Tell the Truth

Archive for July, 2009

367:17-23
       A Christian Scientist occupies the place at this period
18 of which Jesus spoke to his disciples, when he said: “Ye
   are the salt of the earth.” “Ye are the light The salt of
   of the world. A city that is set on an hill can- the earth
21 not be hid.” Let us watch, work, and pray that this salt
   lose not its saltness, and that this light be not hid, but
   radiate and glow into noontide glory.

Am I only going through the motions of being a Christian Scientist, or meeting all of life with love? Am I hiding under the “napkin of its form”—living a parody of legitimate Christian Science, or am I aflame with divine Love? Do I lack sympathy for my fellow human being, or am I ready with a tender word and Christian encouragement?

Love is the salt that must season our spiritual practice and is the light that radiates and glows into noontide glory.

We are daily confronted with sin, disease and death around us in the world. Troubles abound. Disaster strikes on every hand.  

But as Jesus asked, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

As Christian Scientists, no matter what the appearance may be, our job is to demonstrate God’s man, made in the Father’s image and likeness. It is our privilege to understand the nothingness of evil, and to resist the temptation to accept the reality of sickness as well as sin.

450:19
                                 The Christian Scientist has enlisted
   to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome
21 them by understanding their nothingness and the allness
   of God, or good. Sickness to him is no less a temptation
   than is sin, and he heals them both by understanding
24 God’s power over them. The Christian Scientist knows
   that they are errors of belief, which Truth can and will
   destroy.

Rather than ask, “How could this happen?” We must say, “Impossible!”  Christian Science practice starts with the principle of “Perfect God. Perfect man.”  And when we look upon a picture that would tell another story, we must be able to say, “And this isn’t it!”

I used to go to the bookstore and buy “how to” books that I never seemed to get around to reading. I was in love with the idea of a project, but not so interested in actually doing it. We can be that way with God. We can be in love with the idea of listening to God and walking with God, but never seem to get around to actually doing anything more than thinking about how wonderful it would be. It isn’t until we begin to write God’s word upon the tablet of our heart that we begin to make spiritual progress.

Animal magnetism is the term Mrs. Eddy used for any claim of evil. It represents the false claims of evil, whether manifested in sin or disease. The mortal, human mind always looks for a cause of a negative condition, circumstance or event. But God is not the author of evil, and God being the only creator, evil has no cause.

Instead of wondering what has caused my disease? or why am I depressed? or why is this happening to me? Argue against the claims of animal magnetism.

In the Christian Science text book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mrs. Eddy includes a whole chapter on the subject of Animal Magnetism.

The following argument was one used by Mrs. Eddy against animal magnetism, and is taken from the book Watches, Prayers and Arguments. WPA consists of recollections and notes of members of her household, and was compiled by Gil Carpenter.

Animal magnetism does not deceive me. It is not my consciousness. I do not hear it argue, neither can it argue. It is neither mind, life nor intelligence, neither person, place nor thing.

Animal magnetism, ignorant or malicious, you cannot separate me from God, good. You cannot dim my spiritual perception. You cannot make a law that I cannot heal myself or others. God is my refuge, the only intelligence, the only power, the only Mind. Animal magnetism is not intelligence, is not Mind nor any of its attributes.

Animal magnetism, you are a non-entity, nowhere, nothing. Animal magnetism cannot think or feel. It has no existence nor creation. It never has been nor ever will be. It cannot maintain itself in my consciousness as life governed by a sympathetic system of nerves, neither as an organism sending forth impure secretions; neither as impurities, deformities, or abnormalities. For God is All-in-all, the only creator of the only universe and man. We are His children and we do realize the all-fulness of the omnipotence of God.

Animal magnetism cannot sever the modes of good; cannot impel my mind into error of thought or action, cannot make me dormant or stupid or drunken with its subtle, evil influences.

Today we think of a meek person as being a door mat—someone who let’s others walk all over them.

But, the modern meaning of the word meek, “deficient in spirit and courage” is not the meekness that will inherit the earth.

The definition given in the 1828 edition of Webster’s dictionary is,

1. Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries.  2. Appropriately,humble, in an evangelical sense; submissive to the divine will; not proud, self-sufficient or refractory [obstinate]; not peevish [easily vexed, hard to please] and apt to complain of divine dispensations.

This submissiveness to the divine will is the meekness that God will “guide in judgment”, and “teach His way.”

The 1828 edition of Webster’s dictionary is the edition that Mrs. Eddy used and is available online at http://machaut.uchicago.edu/websters.

When facing a challenge, it is important to not allow ourselves to fall into discouragement or fear, but to face the situation with confidence and reliance upon God. In his book, Dominion Within, Rev. Glen A. Kratzer tells us to think of ourselves as a boy who wants to learn how to swim. He rejoices when he is finally able to move out into the deeper waters and test his ability.

We should do the same with faced with a difficult situation and think to ourselves:

“The material foundations for peace, joy, and confidence, on which I have been accustomed to depend, are now, for the time being, out of my reach; I am in the deep water of Spirit. I wonder if, now, I cannot so depend upon Spirit, God, that I can maintain confidence, peace, and joy on the basis of my realizing the presence of spiritual good. A man of my religious experience should not look upon this present withdrawal of material support as a calamity, but should regard it as a testing time, by which I may ascertain how strong my confidence in God really is; and, if I find that I can maintain my hold on joy, with little or no material occasion for joy in sight, but with outward temptations to the contrary, I should rejoice in my present situation, as much as does the boy who has desired to learn to swim, when he finds himself swimming with confidence and success in deep water.”  From Dominion Within by Rev. Glen A. Kratzer

One of the definitions that Webster’s dictionary gives for life is ” the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual”, and Mrs. Eddy gives us a description of creation as consisting of “the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities…” This unfoldment of spiritual ideas, this sequence of experiences, constitutes the activity of our lives.

As the unfoldment of God’s identities, our lives can then only be the unfoldment of goodness in all its forms. We are God’s handiwork, His reflection, and the unfolding of His divine idea is what makes up the experiences of our life.

As the divine plan and purpose of Love unfolds, we grow in beauty, wisdom and grace. If we’re not experiencing that satisfaction, we need to ask, “Why not?” and the answer will come that we’re not doing God’s will. If we were, we would have that inner assurance that we’re doing what we should be doing. To live well, we must be about our Father’s business. “Who doth His will — His likeness still — Is satisfied.”

If the purpose and plan of our day is merely to get by putting forth the least effort possible while maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, we won’t experience fulfillment, and we shouldn’t accept anything less than God’s perfection as the reality. As a practitioner recently quoted to me, “Perfect God, perfect man, and this isn’t it!”

To find satisfaction in life, we must turn to God and seek His will. “What would you have me do, Father?” must be a constant question in our mind.

When disciples of John came to Jesus seeking confirmation that he was the Messiah, Jesus’ reply was demonstration. Mrs. Eddy adds that the early Christians measured Christianity by its power over sin, disease and death.

The counterfeit of true religion is material worship seen in sacraments which use physical symbols—water, bread and ritual. Lovely buildings and exquisite vestments, golden chalices and pious rituals, however, do not produce the demonstration of God’s power and presence and are not a commemoration of the sign that Jesus gave to John’s disciples.

Christian Scientists “must depart from material sense into the spiritual sense of being”. We must demonstrate “a higher and more practical Christianity”. To truly commemorate Jesus, we must be able to tell visitors to our church, “Go your way, and tell [others] what things ye have seen and heard…”

We must do more than remember Jesus, we must remind others of Jesus–and not with our words, but through our practice!

God is not a theory or mental construct man imagines to help him understand beingness

God is intelligence, the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-wise

God is the consciousness which says, “I AM” within all things

God is not limited to those things which He has formed; He is infinite

God is Principle, but not like a principle that can be reduced to written rules and illustrated relationships on dry paper; God is Life

God is the primary source and context of all things without which they cannot be correctly understood

If I’m thinking of God as a principle that can be reduced to rules and relationships that can be written on paper—a mental construct conceived of by mortal man and his intellect, I’m believing in an idol—a caricature, a false concept.

How can I hope to have a walking and talking relationship with a God who is an intellectual concept? Impossible!

We had another wonderful Adult Sunday School lesson at the Plainfield Church today. It is always inspiring!

Read the highlights below of the class. If this kind of Christian Science inspires you, visit the website at plainfieldcs.com. Pray the lesson with us each week, leave your thoughts on the blog, and attend the Sunday School class via a conference call for a blessing that will change your life.

Even if you aren’t near a church, you can worship with us. If you’re in a church that is less than inspiring, come and see what we’re about. If you’re seeking and are not even sure what Christian Science is, you can participate with us, and discover for yourself if it’s the answer you’ve been looking for.

Here are my notes of the highlights from the class this morning:

Fear is the belief that there is a power apart from God’s presence and allness.
Work every morning to know this.
It is always a temptation to believe in a presence and power apart from God.
Temptation comes at you like a fast ball. Be prepared!
Hit it out of the park!

Every morning when you sit down with the lesson ask:
What are you saying to me God?
Who do you have for me today in this lesson?

Know the word.
Jesus always met Satan’s temptation with the Word of God.
He said: “It is written…”
Know the Word of God.
That’s the purpose of the lesson.
Spend time with the lesson. Think about it. Let it sink into your consciousness.

If you ever feel cut off from God, take a truth and keep saying it, even if you don’t believe it at the moment.
Truth always destroys error. Always.
Right thinking always destroys illusion. Always.
Never give in.

Jesus was never defensive when others attacked him.
God was his defense.
Let your life speak for itself.
You don’t need to be defensive.
God is your defense.
Keep your conscience clear.

If you wake up at night, pray for the church and the world.
Illness is an attack to get us self-absorbed.
“Too soon we cannot turn from disease in the body to find disease in the mortal mind, and its cure, in working for God. “  Mis 343:5-7
 
A casual  interest in God won’t do it.
Seek Him early.
Be thirsty. Get hungry.
Want God more than anything.
Nothing less will work.

Memorize the definition of God and work with it every morning.
“GOD.  The great I AM; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence. “  587:5-8

Principle without Love produces an iceberg
Love without Principle produces a jellyfish