Jesus stopped. The whole parade halted. Then he commanded that they call Bartimaus to him. Now those around the blind man changed their tune and encouraged him to be of good comfort and go to Jesus.

The account does not say that anyone led him. It says he got up, cast aside his beggar's garment, and went to the Master. When Jesus asks him what he wants, he asks that his sight be restored. Jesus tells him that his faith has made him whole and immediately he could see.

What I am appreciating about this story this morning is that casting away of his false identity, his conscious choice to not be seen as a beggar any longer. Is there something going on in your life that you have accepted as a limitation? Are you identifying yourself as poor or lacking in some way? Do you carry that around with you like a garment? The Christ that Jesus expressed so completely is present here and now. You have just as much access to the Christ as Bartimaeus had. Have you asked for healing? Are you willing to rise to the occasion? Can you change the way you have been thinking about yourself? Do you have faith the your request will be granted?

Seeing and hearing are spiritual qualities that exist forever with God. Joy and joyfulness are also spiritual qualities. The Bible tells us we can go out each day with joy. God will be with us all day. Those immortal qualities will be with us all day.

Surely that is a reason to be glad.

When things seem their darkest

2010-08-04T09:31:00.002-05:00

I love the incident included in this week's Bible lesson about a midnight experience. It happened to Paul and Silas and is found in Acts 16. They had healed a woman who brought her masters much money by being a medium or clairvoyant. She believed herself possessed of a spirit until they healed her. Her masters were furious and had the men brought before the magistrate. Accused of causing trouble, they were beaten and then thrown into prision. Their jailer was told to make sure they did not escape so he put them in the midst of the prison and chained them in stocks.

Think how they might have felt, beaten unfairly, accused falsely, all for healing someone. They could have been resentful or planned vengence, but that is not what they did. At the darkest moment, midnight, when they might have felt farthest from home and friends, they did not complain or wail. They prayed, most likely aloud, and those must have been prayers of trust and faith in God's protection and care. They must have known they had done the right thing and were innocent in His eyes. In fact, they sang praises to Him, probably what we would think of as hymns. The Bible account says that the prisoners heard them. Think what an effect that must have had on those who listened to those prayers and hymns. What hope and encouragement to know God was a very present help in trouble.

What happens next is wonderous. There was an earthquake and the foundations of the prison were shaken. All the doors opened, Everyone's bands were loosed. When you think about this spiritually, it is so helpful for our own challenges. What was so dramatically shaken and altered must have been how the prisoners were feeling about God, about themselves, maybe even those they were resenting. The very foundations of their beliefs were shaken and they let go and opened their hearts. All doors opened. Do you need a door opened in your life? Does some avenue seemed closed or blocked? Are you holding stubbornly to some resentment or incident? Those 'doors' can be opened. God can do that. And when that happens all bands are loosed. Not only Paul and Silas were freed, but everyone around them benefited.

So when you find yourself in a dark place, when you are at your wits end, when there doesn't appear to be a solution, change your approach. Turn to God and tell Him that you know He is there and that He loves you. He did not bring any of this on you. His plan is for blessing and good. Think back to some favorite hymn and sing it to yourself, thinking about the words. Don't be surprised at what happens next. Expect your bands to be loosed.

Jesus and the woman who was afflicted for 18 years

2010-08-03T07:19:00.002-05:00

In this week's Bible Lesson, there is this story given in Luke 13: 11 -13. Remember, Luke was both an historian and a doctor. His accounts of healings are very thorough. He also seems to have interviewed many people and his gospel and the book of Acts contain many eye witness accounts.

Jesus was teaching in one of the synogogues on a Sabbath. There in the temple he sees a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years. She was bowed together and couldn't straighten up. He calls her to him and tells her she is freed from this infirmity, placing his hands on those bowed shoulders. She immediately straightens up and praises God.

Here are the four claims made about her; that she has the appearance of being infirm or weak and ill, that this condition has gone on for many years, that she is bent over, and that she can't help herself. Jesus does not accept any of this as the truth about her true being as a child of God. He calls her to him, unusual in itself as Jewish men did not address women in public.
She has come to the temple to pray, possibly asking God to help her, indicating that she is receptive to healing. And she gets her healing.

What do we learn from this? How can we apply it to our own experiences?

Jesus did not accept any of these claims as truth. We never have to either. We never have to see ourselves or anyone else as the victims of some debilitating situation or condition. We never have to go around with the appearance of being infirm.

Time was no problem to the Master. It does not have to intimidate us either. It does not matter how long something claims to have been going on. It's still only a lie. When you wake up from a dream the things that seemed to have happened in that dream lose their reality and fade away. You see that you were never having that experience except in the dream. The real you was untouched by that dreaming you.

What matters is the state of your thinking. How are you starting each day? Are you dragging around all the past hurts, mental and physical Do you spend your time brooding over mistakes or situations? Are you constantly looking down in acceptance and defeat? Or do you start the day praising God and claiming your rights as His own image and likeness? Pray for yourself every single day, go to whatever 'temple' or holy place in thought you identify with. Spend a few moments there to see yourself at one with divine Love and goodness.

Put God's diagnosis about you first.

Mrs. Eddy describes what Jesus was doing when confronted with false claims about man. "Christ Jesus overruled the error which would impose penalties for transgressions of the physical laws of health. He annulled supposed laws of matter, opposed to the harmonies of Spirit, lacking divine authority and having only human approval for their sanction". What a remarkable statement! To overrule is to disallow the arguements of something and to annul is to make void or invalid. Jesus disallowed what the world is saying is true and he made void or invalid any such conditions imposed on God's child. He saw God as the only cause and creator and knew that all He caused and created was good. Nothing else was present or had power.

You don't have to change the condition, you have to change what you believe about the condition. That is what he did for what he saw and he helped that woman to see it. She got her healing and you can too.

devotionals

2010-07-30T06:47:00.003-05:00

Do you have a daily devotional buddy? Someone who shares an uplifting thought? Do you spend a few moments with the Bible every day? Some time ago I became familiar with devotionals, books put together with daily entries of inspiring thoughts, often Bible based. I keep a few devotionals near my desk. Here are some entries for July 30 to show you how it works.

Simple Abundance. This was the first devotional I actually read everyday for a year. The entry for today talks about habits. Nothing dies harder that a bad habit. If you are honest with yourself you know this is not good for you but what you are indulging in meets some need. Even if they are not life-threatening, like smoking, they certainly are not life-enhancing. As you chose to turn to God or pick up the Bible on a regular basis you will be able to overcome and replace those bad habits with precious time. When you can treat yourself more kindly, it will spiral out to include others as well.

Streams in the Desert. This one was written in 1925 by Mrs. Charles Cowman during her years of missionary work in Japan and China. It truly shows you God message for each day. Today's entry is all about that cup of cold water in Matt 10:42. As we pass through this world any good work, any kindness or service you can render, do it now. Do not neglect or defer these random acts. It includes a poem that says it isn't what you do but what you leave undone. A tender work unspoken, the email you might have written, the flowers you might have sent. Was there a stone you could have moved out of a friend's way? Did you pause long enough to listen to someone needing a friendly ear? It's not the things you do, it is what you leave undone. Give what you have.

Browze in the aisle where devotionals are kept at any bookstore or at your local library. Look devotionals up on the internet. There are so many to choose from. They will help you become comfortable with those few moments a day with God. My church provides a weekly Bible lesson. Studying it over the last 40 years has helped me become familiar with the Bible. It has lead me to my healing practice. Do you own a Bible? Where do you keep it? Prop it up on the kitchen counter open to a different place each day. If a particular book of the Bible resonates with you, you can purchase it on its own. Put it in your purse or brief case or glove compartment. When you are stuck in a line or in traffic pull it out. See how others pray. That devotional thought might be exactly what you need at some point that day.

What are you devoted to?

Beloved Psalm 23

2010-07-29T06:55:00.002-05:00

This week's Bible Lesson about God as Love includes many references to Him as the Good Shepherd. When I was a child I struggled with our family's religion, not willing to accept God as punishing or unforgiving. I always knew He was like the Good Shepherd, even before I read the Bible. Imagine my delight when I found Psalm 23. As an adult, I once studied this remarkable psalm, written by David who was a shepherd in his youth, for an entire year. It continues to be an inspiration for me and the place to turn for healing.

Here it is in the third section of our lesson paired with one of my other favorite Bible passages, also found in Psalms: 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble'. (Ps 46:1) If you wonder how Mrs. Eddy came to use Love as one of the names for God, the answer is also in this lesson. It is I John 4:8... God is Love.

When you think about love, you can see that there is no fear in love. Nothing to be afraid of, nothing to harm or threaten. No painful condition or circumstance. Just imagine perfect Love and see yourself surrounded and embraced by it. Anything you are fearing just melts away. That same chapter of I John also says that "there is no fear in love, but perfect lvoe casteth out fear'.

One of my favorite moments that happened while I was reading Science and Health was when I got to page 578 and found Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation of this beloved Psalm 23. She used the synonym Love in place of the Lord and it just opens up the deeper meaning. It shows why there is nothing to dread, and describes just how divine Love cares for us as a Good Shepherd cares for His flock. If you have our hymnal, look at hymn 304. It is poem written by Mrs. Eddy about the Shepherd's love.

So no matter what you are dealing with today, be not afraid. Go get your Bible and spend a few minutes with your Shepherd. Keep this Psalm close to you and use it throughout the day. Dwell in the house of divine Love.

Everyone who strays will be brought back to the fold

2010-07-28T06:37:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about King David's experience with Bathsheba. Our Bible Lesson continues on to expand on this concept that we can be straying or lost sheep. When a sheep strays away from their flock, they become disoriented and distressed. There is a feeling of hopelessness and fear. They call out to be found but do not respond when the shepherd calls to them. They don't know how to return so the Shepherd goes to them. For many, this is when we are calling out to God for help, "please come and find me".

Our Father, the Good Shepherd, seeks and finds those who think they have become separated from Him. Here is that promise in His own words; "I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick".

Everyone who believes they have strayed will be brought back into the fold. Because in truth there is no where else we can ever be. We are His precious children and He is always present. Our relationship is never severed. Even if we think it has been by our own actions or choices.

Jesus used a parable to explain this relationship to his listeners. Many of them were shepherds and understood what he meant. He asks them who among them who had the care of 100 sheep, if he lost one, would not leave the 99 and go search for the missing sheep. He would search until he found it, and when he did, he would not punish that sheep, he would carry it upon his shoulders, rejoicing and comforting it. And when they got home he would tell everyone to rejoice with him because he had found that which had been lost.

God loves you like that. All the time. Under every circumstance. Unconditionally. God is more than a loving God, He is Love itself. And you are the object of that Love.

Every problem in the human experience can be healed through Love.

2010-07-27T07:21:00.002-05:00

As we continue to study the Bible lessons, we are learning about the seven synonyms Mrs. Eddy has given us for God. This week it is God as Love. It starts right off with God's promises to each of us that He will remove fear, restore health, and care for us as a shepherd cares for his flock.

We read about King David, who has wandered into sin. He sees Bathsheba washing herself one night and instead of handling those lustful feelings, he indulges them. When she tells him that she is pregnant, he tries to cover their adultery with another sin, he arranges for her husband to be killed in battle. All this 'displeases' God who sends the prophet Nathan to snap David out of this behavior. David, awakened from his sinful ways, deeply repents his actions, asking God's forgiveness. He asks to be 'washed throughly', repeated cleansing to restore his purity. He asks for a new heart and a new spirit. He is truly and deeply repentent. This story shows how divine Love reforms those who think they have committed unforgiveable sins. David is restored in his purity and goodness. The child they conceived did not survive, but they have a second son, Solomon the wise, who will go on to build the Temple of Jerusalem. David is remembered for all his good qualities and it is from his descendants that the Messiah will come.

There's so much more in this lesson that I will continue on tomorrow with the wonderful news that eveyone who has strayed will be lovingly brought back by the shepherd.

checking your net

2010-07-20T07:09:00.002-05:00

This week's Bible lesson on God as Truth includes one of Jesus' parables, one that does not come up often. It is short but I believe I will be working with it all week. Found in Matthew13:47, 48 it reads: the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

I envision that net as all the things that 'swim' into my experience over the course of a day. This week, I am taking time each evening to examine this net and see what kind of things have happened and how I have reacted to them. I want to be sure I am grateful for every evidence of good and be just as alert to recognize and cast out the bad.

This lesson also gives us four distinct qualities that we should be expressing: honesty, unselfishness, love, and meekness. So in thinking over my day, gathering in the good and getting rid of the bad, I ask myself if I was expressing those qualities today. Can I see how I chose to be honest or see someone else as honest? Did I choose to be unselfish in some situation? Was I being loving with others? Did I express meekness in placing my trust in God and His ablility to take care of things so that I did not push my own human will?

Bad things may have gotten caught up in my 'net' but I do not have to hold on to them. It is important to let those things go rather than continue to ruminate over them and build up a sense of resentment that leads to anger and retaliation. How many times can we actually forgive and forget? Takes practice...and honesty...and unselfishness...and love...and meekness. This is no small challenge but I want to check my 'net' every day and see myself doing a good job with the catch. I want to be a good steward over my life. I'm sure you do as well.

Check your net.

drop those rocks

2010-07-16T06:33:00.002-05:00

This morning I am really studying an article in this week's Christian Science Sentinel. It points our how unresolved issues of the past have only the weight we give them. It's not much fun to struggle uphill if you are carrying rocks in your backpack. Our path in life can seem like a difficult uphill climb. Those 'rocks' might be nagging financial demands, claims of heredity, health problems, uncomfortable personal decisions, etc.. Why continue to lug them around?

In the New Testament, Jesus came upon a man by the Pool of Bethesda. He had lain there for 38 years, always blaming lack of help for his inability to get to the pool for healing after an angel had stirred the water. Before we laugh at him, we should be aware of how many times we do the same thing, blame others for our own failings. Complain that someone else always gets there first or gets offered the job. When Jesus asks him if he wants to be made whole, he just remains focused on the predicament and doesn't answer the question. Jesus heals him anyway.

Are you feeling burdened, weighed down by thoughts of fear, jealousy, resentment? Are you resisiting the invitation from the Christ, the uplifting promises from God? Does your path to healing seemed blocked or are you ready for some true spiritual progress? Mrs. Eddy writes; "Let us set aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us".

I love the ocean and have collected sea shells for many years. I do not own a chambered nautilus, although it is my favorite of all. The nautilus seals off each chamber as it grows. But before it does, it clears out any debris, anything that might add weight. The chambers give it bouyancy. It has freedom and manuverability to travel through the ocean. No rocks to slow it down or impede progress. Not a bad role model.

As you pray about your day, take time to drop those rocks.

Elijah Moments

2010-07-15T08:08:00.002-05:00

This week's Bible lesson is about God as Life. Most of the sections feature the prophet Elijah. I love those stories and am familiar with them but I decided to try to look at them in a new light this week.

I have been working on a daily gratitude list that is spiritually based. So in my daily notebook I have added a section that begins I am grateful that... Here are my entries based on studying Elijah's experiences.

I am grateful that it wasn't that Elijah showed off, it was that God showed up. This is prompted by Elijah's contest with the 450 prophets of Baal. That story is in I Kings 17.

I am grateful that right where lack appeared to be there was abundance when Elijah meets up with the widowed woman. He did not end the drought, their needs were supplied despite it. The unfailing barrel of flour provided bread without the process of growing and grinding wheat.

I am grateful that Elijah knew that Life is not at the mercy of illness when he restored the widow's son.

Mrs. Eddy defines Elijah in our glossary as 'spiritual evidence opposed to material sense'. I will try to follow his example in the challenges around me.

Fruit of the Spirit - Part Four

2010-02-05T07:54:00.003-06:00

Our Bible Lesson continues on with another interesting healing, further proof of the 'fruit of the Spirit'. Jesus is teaching in the synogogue this time. He sees a woman there who is struggling with a physical problem. Luke, himself a doctor, describes her as having 'a spirit of infirmity' that had been going on for 18 years with the result that she was bowed together and could in no way lift herself up. What could have happened 18 years earlier that could have weighed on her all this time? The birth of a child? The loss of a child? The passing of her husband? Some awful mistake in judgment? How about in your life? The failure of a business? A disagreement with a friend? Disruption in your church?

Whatever had happened, it had weighed on her to such an extent that the sorrow of it kept her bent over, always looking at the ground. But, she was in the temple. We can surmise that she had come there to pray. Like the man brought to Jesus by his friends, this woman does not speak. She does not ask Jesus to heal her. Could it be she does not believe she deserves to be healed? Has she accepted this disability as a punishment? Does she think this disease is incurable? Whatever is going on in her thought, we know what was going on in his.

He calls her to himself. The Christ, the great Comforter, is waiting. If he calls out to you, you must choose to respond. She must have gone to him. She must have been willing to make that move. And what does he do? He puts his hands on her, probably on her bowed shoulders, the outward symbol of her inner conflict and pain. Interestingly, unlike the man who he called 'son', he addresses her as 'woman'. He might have said daughter but I do not think she had alienated herself from God for she was in the temple. He tells her that she is 'loosed' from her affirmity. Her burden has been lifted, the weight of guilt is removed, the hold of disease is gone. Would you like to be 'loosed' from something? He can do that for you.

How long did it take to reverse the accumulated effects of an 18-year-long problem? She was healed immediately. She was 'made straight'. She stood upright without therapy or the need to retrain muscles or strengthen bent bones. As soon as he assured her that she was free......she was free. She did not suddenly start leaping around but she did glorify God.

When you experience healing, what is your immediate reaction? Do you turn back, as that leper did when he saw that his leprosy had vanished? Do you say thank you? Do you acknowledge the divine Love that was behind that healing? Do you go back to mourning or feeling guilty? I should hope not!

Righteousness simply means right-thinking. I like to think of it as Truth-knowing. Jesus was always right-thinking and Truth-knowing and the fruits of that were healing. At all times. Under all circumstances. And it is every bit as accessible today. Mrs. Eddy writes: "Consciousness contructs a better body when faith in matter has been conquered. Correct material belief by spiritual understanding, and Spirit will form you anew."

Fruit of the Spirit - Part Three

2010-02-04T08:22:00.002-06:00

This morning I used some Bible translations to research the qualities listed as 'the fruit of the Spirit' by Paul in Galatians 5. Here's what I found:

love affection for others
joy exuberance about life
peace serenity
longsuffering patience, willingness to stick to things
gentleness kindness, compassion
goodness conviction that holiness permeates things and people
faith loyal commitments
meekness gentleness, not forcing our way
temperance self control, directing our energies wisely

This letter to the Galatians is universally recognized as an authentic message from Paul. Galatia was a Roman province that included many cities Paul had visited like Phrygia, Lycanonia, Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra. Christian communities had been founded during his first missionary journey. He later revisited them to support these converts in their new faith. The population of that area were heathens, Greek and Roman colonists which explains why Paul and Barnabus were taken to be Jupiter and Mercury. The heathen priests dominated the people and imposed harsh laws. These young churches wanted to know whether or not the observance of Jewish law was binding upon the Gentiles who became disciples of Christ. It caused much controvery. Paul must defend his authority. Having heard of their troubles, he wrote them this letter explaining the superiority of the Gospel to the law. He applies sthe truth he has been establishing to the different relations and duties of life. He denounces foreign practices and gives this list of qualities that come as the 'fruit of the Spirit', following the Christian religion.

Those, like myself, who are not raised in Christian Science, come to it with preconceived notions about religion and worship. Some of its teachings seem strange and confusing at first. But as one continues reading Science and Health, studies the Bible Lesson and reads the periodicals, it becomes clearer and dearer. One's whole outlook on life is brighter and more postitive. There are physical healings. We see God in a new light and begin to glimpse our relationship to Him. As a natural outcome we express more of that 'fruit of the Spirit'. The changes come from deep within and others can see them as we express more love, patience, gentleness. The 'seeds' fall on 'good soil'.

Fruit of the Spirit - Part Two

2010-02-03T07:45:00.002-06:00

The Bible Lesson takes an interesting turn following up on the parable of the Sower and the Seed. Jesus had shared that parable with his listeners. What we study next is an incident that occurs while Jesus is speaking with a different group. Among those who have come to hear him were Pharisees and doctors of the law. Such a crowd had gathered at that house that all the entrances were blocked. Those who got there late could not get anywhere near Jesus. Four men arrived carrying their paralyzed friend on a stretcher. When they couldn't get inside they used the stairs on the outside of the house and climbed to the roof. A portion was removed and they lowered their friend down to Jesus. That must have created a bit of a stir. If we assume that many of those gathered were local people, it is likely that they knew this man and his friends.

Jesus does not seem at all offended by their actions. In fact, he recognizes their faith in his ability to heal. He rewards their overcoming of every obstacle to get to him. The man himself had not spoken or asked anything. Jesus addresses him as 'Son'. He did not mean that this man was his son, but that he was beginning his healing work by recognizing in front of everyone there that this man is God's son. A child of God. He could have said so many things, but he who knew what was going on in everyone's heart and thoughts tells him that his sins are forgiven. That man must have been there with his full consent and with an anticipation that Jesus could help his paralysis. Jesus is about to do much more than that, and in front of the man's neighbors.

It would have been a great thing to heal this man of his palsy but it was going to be an even greater thing to get at the root of what caused it in the first place. This man may have made some choices of lifestyle that caused the illness, he may have done bad things as a result while under that influence, he certainly had alienated himself from his family for he was being cared for by his friends who still loved him. He might have seen being confined to that bed as a just punishment for his actions. He knew he had sinned. Jesus continues his treatment by letting him know that those sins are forgiven. He may have sensed repentance. Only God's forgiveness could truly heal this affliction in that man's thought. And Jesus phrased it that they were forgiven. Not just that at some point they would be.

His words had an effect on the man but also on those listening. The Pharisees and lawyers considered this blasphemy for this was something only God could do. Who did this man think he was! He had no right to do this! That honor belongs only to the Creator. They refused to accept Jesus for who he was, the Messiah. Jesus, who was aware of the thoughts the young man had, was just as aware of what these men were thinking. And he challenges them.

Did they think it was easier to make this declaration or to tell the man to get up and walk? They seemed to think that any pretender can say your sins are forgiven. What proof would there be? Jesus concludes the treatment by telling the man to 'Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house'. He lifts that man up spiritually and physically. He is to take the very item that had bound him for so long and carry it himself, as he would no longer need to be carried. And, he is to return home, his own house where he would be welcomed. This last was a signal to all those who knew this man that he was restored and forgiven and not to be identified as a sinner any longer.

Think of the seeds the Sower planted that day. Think of the different types of 'soil' that were present there. Those who came prepared to expose him as a fraud saw proof of his power. Those who came to hear this man speak of God's love for them saw how it heals and restores. Those who listened with an open heart and receptivity took in that precious seed and nurtured it. The Seed is being sown every day. The Sower continues his work. You can choose how you will prepare your heart and mind for that seed. And it can be, for you, fruitful beyond your imagination. Thirty fold. Sixty fold. An hundred fold. The seed of Truth bears fruit. There's no stopping it. The crop is up to you.

Fruit of the Spirit - part one

2010-02-02T08:55:00.003-06:00

This week's Bible Lesson continues with studying the synonyms Mrs. Eddy has given us for God. It is about God as Spirit and as each of us as His spiritual image and likeness. We begin with one of Jesus' parables, the Sower and the Seed, an appropriate place to learn just what the result of being more spiritual brings to our human experience.

The Word of God reaches out to us through the Bible. You should have a copy to read, a copy you feel comfortable writing in, and at least one copy that is a translation. I turn to the 'clean' copy when I am seeking fresh inspiration and do not want to be distracted by things I have written from other times of study. I use the 'marked up' copy daily and love being reminded of things I have discovered. I have many translations but most recently hav been loving a Bible that includes four translations. I keep a paperback Bible in the car.

I am so grateful Mrs. Eddy set up our weekly Bible Lesson as over the years it has helped me be familiar with most of the Bible characters and their stories. It also has given me a sense of the progression of thought about God and worship moving through the Old Testament and into the New.

This Bible study is like that parable in the Responsive Reading. This morning I am looking back at my own growth as I have been studying the Word. There have been times when all my good thoughts and prayer seem to have fallen by the wayside. One Bible commentary describes that as the pathways that run beside cultivated fields, a place where things get trampled under foot. That was how I was feeling about my metaphysical work. Then I realized that none of God's words are ever wasted or unappreciated. Those who don't agree with what I believe cannot overwhelm me with their opposition or disregard. There have have times when I have felt like my prayers are a struggle with a stony reception or resistence as big as boulders. It is hard to dig down and find nourishment in such 'soil' or thinking. When I prepare a garden bed, I take time to rake it clean and work the soil to remove stones and debris. I add things to that soil to be sure whatever I plant there will be able to put down roots and find nourishment. I understand that this process takes time and even when it appears on the surface that not much is happening, there is really all kinds of activity going on. Then there are times when I have prayed about something using the same old familiar passages and gotten temporary relief, but when the claim asserts itself, it is tempting to give up and say, well, I did my best but it just isn't working. That is exactly when you have to refute that testimony and say, well, I did my best and it must be working because it is the law of God, the law of good, and nothing can stop it. No false claim can choke off my reliance on Christian Science or spiritual healing. Nothing anyone says can cause me pain or hurt my feelings. I am good soil, I know the value of the 'seeds' I have been given, I can expect strong growth and beautiful results.

Today, be sure you are seeing your life as a garden bed filled with good soil, free of rocks or obstructions, in a protected space, with deep roots anchoring you, and excellent fruitage. This lesson comes directly to you from the Master.

tender mercies - part three

2010-01-29T06:57:00.002-06:00

Continuing on with the story of Saul, the account in Acts does not mention what immediately followed his conversion and baptism. We read of that from Paul himself in Galations 1:17. He retired to the wilderness in the neighborhood of Damascus, at that time under the control of the king of Arabia, for thought and prayer. it may have been there that he had more visions and revelations of the Lord that he refers to in II Cor 12. When he does return to Damascus, he immediately begins to preach in the synogogue that Jesus is the Son of God. Everyone who heard him was amazed, because they only knew him as the one who had been persecuting the followers of Christ. Here he was speaking of this new Christianity right in the midst of the Jews.

He did this for about three years before the leaders of the Jews began to fear his influence and persuaded the governor to persecute Paul. But their plans to arrest him were known and his disciples, under cover of darkness, let him down over the city wall in a basket so he could escape. He who had come there to hunt Christians, was now being hunted himself.

It can seem puzzling and even upsetting to friends and family members when someone becomes a student of Christian Science and begins to think and act differently. Especially if that person then chooses to leave medicine behind and rely on prayer and Christian Science treatment. If that person had been a firm believer in the power of medicine and seemed to be getting temporary relief, there might be concern about the effects of stopping that. I know this was true in my own experience. But as time passed and I became healthier and happier, it was harder and harder for others to condemn my chosen religion for they could not deny the evidence of their own eyes.

Jesus sometimes told those who he had healed not to talk about it. I used to wonder about that but now I see the wisdom of taking time to study and pray and gain some understanding of how the healing had come about. We might not yet be ready to explain spiritual healing or answer sceptics. It is enough to work on changing our own thinking and beliefs, to begin to see God as all good, and to understand our relationship to Him as His beloved idea, His image and likeness as it is written in Genesis One. No one would expect a kindergartener, who is learning to add, to be able to explain quantum physics. We start with what we can understand and use it and then we are ready to move into more complicated mathematics. So it is with metaphysics.

Paul has barely begun his ministry. He will make several journeys all around the Mediterranian establishing churches. He will write a multitude of letters supporting their growth and advising them. We have many of those letters preserved in our Bible. Those who hate Paul and what he is teaching will continue to try to do him harm. The next part of our Bible Lesson tells of a great adventure when he is shipwrecked.

The Bible is so rich with characters. Paul is of major importance to the spread of Christianity. We should know his story and be familiar with his writings. Mrs. Eddy mentions him in Science and Health. She says: "To misunderstand Paul, was to be ignorant of the divine idea he taught". Get to know him and treasure what God has done through him.

tender mercies - part two

2010-01-28T07:23:00.003-06:00

Continuing on with God's tender mercies and the story of Saul/Paul we saw how he had begun by vengefully hunting down the followers of the Christ only to do a 180' about face after talking with the Master himself. This was such a total change of thought for Saul that he was actually overcome with blindness and had to be led to Damascus. Instead of going to the High Priest in the synogogue for letters of authority to arrest Christians, Saul is forced to sit in a unfamiliar home surrounded by strangers where his reputation has preceded him.

God speaks to Ananias, the leader of the Christians. Jesus had often spoken about a new way to act, loving one's neighbor as one's self. He also taught about forgiveness and the need to love your enemies. In one of the Beatitudes we are told that we will be blessed if we love those who persecute us. Now Ananias will be given an opportunity to prove what the life of a Christian is all about and Ananias is being asked to lead by example. God tells him to go to Saul and heal him of his blindness. Ananias argues with God. Heal the very person who has vowed to hunt down men and women and send them to Rome in chains! He is told to go his way for God has chosen Saul for some very special work. He will bring Christianity to the Gentiles, speak before kings, and work with the children of Israel. What an amazing career awaits him.

Meanwhile Saul sits in darkness, pondering his meeting with Jesus, He must have realized the enormity of his mistakes and the innocent people he had condemned, including Stephen. He also must have wondered just what it was he would be told to do. Will he be arrested and exectured himself? Ananias arrives and puts his hands on his shoulders in friendship and forgiveness, calling him Brother. He tells him that the same Jesus that appeared to him on the way to Damascus had spoken to Ananias, sending him to Saul to heal the blindness so that he can be filled with the Holy Ghost. Immediately, the blindness is healed. The account in Acts, written by Luke the physician, describes it as 'scales' that fell from his eyes.

Saul in then baptized. His new life is about to begin. A whole new direction lies before him and he will have to win over the very people he had come to destroy. But this section of the lesson spoke to me more about Ananias and his own change of heart. I love his human reaction, arguing with God as if God was not aware of who Saul was and what he had been doing. How often do we quesiton God about some situation (or person)? Surely, He does not expect us to love this thing or this person. Surely He does not expect us to work side by side with them in harmony. Good heavens, not that guy (or gal)! And yet, that is exactly what he is being asked to do because God has a special purpose for Saul and God's wisdom is not to be questioned.

The command, love one another, is not to be taken lightly. When John wrote that he meant it. When Jesus preached about that he expected us to follow his example. We are to believe the first two words of his prayer...Our Father. That includes all mankind. That includes the person you don't care for. If we can't love someone we can see, how can we expect to love God who we can't see. This kind of love is divine Love being reflected by His children, those made in His own image and likeness. If we claim that to be who we are, we have to be willing to be that reflection, without exceptions. We are to do the works Jesus did and that means healing. How can you heal if you allow hatred or mistrust or resentment to stay in your heart and your thinking? Which is more important to you? Would you rather hate or heal?

Mrs. Eddy writes: "Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way. Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Don't hinder yourself! Love because that is your true nature and purpose. Even those who don't like. Especially those you don't like.

There's much more to Saul/Paul's story this week. Next he must begin his ministry by winning over those he persecuted right there in Damascus. He will have to rely on God's tender mercies and loving kindnesses. So can we.

tender mercies

2010-01-27T06:39:00.002-06:00

The Bible Lesson this week, Love, continues to explore the seven synonyms Mrs. Eddy gives us for God. Thinking of God as Love expands our view of Him to include what we usually think of as feminine qualities. In Christian Science we think of God as our Father and Mother. In the new supplement to our hymnal is a hymn entitled Tender Mercies. The theme of God's tender mercies and loving kindnesses runs all through the Lesson.

We look at Paul this week. He was called Saul before his conversion and he was an avid hunter and persecutor of those who believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. These followers of the Christ, or Christians, needed to be rounded up and punished and Saul was on his way to Damascus to get authorization from the High Priest to do just that. In his zeal, he was filled with threats of slaughter, going after men and women. The things people do in the name of religion. This was his highest sense of right at the time and he was determined to see them all killed.

Yet, he had stood by at the trial of Stephen and listened to him speak of this Saviour, the healings he had done and how he was the fulfillment of prophecy. Stephen's words angered the mob who stoned him to death, with Saul standing by. Stephen died with his eyes on heaven. All this made an impression on Saul and he must have thought about it deeply on his way to Damascus for suddenly a light shone around him. The light of Truth surrounded him and he heard a voice. It was the very man Stephen had spoken of, Jesus. Saul dropped to his knees in astonishment. He didn't doubt who this was and he calls him Lord, asking what it is he is to do. Have you ever railed against God, against the circumstances that are making your life dificult? How would you react if suddenly the Christ appeared to you? Wouldn't you instantly know who it was and bow before him? Saul had the humility to ask Jesus 'what would you have me to do?'. Would you be willing to just ask 'Lord, what would you have me to do?'.

He is told to go on to Damascus and await instructions. He who was on his way there to arrest and persecute Christians is about to become one himself. He takes on a new name, Paul, to mark this momentous thing that has happened. He is leaving behind all that he was before that moment and beginning again. He is to have a new mission although he does not yet know what that is. He is physically and spiritually unable to 'see'. Blinded, he must be led to Damascus.

What Saul/Paul was going through was a complete transformation as he changed his mind about Jesus and Christianity. He was going to surrender his own wilful plans and listen for the will of God. His motives and acts would now come from a whole new basis.

What happened next? The story begins in Acts 8. If you aren't familiar with it, take some time to read it. Tomorrow we'll continue on to see how the blindness was removed and what Paul is told to do. This is just one of the stories in the Bible about God's great love for each of His children, His tender mercies. He has this great love for you as well and can be just as powerful a force in your life. Everything can change.

hedges

2010-01-12T07:33:00.003-06:00

"Reckon it nothing but joy...whenever you find yourself hedged in by the various trials, be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance." (James 1:2,3)

Are you feeling hedged in? Do you seem surrounded by trials that are closing in? Is it growing, shutting out the light, making it hard to trust in God for answers? God 'hedges' us in as a protection, never as a punishment. The hedge preserves us from harm. Just make sure you are not seeing the wrong type of hedge and misunderstanding this protecting Love.

Thorns do not prick you unless you lean against them. Science and Health opens with the thought that 'to those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings.' Leaning on God never causes us harm. God does not create the thorns, those things that seem to sting and penetrate, causing pain or fear. The words or circumstances that upset or threaten do not come from divine Love and they cannot hurt you.

Mrs. Eddy uses the idea of a hedge in our church Manual when she describes the Manual as 'uniquely adapted to form the budding thought and hedge it about with divine Love.' That presents a picture of protection and nurturing. She also uses that concept when speaking of how she wanted to protect Christian Science. In her autobiography, Retrospection and Introspection, on page 52 she writes: "For many successive years I have endeavored to find new ways and means for the promotion and expansion of scientific Mind-healing, seeking to broaden its channels and, if possible, to build a hedge round about it that should shelter its perfections from the contaminating influences of those who have a small portion of its letter and less of its spirit."

Think of yourself as within the protection of a hedge of Love's making. See that any thorns in there are to keep out harm. Trials offer us the opportunity to see God in action on our behalf, especially if there does not appear to be a human solution or way out. Maybe your answer is to see yourself safely within.

Come and dine

2010-01-07T07:11:00.002-06:00

What a remarkable scene. Peter and the disciples had seen Jesus following the resurrection but then he had not stayed with them. They were unsure of what was going to happen next. Peter, their leader, had denied Jesus during his trial. He must have been feeling ashamed and confused about what was expected of him. They obviously had more to learn from the Master but would he return to them?

Instead of beginning a ministry and spreading the good news they went fishing. I do not think that was a permenant about-face, just a return to the familiar while they waited for direction and guidance. They didn't have long to wait.

They let down their nets and caught nothing. An interesting parallel to where they saw themselves at that moment. How many of us go through some challenge and when we come out on the other side, we are feeling let down, as if our work or our prayers were unfruitful. No matter how black the night may seem, the sun always comes up again. And as the daylight returned, and the dawn broke, someone is standing on the shore, calling out to them. That would not have unusual, as someone might have been asking to buy their catch. But this was someone who came to bring them something. They called out that they had caught nothing and he told them to let down their nets again and on the right side. They had heard those words before. When they obeyed they could hardly pull them in again. There is profound meaning in all this.

John knows who that is and when it 'dawns' on Peter, he doesn't wait to row to shore, he jumps in and swims there. It is the Master come back to them and with assurance that they will still be successful fishers of men. When they are all back on shore, they find breakfast ready and they are invited to join Jesus. Come and dine. Come sit with me as my beloved companions and students and I will serve you food and fill you up with inspiration. He broke bread with them, as he had done when feeding the multitudes...another symbolic reminder. He gave them fish, although he had not caught those fish in the lake. They had pulled in a large catch, but he was way ahead of them. He had pulled them back in.

Come and dine. That invitation is open to all of us. No matter how we have messed up, no matter how deeply we regret a mistake we have made or an action we have chosen. Come sit with the Christ and see the love in his eyes. Feel forgiven and renewed. Be redeemed and restored in the sight of others, as Peter was. Eat your fill, for you have work to do for God. He will guide you in the work He has prepared for you, just as he is preparing those who will be drawn to you for the loaves and fishes you will share.

And be expecting the opportunity. Hear yourself say....come and dine.

2009-12-30T08:57:00.003-06:00

When I was little my family did some 'messing about in boats' but they were small craft with oars or a motor. Recently one of my sons owned a fabulous motor boat where we all spent many happy hours. I have not spent any time on sail boats. But I am always aware of those passages in the New Testament where boats are mentioned. Peter owned boats and had partners in the fishing trade. They were familiar with being out on the water at all hours and under all weather conditions. Paul made many voyages around the Mediterranean.

As we approach a new year, it is almost like taking our craft out of the protected harbor and beginning a new voyage. One can feel a bit becalmed in the harbor, setting sail near the shore, but when the wind arises out in the open water it is a different story. Each new year is a new opportunity, a trust placed on us to use our gifts and talents, a time to grow. It may often seem like the wind is in your face, holding you back, making you struggle. And yet....in those very conditions the disciples saw Jesus walking on that same water. He was showing us that we can choose to stay above the waves and calm the storm. In one instance, when he joined them in the boat they were instantly at their destination. The Christ was with them so time and distance could not hold them back or hinder their progress.

This is the time to prepare to leave the harbor. No good sailor would launch out without being sure everything was in order and the supplies were on board. He would have charted his course. He would have chosen his destination. Make your plans for 2010 as if you were going on a cruise. Don't let negative thoughts, adverse conditions, or poor preparation turn you back.

It's going to be a wonderful trip.

The New Year and green pastures

2009-12-29T07:01:00.003-06:00

This morning I awoke with the words of Hymn 148 singing in my mind. This beautifully written poem by Anna Waring (1830-1910) is a constant source of inspiration. I love to pray with this hymn.

It opens with the affirmation that because I abide in heavenly Love I won't fear change. To abide is to reside permanently in one place. So many are facing challenges with home and employment issues as we come to the end of 2009. Many are fearful of what lies ahead. This poem reminds us that change is a part of the continual unfolding of the good God has already prepared for us. Change does not have to be a bad or a negative thing at all. We certainly do not need to fear it. It is progress and progress and forward movement are part of Principle, God's law of good.

I love to think of the part that says 'the storm may roar without me' as 'the storm may roar without my participation'. Storms happen. It is not the storm, but how we react to it that matters. Jesus stilled storms. We never need to feel dismayed by what the world is stirring up around us.

The second verse begins with 'wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back'. Be sure you take time each morning to pray for yourself and to include this thought in that prayer. God is guiding you at all times and under all circumstances. Wherever He is taking you, He knows the way and would never put you in danger nor make a false promise of good that remains unfulfilled. It goes on to say that 'no want shall turn me back'. No lack shall hinder your advancement. No longing shall hold you back or keep you from seeing the good that is right at hand. Include that in your prayer as well.

Verse Three continues to echo Psalm 23 with the idea of 'green pastures'. What a refreshing and rich metaphor. Lush fields filled with tasty clover. Soothing to the eye. Abundance as far as the eye can see. A soft and comfortable place to rest and be feed. The Shepherd is on watch and you can know you are guarded and protected all day long from anything that would attempt to threaten you. You won't have to deal with it, that's the Shepherd's job. We are lead to and can rest in green pastures each and every day. We don't create them, God does that.

As this year winds to a close, it is good to reflect on all the good that has come our way. It is good to express that gratitude to friends and family. Don't leave God out. Thank Him often. Look ahead to a good year about to start, filled with promise and spiritual growth, rich with opportunites to use the gifts and talents He has given you in the ways He will open.

Expect green pastures.

just who was he?

2009-12-22T11:24:00.002-06:00

For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

It occured to me that none of the disciples were present when Jesus was born. They didn't even know about him until 30 years later. So where do all the details of the Nativity come from? I think we owe Luke the thanks for that. He gathered eye witness accounts of all that happended and that included Mary's memories.

Jesus was born in the humblest of circumstances but the air above was filled with an angel chorus. The little family was in a nondescript stable or cave but a bright star drew kings to honor his arrival. His birth was contrary to the laws of life, his death was contrary to the laws of death. He did not own wheat fields or a fleet of fishing ships and yet he fed multitudes...twice...with left overs. He did not own a home laid with lush carpets but he walked on water, supported by divine Love. When he died, few mourned the event, but millions know about him now. Sin never touched him. Those who tried to put him in a grave learned that his body rose again, no dust to dust but the child of Genesis One.

Was he merely the son of Mary and Joseph who lived 2,000 years ago and had a brief career as a healer and teacher? Or is he so much more than that. Is he the greatest gift we have ever been given?

Yes, he is. He did it all for us. Your burden has been lifted. Your sin has been forgiven. Your life has been redeemed. It is not about Christmas presents, it is all about Christmas presence. Christmas is all about God's gift of love. How many presents do you choose to leave unopened? Open this one and rejoice.

Bless this house

2009-12-16T06:28:00.002-06:00

When I was a child I remember a small plaque my mom had on the wall in our kitchen. It is amazing to me that those words have stayed with me all these years. I never knew where they were from and assumed it was something from the Bible. They came back to me this week as I prayed for harmony in these final days before Christmas and peace in these final weeks of 2009.
This morning, on a whim, I typed the first line on Google and up came the entire thing. It turns out is from a song written in 1927 that was later recorded by some of the top singers of my parents era; Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Myron Floren, Mahalia Jackson, Kate Smith, to name a few. I don't remember ever hearing it as a song but that first line made an impressin on me all those years ago and I prayed with it in many forms all day yesterday. Here are the words to the song.

Bless this house, Oh Lord we pray
Make it safe by night and day
Bless these walls so firm and stout
Keeping want and trouble out

Bless the roof and chimneys tall
Let Thy peace lie over all
Bless this door that it may prove
Ever open to joy and love

Bless these windows shining bright
Letting in God's heavenly light
Bless the hearth, a-blazing there
With smoke ascending like a prayer

Bless the people here within
Keep them pure and free from sin
Bless us all that we may be
Fit , Oh Lord, to dwell with Thee

Bless us all that we, one day
may dwell with Thee, Oh Lord, we pray

Bless this house, Oh Lord, I pray and make it safe by night and day. Enable me to know that You bless this home and everyone in it at all times and under all circumstances, that every hour we may overcome evil with good. Let me think of 'house' as my consciousness or spiritual awareness so that I ask Your blessing on all my thoughts all day and all night. Let them all be in accord with what divine Mind is knowing. Bless this household for I dealy love everyone within it and am grateful for its shelter and protection and beauty. Help me understand how safe we all are in Your tender loving care. Bless this house today.

I am so glad this came back to thought after all those years. It is just as powerful now as it was then and it awakened the child in me.

'Children of Israel Camp' syndrome

2009-12-10T06:28:00.003-06:00

As we continue reading about the Children of Israel being let go from the slavery of Egypt, they have left it behind and headed for a Promised Land of their own. It isn't long before they encounter two major problems. They come to the Red Sea stretching out before them and there doesn't seem to be a way forward. They are being persued by the Egyptians who changed their mind and want the slaves back. The waters part and they go over on dry ground while their enemies are destroyed. Huge. Then.....there is a giant 'now what?'

In a very short time that wonder is forgotten and they begin to 'murmur'. How many of us seem to be in the 'Children of Israel Camp' where all we do is complain because nothing seems to be happening. You even find yourself questioning why you are on this journey in the first place. God continues to teach them lessons. They overcame an insurmountable enemy threatening them from without and now they must confront one from within, hunger and thirst. The bigger fear behind that is that their human needs will not be met. Who is going to provide food and water in the middle of nowhere? Once again divine Love provides an answer, this time one that shows up each and every day for the next 40 years. It seems it will be two generations growing up outside of the influence of slavery and false gods before they are truly ready to love their Promised Land. They need time to know and love their God. Having made the decision to rely on Christian Science, maybe even having some insurmountable problem healed, we soon find ourselves in that 'camp' mentality and questioning if we are taking the right path. We need to see this new way of life, of Life, practical and tangible day by day. Mrs. Eddy writes in the preface of Science and Health: "To those leaning on the sustaining infinite today is big with blessings." No waiting. God is a very present help in trouble.

You have found Christian Science...or it has found you. You may have hit that first obstacle that you simply could not deal with humanly and had divine intervention 'part the sea'. Now, don't enroll in Children of Israel Camp and start complaining or questioning. Continue to remember how you felt as you 'walked through on dry ground'. Believe in the promise. Believe in the Promiser.

God preserves us - going out and coming in

2009-12-09T05:43:00.002-06:00

Our Father not only created us in His own image and likeness, He preserves us in that perfect state. This week's Bible Lesson starts with that keynote to be strong and not to be afraid or dismayed. Many seem to be struggling with all three of these claims. That Bible verse from Joshua ends with a reminder that God, divine Love, is with us wherever we go. As we get in to the first section of the lesson, Psalm 121 says that God will preserve our 'going out and our coming in.' The New Living Translation says God will watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. The Message Bible translates that as 'He guards you when you leave and when you return, He guards you now, He guards you always.' There is a practical thought that you can use as you go about your busy day during this holiday season. It gives you strength.

I was reading an excellent article in this week's Christian Science Sentinel about Church in Action. The author had gradually stopped attending services and soon came to feel that he had stopped growing spiritually as well. As he prayed, he felt he needed to return to his local branch church, despite all the reasons that he had stopped attending in the first place. He did but he was always late and soon he was showing up late for other things as well. One Sunday an usher took time to talk with him about his 'dismay' and assured him that he was always in his right place. No obstacle could prevent him from being where he needed to be. As he listened to the rest of the service he gained much inspiration. That was the end of the chronic lateness at church and elsewhere. God preserved his going out and his coming in.

We read a lot about Moses in this lesson beginning with his experience by the burning bush. God had an assignment for Moses. Forty years earlier, Moses had been adopted by Pharoah's daughter when all Hebrew male children were being killed. He had been raised as a prince but forced to flee for his life when he killed an overseerer who beating a Hebrew slave. He had spent those years tending the flock of his father-in-law in a rural area. Now God wanted him to go back and confront Pharoah, who was to let the Hebrew slaves go free. Moses was a bit taken aback. He was the embodiment of feeling afraid and dismayed. But God assured him that he was anointed and appointed to this task and God would be with him all the way. He would preserve his going out and his coming in.

I am going to write out God's assurance and keep it with me all day today as I go out and come in. 'Certainly I will be with thee'. It's a certain thing. I really like that idea. It can work for you as well.

advent and the nativity

2009-12-01T05:50:00.002-06:00

Today is the first day of the Advent season. My son Jim and his family started a tradition for me by giving me a beautiful wooden train with advent doors built right in. They present the train during Thanksgiving weekend and I set it up with my Christmas decorations. Then starting on December 1st I open the little compartments. Last year, along with a tiny hand-written scroll by family members I got a piece of Dove chocolate. This year, it appears it will be M&Ms. I store the train with my Christmas decorations and return it to them in November of the following year.

I love the whole holiday season and I hope people describing me would say 'she knows how to keep Christmas well.' Several years ago I devoted time and study to the Nativity, the story of Jesus' birth and it was a wonderful and rewarding experience. I started that because of what Mrs. Eddy says in Miscellaneous Writings: "It is most fitting that Christian Scientists memorize the nativity of Jesus." I made a list of the things I considered important about the nativity story; the angels, the shepherds, the Magi and their gifts, the star, Bethlehem, etc. I hope that in the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations everyone finds quiet moments to think about those things and feel connected with what we are really celebrating.

It fits right in with this week's Bible Lesson on God as the only Cause and Creator and the Goldent Text inviting us to 'come' and 'see'. Come to Christmas with the delight of a child and see the wonder of the season. Agree with Scrooge's nephew that this is the one time in the year when all hearts are open to the welfare of others. If you don't own a copy of Dicken's A Christmas Carol...go right out and buy one. It divides into sections as Scrooge is introduced and then has his encounters with the Spirits. Make the commitment to set aside time to read it without any other distractions. Fix a cup of hot chocolate to sip as you read. You will be doubly warmed. Incidently, it makes a wonderful read aloud book. One year we made a project out of it and recorded it as a family using a radio script complete with our own sound effects. What a hoot. There are several DVD versions of the story as well. I especially like the one with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge and the Albert Finney musical version. And I must watch the Muppet's Christmas Carol several times with Michael Caine. He may be my favorite Scrooge.

So as we move into December there are two reading assignments for you. Read the nativity as given in the Bible. Use several translations. Read A Christmas Carol, the ultimate story of a life redeemed. Savor both stories.

Hear the angels sing.

come...and...see

2009-11-30T06:46:00.002-06:00

I am so looking forward to studying this week's Bible Lesson on God the only Cause and Creator. Imagine what your day will be like if you see everything that happens as caused by divine Love, as created by divine Mind, including yourself. God is wonderful and awesome, not just a loving God but Love itself, not just a living presence but Life itself, the Truth behind all of His creation. The Lesson begins with the keynote to 'come and see' the works of God. Come. See. The first thing I thought of was Jesus telling Peter to 'come' when he walked on water. Peter stepped out of the boat and as long as he kept his eyes on the Master, he could 'see' the power that controls the wind and the waves. Come. See.

The Responsive Reading begins to expand on those commands. The very first word is 'behold'. I always watch for that word. When it begins a sentence. it is much like that command to 'come and see', it means something connected to the activity of God is about to be revealed. We are to pay special attention. Isaiah describes what almost sounds like a parade. His reward is with Him and His works before Him. Everyone that He has created is there moving before Him and everything that He has created moves in accord with Him. How amazing it would be to go witness such a parade. It is possible for us to do this, in fact, we should be thinking of God and His creation that way. We are part of the parade.

Isaiah continues on to say 'lift up your eyes on high'. Now, I live with my teenage grandson and there is much 'lifting up of the eyes' in the sense of rolling his eyes when reminded about chores or questioned about school grades. This is not what Isaiah is telling us to do. Look up not down. If you find yourself with your head hanging down in exhaustion or despair, lift it up instead. Lift your thought and 'behold'. God's wonders are all around you at all times and under all circumstances. You are always in the presence of divine Love and surrounded by the protection of divine Principle. Isaiah understood that because God is strong in power not one of us can fail. For we are His exact image and likeness, just like the reflection in the mirror. That is what is true about us. That is how He created us and His creation does not change or decay or fall or run out of money or ideas.

I work and pray with our hymnal every day. Today it will be with hymn 246. I'll keep that open on my desk and refer to it all day long. It is based on this verse from Isaiah. If you are struggling with finances or worried about giving your loved ones a happy Christmas, look at the second line: He who depends on Thee, ne'er is forspent. Are you feeling a bit 'forspent'? God is the source of your supply. If He can't run out of something, than you can't either. Come and See what He has available for you. It may come in the form of an idea or it may mean some unexpected supply appears.

This week remind yourself several times a day to 'come and see'. What you are turning to and looking for is the good works of God. You will not be disappointed.

Joyful noises

2009-11-23T05:38:00.003-06:00

If a friend or family member was to describe your day-to-day conversation, would they say that you make 'joyful noises'? That is what we are instructed to do in the Bible. Our Thanksgiving Bible Lesson begins with that keynote from Psalms 147:7. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving.

Think about it. What is your casual conversation like? What sort of comments do you tend to make? Be alert to slipping into negative thoughts that get expressed in negative comments. It is so easy to start being critical of others. Uncorrected, those thoughts lead to critical statements. Is that really how you want to describe God's children? Is that really how you want to be seen as a child of God?

Take time today to make 'joyful noises', sing some praise to God for His ever-present goodness, rejoice in His creation. Make the conscious decision to eliminate anything that is not a 'joyful noise'. After all, since God is everywhere at all times we are always in His presence. As divine Mind, He is all-knowing and all-seeing. What He is always knowing about you and how He is always seeing you is as His very own image and likeness. Let's be sure we appreciate what that means and live up to it. Let's look for it in others.

Do you have a favorite hymn or a favorite song that is playing with a Christian theme? Hum that song or hymn today and think about what the words are saying. We are only a few days from celebrating Thanksgiving. How much thanks have you been giving?

"Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks." (Ps 75;1) I am going to look for more moments to be giving thanks to Our Father. It will sweeten this whole week and give special meaning to Thanksgiving Day.

Make a 'joyful noise' today.

words of wisdom about giving

2009-11-20T09:27:00.002-06:00

Section Four of the Thanksgiving Bible lesson has such words of wisdom in relation to giving. Our holiday season is filled with opportunities to give. Along with that is the ability to be a gracious reciever of others gifts. Those may take the form of presents or it may be an offer of a meal or a ride or a favor. Someone may offer to add to your meal with something they can bring. Be sure you are ready to recieve graciusly as you are also graciusly preparing to give.

Mrs. Eddy writes: "Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us." When we feel the impulse to give, in accordance with expressing our nature as the child of divine Love, this impulse cannot cost us anything in time, or energy, or peace. When we are 'about our Father's business' we are sustained and maintained by divine Love in this work. It is an unlabored sharing. There are times to be wise and not overextend ourselves physically or financially, but when that seems wisdom, it is not withholding. If we hold on to what we have, with a sense of limitation, then we fear to spend because we are not trusting God to replenish us. Watch that thought and correct it. Don't limit God.

We need to be aware of the needs of those around us and be willing to help. That help comes in so many forms, money only being one of them. We are blessed when we see our brother's need and supply it. We always feel good when this happens. Mrs. Eddy says it nicely, "The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good." A moment of your time can turn someone's day and attitude around.

One thing you can share is your understanding of God's goodness and allness. The greatest gift is to help someone who is struggling to see that God is a very present help in trouble, ready and able to heal and save and provide. I hope you are experiencing this in your own life and willing to tell someone else about it. It can change a life. It changed mine and I will be eternally grateful that Christian Science found me and has enriched me in so many ways.

Freely ye have recieved, freely give.

II Cor 9:7,8

2009-11-19T06:52:00.003-06:00

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It was beautifully translated so I will give you first the King James wording as it appears in the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson. "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all suficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."

That is so lovely but listen to this from the New Living Translation....You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others."

Here is the version given in The Message Bible. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more that just ready to do what needs to be done.

This is such a powerful statement as we move past Thanksgiving and into Christmas. My favorite Christmas story, besides the one told in the Gospels, is Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. What an amazing story of redemption. It is never too late to change your thinking and your life, to make amends for things you have said or done...or not said or done. We can give in so many ways besides just presents. And God will provide us with the means to do that. We can pray to see that divine Love showers us with good, more than enough to meet our own need, so that we can show compassion to others. Be a giver who delights in the giving. And recognize the source of this as God.

More than a verbal expression of thanks

2009-11-16T09:12:00.002-06:00

I'm back from my week visiting with my Matthew in California. This morning I am studying the third section of the Thanksgiving Lesson and loving what Mrs. Eddy has to say about how we show our gratitude. She writes: "Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech."

Many times we are grateful for something someone has done. We might take a moment to say thank you. How much better to not only do that but to show how we feel by being a better person, by smiling first, by quietly doing those dishes or taking out the trash, by reading that child a story yet again, by cuddling our pets. We can show our gratitude for the good that has come our way, even if we are not feeling very blessed. In fact, that is the very time to express gratitude for God's goodness and constant care, just when we are being fooled into thinking it is missing. Jesus gave thanks before he raised Lazarus because he already knew his Father was going to take care of it. Whatever challenge is facing you today, find the grace to be grateful right where impatience or negative thinking seems to be.

Thanksgiving is just weeks away. Be thinking of what you have to be grateful for this year. Some families go around the table before the meal and each one who wishes can share something they are grateful for. What would you say?

You never know just who is aware of your actions and inspired by them. And if no one seems to notice, rest assured, God, divine Love, notices.

Rain in due season...reaching to the sowing time

2009-11-06T07:45:00.002-06:00

Moving on to section three in the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson we read about God's promise to the children of Israel. He has lead them safely through the Red Sea, away from the slavery in Egypt, and reminds them of their part of the bargain. We are to 'walk in His statutes and keep His commandments'. We are to live a good life, loving God and loving our neighbor. We are to obey the Commandments.

In return, God says He will give us rain 'in due season', the 'land shall yield her increase', and the trees will 'yield their fruit.' So if you are not a farmer what does that have to do with everyday life? To me, seasonal rain means that what I need will appear when I need it, in the right time and in the right way. My life can be on an even keel without times of flood or drought, times of too much activity or too many unpaid bills, times when the supply seems to dry up or I am without inspiration or right activity.

The promise continues on with more good news. He says that 'your threshing shall reach unto the vintage and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time.' The wheat harvest will last you right up to the time the grapes are ready and what you harvest from that will last you right up until the you sow the next crop. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest and that will overlap with the season for planting grain. No gaps, no shortages, no lack. All you need all year round. He promises that you shall 'eat your bread to the full.' This is being satisfied and reminds me of a phrase from one of Mrs. Eddy's poems: 'who doth His will, His likeness still, is satisfied.'

The promise ends with the assurance that you will 'dwell in your land safely.' That is no small thing in this day and age. It is a promise of security, the very best homeland security, because you are living in His kingdom. This promise is to all mankind, in every city, in every village all around the world.

I will surely be praying with these ideas today. They are reasons to feel grateful for all the good God, divine Love, is providing. They are promises and His promises are kept.

So who were Graham and Cutter?

2009-11-05T12:32:00.004-06:00

I have this really great book called "Mrs. Eddy Mentioned Them". Every once in a while a name comes up in Science and Health and it is a good idea to research why she felt she use them as a reference. In the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson there is such a reference in the second section which is all about food and diet.

Mrs. Eddy writes; "Did Jesus understand the economy of man less than Graham and Cutter?" So who was Graham? Sylvester Graham worked as a farm hand and a clerk and taught school. He studied at Amherst for the ministry and was connected with the Pennsylvania Temperence Society and lectured on temperance. In time, he gave his whole attention to lecturing and included diet among his topics. Emerson dubbed him the 'poet of bran bread and pumpkins'. Graham introduced Graham bread, made of unsifted wheat flour, into general use. Today we all eat Graham crackers (most commonly with Hershey bars and marshmellows). But in their early days they were considered a health food.

Dr. Ephriam Cutter began his practice of medicine in Massachusetts. He took both his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Yale but went to Harvard for his medical training. Oliver Wendall Holmes was one of his teachers. He was enthusiastic about his profession and through many articles published in medical magazines he exerted a wide influence. His inventive mind enabled him to suggest improvements for the microscope. His writings on the bearing of food upon health were widely read in Mrs. Eddy's day.

All of this medical opinion is countered with Jesus' approach to 'take no thought for what you eat or drink'. My favorite thought about this comes from page 388 in the textbook where Mrs. Eddy says "If mortals think food disturbs the harmonious functions of mind and body, either the food or this thought must be dispensed with, for the penalty is coupled with the belief." Brilliant. I would hope anyone concerned about dieting or weight issues would take this wisdom to heart and study Christian Science. It is time for us to demonstrate our dominion, our God-given dominion, over food. That is not saying we need to stop eating or enjoying food, it just means that we need to see clearly that we can not be penalized by food. We control our bodies, not the other way around.

I love this section of the lesson and look forward to more indepth study of the remaining two sections the rest of this week.

So who were Graham and Cutter?

2009-11-05T12:32:00.001-06:00

You are not a sheep without a shepherd

2009-11-04T09:25:00.002-06:00

Staying with the second section of the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson, I was struck this morning by the wonderfulness of Mark 6:34 which reads "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things." I think I will make that my phone message today.

You are never helpless or hopeless or alone. Your Shepherd is beside you (see hymn 148) and caring for you in every way all day long. I studied the 23rd Psalm for a year and turn to it often in my own spiritual journey. This is what drew me to Christian Science, because it is the way I see God and have seen Him all my life. The religion I was raised in presented a punishing God, a God far removed from me, a God who could get angry at me. The first time I read Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy I cried when I came across her spiritual interpretation of this Psalm. It was exactly what I believed about Him. Divine Love.

A Good Shepherd is constantly thinking about his sheep. He prepares a day that meets their every need. He leads them to good pastures filled with tasty clover, a safe place where they can rest after the long walk into the hills. He sees that they have fresh water. He sings to them or plays music to soothe and calm. He watches over them and gently brings back those who stray. He protects them from enemies and danger. He leads them back to the fold in the evening, checking each one for any scratches or irritations, rubbing in pure olive oil. Then they get that cup of water before bedtime.

We are His sheep and He is caring for us just like that each and every day. We are never without His tender ministrations and guidance. You are being treated with compassion. God has given you dominion over all things. His law enforces this. Rejoice in your status as a treasured and valued member of His flock. Don't ever choose to identify yourself any other way.

Stop fussing

2009-11-03T06:17:00.002-06:00

This morning I concentrated on the second section of the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson and nearly missed something important. When we come to a familiar passage it is easy to just zoom through it. If I catch myself doing that, I stop and go back, praying with humility, "Father, help me to remain teachable. I know You are giving me grace for today and I want to be watching and praying for it." The passage is from Luke 12. Jesus is preaching and teaching. He has already told them to 'have no fear' about things that could harm the body. In this passage, Luke 12:22, he goes on: "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall it eat, nor about the body what ye shall put on." I didn't at first see an immediate application in my life but as I took a moment to think about his words and what is going on around me, it did.

The Message Bible translates this as 'be not anxious about your everyday life. Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtime or if the clothes in your closet are fashionable.' If I am honest with myself I have moments when I am tempted to be anxious about my everyday life. Will I have the finances to meet the needs of that day? Will there be enough to allow gifts to the ones I love this holiday season? Am I worried that I will eat more goodies than I should and put on a few pounds? Am I giving up my dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air as I savor my tuna steaks or chicken parmesan?

I am leaving on Saturday for a one week visit with Matt and Emily in California. I am so grateful that this long anticipated visit is finally going to happen. It is just not ok to go so long without being with them. And yet, I pulled out my suitcase and started to worry about what clothes I would take. How will I look to them? Everything I own is an old and trusted friend but my wardrobe is hardly fashionable. I don't want to be what Charles Schultz would call a 'fuss budget'. So I am taking the Master's words to heart and will challenge all those negative thoughts as often as they come up. I will counter them with confidence instead of anxiety. I know I can trust my Father to give me grace for today and every day. What others will see is my love for Him shining all through me and divine Love enveloping all of us.

It will be interesting to see how many times I remind myself to 'stop fussing' and take that moment instead to be with God and feel His goodness. That is a much better thing to 'take thought' about.

Eat what is set before you

2009-11-02T06:32:00.002-06:00

As I continued studying the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson this morning, I was stuck by a Biblical reference to food and feasts. It is found in I Corinthians, a letter Paul wrote to the church he founded in Corinth. Paul is instructing them about the limits within which a Christian lifestyle should be lived, to encourage them to consider not merely whether a thing is permissable, but whether it is helpful to others, as well as ourselves. He was giving practical guidelines for the dangers of joining in what might be a sacrificial, idolatrous feast. Most of us won't be invited to one of those, but we might find ourselves in an atmosphere somewhat different than we might have provided if the 'feast' was in our home.

He writes: "If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no questions for conscience sake." He goes on to caution that if they were told that anything being served had been originally part of an offering to an idol, they should abstain from that. He clarifies that this attitude of making a conscious choice about what you eat or drink, or how you choose to behave yourself, should be done to honor God, and in a way that does not give offense.

Mary Baker Eddy addresses this beautifully in our Church Manual in what is called The Rule for Motives and Acts. We are not impelled in our motives or acts by animosity or mere personal attraction. We do not react with disgust or indignation to what others choose to believe nor should we consent to eating or drinking something just because someone we admire or care about makes such a choice. This Rule ends with a reminder to watch and pray daily to be delivered from judging or condemning, or being influenced erroniously. Sound advice from both Paul and Mrs. Eddy as we move into the holiday season.

Neither of them prohibited joining in festive occasions. Both offered sound advice on how to handle yourself in those situations in a manner that does not cause offense or lead to wrong decisions. That is a good guideline for not overeating. Mrs. Eddy says, "If mortals think that food disturbs the harmonious functions of mind and body, either the food or this thought must be dispensed with, for the penalty is couple with the belief." Hmmm. The most important thing is to examine your thoughts and be sure that whatever decisions you make are in line with your highest sense of right and that everywhere you go, whoever you are with, your behavior honor's God and good.

Jesus was often invited to be a guest at feasts. He went and ate what was served him. He answered questions, using the occasion to tell them more about God. He healed. See Luke 10: 8,9.

I am looking forward to this holiday season and all the blessings it will bring. And some turkey.

Standing pools and no decreases

2009-10-30T07:22:00.003-05:00

I love the Bible. I love studying the Bible. I just love it when something I read opens up with new meaning. Recently I purchased a new parallel Bible. It allows the reader to compare four modern translations; the New King James version, the English Standard version, the New Living Translation, and The Message. I hope you are familiar with one or more of these versions. I am using it this morning as I continue to study the Thanksgiving Lesson.

So many requests for prayer and treatment are related to supply. The first section of the Lesson offers some help in that area. Psalm 107 says that God turns the wilderness into a standing water and the ground into watersprings. One of the translations changes ground into parched land. I can see using this to pray about dried up sources of finance or emptied bank accounts or limited employment. Another translation changes standing water into fresh pool of water. I like the image of what appears to be a dried up source changed into a pool of fresh water; sweet, clean, refreshing, giving off a perfect reflection.

I have never been to Niagra Falls but understand it is totally awe inspiring to stand beside it and see the amount of water that is flowing...and flowing....and flowing. What a visual presentation of abundance being constantly renewed and expressed.

We also read that God blesses us, multiplying us greatly and suffers not our cattle to decrease. I don't happen to own any livestock but I devote my full time and attention to being available for Christian Science treatment, Christian healing. Giving my days over to loving God and praying for His children is my occupation and I expect it to expand and increase. What Christian Science offers is healing and the world is looking for it. I can expect those calls to increase, not decrease. Whatever your occupation is, you can expect more opportunities to use the gifts and talents God has given you to increase. This in turn brings in more supply, not just in money but in spiritual growth.

So be aware of that lovely pool of water being provided for you. Know that divine Love is blessing you daily, multiplying the good in your life.

Passing through on dry ground

2009-10-29T05:53:00.002-05:00

This morning I continued to study the first section of the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson. It includes that passage from Science and Health where Mrs. Eddy refers to the children of Israel being guided triumphantly through the Red Sea, which she defines as 'the dark ebbing and flowing tides of human fear. How often do we find ourselves standing in front of just such a picture? We seem to be facing an insurmountable problem, like debt or illness, with an army of negative thoughts coming at us from all sides. It would appear there is no way out.

Right at that point, God does something wonderful. He parts the Red Sea. That very obstacle that seemed impossible, divides, and the children of Israel walked right through it on dry ground. They didn't even have to deal with mud. The army that tried to follow them was simply washed away.

God is always ready to 'part the Red Sea' for us. It has no power to resist His power. It must yield and obey His law. It cannot so much as make the way sticky. You, His beloved child, can pass right through that trial on dry ground, a firm foundation, with nothing to impede your progress, nothing to slow you down.

If you feel trapped or backed into a corner, when escape from an overwhelming challenge looks impossible, remember that you are not in this alone. God, divine Love, is always right here, right now. Ready to part that Red Sea. Providing you with a firm foundation. Eliminating whatever is trying to threaten or pursue you. And when you get safely to the other side, pause to thank Him for your deliverance. For your freedom. Acknowledge your status as His child. See yourself under His protection. This is who He is. This is what He does. And you don't have to earn it, it is yours by His grace.

Don't be afraid to step out confidently as Love opens the way. It would be pretty silly to stand there looking at the dry ground and not move forward with gratitude and expectation of good. He isn't going to let those waters close over you or let your enemies overtake you. Here is an opportunity to see Him at work. Watch it happen.

2009-10-28T07:44:00.003-05:00

I am deep into holiday preparations with my son and daughter. Most of the grands are in their teens and want to have parties with their friends. Ian and Katie Rose, six and two, are just beginning to see how our family celebrates the fall holidays.

What fun to see a holiday refered to in the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson. The Lord is instructing Moses on what He wants the people to do. They are to celebrate from Sabbath to Sabbath for one week. The outline for the Sabbath is given in Exodus 12: 1 - 14. The beginning of the grain harvest included waving a sheaf of new corn before the Lord as an acknowledgement of His bounty. We will include corn in our Thanksgiving menu this year.

During the week the people had the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles. It was observed from the 15th to the 22nd in October and marked the end of the agricultural year when the combined produce for that year as well as the grain harvest has been secured. It was a time of great rejoicing and they camped out in booths constructed of branches. These could be set up on their roof or out in the street. They commemorated the sojourn in the wilderness.

In all the hubub of planning, shopping, cooking and eating of your Thanksgiving feast this year, be sure to take moments to praise God. The Lesson reminds us that He satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Reach out to family, friends and neighbors sharing your love for God. let gratitude permeate your days. Be grateful. Give thanks.

Feel free to camp out in the back yard.

Thanks-giving

2009-10-27T06:40:00.002-05:00

So just what is it for which we are to be giving thanks? We live in challenging times. The world seems sunk in depression, many are struggling with finances, the news is filled with health threats. How does one keep thought uplifted and grateful? It all goes back to God. The Thanksgiving Bible Lesson opens with a Golden Text from Psalms. "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving". Have you ever sung to God? Have you ever taken a moment to sing your gratitude for the good that is already present in your life? We all should find time for that every day. Watch for and be aware of the good happening all around you.

Many people have those hand-held music thingies with playlists of their favorite songs. They listen to them often. Somewhere in your own personal favorites there must be a line about love. Try adapting it to sing silently to God and tell Him you love Him. That warm feeling you get is Him singing "I love you back".

The Lesson continues with a Responsive Reading that encourages you to make that joyful noise, coming into His presence with praise. What are we so happy about? He is our God and we are the sheep in His pasture. He is our Father Mother and we are His beloved children. He is divine Mind and we are what He is thinking about. He is Love and we are what He is loving.

I love the description in this section of what God does for us. He prepares the 'corn' and provides it, the things we will need. (Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need) Once we plant this 'corn,' this seed, in thought, it needs to be tended and nourished. So He waters the soil, a softening influence in stony or stubborn ground. He settles the furrows, smoothing out the rough patches in life. He keeps it soft with showers, showers of goodness and blessing. He blesses what springs forth as a result. All this leads to a wonderful harvest, the coming to fruition of our prayers and hopes. Your 'year', your efforts are crowned with success and there should be rejoicing on every side. What blesses one, blesses all. Those green pastures are now filled with flocks; flocks of ideas, evidence of abundance, glowing health. You should be moved to shout with joy.

But God is satisfied with that quiet song. A simple 'I love You'. Sing one today.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

2009-10-26T07:16:00.002-05:00

I know, I know, Halloween hasn't come yet and here I am talking about Thanksgiving. But it is one of my favorite holidays and especially dear to me as a Christian Scientist. Our churches hold a service on Thanksgiving Day. You are invited. If you can't get to a service, you can get the Thanksgiving Bible Lesson in the form of a small pamphlet. I'd be delighted to send you one!

So, over the next few weeks that is what my blog will be about. Thanksgiving and the some of the thoughts in this wonderful lesson. You can be thinking back on some of your families gatherings. Remember those feasts and be grateful for those who spent hours and hours getting all those yummy dishes ready, set a beautiful table, did the cleaning up, and set out all those leftovers for turkey sandwiches while you watched the reruns of the Macy's parade or Miracle on 34th Street.

This is a time for happiness and gratitude. Make the most of it for the next few weeks. It is a very satisfying thing to do.

...for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me (John 14:30)

2009-10-23T06:49:00.002-05:00

This morning I pulled out a little book of daily devotionals. I'm not even sure how I was lead to do that but I am so grateful that I did. I opened to the entry for October 23 and found the Scripture mentioned above. When I first read it, I was disappointed. I thought I had been lead to this book for a purpose and those words did not inspire me. In fact, I was not sure what they meant. So I read further.

The writer explained it like this. Imagine you owned 10,000 acres of land. You buy 9,999 of those acres but I keep one acre for myself in the very center of that property. And I reserve the right to cross through your property to get to mine whenever I want to and you can't stop me. It would be like choosing to live your life to your highest sense of right but keeping one little place open for wrong thoughts or motives. You are allowing error to creep in, or boldly march in, whenever it wants to and make its presence known and felt.

But Jesus says: the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. He has no property, no place in me. Every child of God, every child of Good, can look error or temptation or illness or lack in the face and say: you have nothing in me - no territory that you occupy, no domain, no dominion. Not over what I say or think or do. You cannot influence me in any way. You cannot make yourself felt or obeyed. You do not control me. I am the Lord's property. I am my Father's child.

That is a very powerful message and I am so looking forward to using this idea today. I hope you will too.

Jesus' practitioners

2009-08-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

As the time approached for the crucifixtion experience, Jesus was well aware of what lay ahead. He tried to prepare his students by telling them that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the authorities, and be raised up the third day. They could not or would not believe this. How was Jesus himself dealing with it? Well, he had certainly proved his ability to heal others and even to raise the dead. But he had not yet had to go through any physical attacks on his person. One time, when a crowd gathered to throw him off a cliff, he just walked right through and escaped. But according to the Scriptures he faced beatings, ridicule, and violence.

Jesus had no one to turn to in the way Christian Scientists might contact a practitioner, someone who has made the commitment to devote themselves full time to the practice of Christian Science healing. So he took his three most devoted students up to 'an high mountain apart'. And I can believe that both literally and spiritually. Because before their eyes he transformed himself, so that his face did shine like the sun and his clothing was as white as light. Not only did he do this but standing with him were Moses and Elias. Moses represented the law and Jesus was certainly familiar with the things Moses had done to lead his people from slavery in Egypt to the border of the Holy Land. Elias was one of the greatest prophets and it was in his writings that Jesus learned what awaited the Messiah. So he called upon them in his hour of need for inspiration and encouragement. Both had been dead, as far as the world was concerned, for hundreds of years and yet there they were in the flesh. The disciples recognized them as people and not as spirits. So Jesus uplifted his disciples thought even as his own was being lifted.

If you find yourself facing something too awful to deal with on your own, know that you are not alone. Help is only a phone call or email away. Practitioners are standing by 24/7/365 and so is God, our heavenly Father, divine Love. Those calls are answered, help is given, the situation gets resolved, but best of all, we gain a clearer view of God, His wonderful creation, and our place in it as His beloved children, safe in His unfailing care. Don't hesitate. Call.

arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house

2009-08-25T06:19:00.002-05:00

This week our Bible lesson is on Christ Jesus. We are studying the story of his healing of the palsied man. Confined to his bed, unable to walk, this man was brought to Jesus by his friends who believed the Master could help him. What I am paying particular attention to in this story is how Jesus healed him. Those present believed that this type of illness was a punishment from God for a sinful life. Whatever that man had done, whatever choices he had made, he was now stricken with this condition. He was not born with this problem, he appeared to have brought it on himself. Palsy, however, was not a physical condition, only the physical manifestation of what this man accepted, and felt he deserved.

At my Association meeting our speaker made it very clear to us that we should never accept illness or error or limitation as a reality, as a condition that needs correcting. It is only a suggestion that there is another power present other than God, good, and that this other power has the ability to control us or harm us. It is a false belief about man as mortal. It tries to reverse the truth of our spiritual being. The Bible, the inspired Word of God, says clearly that man was made in the image and likeness of God, the divine Mind. We are one of His ideas, created whole and perfect, faultless. An image is the exact duplicate of the original. Like the image in the mirror, it cannot do anything but reflect the original. That is the reality of our being and Jesus was very aware of it at all times. So aware of it that he saw this in everyone he encountered. This true view of them broke the illusion and healing occured as one's true nature was revealed, the perfection that was always there, even when hidden by the mask of mortality.

He addressed the man with three commands and these are words you can pray with to reverse whatever error you are dealing with. First, he said 'arise'. Lift up your thought, don't accept this as your problem because it is not brought on by God, who is the only cause and creator. All that He causes and creates is good. He fills all space so there is nowhere for something He did not cause or create to exist. There is no other power to cause or create it. The reflection is always true to its original. Rise up your thinking to honor God in this way and to see that you are His beloved idea and child.

Then he told him to 'take up his bed'. He was to show his mastery over that which was trying to confine him. This symbol of his enslavement had no power over him, quite the reverse. He was not condemned to spend his days lying on a bed as a constant reminder of past mistakes. He was forgiven and cherished by his heavenly Father, who wants us to express all health and holiness and wholeness. Lift up your thought and then lift up your body. God gives us dominion.

Finally, he was to 'go unto thine house'. This man was to go home. Maybe he had been cast out by his family. Maybe he had chosen to leave them for a different lifestyle. Maybe he had been ashamed to go back once he was striken by palsy. Whatever the reason, he was to return to his home and his family. But Mrs. Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, takes this idea to an even higher leve. In her spiritual interpretation of the 23rd Psalm, she substitutes 'spiritual consciousness' for the word 'house'. As in, 'I will live in the house (the consciousness) of divine Love forever. This man was to go back to his spiritual consciousness, to the place where he always lives in God's house.

We can use all three of those directives as we work out whatever it is that is trying to tie us to a problem or challenge; physically, financially, emotionally. Remember, it is not a condition and it is not yours. It is only a suggestion, a lie, an illusion, about your unbroken relationship to God as His very own idea and child. Arise, show dominion, and go 'home'.

I love this week's Bible lesson

2009-08-10T10:14:00.002-05:00

Yes,I love this week's Bible lesson for the way it is presented. The subject is Soul, which is all about our spiritual sense. Mrs. Eddy gives us a beautiful definition for spiritual sense in the chapter called Science of Being in her book Science and Health. She writes: "Spiritual sense, contradicting the material senses, involves intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruition, reality."

That sentence is in the first of the six sections of the lesson and then each of the next sections works with one of those qualities. It is such a lovely progression of our spiritual growth. We may need to have intuition first, as Jacob did when he wrestles with the problem of being reunited with the brother he had cheated out of his inheritance. Growing beyond intuition comes hope. One definition of hope is to wish for something with expectation of its fulfilment. Doesn't that lead beautifully into faith!

There is an example of this in the Gospels when Jesus stills a storm. The terrified disciples had awakened him, sure they were about to perish. As if a ship carrying Jesus could sink. He calms the storm with a word and asks them where was their faith. Sometimes that is what we need when we pray for healing, faith that God hears us, loves us, and will bring it to pass.

So beyond faith comes understanding. It is not enough to have faith in the principle of mathematics. When we understand it we can apply it and get the right answer. Understanding.
Then with understanding comes fruition. In the chapter Footsteps of Truth Mrs. Eddy writes: "Knowing that Soul and its attributes were forever manifested through man, the Master healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and feet to the lame, thus bringing to light the scientific action of the divine Mind on human minds and bodies and giving a better understanding of Soul and salvation." And this is exactly what those who turn to Christian Science find today.

This spiritual reality is what we think of as heaven or the kingdom of heaven. And it is available to each of us instantly.

casting nets

2009-07-21T07:17:00.002-05:00

One year, as I prayed for a topic to study to continue my spiritual growth, the phrase that came to me was 'cast your net'. It just so happened that was the year that I considered being part of the this new world wide thing called the internet. I had made the commitment to devote full time to the practice of Christian Science healing and to be available to take calls from the public 24/7/365. It was a time to open my thought and my heart to the world. Mrs. Eddy wrote of this over 100 years ago: "Millions of unpre-judiced minds - simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert - are waiting and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences." (S&H 570)

So I spent that year studying and praying and listening for wisdom and guidance about 'casting' my net . Every day I began with another sentence she wrote: "Those, who are willing to leave their nets or to cast them on the right side for Truth, have the opportunity now, as aforetime, to learn and to practice Christian healing". I won't attempt to put all I learned that year into one blog but I can say that I was very grateful to have this sentence appear in this week's Bible lesson on Truth. It brought back so much of the sweet study.

Are you willing to leave your net? Are you willing to abandon old ways of thinking and acting in your search for answers and healing? It takes courage to do that. It takes faith. Your net is what you have relied on for supply. It is your means of communicating with others. It is your circle of contacts. It is also a limited way of thinking about your life, as if you had no other choices. The disciples had spent three years traveling with Christ Jesus, watching him interact with crowds, hearing him teach in their synogogues and gathering places, learning how to think about God and their relationship to Him. He was their teacher, teaching them how to do what he was doing and commanding them to take this freely shared teaching to the world. When they thought he was gone they did not do that, they went back to their old life. They went fishing for fish. They went back to their old belief about nets.

Early in his ministry he called out to them one day, as they were trying for a catch and not finding any fish. He told them to cast the net on the right side. It was now daytime, when the net is visible and the fish could just swim away, but Peter, willing to obey his teacher, agreed to let down the nets one more time. And now they could hardly pull them in, they were so filled with fish. Three years later, as they once again tried unsuccessfully to fish, the Master appears on the shore and gives them the same instructions, cast your net on the right side. Once again, it is filled with fish where it had been empty before.

As you learn to turn to God, good, for your daily needs, do not be afraid to place your full reliance on Him. He loves you. You are His image and likeness. He is your beloved Father Mother. In divine Mind you are a complete and cherished idea, fully supported with all your needs met. If your need is to see a change in your life, what Mrs. Eddy calls 'a wider sphere of thought and action', a building of your business, or a strengthening of a relationship, or a physical healing...don't be afraid to cast your net, knowing His strong arm is helping you. If what you have been doing seems unsuccessful, be willing to listen for His guidance and cast that net in a new way...with the confidence of divine Love's complete intention to bless your life.

Don't be surprised if you are suddenly dealing with a huge catch!

Babel or babble?

2009-06-18T10:04:00.002-05:00

I was just reading a great article in this month's Christian Science Journal. I love the Journal for its indepth articles and this one really made me think. The story of the tower of Babel is found in Genesis following Noah and the flood. This ties in with the second account of creation, the one where God creates man from the dust of the ground and woman from one of Adam's ribs. These children disobey and are punished, sent from the garden of Eden out into the world. This is not the loving Father who creates man and woman in His own image and likeness and gives them dominion.
A couple of hundred years later the earth is populated. The people are basing all their knowledge on the material sense of things. God is not among them but high up in the heavens. At least they were all of one speech. One section of the population decides to build a huge structure that will reach up to where God is. Jehovah visits the site and in anger, confuses their language so they cannot communicate. The people then scatter.
This allegory has many applications to our daily experience. We can choose which version of creation we believe to be true. This is what you base everything upon, this is what you understand about God and your relationship to Him. But if you choose that second version you accept that there is disobedience, anger, jealousy, hatred, ambition, cruelty all around you. And that God is an angry, punishing Father. You choose to accept as real what you can see with your eyes and hear with your eyes as realitly.
This picture of our world puts men and women at odds with one another. We find ourselves in situations where cooperation is needed and instead, those involved are not communicating. There is misunderstanding and mistrust. This is not dominion, this is not all things working together for good. Babble.
If you find yourself surrounded by babble, just take a step back and choose instead the first account of Genesis. God's beloved child has never left that account, but demonstrates dominion. All of divine Mind's ideas dwell together in harmony and progress is the law of God, good.
Babel or babble? It's your choice to make.

new study - God's promises

2009-05-25T08:55:00.002-05:00

After much praying, struggling with what to do about attending an Association this year, I finally felt that it was right to proceed with plans to go to New York in August to attend my own Association. I had to deal with the fear that I could not afford the flight. A letter came from the Association saying funding was available to help. The amount I would get back was half of the cost of the ticket, so I got on line and booked a ticket. Then I had to figure out where I was going to stay. The hotels around the air port or the church seemed way out of reach. I went back to the letter and saw that a Christian Science facility not too far away was offering rooms. The amount it would cost to stay there was the same as the amount being reimbursed by the Association, so I called them and booked a room for both nights. The next challenge was how to get to Association on Saturday as it was quite a distance from the church. The woman who helped me with my reservation said that another guest was driving in from Connecticut and he had offered to drive others to Association in the past. I called him and he was very happy to offer me a ride to Association. As we spoke, I asked him for a suggestion of how to get from the airport to the facility. When I told him I was flying into La Guardia about 3:00 on Friday, he said he would pick me up at the airport. Step by step, the arrangements proceed and I know it is going to be a wonderful experience.

Our speaker this year has chosen "The Promises will be kept" as her topic and I will now spend the next few months working with this idea. To being, I need to be clear on just what God promises are. I thought of many examples in the Bible of God's promises being kept. There are many mentioned in Science and Health. I can also research articles from our periodicals on this theme. Should be fun and inspiring.

This week's Sentinel includes an article 'Blessings without limit' and it begins this way. When God created man and woman in His image, He blessed them saying, "Be fruitful and multiply." So I like to ask myself, How abundantly do I see my works being fruitful and multiplying? Now, that is the other side of the promises being fulfilled. Are we truly expecting them to be? I will be praying with this today.

prayering about flu and contagion

2009-04-29T07:51:00.002-05:00

Our phone rang late last night with a message from the school district announcing that all schools would be closed immediately and for the next ten days to deal with the spreading of 'swine flu'. Turning to this week's Bible lesson, I found so many helpful references to pray with: from the Bible...It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed...for He will not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men...none of them who trust in Him will be desolate... And from Mrs. Eddy's writings...let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error...the divine must overcome the human at every point...God is everywhere and nothing apart from Him is present or has power...then one disease would be as readily destroyed as another...disease must lose its reality in human consciousness and disappear...Love sends forth Her everlasting strain...

From an article...if your friend believed in ghosts and his heart beat faster and he had nightmares - you, not believing in ghosts, would have no fear of 'catching' his symptoms, however real they might seem.

Another thought - when a cat and a dog meet unexpectedly the cat arches its back. You would not pray about the cat having curvature of the spine, you would simply calm its fear. For more ideas to pray with for yourself, your loved ones and your community in connection with this topic, go to Spirituality.com and read "Freedom from swine flu through God's care".

turn that procession around

2009-04-14T07:31:00.002-05:00

In this week's Bible lesson, Doctrine of Atonement, there is a touching and powerful scene. Jesus and his disciples, along with a crowd of those seeking to hear him and those clamoring for healing, came to the city of Nain. As they approached the gates, a sad sight appeared. A funeral procession. Jews did not bury their dead within the walls of a city. A young man, the only son of his mother, had died. She was already widowed and was now without protection and provision. A large number of people accompanied her on this sad walk. So two great crowds of people were able to converge and witness this event.

When Jesus saw her, he instantly knew her situation and had compassion for her. He speaks to her these words of comfort, "weep not". I'm sure many had tried to comfort her but his words held a much different meaning. Having addressed her, he now touched the bier and those bearing it stopped. Imagine the astonishment of those around him when he said to the young man, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise". But that was nothing compared to their amazement when the young man, who all had accepted as dead, sat up and began to speak. Jesus had already raised many from beds of infirmity and pain, now he raised this young man from a funeral bier. To complete the healing, he delivers him to his mother. One can only imagine her reaction.

And with these few words and actions, Jesus completely reversed that procession leaving the city in sorrow and mourning to one of happiness and rejoicing. Surely, when he said 'arise' it rippled out to all of those present. They felt awe and wonder and word spread that a great prophet was among them. God had visited His people. Not just a prophet, but a great prophet for in their whole history only Elijah and Elishas had revived the dead. A long period of silence in the form of prophecy now came to a close. No prophets had appeared for centuries. So this story spread quickly throughout all Judea and all the region round about.

What I love about this is how the Christ completely reversed what appeared to be consuming everyone. That is how Christian Science operates. Use it with whatever grief or sadness or illness is causing you to feel like you are in a long walk of depression. Weep not. Stand still, stop moving forward with your problem. Don't continue down that path. Listen for the Christ telling you to arise, lift up your thought, see things differently. Be delivered whole and well and happy back to those who love you. No hands were needed to help that young man, he sat up on his own. No period of getting over whatever had caused him to die, he was able to speak normally. The problem had vanished. Health was restored. That procession turned around and went back into the city with a totally different feeling. You can do the same. Today.

Nothing can 'plague' you

2009-04-07T06:58:00.002-05:00

This week's Bible lesson asks what appears to be a simple question but we cannot take it lightly. Are sin, disease and death real? Well, they certainly seem real. This is a natural follow up to the previous Bible lesson topics, Reality and Unreality. What is real to you? What is your reality based upon?

Within the lesson is a familiar citiation from Psalm 91. If you are not familiar with this Psalm, please look it up. It is one of the most comforting and promising passages in Scripture. Its applications can change your life and help you to see the all-presence of good. Good is the theme running all through this lesson and if we can understand the allness of God and the allness of good in His creation, we can answer that question with a confident "no".

This morning, I am working with Psalm 91:10. "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling". This is what we all want to hear and believe in this troubled economy. No evil will happen to you. No evil whatsoever. Nothing bad. That's one side of the promise. The other half balances it perfectly. Since God is good and God fills all space, then good fills all space. Not only will no bad things happen, many good things will.

The second part of this citation is wonderful. "...no plague shall come near your home". What a promise for those struggling to keep up with house payments. What relief for those suffering from spring allergies. I looked up the word 'plague'. It means a widespread affliction or calamity, a sudden destructive outbreak, a cause of annoyance, a highly infectious disease. If any other these things appear to be present in your experience, here is the way to reason whether they are real or not.

Mrs. Eddy defines 'house' as 'consciousness'. So what we are defending is not only our physical home but the things we are accepting into thought. She gives Mind as a synonym for God. If we can see that God is divine Mind and that Mind is ever present, if we can see that God is good and good is ever present, we can see that we, as His image and likeness, are part of that expressing of good. We are what God is thinking about, we are what He is dwelling on. As there is only one Mind, we can know what He is knowing, the ever presence of good. He saw all that He had made and it was very good. That includes each one of His children. Nothing else is present. No one else is present. That is what is real.

Spend a little time with Psalm 91 today. I guarantee some of the verses will really resonate with you. This is prayer, spending time with God, getting to know Him as He is and to see His goodness ever present. To see yourself as the recipient of good. Prayer brings honest-to-goodness physcial change for the better. That eliminates sickness or disease. That brings an end to sin or making poor choices that do not lead to good.

You are not the victim of any form of plague. Nothing can 'plague' you. You are enveloped in good and it is your Father's good pleasure to open the windows of heaven and pour out more good than you can possibly take in.

don't touch the hem, be wearing the garment!

2009-04-02T09:54:00.002-05:00

As I read a familiar story in this week's Bible lesson, I was struck by an interesting idea. The woman in the story was suffering from a long-standing issue of blood. She hid herself in the throng surrounding Jesus, reasoning that if she could only touch his clothes, she would be healed. So she reached out and touched the hem of his garment. She believed that he had some power within him that healed. The hem, or blue fringe on the border of the garment, was put there by divine command, and served to remind the Jewish wearer of the special relation to God in which he stood. (See Numbers 15: 37-40) She knew, as soon as she touched him, that she was healed of that problem and the loss of blood stopped. She would have slipped away but Jesus, sensing what had happened, did not allow that. He asked who touched him. When she, fearful and trembling because what she had done broke Jewish law making those around her unclean, came forward, he made sure that she realized that it was her faith in God that had brought about the healing. And he announced this so that no one could condemn her for her actions as she was whole. If she had slipped away without knowing this, she might have been unable to get a healing next time she needed one and the Master was not around.

But what I thought about this morning was that many of us tend to identify ourselves as the person who needs the healing, the one turning to the Christ and trusting that we can make contact in some way and be healed. Think what it would be like if instead we identified ourselves with the Christ, accepting the idea that we have the same mind that was in the Master because that is the only Mind there is. We can be just as aware as he was of man's perfection and wholeness. For ourselves and for others. We are the ones wearing the garment! We are clothed in righteousness, right thinking, Truth knowing so we are always in 'our right mind', the only Mind there is.

Try looking at a familiar Bible story and ask yourself which character you are identifying with. Go about your day today imagining yourself clothed in that garment. What a concept.

Your 'Pool of Bethesda"

2009-03-26T10:33:00.002-05:00

Included in this week's Bible lesson is the story of Jesus' healing of the man by the Pool of Bethesda. I was thinking about that this morning and asking myself, "am I sitting beside my own Pool of Bethesda"? That man had carried around a heavy burden for many years. It seems to me that what he was now doing was hoping to some miracle that would restore him to health. Restore his dignity and self esteem. Allow him to stand unaided. Give him freedom to move around on his own. He believed, as did the many others who came to this Pool, that what caused the healings was the intervention of an angel. Mrs. Eddy defines angels in Science and Health as God's messages and messengers. So this man was waiting for evidence that an angel had appeared and then hoping against hope that he would recieve the blessing.

Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed. An odd question but the answer establishes where the man's thought was at that point. He believes in the power of the angel, he believes healing is possible, but he feels that he is unable to be healed because to do so he must rely upon the help of others to get him to the pool. Do you feel that way? Do you think that you need the intervention of someone to move you ahead of others in the employment process? Does it seem like someone else always gets their blessing, perhaps what should have come to you?

Jesus had asked him if he wanted to be made whole. That man must have been feeling, then, that he was not whole. He was physically handicapped, he was alone, he was a victim of circumstance. Many feel that way with all the challenges around us. Do you feel that there is a hole in your life, in your body, in your relationships, in your career? Does there seem to be something missing? Jesus might well ask you the same question. Do you want to be made whole? Of course we do. But how? What was the Christ offering to do?

Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health that Jesus beheld the perfect man, the perfect idea of divine Mind, right where the rest of the world saw something lacking. Jesus saw everyone as whole, never having lost anything. Always as the perfect reflection of a perfect Original. Complete. Undisturbed. Whole. Healthy. Complete. Able to do all things through God who is our constant support. And he saw it so clearly that, like a light being turned on in a dark room, the man's thought of himself was lifted as well. That light of Truth shined for both of them. And it brought healing and restoration because immediately that man was whole. This was a revelation, not so much a restoration. What had always been true had been revealed. So no physical therapy was needed to strengthen weak muscles, no time was needed to recouperate. No help was needed to balance that man so he could walk on his own. No help was even needed to carry that cot. He could walk right then and there. And he did.

If there seems to be a 'Pool of Bethesda", a person or place or thing that you are looking to for help or healing, why not look instead to see that angel message coming directly to you from your Father in heaven. No pool necessary to prove its presence. Do not accept any limitation that says you can only succeed if others help you. Do not accept the suggestion that you are the victim of circumstance and that someone else gets to good before you do. Good is infinite and cannot ever be used up. There is more than enough to go around. It is God's will that you understand your relationship to Him as His very own beloved child. That comes with divine rights and privleges.

Turn away from the 'Pool' and look for your angel. It is your very own angel and its message cannot be diverted, delayed or erased. When you feel that you are in the presence of the Christ...rise...take up your bed...and walk. Lift thought to cling to perfect God and perfect child. Be made whole.

That which concerns me

2009-03-25T08:43:00.002-05:00

Another favorite Bible passage is in this week's Bible lesson: The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me...) from Psalms 138. I like to pray with this one using it two ways.

First, it is so comforting to know that my Father will perfect the things that are causing me concern. The things that concern me. He will open up what seems to be a blocked way, He will make clear some direction that is confusing me, He will smooth out any relationship challenges, He will provide me with abundance when I am concerned about adequate supply. No matter what it is that is causing me to feel concern, I can trust His care and control.

Secondly, it is so supportive to know that God is also going to straighten out anything that concerns me, things about me in my own thought or in the thought of others. Another name for God is divine Mind, the only Mind, the all-knowing and wise Mind. If we understand this, we see that we are all reflections of the intelligence, that wisdom, that knowing. We are not holding our own opinons, just reflecting His as His image and likeness. There are zillions of individual minds, just an infinite number of ways that Mind is knowing things. So God is fully aware of everything about me.

Our bodies express what governs and occuplies our thought. Are you feeling a sense of heaviness or foreboding and is that expressed in weight issues? Are you feeling unsure about a decision that needs to be made and that is being expressed in stomach problems or dizziness? Whatever you are entertaining in thought is what comes out on the body. I love to envision Jesus walking on the water right in the midst of a storm. What lightness. What confidence. What mastery of the elements. What control. We would all like to move through life like that. The message in that Psalm helps. In another part of the lesson we read this from Science and Health: "...Mind can impart purity instead of impurity, strength instead of weakness, and health instead of disease. Truth is an alterative in the entire system, and can make it every whit whole."

I'll be praying with these passages today.

Morning Chapel

2009-03-24T08:23:00.002-05:00

When my kids were young, they attended a school where the staff and Administration were all Christian Scientists. Each school day started with a gathering for Chapel and parents were invited to share in it. The classes took turns participating in Chapel, with readings from the Bible or a good thought for the day. A side benefit was giving the children poise and confidence as they spoke before their peers in a safe and supporting environment.

I remember staying for Chapel one day and hearing a verse from the Bible that is in this week's Bible Lesson. The verse is from Psalms 19: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

The words of my mouth. May everything I say be acceptable to God. That can be a tall order as we go about our day. But, not a bad exercise to stop and think what God would think about what you just said. Keep a closer eye on how positive or negative your reactions are and what it says about you. If what you say is acceptable in God's eyes, then it can't be offensive or hurtful to others, nor can it be misunderstood.

That goes for your inner thoughts as well. We can often stop ourselves before we say something we might later regret, but do we take the time to change what we are thinking, if it a thought that would not be acceptable to God. The things we think about our family members, our fellow workers, the person at the check out line, the other drivers on your commute. Do we allow unpleasant or unkind things to stay in our thinking? If we do, they might just slip out when we speak. Better to keep those things we mediatate on, think about, brood over, reminate upon, be acceptable to God as well.

The simple exercise of this lovely prayer is to keep what you say and think pure and good. It certainly makes for a calmer and happier attitude. But this needs to be based on spiritual law, the Principle that comes from the account of creation in Genesis where God saw everything that He had made and it was very good. Nothing unpleasant, evil, unkind, painful mentioned in that account. Nothing that could cause us to think badly of others or be thought badly of in return. Taking it back to God eliminates those things that would cause us to see any one in the wrong light. Much better to see by the light of Truth.

If you are new to Bible study, you might start with the book of Psalms and read through looking for verses like this one that you can copy out and carry around with you. That verse concludes by recognizing God as our strength and redeemer. What we can rely upon and be supported by. Thw Word of God never fails.

Calm yourself, Iago

2009-03-20T08:48:00.002-05:00

When things appear to be getting out of hand, I often pray with this verse, Psalms 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God".

There is a moment in the Disney version of Aladdin when the evil Sorcerer's parrot is having a fit about what is going on. There is a long stream of complaints until the Sorcerer uses his fingers to close the bird's beak and say, "Calm yourself, Iago". I laugh every time. And when I find that I need to calm thought for myself or someone else, I think about this. It is my response for the first part....be still. It is only in perfectly still water that you get that clear reflection that so exactly matches the original. Be still. Stop fussing, stop fidgeting, stop trying to fix matter, stop complaining. Just be still. Quiet. Noiseless. Soundless. Motionless. It is in this kind of stillness that one can really listen for angel messages. This is when you hear divine Love's answer.

Having found this stillness, the next part is to 'know'. What is it we are to know? Mrs. Eddy assures us "Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free". The truth about God being All in all. Filling all space. Always present. For everyone. In absolute control. Giving His child dominion. God, the source of all power. God as the only cause and Creator. All of God's creation being very good. No illness. No pain. No conflict. No lack. No inharmony. No confusion. No fear. Most of all, no fear. Knowing that God can and will take care of every human need removes any sense of fear. There is nothing to be fearful about. We can trust Him. We can rely on His perfect plan.

When God gave Moses a way to address Him, a way to describe Him to others He said: "I AM THAT I AM". I AM. Present tense. What a tremendous concept to 'get', that God IS. Right here. Right now. I AM in charge. I AM providing all you need. I AM the source of all good. I AM your God and you are My image and likeness, just like Me in every way. Just like the image in the mirror exactly shows the original. If it isn't true about the Original, it can't show up on the reflection, whatever 'it' claims to be.

Be still. Know. I AM.
Calm yourself, Iago

Nazareth or Capernaum response?

2009-03-18T07:17:00.002-05:00

In the 3rd section of this week's Bible lesson Jesus meets with two very different responses to his words. He had been traveling and then returned to his home in Nazareth. He went to the synogogue and taught. The people of Nazareth were surprized by his gracious words but they had known him growing up there and all they could see was the son of Joseph the carpenter. Surely, this person could not be the Messiah. They became angry and attempt to harm him, but he passed among them and went his way.

He finds a different response when he visits Capernaum. Again he goes to the synogogue and preaches. But here they feel his power and their response is to bring any that were sick to him for healing. And every one was healed. After a while, he prepares to move on and they follow him, asking him to stay with them. But he knows he must continue his ministry.

Two very different reactions to hearing about our relationship with God. One cold and judgmental, the other receptive and open, drinking in his words and desiring more. This section is about the path we choose to walk and the way we choose to walk in it. It fits beautifully with an article in this week's Sentinel entitled Foot Prints. I will pray with this section of our lesson and ponder the beautiful Sentinal article as I walk my path today.

Which law do we choose to obey?

2009-03-17T08:38:00.002-05:00

In the second section of this week's Bible lesson on Matter there is the restoring of the man with a withered hand. This is now the third time that the adversaries of our Lord have accused him of breaking the Sabbath laws. Remember, these laws are not any of the Ten Commandments given by God, but traditions put in place by man. Yet, if any of the 613 rules were disobeyed, punishment would follow. There are laws that govern man, but they are the laws of God, spiritual laws. Any laws that condemsn man to suffer are the so-called laws of matter. They are not really laws at all and they have no power behind them to enforce them. God's law is a protection to man and that is a totally different thing.

In this story, Jesus is in the synogogue. He sees a man whose right hand was withered. That detail comes from the gospel of Luke, the physician, who always noticed those things. We do not know if this withering was the result of an accident or some disease that gradually led to its loss of motion. Whatever the cause, the result was probably that his man could no longer work. Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees about whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He responds with an example that would have made perfect sense to those who were listening in. He asks them who would among them, owning only one sheep, and that sheep fallen into a pit, wouldn't lift it out? How much better then is a man? Disappointed in their hardness of heart, their willingness to let someone suffer rather than break a foolish law, he turns to the man and tells him to stretch forth his hand. Only malice could call healing by a word, without labour or medicine, a breach of the sabbath. Jesus then healed with that simple sentence. The man obeyed his command and his hand was restored

Now before we condemn that hardness of heart, let's be sure we are not doing the same thing. How often do we make a casual remark about someone being exposed to contagion or think that they might have some sickness that God never created. Or, being sick ourselves, believe we have to go through some series of symptoms until we are well again. Are we choosing to listen to and obey false laws not of God's making? God saw all that He had created and it was very good. So nothing that claims to make us sick or hurt originates with divine Love. Or, as Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health: "Every law of matter or the body, supposed to govern man, is rendered null and void by the law of Life, God." Don't choose to obey the wrong laws and suffer needlessly. Choose God and His divine law of everpresent good.

choose wisely

2009-03-16T07:23:00.002-05:00

There is a scene in the third Indiana Jones movie when the villain chooses from an array of cups, seeking the real holy grail. Drinking from the false one causes him to wither up and die. The guardian of the Grail says, "He choose poorly".

There is a parable in this week's Bible lesson, an example Jesus gave, about choosing wisely. It is the parable of the tares and the wheat. All of his listeners understood how frustrating it can be, and how devastating to a crop, to find intrusive weeds in your field. Especially when you have started with the finest seed and carefully prepared and tended the ground. All of us know how frustrating it can be to start out with the best thoughts, carefully work with a project we hope to bring to fruition, only to find that the problem does not yield, the challenge is not overcome, the job does not appear, no new clients sign on. We are shocked and disappointed. Like the man's servants, we look around to see who is to blame. But that wise man did not react quickly to the presence of the weeds and we should not react quickly to the appearance of error in the form of a false idea. False things have no real basis and they will not last. The wise man was willing to be patient and to trust in the value of the good seed that had been planted, the good work that had been done. The error would be easy to identify in time, as would the wheat, and they would then be separated. The tares are gathered and burned. The good wheat harvested. That right idea was allowed to grow strong and get established, well developed. He couldn't bring that field into perfect condition immediately, but he knew what the final outcome would be if allowed to come to maturity undisturbed. We never need to make a big deal out of problems. That usually just makes things worse. Keep watching the good seed, trust in it.

I look forward to 'digging in' to the rest of the lesson!

notes to self

2009-03-13T09:13:00.002-05:00

I have posted several notes to myself. One is on the mirror in the bathroom, where I am sometimes tempted to be unhappy with what I see reflected there. That note is from Psalm 139 and it says: "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." That one is a reminder to not be critical of God's creation, to appreciate my uniqueness, and be grateful for how God sees me.

Another one is taped on to my check book cover. It is a quote from Mary Baker Eddy and I am reminded of it every time I go to write a check. She wrote: "Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us." When I am tempted to be fearful about seeing the balance in the checkbook go down, when I need to honor a debt, when I want to make a donation, these are all opportunities to see that my true source of supply is unlimited. Supply is a spiritual concept and God has promised me I will have all I need at every moment. All that He has is available to me.

I am thinking about putting a few more of these notes around the house and in the car. It's fun to find just the right quote from the Bible, Mrs. Eddy's writings, or our hymnal to lift thought when that is most needed. Give it a try and let me know what you came up with.

substance

2009-03-12T09:27:00.002-05:00

This week's Bible lesson is on Substance. Sub means under. Stance means standing. What are you standing on? What do you stand for? Many of the Bible characters mentioned in the Responsive Reading had to answer those questions. Enoch's understanding of substance allowed him to be 'translated' so that he did not experience death. Abraham had to lean on his faith when God directed him to leave his comfortable home at the age of 75 and set out without even knowing quite where he was going. Abraham had to have a very clear understanding of 'home' to do that, and to take everyone with him. Moses chose to separate himself from the privledged life of an Egyptian prince and return to his roots. Then he did even more than that when he led the people totally away from Egypt and lives of slavery.

We all face questions of just how we are perceiving our life, our family, our job, our church. Just what we understand those to be. When all else seems to fail, what can we rely on not to fail us. When 'all material streams are dry', where can we turn for a stream of income. When we feel very much alone, who can be our best friend and companion? Where do we see ourselves fitting in? Waht do we have to give?

One good place to start....is at the beginning. Genesis One. God is the sole creator and when His work is done, He is pleased. "All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made." Only what God says exists actually exists. Has true substance. And that substance can't ever run out, be used up, delayed.

Oh, I know. Here it comes. But. How many sentences start with that thought! But. But I don't have a job. But I don't have a family. But I don't have good health. As soon as that negativity creeps in, you know you have taken yourself out of the first account of creation and are identifying with Genesis Two. The land of Mist. The land of Missed. Man made of the dust of the ground. Made created to toil for his livelihood. Get out of there! Why would you even want to stay there? Go back to seeing yourself as made in the image and likeness of God. What is true about Him is true about you by reflection. Is God has all He needs, so do you. If God is in perfect health, so are you. If whatever the problem seems to be doesn't appear to be happening to God, it can't touch you either. True substance. True understanding of just who and what you are. Gratitude. Peace. Happiness. Contentment. Opportunities to reach out and help others. Opportunities to be the one helped. Wake up. Get out of that Adam dream and see that you never really left God's, good's, presence.

Mrs. Eddy writes that every function of the real man is governed by God, by the divine Mind that is all-knowing and all-loving. You can trust in that. Just like it says on our coins. In the first account of Genesis all is harmonious and eternal. Sounds pretty good. It is pretty good. See yourself there. Let that be your foundation, the rock you stand on, lifted above life's challenges. Your under-standing. Your true substance.

deafness and lectures

2009-02-19T10:07:00.002-06:00

That may sound like a strange way to begin this blog but let me explain. For the application goes way beyond the original occurance. A friend emailed me a convocation address given at Principia College in 1998. The subject was 'church', which is my personal study for 2009. Within the address were some really amazing thoughts about the importance of church attendance. I will be working with those today. But in the middle of the article was a reference to someone the author knew, and this is what totally blew me away. His friend had been deaf until he reached young adulthood, when he had been healed. He went on to be a Christian Science lecturer. The author asked him whether he had ever known of any other healings of deafness and his response was 'Oh yes, a number of people wee healed of deafness during my lectures."

Isn't it astounding that someone who was deaf even went to a lecture! These are not video shows, it was sound, the spoken word. But they came anyway. That says a lot about what there expectation was for healing. The words that healed them did not come through the physical senses. It was the power of the Christ speaking to them right where they were. Christian Science does heal.

There are many levels of deafness. Sometimes we just refuse to hear something we do not want to hear. Sometimes we insist on hearing something that was not spoken at all, or misinterpreting what the speaker meant. Sometimes there appears to be a blockage that has built up over time, shutting out what we need to hear.

I want to think about this today. I want to be open to that conversation with the Christ. I'm all ears.

Don't try to fix Genesis Two

2009-02-14T07:47:00.002-06:00

Where does error come from? Certainly not from the account of creation given in Genesis One, where God saw everything that He had made and it was very good, including mankind, His very own ideas. NO mention of evil, error, lack, sickness, conflict there at all.

It starts with a mist or fog in a dream within a material creation described in Genesis Two. It affects a man-created woman who is mislead by a talking snake suggesting that there is both good and evil and that it is worth knowing about. She accepts this lie, passes the information along to Adam, and things go downhill from there.

Don't try to fix Genesis Two! See instead that you are not and never were part of that dream in the mist...stuck in the midst of good and evil. You are the cherished idea of divine Mind, safe in the first account of creation, surrounded by His good plan, already in place, unfolding day by day.

What happens to evil, to the talking snake? By the end of the Bible it has swollen into a big, red dragon. A lie accepted by one person, spread as truth to others, accepted, only causes the problems to increase. But the snake doesn't win! God's angel messengers and messages of the ever presence of good defeat it and deflate it. It is cast out of thought and out of experience.

Ty asssociating yourself with Genesis One today. If it isn't in that account, don't accept it as anything more than a lie from a liar who only exists in a mist in a dream. No substance or reality in that at all. God, good, on the other hand is absolutely real and wonderful and constantly ready to bless and protect His child. Let Him. Nothing can come between you and God. You can read that as a positive statement or you can believe that 'nothing' is real and able to cause you problems and that is all that comes between you and Good. A big fat nothing. You don't even have to do battle with it, that already happened and it lost. Just stop accepting it as your reality. It isn't. Don't keep trying to fix Genesis Two...rejoice that you are in Genesis One. Relax in the arms of divine Love and watch your day unfold as He intends it to be. No mist, no missed payments, no missed opportunities, no missed deadlines, no missing items. No dream multiplying into a nightmare human existence filled with problems, illness and lack. No man-made person swayed by the cunning lies of a talking snake. No spreading of that lie to encompass others. No dragon. Just ask yourself, did this happen in Genesis One? If it didn't, it doesn't have to ruin your day, your life or your health. See yourself surrounded by everything good, supported by divine Love itself. Because that is what is really happening.

2009-02-06T09:42:00.002-06:00

This morning I am doing some research into one of Jesus' healings. It appears in this week's Bible lesson on Spirit. One of the themes running through this lesson is a clearer understanding of 'uprightness'. Uprightness is defined as adhereing strictly to principle. In Christian Science, another name for God is Principle. So I have been looking at each section of this lesson for examples of uprightness.

This account is in John's gospel. Jesus returns to Galilee where a nobleman, who has heard of his miracles, seeks him out. He wants Jesus to come to Capernaum, about 20 miles away, to heal his son who is dying of a fever. One Bible commentary feels this
3 man was driven by his need to seek out Jesus, not by his sincere desire to learn from his teachings. Jesus' reply is "except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe'. This man's thought is very different from the Samaratins Jesus had just encountered who were willing to believe without miracles. This man was pleading with Jesus to come with him, in a way limiting his ability to heal. He is asking Jesus to 'come down' since he himself cannot raise himself to that level of belief. The man is not deterred but continue to plead for he does believe that Jesus could heal his son, even if he is linking it to the bodily presence of the Lord. The best thing Jesus can do for this man is to strengthen his faith by not agreeing to come with him, but he sends him away with full assurance that his son lives. We can only imagine how Jesus spoke those words but it must have been with authority and grace and power for the man stopped pleading and headed home. He no longer needed to plead for the Lord had granted his request for healing. In effect, Jesus had not only healed the child, he had healed the father. In a lovely completion of this healing we are told that as the man returned home. He travels at a normal pace, no longer rushing, because it is the next day when his servants meet up with him. They have wonderful news and confirm that his son is alive. He asked them when the child began to get better, amend. They tell him that the fever completely left him the day before at the very hour he had been speaking with the Master. At the height of his belief the father had only been looking for a gradual recovery but what occured with a complete, instantaneous healing. So he now fully believed along with his whole household.

There are many lessons here to ponder, especially when we feel we are seeking the Christ under dire circumstances. Is our faith at the same level as that father's had been? Do we look for 'signs and wonders' before we accept the possibility of something so frightening being truely healed? And once we have the assurance that God, Principle, is on the case, do we go our way with confidence and gratitude? Do we expect the problem to be fully and completely dealt with or are we settling for a gradual return to normal health or circumstances? All interesting things to pray about as we continue on our spiritual journey, growing in our understanding of the immense love God has for us, His unlimited power for good, and our ability to demonstrate uprightness.

So what does God do?

2009-01-28T10:52:00.003-06:00

As I worked with the lesson today I noticed how often God is speaking and what He is saying. Here are some of those: I have loved thee, I have drawn thee, I am with thee, I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, I will uphold thee, I will forgive your mistakes, I will remember your sins no more, I will hold thy right hand, I will comfort you. Quite a list. If you are feeling alone or sad or ill or fearful, read this list over and know that God, divine Love is talking directly to you. I know that will help. It has helped me many times.

accused and accusers

2009-01-27T07:15:00.002-06:00

This week's Bible Lesson about God as Love has several themes running through it. When I first found Christian Science one of its strongest appeals was that it matched up with my instinctive belief that God is a loving Parent. To me, He was always the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm. It was such a thrill to discover Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation of that Psalm in Science and Health. God loves me as His own cherished child, unconditionally, with kindness and great tenderness. I certainly love Him back.

God forgives. This Lesson gives three examples from the Gospels of God's forgiveness. We should obey His laws not from a fear of punishment but because we understand that they are good and right. Sometimes, many times, this calls for a change of heart, a re-formation of behavior and belief. It isn't enough to be genuinely sorry for wrong doing, you must not repeat the offense. Jesus forgives when he heals but he makes that point very clear.

When the scribes and Pharisees thrust a woman caught in the act of adultery before him and demand that he pass judgement on her, they are hoping to have something they can use against him. So in this case Jesus is not only dealing with the woman who has been accused, but with himself as being accused. The accusers had no legal right to condemn either of them. Jesus found the perfect way to challenge their right to condemn her and claim his own right not to do so. Brilliant. May we all find such a peaceful and blessed answer to turn away wrath. They not only left off their attempt, their eyes were opened to their own behavior. Jesus told the woman her sin had been forgiven - giving in to a desire that should have waited until she and her betrothed were married - but told her she was not to do this again.

In the second story, Jesus is a guest of Simon the Pharisee. During dinner, held in a public place, a woman approaches the couch where he is reclining and begins to wash his feet with her tears, dry them with her hair, and anoint them with costly oil. Jesus must have seen into her heart and understood what was behind this very public action. Simon only saw a sinner and chose to continue to condemn her as such. Jesus shows him by a simple story how the one who is forgiven much is the one who has loved God much. This woman showed her love and gratitiude by those humble acts, common courtesies Simon had neglected to provide. He assures the woman that her sins have in fact been forgiven.

A third story is about an incident where four friends brought a man to Jesus for healing. The man was paralyzed as a result of the life style he had chosen. He was a sinner and felt he deserved what happened to him. But his friends obviously loved this man enough to let his cot down through the roof tiles so Jesus could heal him. And he did. He addresses him as Son, surely not his own son, so he must have been identifying him as God's son. He, too, is told that his sins are forgiven. Had Jesus seen into this man's heart the way he had seen into the Magdelene's? Was there true repentance and a willingness to reform? The man was healed, released from that paralyzed state and free to go home. A place he probably had been denied by his family for his actions.

Later this week I will write about another instance of forgiveness in the Lesson, Ananaias and Paul. Do you believe there is an unforgiveable sin or sinner? Holding that thought can only harm you. Choose instead to see as Jesus saw, the man of God's creating. Each of us has to work out our own salvation but we do not want to be dragging around condemnation and hardness of heart. Then it is up to the one who has committed the wrong to find their own reformation and renewel. But we have purified our thought and caught a clearer glimpse of divine Love.

A funny thought

2009-01-14T07:19:00.002-06:00

Years ago, when I was living in the Boston area, I got into watching professional hockey. I loved the game and marveled at how those players could do what they did on ice. Several members of that team became favorites, including the amazing Bobby Orr. One of the players was pretty feisty and loved to stir things up. As a result, he seemed to be a target for every team that came to town, and their teams 'enforcer' would go after him.

There was also an awesome defenseman for the Bruins named Teddy Green, who resembled someone I knew, someone totally unlike a hockey player, so it was funny to watch this guy do his thing. NOBODY wanted to mess with him. He watched the new kid get slammed each game and one night, when things were getting pretty rough, he intervened, telling the other defenseman...if you want to get to the kid, you have to go through me. And the other guy backed off.

This morning I was reading a devotional, a book with daily Bible verses and comments and a reference was made to how God, divine Love, is always going before us. And it struck me funny to picture Him telling any form of error, disease, or lack....if you want to get to her, you have to go through Me. Actually, that's a pretty comforting thought. God is there for me and no one and nothing is going to get past Him. And He is there for you too.

New Lesson - new ideas

2009-01-12T10:54:00.002-06:00

The Bible Lessons will now go through some of the synonyms Mrs. Eddy uses for God. This week it is Life and the theme revolves around 'new': a new song, a new understanding, seeing how God, Life, makes all things new. I look forward to digging in to that.

This morning, I worked mostly with the fourth section which tells of Elijah being sustained during a long drought. He is sent by God, Life, to stay at the brook in Cherith, which continues to flow despite no rain. There he is miraculously fed by ravens. Some Bible commentaries believe that it was not actual birds but Arabs. In either case, it would have been something arranged by a higher power. Let's go with the birds today. Those animlas were able to provide him with food to sustain him and he drank from the brook. Eventually, as the drought dragged on, even that brook dried up. Sometimes we seem to be in a long period of drought, when all our sources are running out. We may be miraculously able to stay alive but we do not see that end of the lack happening any time soon, in fact, it seems to get worse. In the glossary of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy defines miracle as something which is divinely natural, but must be learned humanly.

God, Life, then speaks to Elijah again. The first word spoken is a command to arise. Do you think he was just sitting there, taking what was given but making no spiritual progress toward seeing true supply? He needed to elevate his thought. So he obeys and goes to Zaraphath where God has arranged for a widow woman to sustain him. Here is a higher sense of life, from wild birds to a human being. She can not only offer him food, but she has some oil. In the glossary Mrs. Eddy defines oil as consecration; charity; gentleness; prayer; heavenly inspiration. That is what is about to happen as the widow believes that if she shares the little that is left, she and her son will starve. But she is willing to do it. Elijah assures her, with his deeper understanding of Life, that the supply will not run out, it will be new every day. And that is exactly what happens.

The Fourth Section ends with the first line of Science and Health: "To those leaning on the sustaining Infinite, today is big with blessings". Let's rejoice if we find ourselves in a Cherith-like experience where we see signs of Good providing for us but don't stay there! Move on to a Zaraphath-like state of mind where you understand that you do not need to fear using up what seems to be the last of your finances, or your strength, or your patience, or your love. See that those things have a spiritual source that can never be depleted or run out. Today most definitely is big with blessings.

Directive

2009-01-07T10:14:00.002-06:00

There were a couple of movies that were standouts in our household in 2008. We all loved KungFu Panda and its simple message that there is no secret ingredient, it's you. If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend that you order Chinese take out and watch it.

The other movie that we watched a bazillion times and no doubt will continue to watch was Wall-E. The movie is sweet and funny and very well done. Everyone found a special character they liked. So what does this have to do with spirituality? I'll tell you.

This morning I was reading the Bible Lesson and got to Second Three. I noticed that it begins with a question that basically asks who is God that we should serve Him and what will we profit if we pray to Him. Good question. The next citation gives a wonderful answer about prayer and what it can accomplish. It can save the sick because God will raise him up and if mistakes and errors are the problem, God will forgive. Mrs. Eddy sums it up like this: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avialeth much".

The Lesson goes on to Jesus as what he accomplished as he went around preaching and teaching. Then...and this is the part I wanted to share with you...he calls his disciples to him and gives them their mission. In the movie Wall-e both of the robots are intent on doing what they have been created to do...fulfill their directive. Wall-E scoops up and condenses trash that is covering the city and uses the blocks to build. Eva has been sent out to find signs of life to show that the Earth can be repopulated. Both are dedicated to doing what they have been created and designed to do. Now, how would you define your 'directive'? What have you been created and designed to do by God? How much time and effort are you spending on fulfilling your directive? A great deal depends on it. We all have our part in the grand design.

It is a very childlike movie and one should be in an open frame of mind. Just as we should be ever open to learning as we study the Lesson each day, read the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings, and put them into practice. I will be thinking about my directive today and hope you are cherishing yours.

Caller ID

2009-01-06T10:34:00.002-06:00

My grandchildren do not remember a time when they could answer the phone and not see who was calling. In our house, it even shows up on the tv! A recent metaphysical article in the Christian Science Monitor posed the question: wouldn't it be wonderful to have a similar ID check of the thoughts that come throughout our day? If it's God...you better 'pick up the phone'! Actually, He is always sending up angel messengers and messages. But those ideas that come that do not originate with Him don't need to be listened to or obeyed. Now that's a comforting thought.

Each of us has a spiritual sense that guides us to see the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. Mrs. Eddy describes it as 'the constant, conscious capacity to understand God'. Success comes with practice.

One example of this in the Bible occured when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. In each case, he recognized that it was not God, good, speaking to him, tempting him to worship and obey matter. He refused to get into a discussion with it and the temptations stopped.

AS we begin a new year, with new opportunties and an expectancy of good, we can be alert and aware of just who it is that is 'calling'. We can watch our thinking. If you need help or inspiration, turn to the Bible. All the answers you need are there. For dedicated growth, take some time with the weekly Bible lessons. Over the years I have gained quite a bit of knowledge adn familiarity with the Bible and its characters from reading these lessons. Many times, those stories have uplifted me and led to healings.

One thing I want to be better about this year is not to give in to impulse buying, making poor choices for the wrong reasons. If it is a right purchase, I need to walk around the store a bit and really think it through. I have already discovered in the past year how much better it is to try and find a book at the library first, instead of just ordering a copy off the internet. Once I've read it, I can always get my own copy later. I am doing the same things with DVDs. Too many times, I bought one on some recommendation or another and been disappointed. Now, I try to borrow it from someone first. A small thing, but an attempt not to be influenced erroneously. A sort of checking out that Caller ID first.

The Monitor article concluded with this thought: "There's no situation so complicated, no pit so deep, no problem so long-standing that can't be redeemed through understanding God's supreme control of our lives."

Happy New Year...and a new last name

2009-01-02T06:37:00.002-06:00

We all love new beginnings. I had an interesting insight this morning, as I read this week's Bible Lesson about God. It centers around the Ten Commandments. These are very familiar and the temptation is to just gloss over them, but that is when it is most important to remain teachable and look for new levels of meaning.

As I read the Third Commandment, you will not take God's name in vain, an angel message came so clearly. "Candace, when you identify yourself as God's child, when you spiritually see that you are Candace Bar Abba or the beloved child of your Father in heaven, you claim all the rights and benefits that go with being a member of His family."

How differently my day might go if all day long I chose to think of myself as Candace Bar Abba, in effect taking on that name and all it includes. I would also be seperating myself from the identity of someone who is connected with human inheritances and tendencies. No hereditary flaws or characteristics have ever attached themselves to me. I am not that person. I am not that child. All my true relatives are also God's family and reflect only good qualities and behaviors. We all love one another in the highest sense of family.

Should you decide to accept this Truth, you cannot 'take God's name' as your own name in vain. Divine Love loves you completely and unconditionally. You will always have all you need and every human need will be provided and met. From your Father Mother God.

Now, I have no plans to go down to the DMV and change the name on my driver's license but as I go through this day I believe I will remind myself often of who I really am and what that means. And this is information imparted to me from God Himself in the form of one of His commandments. I just hadn't thought about that way before.

Imagine.

Thou shalt not....is a promise

2008-12-29T07:15:00.002-06:00

This week we begin the first subject in the 26 rotating topics for our Bible lessons. We begin at the beginning with God. This lesson happens to be all about the Ten Commandments. I like the way it shows us that these rules teach just what God is and what we are as His image and likeness. I have found it very helpful to take the phrase 'thou shalt not' and read it as a promise that ' I will not' commit any of those mistakes. Not as if God were shaking His finger at me in anger, but more as if He is reassuring me with a loving hug that I won't do any of those things because I am His beloved child. And because I understand His goodness being poured out on me.

When I see that there is not other god that I think I can rely on, no other source for supply, or happiness, or health, then I am at peace and happy. Trusting Good and goodness to fill my needs. When I keep a 'sabbath' time, I am honoring God as the Creator. When I honor and obey my human parents, I am honoring my divine Father Mother. When I love my children, I am reflecting His love.

Because He is all good and loves me unconditionally, always supplying what I need there is never any temptation to treat any of his other children with hatred, or make hurtful statements to or about them. Because my heart is pure, I do not look with desire on things that are forbidden to me. Because I reflect good I will not take what is not mine, nor will I choose to lie about anyone or anything. I will always speak and know the truth and not be tempted to give a false impression or accept something, be a witness to something, that is not of God. And because I already have and include all that is freely given to me from my Father, I will never have a feeling of resentment against anyone for the things they have. All we have to do is love God, see that He is the only Cause and Creator, and we will not do wrong and that is a promise.

Prayer is more than a means to get God to give you what you want. Prayer teaches you to want what He wants to give you.

Christmas present idea

2008-12-23T08:46:00.002-06:00

Give everyone you love a spiritual gift this year. Take a quiet moment, fix some hot chocolate and close out all distractions. Make a list of those you care most about. For each one, identify anything you might have been seeing as a personal challenge they are dealing with. Now change your thought about that. They are not stressed, over worked, under appreciated, ill, impatient, depressed or short tempered. Replace that with a mental picture of them smiling and happy. Put them in some beautiful place. Treat them to a carefree moment.

Watch for an opportunity to show that person love with a word, or an action, a guesture...and then mentally say "Merry Christmas".

Be alert for Christmas 'presence' and not so much emphasis on Christmas 'presents'. Look around for a star. Turn off all the other lights and just look at your Christmas tree. Think about the ornaments. Remember Christmas from other years.

God was the source of the great love Jesus gave everyone he met, regardless of their social standing, personal wealth, religious preference, or any other preference for that matter. He just loved everyone he encountered. God is the source of that same love within you.

If you had to make up a naughty and nice list, who would end up on the naughty side? Is there anything you can do about that? Just for the holidays try to see them differently. We never condone wrong behaviour or choices but we also shouldn't be judging and condemning others. It doesn't hurt them, only yourself.

If you are preparing a holiday treat, do it with care and a feeling of giving someone else a treat. I'm off to make Chex Mix myself.

The Babe we are to cherish

2008-12-17T05:50:00.002-06:00

This week's Bible lesson asks a question: "Is the Universe, including man, evolved by atomic force?" The lesson develops an answer with many references to light vs. darkness. Everyone knows that no matter how complete and all-encompassing a dark room may seem, the moment you flip on the light switch, it fills with light. And not just for you, for everyone in the room. The darkness is powerless to resist it. Truth is like that, it can replace any darkness in your experience with a blaze of light that lifts you right out of the gloominess of illness or lack.

The lesson opens with a more spiritual view of the Nativity, the words froom John's Gospel. As if to remind us of our true spiritual origin, John uses the same three words that open Genesis One, "In the beginning..." He links Jesus with man made in the image and likeness of God; complete, whole, healthy, perfect. No birth, no death, just coexistence with divine Love. One Creator and one creation.

Gabriel, the archangel, is very busy. He visits with Zacharias, a priest, and his wife Elizabeth. This pious elderly couple have prayed for many years to have a child but Elizabeth is barren. Gabriel comes to tell both of them that their prayers are about to be answered, despite the claim of barreness and their age. Do you feel that you have an insurmountable problem in your life? Can it be bigger than this one? Take heart, your prayer can also be answered. For Elizabeth, this would erase years and years of others thinking she is being punished by God. Zacharias has also been praying to see the promised Messiah appear in his lifetime. The Christ is available to each of us at all times and under all circumstances.

Gabriel's words seem to be true for Elizabeth appears to be pregnant. She goes into seclusion for five months, perhaps protecting herself from the comments of others who, thinking a pregnancy impossible, would speculate on what is growing inside her. Meanwhile, Gabriel has now visited with young Mary, engaged to Joseph but still a virgin. He tells her Elizabeth's news and that she also is pregnant. Mary goes to see her cousin. Before Elizabeth can say anything, Mary greets her, rejoicing in the baby. It is only then that Elizabeth feels the baby move within her. What a thrill, to know that this is really the child she has prayed for has growing within her. The one old enough to be a grandmother and the teen-aged girl spend the next three months together. I can only imagine their conversations! Mary doesn't stay for the birth of John. She may have begun to 'show' herself and needs to get back home. To Joseph, who is also visited by Gabriel, that he might believe that this is a holy child and Mary innocent of any wrong doing.

Gabriel continues to share the joyous news, next with shepherds, the simple people of Bethlehem who have been waiting and watching for the Messiah. They get to share in the first Christmas morning. Later he will speak with the Magi, a further protection for the holy family.

We can see how the Nativity evolved, like ripples on a pond. Think how that has spread from a tiny city in the Middle East around the globe. Have you gotten an angel messenger recently? Are you expecting one? Would you believe the message? Would all those doubts and fears try to convince you that such things are impossible? No matter what comes into your life in the form of a problem you think just can't be met, remember that nothing is impossible to God, divine Love. That He cherishes each of us.

This is the most wonderful time of the year. Spend a moment thinking about the Nativity. Go look at the stars. Listen for the sound of angels singing. Feel the wonder. Welcome the Babe we are to cherish.

Off to Simon's House

2008-12-01T07:35:00.002-06:00

I just finished reading an article in this week's Sentinel. The author is Keith Wommack and if he ever comes to your area to lectue, don't miss it! I just love what he explains about the story of Jesus and the woman who comes to wash his feet.

Think about where that woman's healing really began, on the way to Simon's house, where Jesus had been invited for dinner. She found the humility and grace to make the journey, knowing well what people thought of her, and what she had thought of herself. She gave up that past life, the cost of the expensive ointment she used to anoint his feet, the embarrassment and rejection she felt. All set aside by her deep gratitude to the Master and an irresistable impulse to show him her love. What courage! So deciding to do this thing and then following through began the healing.

Simon saw only a notorious sinner. He accepted the world's view of her. Jesus saw only God's daughter, pure and whole. He must have appreciated her motives and actions. He applauded her progress. If you have ever burned an expensive candle you know how that lovely aroma soon permeates the air. Think how the presence of the Christ must have sweetened the atmosphere wherever he went.

Keith points out that she must have recognized the difference between true humility and the unworthiness she had been accepting about herself. She did not want to carry around a false view any more. Simon failed to see any of that. But then, the Christ was sitting right with him and he failed to see that as well. Do we?

When she bathed Jesus feet she herself was cleansed and her healing was complete, acknowleged by the Master himself. Wouldn't we all love to feel that! If you are searching for healing in your life, think about this woman and her journey. Start your own path 'to Simon's house'. I know I'll be thinnking about this today.

Your own nativity

2008-11-28T07:15:00.002-06:00

We will be wading through Thanksgiving left-overs for the next few days as we go camping, but our thoughts are already turning to Christmas. In fact, I hope to change our decorations this Sunday.

Early this morning I read a very thought-provoking article in the December issue of the Christian Science Journal. It talks about the two accounts of the Nativity given in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Those are our source for many of the things we celebrate during the holidays; Mary's conception of the holy child, the angel Gabriel visiting her and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, the birth in a lowly stable, visits from shepherds and angels, a bright star overhead. I love all the details and once spent a year studying the story. How I wish I had this article then because it introduces something I never thought about before, a third version of this famous nativity and a way to relate that to my own children.

The writer refers to the gospel of John, the most spiritual of the Gospels. Do you know the first three words of the Bible, found in Genesis One? They are 'In the beginning....'. That is how John opens his account of Jesus life, "In the beginning". Perhaps John is encouraging us to see Jesus, and ourselves, from a more spiritual viewpoint connected with that first account of creation given in Genesis One. Man created in the image and likeness of God, the only Parent.

I have three amazing children, all grown now and busy with families of their own. They grew to become exceptional people with many gifts and talents, and each possesses sweet and generous natures. They are so dear to me and show me how they feel about me in countless ways. I hold in my heart precious memories of their nativities, special details only their mother would know. For many years, I loved to tell them the story of their birth when we celebrated that day. My daughter does that with her children now. It would appear that Mary shared some of those precious moments with Luke, a Greek historian and doctor who became a chronicler of Jesus and Christianity. One can almost imagine them sitting together with Luke asking her what it was like when she discovered she was carrying this child and any details she could share about the trip to Bethlehem.

Those are the things most of us believe about Christmas and I cherish them. But I am quite awed this morning to have this article show me a new way to think about the whole story, a way that allows me to lift my concept of myself, my own nativity story, and my children. A way to connect us to Genesis One and our true Parent. That is something very worth celebrating in the coming weeks. It is a gentle reminder of my true identity as God's beloved daughter. Angels also sang for me. And for my children who are really His children. And for you. Merry Christmas.

Tis the season...to be still

2008-11-25T12:42:00.002-06:00

Some of the most profound moments come when we are able to just be still and listen for them. It might occur in a favorite piece of music, at an important moment in a play, during a time of study and reflection. But how can one find those moments during the rush of the holiday season? By remembering what the holiday is all about. By taking time alone with God even in the midst of family and friends, work and chores. There is tremendous power in the ability to be still. It takes discipline and practice not to become distracted just when you need the quiet most.

Yet the reward of that sweet peace is worth the effort. What you gain is strength and faith in a power greater than yourself. An awareness of divine Love watching over all of its creation, yourself included. The power to see your day unfold before you with much checked off your 'to do' list.

An article I read recently spoke about creating a 'not-to-do' list. I will not allow myself to stressed out about money or the lack thereof. I will not get so involved in the hustle and bustle that I do not give someone my full attention, forget to smile, or use good manners. I will practice patience if I am stuck in a line, caught in traffic, trying to do several things at once. I will not forget to hum a familiar hymn along with the Christmas carols. I will not avoid people I dislike when we end up at the same event. You can certainly create your own list.

Imagine an enormous wheel, spinning along revolving on its axis. Right in the very center there is no movement at all. In the busiest life there should be a place where we can see ourselves at the hub of the wheel. Be still and know that God, good, is in control and His will is for blessings and grace.

Love every special thing about this holiday season and as you do so, make time to be still and feel your hand in God's hand. God bless us, every one.

Random thoughts about this week's Bible lesson

2008-11-17T11:34:00.002-06:00

One of the things I like about studying Soul is the qualities that go with it and the ways that I can see these qualities as my own by reflection. This week's Bible lesson instructs me to 'let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon me'. After years of working with these Bible lessons I do not 'see' God as a man or woman but as divine Love, all-knowing Mind, absolute Truth. Those things are truly beautiful and that is what I am to be expressing as I go about my day. It is a call to stop being self-conscious and become more God-conscious. When one is self-conscious there are usually negative things attached to that. When one is God-conscious there are only positive images.

One of the sections has to do with spiritual problem solving and encourages me to learn new skills, to find new passages in both the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings. It is so easy to just turn to old favorites in time of challenge but sometimes what we really need is a new way to look at something or someone.

The lesson includes the story of Jesus' encounter with two blind men. I just love these examples of how he healed, meeting people right where they are and then lifting them up. I study these carefully to see just what he says and does. In this case, these two men had been following him around, calling out to him to have mercy on them. We do not know just how they came to be blind, from an accident or illness, born with that problem, a long-time thing or a recent affliction. We just know that they persisted in asking him for mercy.

They are so determined that they follow him into Peter's house, when most others would have gone home. He asks them a question. Do they believe that he is able to do this thing?Now it had been prophesied that when the Messiah came 'the eyes of the blind shall be opened'. I do not believe that had been happening during the Old Testament years. So in essence Jesus might have been asking them if they believed he was this promised Messiah. They had referred to him as the son of David and that was a name for the Messiah. But their faith could not just rest there. He appears to have ignored their earlier calls for help. He only seemed to yield when they would not go away without healing. They respond to his question with 'Yea, Lord'. How do we respond to this question when are asking God for healing? Do we really believe that whatever it is can be healed? Do we see that nothing is outside of God's ability? Are we persistent in our requests even when it appears that we are being ignored?

In other instances of Jesus healing blindness he helps the person along with a touch, once even with clay made from spit. This time he is asking them to accept this healing by his word alone. "According to your faith be it unto you". This incident concludes simply with their eyes being opened. Opened to their true identity as children of divine Love. That is how most healing happens.

Seeing is a quality of Soul and Soul and its attributes are forever manifested through man, they cannot be lost, damaged, deteriorate or be lost. If you are praying for help, study this passage from Matthew and your eyes will be opened to the wonder of the Christ present right here and right now.

see none but the real child of God

2008-11-10T09:58:00.002-06:00

In the story of the woman taken in adultery, Jesus refused to get drawn into making a judgment against her. In fact, he turned the tables on those who tried to trap him. Convicted by their own consciousness, aware of their own past failings, they left the scene one by one until only Jesus, the woman, and his disciples remained. This is the part of the story I love best. He had been stooped down on the ground. When they were all gone it says...when Jesus had lifted himself up...and saw none but the woman... There is something we can all learn to emulate. Before addressing her he lifted himself up. He lifted up his own thoughts, spiritualized his thinking. I think I would have had to clear my thoughts about those others who had tried to trap her. I might have prayed to know that everyone is in reality a child of God, reflecting purity and kindness, and to know that only good could be present. Once his thought was clear, it was only natural that 'he saw none but the woman'. He saw no other woman standing there but the pure and innocent daughter of God.

Now how often, when we are confronted with some gossip about someone in the office or a rumor about someone we know, do we follow this path? Are we not inclined to believe the false picture? What do we think of the person savoring this information? Do we refuse to entertain any such idea about someone, either as a sinner or a spreader of lies? Jesus chose to lift himself up before he dealt with anyone else. When he was ready, all he could see as the reality was someone created in the image and likeness of God, just as it says in Genesis One.

It is interesting that she did not run away once her accusers had left. She remained in the presence of the Christ. Perhaps she was drawn to someone who could be so pure and spiritual, remain unruffled in the midst of conflict. She must have seen something spiritual about him because when he asks her if anyone has condemned her she answers 'No man, Lord'. He is quick to lovingly assure her that he does not condemn her either. She is free to go, but she is to sin no more.

Mrs. Eddy writes, "Truth makes a new creature, in whom old things pass away and 'all things are become new'." That is what prayer can do. Reliance on divine Truth shows us how to let go of all those ways of thinking of behaving that lead to sin or sickness or lack. All things become new and fresh and pure. Good is always on our side.

see none but the real child of

2008-11-10T09:57:00.001-06:00