Christian Science Society, Scarborough

Is there a difference between believing and understanding?

What about faith? How does faith relate to our understanding of God?

The topic we shall be looking at this week in our class is Christ Jesus.The lesson brings out the answer to those questions and shows how this understanding of “God with us” helps in every aspect of our lives.

See you on Sunday- usual time 11am for a great discussion- Daniel is away this week  so I shall take his place.

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The Cross and Crown Trademark which now appears in the banner at the top of our site is a Trademark of our Global church. You can about the Cross and Crown Trademark on The Mother Church Website.  In part that site explains:

Background

The Cross and Crown is a registered trademark of the Christian Science Board of Directors and has long been used on Mary Baker Eddy’s writings and the Christian Science periodicals to indicate the authenticity of these products.

The Cross and Crown is also emblematic of the unity that branches and church members have with The Mother Church and with each other, and of the fact that such unity is a result of members’ and branches’ individual and collective commitment to practicing Jesus’ four imperative statements, which appear in the circular band around the Cross and Crown.

In order to represent this broader meaning of unity and commitment to healing, we’re pleased to announce that Christian Science branch churches and societies, Christian Science Reading Rooms, and Christian Science Organizations at colleges and universities may request to use the Cross and Crown.

It is hoped that, as the Cross and Crown trademark is more widely used in the ways described, it will be increasingly seen by others as an identifying and unifying emblem of our Church.

We are delighted that our church here in Scarborough has been granted a license to use the Cross and Crown Trademark. We are committed to doing all we can to obey Jesus’ commands from Matthew 10 verse 8 that encircle the cross and crown emblem:

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons

We realize that striving to follow these commands demands a lot of us as Christians, and that we all have a huge amount to learn. We recognize that that we have to take up the cross, before we can win the crown.

Mary Baker Eddy – the discoverer of Christian Science and founder of our worldwide Church – wrote of herself:

To-day, though rejoicing in some progress, she still finds herself a willing disciple at the heavenly gate, waiting for the Mind of Christ.

(see Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy ix:16)

Like her, we are a church of willing disciples waiting and working for the Mind of Christ, and we’d love you to join us!

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Subject  Prayer
Hymns 284, 361, 157
The Bible
Ps 5  : 1, 2, 3
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Ps 55 : 16, 17, 18(to:)
As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me:

Ps 51 : 10, 11, 12
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Jeremiah  29  :11, 12, 13
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Luke4:1-21
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil.  And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.  And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Matthew  5: 1, 2
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Matthew  6: 5-13 when
when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Luke 18  : 9-14
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

1 Thessalonians  5 : 15-18, 21, 23- 25
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us.

James 5 : 14, 15, 16
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Science & Health
1:1-4,10-14
The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, — a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love.

Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds.

2: 1-7, 15-16, 23-30
What are the motives for prayer? Do we pray to make ourselves better or to benefit those who hear us, to enlighten the infinite or to be heard of men? Are we benefited by praying? Yes, the desire which goes forth hungering after righteousness is blessed of our Father, and it does not return unto us void.

Prayer cannot change the Science of being, but it tends to bring us into harmony with it.

God is Love. Can we ask Him to be more? God is intelligence. Can we inform the infinite Mind of anything He does not already comprehend?  Do we expect to change perfection? Shall we plead for more at the open fount, which is pouring forth more than we accept? The unspoken desire does bring us nearer the source of all existence and blessedness.

4: 3-22
What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds. To keep the commandments of our Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has done. Outward worship is not of itself sufficient to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
The habitual struggle to be always good is unceasing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring, — blessings which, even if not acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.
Simply asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness.

14:31 -18
“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”
So spake Jesus. The closet typifies the sanctuary of Spirit, the door of which shuts out sinful sense but lets in Truth, Life, and Love. Closed to error, it is open to Truth, and vice versa.  The Father in secret is unseen to the physical senses, but He knows all things and rewards according to motives, not according to speech. To enter into the heart of prayer, the door of the erring senses must be closed. Lips must be mute and materialism silent, that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error.
In order to pray aright, we must enter into the closet and shut the door. We must close the lips and silence the material senses. In the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings, we must deny sin and plead God’s allness.

15: 25-30
Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God. Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers.  Practice not profession, understanding not belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and they assuredly call down infinite blessings.

9: 5-14
The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness, we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us; but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may be done.

11: 27-32
Prayer cannot change the unalterable Truth, nor can prayer alone give us an understanding of Truth; but prayer, coupled with a fervent habitual desire to know and do the will of God, will bring us into all Truth. Such a desire has little need of audible expression. It is best expressed in thought and in life.

239: 16-22
To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and obey as God. If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.

16: 7-11
Our Master taught his disciples one brief prayer, which we name after him the Lord’s Prayer. Our Master said, “After this manner therefore pray ye,” and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs.

326:16-17(to1st.), 20-22
The purpose and motive to live aright can be gained now.

Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way. “Who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth?”

497:3-4 As, 24-27And
As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life.

And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.

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Didn’t the time really fly in our discussion on Sunday? Let’s hope we can find some time to return to the discussion about “moral freedom” and how the Commandments and the Covenant with God fit into that.

This week’s Bible lesson in on Mind – another of Mary Baker Eddy’s seven synonyms for God. The Golden text is from Philippians (2:5).

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

And the question of the week video on tmcyouth.com asks:

Question of the Week

if there is just one Mind (one God and intelligence of the universe), then how come there are so many disasters (like Haiti) and so on.

Do check out the video before Sunday and we’ll watch it again in class before discussing this topic.

There lots in the lesson to help us answer this question and to spark other discussions.

The first section reminds us “The time for thinkers has come”. How do God’s thoughts and mortals differ? The section ends with Mary Baker Eddy – the author of Science and Health – and founder of our church – describing herself as “a willing disciple at the heavenly gate, waiting for the Mind of Christ.” (S&H ix:16)

In section 2 – we see how Solomon serves God with “a perfect heart and with a willing mind”. We see how God opens the way, blesses and rewards, those with the right motives. Here there are perhaps some links back to last week’s question about “moral freedom”. There is also a big clue in this section to what it really means to have “that Mind which was also in Christ.”

The third section focuses on Christ Jesus himself. We read of his childhood as described in the Gospel of Luke – and how at the age of twelve he was found discussing religious and spiritual matters with the learned men of the church. It is perhaps no coincidence that 12 is the age one can unite with The Mother Church. In this section we are reminded that “we owe (Christ Jesus) endless homage.” Why?

The fourth section contains the bible story of the woman healed by touching Jesus garment. Jesus felt her spiritual touch – even while the multitude thronged him. The story illustrates how Christ Jesus read “mortal mind on a scientific basis”, and the passages in Science and Health explain this form of mental discernment or intuition and the essential role it continues to play in the healing the sick today.

The Fifth section features Jesus overcoming the power of death when he heals Jairus’ daughter (see Luke 8 40-55) and reminds us that while the same God-given healing power is available in every age – we need the “Mind .. which was also in Christ Jesus” if we are to “repeat the ancient demonstrations of prophets and apostles” (S&H 243:12)

The sixth and final section explains how having the Mind that was in Christ Jesus is the “foundation of fellowship” - how it is needed to establish the brotherhood of man. It’s a great section to work with in overcoming disputes in families, at work, in our churches and the world. The lesson ends with the sixth Tenet of Christian Science from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy:

6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.  (S&H 497:24)

BTW I have just posted all the Tenets of Christian Science on this site.

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Wow, times goes quickly and I am not yet in the swing of this blogging thing. It’s a really good Bible Lesson this week though, and I have really enjoyed getting stuck into it, I hope you’ve had a chance to study it too.

Check out the Bible resources and the Question of the week on TMCYouth.com

There is plenty is this week’s lesson for us to discuss this week, the Commandments, God’s covenant, the journey from sense to Soul.  Recipe for happiness.

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Hey Hey! Another week another new Bible Lesson to study and ponder.

The subject this week which we’ll be considering in our Sunday Youth Discussion Group at 11am is “Soul”. Mary Baker Eddy identifies Soul as one of the seven synonyms for God (the other six are Principle, Mind, Spirit, Life, Truth and Love). Each of these synonyms helps us to understand God’s nature better. Soul is often misunderstood. I have to admit Soul was the one that it took me longest to get! But I finally realised what Soul was all about during a two week course of Class Instruction in Christian Science. And Soul really is so cool! So this week enjoy finding out more about what Soul is really all about.

As we go through the week, I’ll post ideas on the different sections of the Bible lesson and then we can talk about it all – or whatever you choose – on Sunday.

As I read the responsive reading this morning, I was struck by this verse from Psalm 66:

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

Before today, I think I always read verses like that (and there are other similar verses in the Bible) to mean that the older generation would pass on knowledge to the younger generation and so on down the centuries – after all that’s how the ideas of Christianity have been passed down for millennia. But today I was really struck at how today’s younger generation can teach the older generation a thing or too about God’s works!

Mary Baker Eddy begins her chapter “The Science of Being” in Science and Health with these words:

In the material world, thought has brought to light with great rapidity many useful wonders.

Today “useful wonders” seem to be coming to light very rapidly indeed, facebook, twitter, google, wikipedia. The world is changing, and the younger generation understands these tools – these “useful wonders” – in a way that much of the older generation doesn’t yet. So the Psalmist is right – here’s an oportunity for the younger generation to praise God’s works to another – and declare His might acts!

When Mary Baker Eddy was asked what she thought of the pursuite of modern material inventions she replied:

“Oh, we cannot oppose them. They all tend to newer, finer, more etherealized ways of living. They seek the finer essences. They light the way to the Church of Christ. We use them, we make them our figures of speech. They are preparing the way for us.” (First Church and Miscellany page 345)

Let’s hope this blog encourages some more young people to join our discussion group on Sundays – anyone up to the age of 20 is most welcome.

P.S. If you’ve over 20 you are of course most welcome to join our Church Services where the Weekly Bible Lesson forms the Sermon.

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Each week our Youth Discussion groups are fueled by the week’s :

This week’s lesson subject is “Spirit” – and the sub-theme is Fruits of the Spirit.  You can read “Cultivate the Fruits of the Spirit” in the Christian Science Sentinel .  Below are just some ideas I am thinking about as I prepare for Sunday’s Bible Lesson Class for teenagers in our Sunday School.

The Golden text which sets the theme for the lesson is from the King James Bible: -

Ephesian 5: 9 – the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;

The verse preceding it in the Bible speaks of the light of Spirit (as opposed darkness )and The Good News Bible, translates this week’s golden text:

for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

When we study the Science of Christianity and live in this light of Spirit we can all expect our own “rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth”. (Note it doesn’t say “wealth, fame, material possessions”. ) The Bible Lesson contains a lot of really helpful ideas about how to be more fruitful how to reap that “rich harvest”– how to be more productive and how to do more good works, including healing.

The last chapter in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy is called Fruitage – and contains testimonies of healing sent in by people who had been healed through reading Science and Health and studying and applying Christian Science. The lesson this week and every week contains ideas about how to heal and be healed.

The first section of the lesson reminds us that Jesus taught in parables, and the responsive reading is the parable of the sower and the seed. This parable can help us to understand – and thus avoid – the kind of thinking and activities that stop the seed from being fruitful – and yielding a harvest of 30-fold, 60-fold or 100-fold. What do you think the different scenarios in the parable represent? How did Christ Jesus explain them? What lesson can you learn for your life?

Section 2 – really helps us to think about the question: How did Christ Jesus heal? How can we heal? How can we cultivate the same kind of thought and spirituality that enabled Jesus to heal so effortlessly?

Section – 3 There lots to think about in every section and every Bible verse and passage from Science and Health that’s in the lesson. But one thing I am getting from this section 3 is the need to weed our thinking – we need to “watch and pray” to avoid temptation (see Matt 26:41) or as Science and Health puts it “Be watchful, sober, vigilant”.

Section – 4. Here we learn of Jesus Christ as the true vine and God as the “husbandman” (what is husbandman? ) What was Christ Jesus mission? What do we “most need”? And why? What are the signs that we are winning?

Section – 5. Here we read of Jesus healing on the Sabbath – and the Jobsworth who said he shouldn’t be healing on the Sabbath! Jesus knew the high law the over-ruled the petty limited sense of law that made the ruler of the synagogue indignant. The Science and Health passages in this section explain the superiority of this high law of Spirit and give some really practical pointers for our own healing work.

Section – 6. The final section of this week’s lesson reminds us that the early Christian Church grew because of the healing work of the first apostles – and that Christians today are still under “direct orders ..to heal the sick as well as the sinning” (Science and Health p 138). And this is so essential to our church.

Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can unite with this church only as we are new-born of Spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth which is Life by bringing forth the fruits of Love, — casting out error and healing the sick.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p 35

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