As we start our Youth and Sunday School Blog – I thought I’d share some ideas on this week’s Bible lesson -we’ll try and do this every week.
The subject of this week’s Bible Lesson is “Love” – the 26 subjects for the lesson were choosen by the Churches founder, Mary Baker Eddy and they are repeat twice each year. The subjects may be the same, but every Lesson is unique – so it is always good to look for the sub-theme – and the Golden Text – always gives and indication of what this might be. This week is all about God’s “tender mercies” – how many times does the phrase appear in the lesson? Look out for the way this idea appears throughout the lesson. The theme is illustrated with the life or Saul/Paul.
Tender Merriam Websters online dicctionary defines tender in part as
: marked by, responding to, or expressing the softer emotions : fond, loving <a tender lover>
4 a : showing care : considerate, solicitous <tender regard> b : highly susceptible to impressions or emotions : impressionable <a tender conscience>
5 a : appropriate or conducive to a delicate or sensitive constitution or character : gentle, mild <tender breeding> <tender irony> b : delicate or soft in quality or tone <never before heard the piano sound so tender — Elva S. Daniels>
6 obsolete : dear, precious
The First Section of the Lesson – helps us to understand God’s nature as Love and his tenderness better. Here we learn of God as Father and Mother.
It’s appropriate that Jane is taking the class this week! She gives lectures around the UK and overseas on “God’s Fathering and Mother in our lives.” as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.
The second section of the Lesson begins our exploration of the life of Paul, tough in this section he is still called Saul. Here we see how God’s tender mercies “blot out [] transgressions” and “divine Love corrects and governs man” – and wow ! If Saul can be transformed, anyone can!
What’s more we see how by mastering “mortal beliefs, animality and hate” we can rejoice in “the proof of heailng – in a sweet and certain sense that God is Love.” (S&H 569:11-3)
That’s all I have time for now, but enjoy exploring the lesson this week and have wonderful time exploring these and other ideas from the lesson on Sunday! And bring any questions you have…
Daniel
PS every week there is always an article on the lesson on spirituality.com this week’s can be read online now!
The video recording of our recent talk is 
