Subject – Reality

Golden Text from Psalm 48:1

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Just…a few ideas and questions to invite further enquiry and interest.

The ‘City of God’, what is it like? Can we describe this celestial city. What will we find inside it?

Why wait until School on Sunday to come up with answers.

Please share your answers.. like now,..today. Tell the world.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

What’s the logical conclusion when you put these two verses together?

The responsive reading includes Paul’s musings on faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

• (Section 1) This section explains that God gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding Prov 2:6 and suggests that wisdom is better than rubies. What do you think? And what is real substance? What makes a man or woman of substance?
• (Section 2) “For we walk by faith, not by sight” II Cor 5:7 What do we have to do to let the Lord direct our paths?
• Enoch was 365 years old when he ascended, in the Bible a lot of the characters before Noah lived a long long time. Have you been watching “Torchwood – Miracle Day” on the BBC? It raises some interesting questions about immortality, and shows rather gruesomely that simply extending matter isn’t very rewarding! What’s a better concept of immortality?
• (Section 3) Which synonym for God runs through this section?
• (Section 4) What is faith? Why did Jesus tell the leper that his faith had made him whole?
• (Section 5) How is God’s substance reflected by man?
• (Section 6) Why should we rejoice?

Hope to see you Sunday!

and the responsive reading this week starts “thou art mine” Isa 43:1 . How cool  is that? We are God’s beloved! The lesson this week’s explores what that means. It’s about better understanding our true identity and relationship with God as His/Her beloved children.

Here are some questions on the lesson to prime our discussion as usual – I do hope you can make it, if not perhaps we can have our class by skype later in the day.

(Section 1) Isaiah instructs us “cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isa 2:22 How do we do that?

(Section 2) How should we see ourselves?

(Section 3) “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him..” Duet 33:12 How does Moses early life illustrate this?

(Section 4) What do the angels Gabriel and Michael represent?

(Section 5) What does it mean to be the sons (and daughters) of God? How do you understand Christ Jesus as “mediator”?

(Section 6) How does Jesus healing confirm his mission, and God’s love for us?

(Section 7) How are you exercising your “God given authority” and dominion?

(Section 8 ) What qualities of God should we express as God’s elect? ( Col 3:12,14,16 )

(Section 9) Christ Jesus said “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matt 10:8 What a command! He wouldn’t have said it, if he didn’t think we could follow it. How are you following this Christian command?

Hope to see you Sunday! (Everyone under 20 is always welcome in our Sunday School).

The light of Christ is the theme of this week’s lesson. Notice how light, darkness and so on feature throughout this week’s lesson.

• (Section 1) How does light feature in the story of Jesus nativity related in this section? What does light symbolize for you? Why is light such a good concept to express the Christ, Truth?

• (Section 2) How do you think you’d have responded if Jesus had asked you to follow him and become a fisher of men?
  How does Christian Science healing work?

• (Section 3) Physical healing is important, but what is “the higher mission”of the Christ power? Why is this even more important that healing sickness?
• (Section 4)This section contains Jesus healing of the man born blind John 9:1-7 . How do you think Jesus healed this man? What does it tell us about the nature of God and man?
• (Section 5) In this section is the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. What does this teach us about the nature of death?
• (Section 6) Mary Baker Eddy said she “longed to see the consummation of [her] hope, namely, the student’s higher attainments in this line of light.” S&H 367:24 What ways are you finding to achieve more with Christian Science?

I do hope you can make it Sunday. Look forward to seeing you then.

Daniel

God knoweth.

This lesson studying another of the synonyms for God- Mind tells us about Solomon and his desire for wisdom.

How can we can more understanding and wisdom?

How do we find solutions to tricky problems?

Can we expect peace and harmony in our lives?

How do we avail ourselves of God’s help?

The lesson provides answers to these questions – do think about them and come and chat about these and other issues on Sunday.

Daniel is away so I am standing in for him- hope to see you- Jane

The Golden Text this week is from Isaiah.

The Golden text always sets the key theme for the lesson, and I think this is a really interesting choice for a lesson on Soul. Mary Baker Eddy consider the idea behind this Golden Text to be the “keynote of Christian Science” (See Miscellaneous Writings p366). What does this statement mean to you in the context of this lesson on Soul?

The Responsive Reading this week is from Jeremiah 31 & 32and sets out God’s new covenant with His people. What is a covenant? and what does this “new covenant” reveal about our relationship with God?

(Section 1) Mary Baker Eddy explains that “We run into error when we divide Soul into souls, multiply Mind into minds and suppose error to be mind, them mind to be matter and matter to be a lawgiver, unintelligence to act like intelligence, and mortality to be the matrix of immortality.” S&H 249:32 I don’t like to walk into error let alone run into it! What are the philosophical blunders that this passage is encouraging us to avoid?

(Section 2) The story of Ruth is used to illustrate much of this week’s lesson. Can you recount the story in your own words? It’s tough when relationships end,  far worse when loved ones die. What can support us through these challenges?

(Section 3) We read in Science and Health that “The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.” S&H 518:15-21 Boaz was certainly keen to help Ruth. How have you been a blessing to others, how have others blessed you?

(Section 4) This section assures us that “All things work together for good to them that love God.” Romans 8:38 . What is demanded of us in loving God? What does it mean to be “governed by Soul”?

(Section 5) In this section Ruth and Boaz marry. All the S&H citations in this section come from the chapter on Marriage, but these ideas are also relevant to boyfriend-girlfriend relationships.  What lessons have you learnt about maintaining harmonious relationships? And how to choose a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife.?

(Section 6) What light does an understanding of God as Soul, shed on Jesus healing?

The responsive reading is from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. What does Paul explain about the nature and motivation of his preaching?

Here are some more questions we could consider on Sunday, along with anything else you’d like to bring up.

•  (Section 1) Why do you think Spirit is associated with God as Creator?
• (Section 2) This section contrasts the material senses, with the spiritual. What is spiritual sense? What is the suppositional warfare between truth and error? And what does spiritual sense involve?
•  (Section 3) What does it mean to be born again? (See ”John )
•  (Section 4) What did Christ Jesus demonstrations prove?
•  (Section 5) What does this section teach about healing?
•  (Section 6) In Science and Health we read “Each day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power.” S&H ”233:1-2” . How are you responding to these demands? Are you finding opportunities to demonstrate the power of Spirit in the way Jesus did?

Did you get my email about using skype for Sunday School if you can’t make it through Hope to see you both Sunday, in person on oneline

Daniel

Do hope you can make it this week.

[Section 1] God isn’t just loving, God is Love itself (see I john 4:8 ) and that’s a really powerful observation. What does it mean to you?

[Section 2] This section brings out the oneness and universality of God, the fact that God is All-in-all. A passage from Science and Health in this section explains “Paganism and agnosticism may define Deity as ‘the great unknowable;’ but Christian Science brings God much nearer to man, and makes Him better known as the All-in-all, forever near.” In what ways have you come to know God better through your study of Christian Science?

[Section 3] What does God/Love’s omnipotence mean and imply?

[Section 4] How does Jesus healing of the Nobleman’s son John 4:46-53 illustrate God/Love’s omnipresence?

[Section 5] What does this section tell us about omniscience? How was God’s omniscience reflect by Jesus in his healing work? What about our own ability to heal?

[Section 6] What is that that “comforts our hearts and stablishes us in every good work”? Do you have enough to do all you need to do? Why?

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday – & hopefully Saturday, for the Church Alive workshop.

Daniel

The subject for this weeks Bible Lesson is ‘Truth’.

The Golden Text is from Isaiah 46: 9
..I am god, and there is none else;

Section 1 – starts with the big question. What is truth? This is the question that convulses the whole world. It is the question that stirs up the world. Well then, do we have the answer? What is truth?
S&H 3) I learned these truths in divine Science. What are these truths?
Section 2
Take these truths and apply them.
In every section we can find something which we can use in our prayers for the famine in Africa. The world is greatly stirred (convulsed) by this famine problem which has surfaced once more
How can we find a permanent solution?
The Bible 6) O send out thy light and thy truth.
S&H 293: 28 Christian Science brings to light Truth and its supremacy, universal harmony, the entireness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil.
Section 3
The Bible 11) The Lord gave the word;
S&H 10) ..the text of Truth has been given, bluntly and honestly in Science and Health. How do we know this is the text of Truth?
Section 4
The Bible 10)…if there be any that executeth judgement, that seeketh the truth; -
S&H 12)..are we seeking the dignity of God’s laws? Then material means, human ways, must in the end be undignified. Can we think of any examples?
Section 5
The Bible 14) I am the way, the truth, and the life:
S&H The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned form error, …….
Which specific Truth would destroy the belief of deprivation, lack and famine?
Section 6
The Bible 32)And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
S&H What enslaving belief would result in famine?
Section 7
The Bible 17) ..the world also shall be stable, ..
S&H 23) Eternal Truth is changing the universe.
S&H 24) …the world feels the alterative effect of truth through every pore.
Marginal heading – Inadequate theories of creation
Here are some big questions. What is the truth about the creation?
Can there be any famine or deprivation in the spiritual creation?
Section 8
S&H 27) Are you willing to leave all for Christ, for Truth, and so be counted among sinners?
So you leave all for Christ, for Truth. Why then would you be counted among sinners? I hope you have an answer for this, I need to know.

I look forward to seeing you and hearing your answers.

S&H 28) We are Christian Scientists, only as we quit our reliance upon that which is false and grasp the true.

Here are some quick question on the lesson to prompt our Teenage discussion group on Sunday :

• The Responsive Reading reminds us that Jesus “went about doing good”, before recounting the exchange Jesus had with a  man seeking eternal life. What does this exchange teach us about finding eternal life?
• (Section 1)How does the statement in this section that “Man is not a pendulum, swinging between evil and good, joy and sorrow, sickness and health, life and death” S&H 245:1-3 map out the plan for the rest of this week’s Bible lesson?
• (Section 2) “Never record ages.” S&H 246:17 How does this attitude lead to a fuller life? How can we begin to demonstrate eternal life?
• (Section 3) What’s the reason that most Christian Scientists choose not to drink alcohol or smoke tobacco?
• (Section 4) “We cannot build safely on false foundations.” S&H 201:7 What’s the true basis for a life of happiness and satisfaction?
• (Section 5) In this section Christ Jesus heals the man with the withered hand Luke 6:6-10 , what lessons about how to heal have you learnt from this section?
• (Section 6) What is the one and only way to heaven, harmony?