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.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Don't try to fix Genesis Two
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.
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.
Friday, February 6, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
So what does God do?
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.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
accused and accusers
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A funny thought
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.
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.
Monday, January 12, 2009
New Lesson - new ideas
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.
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.
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