thought for 2011

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?

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

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?

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

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

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

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?