I just love this one. It comes from luke 15:8,9. "What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found that piece which I had lost."
So much to work with here. First of all, the woman had not really lost the money, she had just lost sight of it. It was there in her house all the time. In Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation of the 23rd Psalm she defines house as consciousness. So sometimes we are praying about something we feel we have lost; an article, a friendship, a loved one, car keys, a memory, our purity or innocence. We may think we lost something by making a poor choice, or by circumstances beyond our control. No matter, it appears to be gone. But through prayer we can see that we never really lost whatever it was, we just lost sight of it.
In Bible times women were given coins when they married. These were not to spend but were usually sewn onto a scarf. This was no ordinary penny that had disappeared, but something of great value to this woman. So much so that she went to great lengths to find it. First she lights a candle. Perhaps it will be easier to spot if the shadows are illuminated. When we pray we are bringing the light of Truth to a situation, the truth about God as good and filling all space. God as Mind always knowing where His ideas are. Light dispells darkness, prayer lightens our thought. But she still hasn't spotted the coin. Next she sweeps the house. Thinking of house as consciousness we can see this as clearing away all the cobwebs or old thinking that have been allowed to remain untended. Sweep it all out, bring a sense of order and purity in its place. Still no coin. Does she give up having taken a few steps? Do we? She now searches diligently, she perseveres, takes the time to continue searching. I think this shows an expectation of finding it. Admitting that it is still possible to get it back. And she does. Phew!
But that is not the end of the parable, nor should it be the end of our work. She shares this good news with her friends and neighbors. We do this when we give a testimony at our Wednesday service or send it to the periodicals for publication. We are expressing our gratitude. That should be to God first, and then with others. You never know when what you share is exactly what someone else needs to hear. Right then or some time later. The light she used enabled her to see more clearly. Prayer enables us to see ourselves as God sees us. Never dealing with loss or grief or lack. Complete. Whole. Joyous.
When she found that coin it had lost none of its value. It had not been tainted or flawed. It remained perfect and had its full value. So do we, as we discover our true identity as God's very image and likeness.
Go in peace.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Have you met the Tate family?
I was cleaning out some files and came across this article. I wish I had made a note of its origin but I didn't.
You may have heard of the Tate family. They're in every organization. There is Dic Tate, who wants to run everything. Ro Tate is always trying to change things; Agi Tate stirs up trouble whenever possible - with the help of Irri Tate, who is always there to lend a hand. Every time new ideas are suggested, Hesi Tate and Vege Tate are there to say they can't possibly work. Imi Tate justs wants to copy other organizations and never try anything new. Devas Tate loves to be disruptive and Poten Tate wants to be a big shot. But it's Facili Tate, Cogi Tate and Medi Tate who always savet the day and get everyone pulling together.
Had fun searching for information about a Bible character that shows up in this week's lesson. The name Ephraim is mentioned twice in the Responsive Reading. Turns out that Ephriam is the younger of Joseph's two sons, born to him during his time in Egypt. Once his brothers learn this he is alive and well, Joseph tells them to break this news to their father and bring Jacob to Egypt for the remaining years of the famine. Before he dies, Jacob or Israel, blesses the two boys, but he gives the birthright to Ephraim, not to Manesseh who is actually the first born. The descendents of Ephriam are known by that tribal name and they settle in the northern part of the Promised Land many years later, after Moses leads the people there. They have a hard time of it and sometimes choose to go their own way, but God never deserts them, but shows them mercy.
I am praying with the definition of the word mercy as it appears all through this lesson about Everlasting Punishment. It means compassionate treatment, clemency; alleviation of distress. I like to think of Our Father showing us that kind of tenderness. Mercy.
Go in peace.
You may have heard of the Tate family. They're in every organization. There is Dic Tate, who wants to run everything. Ro Tate is always trying to change things; Agi Tate stirs up trouble whenever possible - with the help of Irri Tate, who is always there to lend a hand. Every time new ideas are suggested, Hesi Tate and Vege Tate are there to say they can't possibly work. Imi Tate justs wants to copy other organizations and never try anything new. Devas Tate loves to be disruptive and Poten Tate wants to be a big shot. But it's Facili Tate, Cogi Tate and Medi Tate who always savet the day and get everyone pulling together.
Had fun searching for information about a Bible character that shows up in this week's lesson. The name Ephraim is mentioned twice in the Responsive Reading. Turns out that Ephriam is the younger of Joseph's two sons, born to him during his time in Egypt. Once his brothers learn this he is alive and well, Joseph tells them to break this news to their father and bring Jacob to Egypt for the remaining years of the famine. Before he dies, Jacob or Israel, blesses the two boys, but he gives the birthright to Ephraim, not to Manesseh who is actually the first born. The descendents of Ephriam are known by that tribal name and they settle in the northern part of the Promised Land many years later, after Moses leads the people there. They have a hard time of it and sometimes choose to go their own way, but God never deserts them, but shows them mercy.
I am praying with the definition of the word mercy as it appears all through this lesson about Everlasting Punishment. It means compassionate treatment, clemency; alleviation of distress. I like to think of Our Father showing us that kind of tenderness. Mercy.
Go in peace.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Time apart to pray
"He went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when evening was come, he was there alone." (Matt 14:23)
There are times when we would all love to be able to just get away from everyone and every thing and be alone and quiet. One can only imagine what it must have been like during the three year ministry, when word of his healing ability had spread and he was besieged by the multitudes from dawn to dusk.
When we are confronted with a multitude of problems or a flood of negative thoughts we crave the mountaintop attitude, the lifting up of thought that brings us closer to God, divine Love, where we can find comfort and answers and healing. I have climbed few actual mountains in my life but have had an increasing number of mountaintop moments. I imagine that the air is very clear up that high, that one has a panoramic view, that it is quiet. When I pray, take the time to be closer to my Father, I gradually get to that place. I truely commune with Him, as Moses did, and listening quietly, the answers come, the direction is clear, the sense of peace is absolute.
The text of this verse implies that Jesus used those times to be alone, apart from the others. It is difficult to have this undivided experience with others around to distract you. Yet, as a practitioner, the most urgent calls often come right when I am in the middle of fixing dinner, on my way to a meeting, surrounded by others. Multitudes. The healing work cannot wait until I can get back to my 'office', pull out the books, and gather my thoughts. The need is immediate and fortunately, the spiritual inspiration is just as immediate.
Balance is important in every aspect of my life. Especially the spiritual. I do my best to protect my early morning hours and spend that time with Love, tuning my violin, if you will. When called upon I am ready. But responding to the needs of others is what I do and in doing so, am greatly blessed myself. When I can tell someone to 'go in peace', I am at peace myself. I love Christian Science and all it has brought to my experience.
Go in peace yourself.
There are times when we would all love to be able to just get away from everyone and every thing and be alone and quiet. One can only imagine what it must have been like during the three year ministry, when word of his healing ability had spread and he was besieged by the multitudes from dawn to dusk.
When we are confronted with a multitude of problems or a flood of negative thoughts we crave the mountaintop attitude, the lifting up of thought that brings us closer to God, divine Love, where we can find comfort and answers and healing. I have climbed few actual mountains in my life but have had an increasing number of mountaintop moments. I imagine that the air is very clear up that high, that one has a panoramic view, that it is quiet. When I pray, take the time to be closer to my Father, I gradually get to that place. I truely commune with Him, as Moses did, and listening quietly, the answers come, the direction is clear, the sense of peace is absolute.
The text of this verse implies that Jesus used those times to be alone, apart from the others. It is difficult to have this undivided experience with others around to distract you. Yet, as a practitioner, the most urgent calls often come right when I am in the middle of fixing dinner, on my way to a meeting, surrounded by others. Multitudes. The healing work cannot wait until I can get back to my 'office', pull out the books, and gather my thoughts. The need is immediate and fortunately, the spiritual inspiration is just as immediate.
Balance is important in every aspect of my life. Especially the spiritual. I do my best to protect my early morning hours and spend that time with Love, tuning my violin, if you will. When called upon I am ready. But responding to the needs of others is what I do and in doing so, am greatly blessed myself. When I can tell someone to 'go in peace', I am at peace myself. I love Christian Science and all it has brought to my experience.
Go in peace yourself.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument
That is found in Isa 41:15. Several years ago a friend shared with me what this passage had come to mean to her. Dixie was a very independant gal and a life-long Christian Scientist. She often amazed me with her deep insights.
Threshing was the process of separating the grain from the straw, what was of value from what was useless. Done on a threshing floor area, preferably where there was a breeze, the sheaves were loosened. The grain could then be tossed high in the air with a shovel or fork, the chaff would blow away and the clean grain fall to the ground.
The Bible passager could be interpreted as God's promise to provide us with the insights or materials we need to winnow out wrong thoughts or ideas. But Dixie had a second way to use this. She saw it as God's promise to make THEE a new sharp threshing instrument. We ourselves become the means of doing away with illness, lack, unhappiness, discord, etc..
The passage continues: Thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. We all have times when problems loom as big as mountains, and as seemingly immovable. Too big to climb over, not enough strenght to even try, set in stone. But here is the promise that we can have that mustard seed amount of faith that allows us to toss that mountain right into the sea. It reminds me of another promise in the Bible found one chapter earlier, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain". (Isa 40:2) I pray with this one all the time.
So it is comforting to know that WE are the threshing instrument, backed by the power of divine Love to handle whatever comes up. We can separate the good from the bad, the grain from the chaff, and know that useless stuff will just blow away on the wind.
Go inpeace
Threshing was the process of separating the grain from the straw, what was of value from what was useless. Done on a threshing floor area, preferably where there was a breeze, the sheaves were loosened. The grain could then be tossed high in the air with a shovel or fork, the chaff would blow away and the clean grain fall to the ground.
The Bible passager could be interpreted as God's promise to provide us with the insights or materials we need to winnow out wrong thoughts or ideas. But Dixie had a second way to use this. She saw it as God's promise to make THEE a new sharp threshing instrument. We ourselves become the means of doing away with illness, lack, unhappiness, discord, etc..
The passage continues: Thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. We all have times when problems loom as big as mountains, and as seemingly immovable. Too big to climb over, not enough strenght to even try, set in stone. But here is the promise that we can have that mustard seed amount of faith that allows us to toss that mountain right into the sea. It reminds me of another promise in the Bible found one chapter earlier, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain". (Isa 40:2) I pray with this one all the time.
So it is comforting to know that WE are the threshing instrument, backed by the power of divine Love to handle whatever comes up. We can separate the good from the bad, the grain from the chaff, and know that useless stuff will just blow away on the wind.
Go inpeace
Monday, October 22, 2007
Washing our hands
In this week's Bible lesson there is a reference to washing of hands. "I will wash my hands in innocency." (Ps 26: 6) In the Old Testament this was symbolic of washing away any impurities before one entered the Temple. In the New Testament it was symbolic of washing one's hands in innocency, not being contaminated by participating in some act or thought. This usage carries through to today when people say they are "washing their hands" of something. They are done with itm want no further part of it, not evenbeing associated with it.
We can pray with both of these ideas. We can refuse to be associated with the 'dust' version of creation. We can "wash our hands" in purity and innocence, unafraid of any claims of contamination. I recently had quite a healing when I came in contact with aubstance that had caused my hand to swell, causing great pain. I was able to see that hand, and my being as God's child, as untouched by this claim. It was never touched by something God could not and would not create. And I could know and understand that so clearly that it disappeared.
I love Mrs. Eddy's poem about the Sheperd. In it she writes, "Shepherd, wash me clean". We are clean and need to claim that and rejoice in it.
Go in peace.
We can pray with both of these ideas. We can refuse to be associated with the 'dust' version of creation. We can "wash our hands" in purity and innocence, unafraid of any claims of contamination. I recently had quite a healing when I came in contact with aubstance that had caused my hand to swell, causing great pain. I was able to see that hand, and my being as God's child, as untouched by this claim. It was never touched by something God could not and would not create. And I could know and understand that so clearly that it disappeared.
I love Mrs. Eddy's poem about the Sheperd. In it she writes, "Shepherd, wash me clean". We are clean and need to claim that and rejoice in it.
Go in peace.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Dealing with dragons
I am a reader. I love to read and often have several books going at once. My favorite genre is fantasy and I've encountered many dragons over the years. As a student of metaphysics I have also spent a fair amount of time reading and studying the Bible. There are dragons in the Bible. Here is a poem that I saved when it appeared in one of the Christian Science periodicals. It was written by Lona Ingwerwson.
DRAGONS FOR UNREAL
That serpent was so little,
so suble, I hardly noticed it,
but now it's a virtual dragon!
So?
Dragons aren't real,
only easier to see than serpents,
easier to see through,
ready for destruction!
(Not my destruction -
theirs!)
The idea is to deal with problems when they are small. If you ignore it, or wait for it to go away on its own, it's feeds on your apathy. It gets bigger and seems more real and formidable. But, we can refuse to be impressed by its size or power. After all, it is still unreal. If you dreamed you were being chased by a dragon you wouldn't pray for the dragon to disappear, you would pray to awaken so that you could see that it had only been a dream. That dragon was never present, you were never really in danger.
I think it was C.S. Lewis who said something to the effect that it is not wise to ignore dragons if there is one living in your neighborhood. The world would be a little less colorful without dragons but the important thing is to know the difference between the real and the unreal. And not to let your unhealed problems drag-on.
Go in peace.
DRAGONS FOR UNREAL
That serpent was so little,
so suble, I hardly noticed it,
but now it's a virtual dragon!
So?
Dragons aren't real,
only easier to see than serpents,
easier to see through,
ready for destruction!
(Not my destruction -
theirs!)
The idea is to deal with problems when they are small. If you ignore it, or wait for it to go away on its own, it's feeds on your apathy. It gets bigger and seems more real and formidable. But, we can refuse to be impressed by its size or power. After all, it is still unreal. If you dreamed you were being chased by a dragon you wouldn't pray for the dragon to disappear, you would pray to awaken so that you could see that it had only been a dream. That dragon was never present, you were never really in danger.
I think it was C.S. Lewis who said something to the effect that it is not wise to ignore dragons if there is one living in your neighborhood. The world would be a little less colorful without dragons but the important thing is to know the difference between the real and the unreal. And not to let your unhealed problems drag-on.
Go in peace.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Tithes and windows
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)
There is so much to work with in this Bible passage. I love to spend time thinking about this wonderful promise, what is required of me, and what I can expect in return.
Bible scholars believe that Malachi is not a proper name but a possessive pronoun signifying 'My messenger'. It is the final book of the Old Testament. Malachi does not look for a Messiah upon the throne of David to deliver Israel, but for the restoration of that communion with God which existed when He led His people in a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night.
A tithe represented one 10th part of one's income to be used as tribute to God. It was not a tax but a gift for sacred purposes. So to comply with the spirit of this scripture, I ask myself several things. What exactly is it that I want to 'tithe' to God? Where do I think the storehouse is? Am I truly expecting the 'windows' of heaven' to open for me? Incidently, I love the idea that windows is plural. I already tithe anything that comes in from my practice as my donation to church. But I also try to tithe my activities by devoting time each day to prayer and personal study.
So where is this storehouse? As someone wisely asks in one of the Star Trek movies, 'Why does God need a star ship?" Why would God need a storehouse for my tithes? Everything I have comes from Him in the first place. Remember Cain and Abel? Abel knew that the increase in his flocks came from God and he gave back what had been God's. Cain seems to have resented giving up the best part of the crop he worked hard to produce. I think the storehouse is my own thinking and the way I am living Christian Science in my own life.
When God opens up the windows of heaven, He is pouring out on me an unlimited supply of blessings, given freely from His inexhaustible source. The fact that there are many windows shows the infinite number of ways this supply can come to me. And it is often from unexpected sources. Sometimes we think we know how somthing is going to be resolved or how some need is going to be met and we focus our prayers on seeing things work out that way. Perhaps it is better to leave the details to Him. He can open any window He wants to.
Mrs. Eddy defines 'tithe' as gratitude. Do I find 10 things a day to be grateful for? Have I thanked divine Love 10 times for things big and small that occured today? Sometimes we need to be truly grateful for what we already have before we are ready to be given more.
Tithe in peace.
There is so much to work with in this Bible passage. I love to spend time thinking about this wonderful promise, what is required of me, and what I can expect in return.
Bible scholars believe that Malachi is not a proper name but a possessive pronoun signifying 'My messenger'. It is the final book of the Old Testament. Malachi does not look for a Messiah upon the throne of David to deliver Israel, but for the restoration of that communion with God which existed when He led His people in a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night.
A tithe represented one 10th part of one's income to be used as tribute to God. It was not a tax but a gift for sacred purposes. So to comply with the spirit of this scripture, I ask myself several things. What exactly is it that I want to 'tithe' to God? Where do I think the storehouse is? Am I truly expecting the 'windows' of heaven' to open for me? Incidently, I love the idea that windows is plural. I already tithe anything that comes in from my practice as my donation to church. But I also try to tithe my activities by devoting time each day to prayer and personal study.
So where is this storehouse? As someone wisely asks in one of the Star Trek movies, 'Why does God need a star ship?" Why would God need a storehouse for my tithes? Everything I have comes from Him in the first place. Remember Cain and Abel? Abel knew that the increase in his flocks came from God and he gave back what had been God's. Cain seems to have resented giving up the best part of the crop he worked hard to produce. I think the storehouse is my own thinking and the way I am living Christian Science in my own life.
When God opens up the windows of heaven, He is pouring out on me an unlimited supply of blessings, given freely from His inexhaustible source. The fact that there are many windows shows the infinite number of ways this supply can come to me. And it is often from unexpected sources. Sometimes we think we know how somthing is going to be resolved or how some need is going to be met and we focus our prayers on seeing things work out that way. Perhaps it is better to leave the details to Him. He can open any window He wants to.
Mrs. Eddy defines 'tithe' as gratitude. Do I find 10 things a day to be grateful for? Have I thanked divine Love 10 times for things big and small that occured today? Sometimes we need to be truly grateful for what we already have before we are ready to be given more.
Tithe in peace.
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