Christian Science Society, Scarborough

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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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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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!

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