Monday, June 6, 2016

Those wonderful summer preserves

I am awestruck by this week's Bible Lesson! It is filled with inspiration and examples of how God is the preserver of man.

When I was a little girl my mother spent lots of time and effort each summer preserving fruits and vegetables. What a pleasure to open one of those jars in the winter months and smell and taste the freshness of that summer produce. She was so careful to only preserve those that were at the point of perfection, without blemish.  That is what God does for us. He created us perfect, whole and complete and He preserves as at that level. No deterioration. No blemishes. Nothing less than that original perfection as His image and likeness.

We are given three examples in the Lesson: David facing Goliath, a woman approaching Jesus with her incurable issue of blood, and Paul healing Eutychus after the young man appeared to fall to his death.

What do those people have in common? A deep and abiding faith in God as the preserver of man.

David was offered a full body armor and lethal weapons. He chose not to use them and to instead rely on his unshakable faith in God's power. David faced his adversary alone but with the armies of both nations watching.

The woman with the issue of blood knew that although all material methods had failed to heal her, contact with Jesus, with the Christ, would stop the loss of blood. She dared to approach the Master although the laws of her people forbade her to have any contact with anyone while she was ceremoniously unclean. She hid in the crowd but Jesus called her forth and her faith was rewarded. She had already received the healing, he just confirmed it.

Paul had been preaching and teaching this new Christianity to a huge gathering of people. One young man had fallen asleep and fallen three stories to the floor below. Paul now had the opportunity to prove what he had been telling them, God is the preserver of man. His faith in God's sustaining love allowed all of them to see the truths demonstrated.

The Bible Lesson also includes the beautiful 23rd Psalm, written by David along with excerpts from Psalm 91 and Psalm 139. Some of our most cherished sentences from Science and Health are also there.

Like opening up those beautiful and fragrant jars of preserves, this Lesson will be a special feast all week as I look to my own faith in divine Love and the promise that divine Mind maintains and sustains His own ideas.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Walls

I am always delighted when our old friend Nehemiah shows up in our Bible Lesson.

This week's topic has rather a long title: Ancient and Modern Necromancy, Alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced.  This was a hot topic during Mrs. Eddy's time and it is very applicable to the challenges we face today with world wide media and instant access - whether you want it or not - to horrific events. Basically, it is how not to be fooled. Two examples are given, Nehemiah's experience and Jesus encounter with the insane man in the tombs.

Nehemiah has gotten permission from the King to return to Jerusalem, which is lying in ruins. He sees the importance of rebuilding the walls as a defense from the surrounding peoples who want her left defenseless. It is heart breaking to read about the many peoples around the world who are faced with a similar situation today with their cities left in ruins by war.

Before taking any action Nehemiah prayers and waits for divine guidance. In each instance he knows just what he needs to do or say.

When he first arrives he doesn't tell anyone what he is doing there. This is a wise course of action as there will be instant resistance, even from some who he wants to help, and especially from those who want his project to fail. This is sound practice for us to follow as we choose to take the higher path during challengse and decide to handle it with prayer.

His enemies try everything they can think of to discourage him and turn the people against him. They plan an attack against the work. They try to distract Nehemiah and get him to stop working.  They spread malicious rumors. None of it works and the building project is finished in an incredible 52 days. Almost as incredible as getting all those citizens to willing do the hard work.

There is much to study and appreciate in Nehemiah's story and much of practical use for our own challenges. Is there a 'wall' in your experience that needs rebuilding?  A 'wall' that is malfunctioning within your body? A 'wall' that seems to be blocking your progress?

Some walls need to come tumbling down. Some walls need to be rebuilt. Whatever the situation appears to be, take a Nehemiah approach and pray first. Turn to God, trusting in His goodness, His willingness to comfort, guard and guide you.

hymn 105 - first verse:

Help to help each other, Lord,
Each other's cross to bear;
Let each his friendly aid afford,
And feel his brother's care.




Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Them's fighting words

That's what we used to say as kids when the neighborhood divided into teams and had mock battles.
This week's Bible Lesson is full of ammunition to use against the attempt of error or mortal mind to fool us into accepting its suggestions that there is another power than God, good, and that it can control and harm us.

Here are some of the words used in the Lesson to describe how Truth deals with lies and liars:

Exterminates = get rid of by destroying completely
Despoils = to deprive something by force
Excision = to remove
Open siege = surrounding and blockading
Render fruitless = render is to surrender or relinquish = no fruitage
Annihilate = to destroy completely

Fighting words indeed.

There are those out there who would try to fool and deceive with the intent of frightening or overpowering. A wise person is not fooled by these lies and illusions. It's so easy to see right through them when we are intimately familiar with just who and what God, good, is and understand the allness of His presence. He is God alone and there is none else, no matter how loud or how often the lies are repeated. We don't have to listen to them, much less obey them. We do not bow down to deception. We have our guard up and our eyes open.

Mesmerism and hypnotism can no power or effect on us, no matter how subtle or blatant the attempt. But we need to guard our thoughts and actions faithfully. Recognize what a liar the illusionist is and you see right through the trick.

I look forward to spending time with Nehemiah this week as he faces just such attempts as he leads the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. And I love the story of Jesus and the insane man running loose in the tombs.

Those took place long ago as related in the Old Testament and the New but that type of thing is still here today weaving webs meant to snare  and ensnare those who do not keep their defenses active. We have a mighty arsenal available to us from the Bible and Science and Health.

It is up to us how we use it.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

flowers and birds

The Responsive Reading in this week's Bible Lesson on Soul and Body has given me much to think about today. This new train of thought was sparked by reading the excellent metaphysical article posted by CedarSCamp. Kathy Fitzer CS always has in interesting and inspiring take on the Lesson and I love what she says about birds and flowers.

"Jesus reminds his listeners of what a great job God has done of taking care of His creation. Looking around at nature, we don't see the flowers and birds worrying about how they look, comparing themselves with others around them to see how they match up, or fearing how their needs will be met the next day. Surely God is providing for our needs just as abundantly and beautifully!".

Jesus has just pointed out that none of us can serve two masters. There are only two kinds of people, those who serve God and those who serve the world. You can't do both. A worldly person is weighed down with care (having trouble with your weight?) and fearful that his plans for the future with go awry or something he loves will be taken away or his source of income will vanish. His undivided devotion is with material things and not centered on God.

This is not to condone sitting back and just waiting for good things to happen. Jesus says that we must seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first and foremost.

God provides for the birds without expecting them to labor on their part. Dummelow says in his Bible Commentary: "Have you ever seen beast or fowl that had a workshop? and yet they are fed without trouble of mind. He also says: "Our Lord regarded cheerfulness and joy and the absence of care and anxiety as the mark of a true Christian who puts his trust in God".


We recently put out our hummingbird feeders and refilled the rest of the feeders as well. So as I stand in the kitchen I can see lots of birds, chipmunks and squirrels in the backyard feasting. And they reward us with sweet songs. It is a reminder to me to be more joyful and appreciative as I go about my day alert to all the good God is providing. For me and for everyone else.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Beginning the study of Psalm 91

I just got back from giving an Association address in Washington DC, the fourth in four years. Each one was different and brought me much spiritual growth. I am so very grateful for this time of study and prayer. Nothing else is scheduled at this time so I was listening for what I could be doing to continue a daily focus. The answer that came was to study Psalm 91 one of the  most beloved of the Psalms.

When I begin a study in the Bible I like to get a sense of where it fits in the overall search for God. Psalms is placed just about in the middle of the Old Testament. It is a collection of 150 compositions described as prayers and praises addressed to God, not used for sanctuary worship. From The Reforming Power of the Scriptures I learned: "From the time of Moses through the tribal confederacy, the elements of this faith was transmitted orally, in the form of stories, hymns, prophetic oracles, poetry, and the wise sayings known as Proverbs. Although the art of writing had been practiced in the fertile crescent as early as 2000 BC these oral traditions weren't written down until later. The poetic psalms clearly sprang from deep feelings toward Yahweh. There were hymns of exultant praise, laments reached out to Yahweh from the depths of despair, and songs expressing the pure joy of life in Yahweh's courts.

Finally, a generation after the crucifixion of Jesus, militant Jews rallied for one last all-or-nothing effort to throw off Roman rule. The result was crushing defeat. The Temple was destroyed, never again to be rebuilt. Most Jews left Jerusalem for other lands in what has seen been called the Diaspora. Only a few stragglers remained. The only way to preserve any sense of national identity or unity in the face of these overwhelming odds was to preserve for all time the Holy Scriptures - the writings that recorded the unique love covenant between the Hebrew people and Yahweh. The Jews selected which of the many texts available  would stand in the final Hebrew Biblia, or group of 'little books.' And they arranged these books in an order approved by their Rabbis or teachers. So the Hebrew Bible, known to Christians as the Old Testament, was complete, as far as the Hebrew people were concerned.

In A Commentary on the Holy Bible edited by Dummelow, XXL is an abbreviation for The Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament. It attributes Psalm 91 to David.

Psalm 91 describes the safety of those who trust in God, and may have a special reference to the nation of Israel at a time when other nations were involved in calamity. The dangers that threatened Babylon toward the end of the exile have been suggested as a probable occasion for it.

Psalm 91 was very dear to our Leader. In 1898, Mrs. Eddy used the 91st Psalm for an address she delivered at Christian Science Hall in Concord. One of the local newspapers, People and Patriot, reported: "When the time came for Mrs. Eddy to speak, she stepped forward gracefully to the desk designed for her, and read the 91st Psalm, without using glasses. . . . She spoke extemporaneously, bringing out especially the theory of Christian Science applied to practical life, and she explained the doctrines of her faith with such simplicity, and yet with such choice language and richness of illustration, that the address was pronounced one of the most instructive and ennobling ever delivered in this city. (From the collection of The Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity)

I look forward to spending quiet time with this Psalm and will study each verse, listening for inspiration and guidance for ways to make it a part of my life. I welcome any insights you might wish to share!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Three important points to ponder today

This week's Bible Lesson contains the story of Jesus raising Lazarus. Three things stand out to me and give me direction for my own prayerful work today.

Where have ye laid him?
When Jesus arrives at Lazarus' village Mary comes to him greatly grieving the loss of her brother. Jesus seems saddened by her reaction and asks a very pertinent question. Where have ye laid him? I believe that is much more than just a question about where Lazarus was buried. It was a wake-up call to Mary. Where have you placed him in your thought? Mary was one of his favored disciples. She seemed to have understood much of his teachings. He would need her to be clear about the concept of death as very shortly Jesus was to go through the ordeal. Where would she place him in her thought? Was she understanding his teachings of eternal Life? Was she so overwhelmed by the picture that she could not see the truth? When we are faced with serious physical situations are we careful to be sure of where we place that person in thought? Mrs. Eddy writes: "Had Jesus believed that Lazarus had lived or died in his body, the Master would have stood on the same plane of belief as those who buried the body, and he could not have resuscitated it."

Take ye away the stone.
Remove what appears to stand in the way of healing, that which blocks out the light of Truth, that which seems an immovable object or unresolvable condition. Take it away, take away any power or reality it claims to have to affect anyone or anything. It is but a dream, an illusion, and once we see right through it - take the stone away - it no longer has any effect. The stone did not move of its own accord. We need to remove it from thought.

Loose him and let him go.
The loved one is now free. Loose him or her from any bonds still remaining. The 'what ifs; or the 'buts' what would try to weaken the healing. No fear of relapse. No scars. No lingering weakness or symptoms. Totally free. Let him or her go.

How grateful I am to be a student of the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings. Every day brings fresh opportunities for continued spiritual growth and a clearer understanding of God and my relationship to him. The goal is to put this to practical use and apply God's laws of ever present good for myself, my loved ones and to love my neighbor as myself.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

hesitation

hesitate = slow to act or decide, reluctant.

I was thinking about hesitation as I read the account in I Kings 17 about Elijah and the widow in Zarepath.

King Ahab has abandoned God and followed the gods of his wife, Jezebel. Elijah, the prophet, is sent by the Lord to tell Ahab there will be no rain or dew for the next few years. God tells Elijah to leave the area and go to Zarepath where a widow will take care of him.

When Elijah arrives at the entrance to the city he sees her gathering sticks so he calls to her and asks for a drink of water. The drought, far-reaching,  has affected even this area but she does not seem to hesitate to fetch him some water, probably from the community well. However, as she is going, he also asks for a bit of bread. Now she does hesitate. her reluctance may have stemmed from the explanation she gives him: "As the Lord thy God liveth (his God not hers), I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks (it is all she would need to cook so small a bit of bread), that I may dress it for me and my son (already feeding two people), that we may eat it, and die". They would finish all that was left and then starve. But is was a great breach of hospitality not to offer to share with a guest. So this second request, unlike the water in the well, takes directly from her household.

Elijah reassures her that the Lord God of Israel has said her barrel and cruse shall not fail until the drought is ended. She no longer hesitates, but did as he has asked. And the barrel and cruse did not fail.

How often do we act on the opportunity to share with someone when it is easy and convenient, but hesitate when we would be drawing upon our own resources, perhaps having to make a meal stretch for an extra guest? Tricky enough under normal circumstances but she was asked to give all she had to this stranger on the word of his God that she and her son would not starve as a result.

God, the source of all supply, substance and good, does not withhold that supply. Spiritual substance is always available, usually with enough to meet the need and even some left over to help others.  Mrs. Eddy writes: God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you your daily supplies. Never ask for tomorrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help: and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment (Miscellaneous Writings 307)

I printed this out and taped it on the front of my check book. It is II Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. (KJV)
God is able to bless you with ample means so that you may always have quite enough for any emergency of your own and ample besides for any kind act to others."

There is never a need to hesitate to be generous.