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.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Jesus' practitioners
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house
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'.
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'.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I love this week's Bible lesson
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
casting nets
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!
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!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Babel or babble?
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.
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.
Monday, May 25, 2009
new study - God's promises
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)