seeking class instruction

[MsJackson]

A couple years ago the Sentinel did an issue about class instruction. I was housesitting for a couple I knew from church and when they came back, we talked about class instruction. In the magazine and in our conversation we talked about "knowing" when to seek out a teacher. Well, the lure of class instruction has never left my thoughts, but I am still baffled as to the best course of action to find a teacher, to know if I am ready to make a commitment to an Association, which Association, and where. Any thoughts or guidance on this?

[mcatem]

I've heard all sorts of human opinions about this. The best answer I can come up with is to be willing at all times to be led. If you're reading an article or hearing a lecture and the thought comes "I wonder if this person's a teacher?" don't dismiss that. But first and foremost, just cherish the idea for yourself, and be open to whatever guidance presents itself.

You might think you need to limit yourself to a specific geographic area. To that I will say that after having class instruction on the east coast of the US I ended up moving to California. The cost of travel has been challenging a few of the years, but I'm humbled by fellow students who manage to attend each year from Europe and Africa, and they've been faced with embassy imposed travel restrictions and Visa challenges, nothing as piddly as high ticket prices, or work schedules.

You can also trust the teachers' participation. The right place for you is God ordained. You can't make a mistake. You might apply with a teacher, and find out that class is filled for the year - it doesn't mean you're rejected. It means you'll find the right place when it's the right time.

[adyer]

I'll tell you how it happened with me:

I heard a lecturer when I was in my 2nd or 3rd year of study. His logic and demeanor and understanding were so in harmony with where I was that I felt a connection with Christian Science I'd never felt before. This was not watered down lectures, but the real thing (back in the early 80s). In fact, there wasn't all that much difference between his lectures and his instruction as far as how meaty the content was.

Then one day I realized it was time for class instruction. I immediately remembered the lecturer, his full name, and where he was from. I told myself, "That man will be my teacher."

Other than the wonderful woman I married it was one of the best choices I ever made in my life.

[pcook]

I'd like to add a thought to what others have posted here --

Both the teacher and the pupil are placed by God in this relationship. God gives you the teacher who is just right for you, and God gives the teacher the right pupils for his/her progress, as well. Knowing this helps dispell any sense of being accepted by the teacher -- because it is always God who puts the two of you together, in sacred communion with Him.

[skeeter lee]

I'd like to add a thought to what others have posted here --

Both the teacher and the pupil are placed by God in this relationship. God gives you the teacher who is just right for you, and God gives the teacher the right pupils for his/her progress, as well. Knowing this helps dispell any sense of being accepted by the teacher -- because it is always God who puts the two of you together, in sacred communion with Him.
Ok, but what happens if God places you in sacred communion with a teacher who is later stripped of his credentials to teach? I mean, if God placed you in this relationship with your now-disgraced teacher, then does God place you in a relationship with a new teacher? And, when God does place you in the relationship with your new teacher, does He cancel the relationship He previously established with the former teacher? And, if so, does this mean He made a mistake the first time?

[MikeDavis]

Ok, but what happens if God places you in sacred communion with a teacher who is later stripped of his credentials to teach? I mean, if God placed you in this relationship with your now-disgraced teacher, then does God place you in a relationship with a new teacher? And, when God does place you in the relationship with your new teacher, does He cancel the relationship He previously established with the former teacher? And, if so, does this mean He made a mistake the first time?


From what I can tell in researching how Primary Class Instruction functioned in Mrs. Eddy's time, Christian Science teachers were around for a very practical purpose. People were being healed through Christian Science and wanting to begin healing others. If these people felt they needed some instruction to help them understand Science and Health enough to get started in healing, they could sign up for a class with a teacher. In those days, when worldwide travel was not as common or easy as today, people often took class with a teacher in their own city or locality.

Mrs. Eddy went through periods of questioning the quality of teaching being done by some of the teachers in her time, and she viewed Science and Health as the ultimate teacher of Christian Science. In the end, she came to feel that Primary Class Instruction served a valuable enough purpose in forwarding students' growth in healing to continue it as a permanent part of the Church she established. However, she added safeguards to guard against cults forming around teachers. For example in the Manual of The Mother Church she has a By-Law titled "Healing Better Than Teaching" (p. 92), and she also says that students shall be guided by the Bible and Science and Health and not by their teachers' personal views.

I believe that prayer can certainly help in leading a student to a teacher who is a good fit for that student. But I don't believe that there is only one teacher in the whole world who is "right" for a student, and if the student doesn't "pray hard enough" he or she is at risk of ending up with the wrong teacher. If one feels dissatisfied with the teacher he or she takes Class from, it is good to remember that Science and Health is the ultimate teacher and that nothing can stand in the way of a sincere desire for growth in spiritual understanding.

In my own case, about ten years after having Class Instruction, my first Christian Science teacher was "stripped of his credentials to teach," as Skeeter puts it. As a result I eventually had Class Instruction a second time. I found the experience both times to be valuable, and I had respect for the teachers, but in neither case did I feel a need to put these teachers up on pedestals or feel that I was in a kind of mystical relationship with either one, or feel permanently bereft of guidance when they were no longer available.

[Poodlemom]

Those are complicated questions. I believe the Mother Church has a department associated with class teaching that might be able to help you. Did that actually happen to you or are you speaking hypothetically?

I would think that it is a very small number indeed of any teachers who have been stripped of their credentials to teach. Personally I'm not aware of any.

For myself, I was open to the idea of Class instruction for a year or two before I found the right teacher. This was back in the '70's. A friend of mine went through class with a teacher who was a very well-known lecturer at the time. She just loved class with him, and when she told me about it, said she and the class just laughed all the time, it was just so great and their teacher was so funny and had such a quick wit in making a point.

I went to interview with him, and decided that was NOT the person for me. I really didn't want to laugh all the way through Class, but to THINK all the way through. A few months later I attended a Regional meeting, and one of the speakers there was so precise in his language and his choice of words, and such a good thinker, I thought "THIS is the type of experience I want." I interviewed with him, liked the way he thought very much, and asked if I could apply for class. He had already taught his class for that year, so I applied for the following year. It was an excellent experience and just the right one for me.

The point of this story being - people will have their own needs and wants when it comes to class teaching. Some people might be put off by the very thing that attracts other people. You need to listen, to follow, and to be perceptive about your own reactions to different lecturers, articles, and so forth. Pay attention to what you most respond to in reading articles or going to lectures. I think the more active you are in searching out different experiences, the more you'll realize what you like and don't like. And then when you find a writer or lecturer or practitioner whose thinking appears to you, and from whom you're gaining a better sense of God, that would be worth following up on.

Incidentally, even though I very much enjoyed my class experience, there were a few things my teacher said that I took issue with. But that's perhaps a subject for another discussion. Just to say that teachers are human, too - you might still have points of discussion or areas where you want further explanation and so forth. Doesn't mean the teacher wasn't the right one for you, should that happen - just means that he/she is making you think.

[Merry1]

Well, first I want to say that I know a lot of people who have completed class instruction but only a couple who did so with teachers who were later stripped of their credentials, so I don’t think this happens very often. One of the two whom I do know, though, actually had it happen to her twice! The third time she ended up taking class from my teacher (which is how I got to know her), and he not only helped her sort through how to think about what she had learned from her other teachers, but also ended up being the perfect mentor for her. She is now a wonderful fulltime Christian Science practitioner. So, even though her first and second teachers turned out not to have it exactly right, she still learned from those experiences and looking back it was easy for her to see the unfolding of God’s plan in all of it. God never makes mistakes. I think it’s just that sometimes we have trouble seeing beyond our limited, human sense of things. Fundamentally, the CS teacher-student relationship is no different than any other important human relationship. It works best when the individuals involved focus on their relationship with God and let their human interactions flow from that. I hope that helps.

[skeeter lee]

From what I can tell in researching how Primary Class Instruction functioned in Mrs. Eddy's time, Christian Science teachers were around for a very practical purpose. People were being healed through Christian Science and wanting to begin healing others. If these people felt they needed some instruction to help them understand Science and Health enough to get started in healing, they could sign up for a class with a teacher. In those days, when worldwide travel was not as common or easy as today, people often took class with a teacher in their own city or locality.

Mrs. Eddy went through periods of questioning the quality of teaching being done by some of the teachers in her time, and she viewed Science and Health as the ultimate teacher of Christian Science. In the end, she came to feel that Primary Class Instruction served a valuable enough purpose in forwarding students' growth in healing to continue it as a permanent part of the Church she established. However, she added safeguards to guard against cults forming around teachers. For example in the Manual of The Mother Church she has a By-Law titled "Healing Better Than Teaching" (p. 92), and she also says that students shall be guided by the Bible and Science and Health and not by their teachers' personal views.

I believe that prayer can certainly help in leading a student to a teacher who is a good fit for that student. But I don't believe that there is only one teacher in the whole world who is "right" for a student, and if the student doesn't "pray hard enough" he or she is at risk of ending up with the wrong teacher. If one feels dissatisfied with the teacher he or she takes Class from, it is good to remember that Science and Health is the ultimate teacher and that nothing can stand in the way of a sincere desire for growth in spiritual understanding.

In my own case, about ten years after having Class Instruction, my first Christian Science teacher was "stripped of his credentials to teach," as Skeeter puts it. As a result I eventually had Class Instruction a second time. I found the experience both times to be valuable, and I had respect for the teachers, but in neither case did I feel a need to put these teachers up on pedestals or feel that I was in a kind of mystical relationship with either one, or feel permanently bereft of guidance when they were no longer available.

Very helpful answer. Thanks...

[waterbaby]

My teacher was put on probation and eventually felt unworthy of the title "teacher" and stepped down. This was over 30 years ago and in so many ways I haven't gotten over it. I do feel that class instruction, once again, is the missing link in my life but I haven't felt the right connection with a teacher. I'm still so deeply disappointed over that experience. I know I need to get over it...but how?

[MsJackson]

Yes thank you to everyone for your responses. It's good to be reminded that teachers are people too, because normally people refer to their teachers with great reverance.

[shelly]

I do feel that class instruction, once again, is the missing link in my life but I haven't felt the right connection with a teacher. I'm still so deeply disappointed over that experience. I know I need to get over it...but how?


Could you imagine wanting to learn more about math, but saying "I haven't felt the right connection with a teacher". Christian Science is a Science, and perhaps it is mortal thinking that would lead you to think the heart of the science comes from a teacher.

Your love of Christian Science will keep you moving forward in your understanding. Seeking brings progress. It is a law. So you may want to celebrate your love of Christian Science, humanity, and your unstoppable desire to practice. See where you are led.

[Lulu333]

I took class when I was fairly young, and my teacher passed on a few short years later. But I never felt like that could prevent me from moving forward in my studies.

And I don't think you should let what happened with your teacher hinder your progress, either. You've got the opportunity to take class again, and if you want to, I think you should. That doesn't take away anything from your first experience. You can still be grateful for all you learned there...and if there's something from that first experience that needs redemption, you'll have the opportunity to figure it out and redeem it.

I like what Shelly wrote about CS being a science...it's really true. It's not dependent on a specific person or personality -- in fact, personality can be a huge stumbling block.

[mhnlm]

I'm still so deeply disappointed over that experience. I know I need to get over it...but how?

I can certainly appreciate the sentiment ... however, There is an old adage which says:

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

Given the unwavering Lovingness of God, that equally implies "]"when the teacher does not appear, the student is "ready" for something else."[/COLOR]

In this situation, it might be that of which Mrs. Eddy refers in her passage:

"Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love. When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth.Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for "man's extremity is God's opportunity." The author has experienced the foregoing prophecy and its blessings. Thus He teaches mortals to lay down their fleshliness and gain spirituality.
This is done through self-abnegation." (S&H 266:6-18)[/

The point is made of "self-abnegation" -- indicating the importance of not seeing either oneself OR "friends" as a "personal self."
This is, of course, true for "teachers" as well as "friends."

She also reminds us:

"Trials ARE proofs of God's care." (S&H 66;10-11)

So we must learn to see the circumstance AS "God's Care" instead of as a supposed "trial."

The recognition given in CLass is that "Mind IS the "Teacher" -- and Mind says:

"lo, I am with you alway," (Matthew 28:20)

With ALL Blessings
Michael
:)

[Do Go Be Man]

Following our first meeting as a class, one of my classmates expressed to me a concern as to whether she deserved to take class. I had been studying Christian Science for 15 years or so. She had been studying Christian Science for more than 3 or 4 times that long.

At that moment it occurred to me and I shared with her that taking class shouldn't be considered a recognition of merit. If a recognition of anything, it recognizes a desire to learn.

[waterbaby]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I've really struggled with this over the years....it was such a special time and whoosh....it went away just like that. I've felt adrift ever since. BUT...out of the blue the other day I realized I was in some way discounting my teacher's teaching....in other words I've been spending so much time lamenting the fact that it ended so abruptly that I've truly forgotten how important and meaningful a time it was and what I learned. (there was never a question about her teaching...it was something else) That cannot be taken from me.

If I want this experience again it will happen for me. Thanks all!

[mhnlm]

The previous comment regarding a "desire to learn" reminded me of a meaningful metaphor:

One thing especially of which to be mindful:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," (John 15:16)

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

Like the example of a "needle" and a "magnet".
The needle lays inert on the table. Suddenly it feels an "urge," a "motivation" to "rise up," (perhaps to learn more). Having, as yet, no concept of magnets, it assumes that this feeling is coming from itself and it is somehow its responsibility to carry it out.
It tries to develop its muscles to be able to lift itself..
It considers "psychic powers" may be able to help.
Finally, it considers that perhaps asking its god to help it, to give it the strength necessary to lift itself... and because it can't, it assumes that it is somehow "not worthy" in the sight of its god..its "faith" is not sufficient...it does not yet have sufficient understanding of how to do it right....
But all the time, the "magnet" is approaching.. the "urge" will not go away...
until the presence of the magnet can no longer be ignored, denied or avoided and "the magnet" is finally recognized to be the exclusive power behind, not only the "urge to rise," but its fulfillment as well.
And, we can appreciate that the only reason the needle could be lifted, is that is of the same nature of the magnet - already.....
The magnet constitutes the attraction for itself and the power to "establish" oneness.

"Adhesion, cohesion, and attraction are properties of Mind. They belong to divine Principle," (S&H 124:20-21)

What seems to apparently be "your interest" in God, healing, Truth, Wholeness, did not originate in/from you, and so is not your "responsibility". It is, however, sufficient evidence of your already true, perfect and complete, "Spiritual Nature."

With ALL Blessings
Michael
):->

[Junebug]

One thought that occurs to me is that we need to be careful not to deify our teachers. Teachers are just that--teachers! We can love and respect them, but they aren't the clergy, or holier than anyone else. In fact, if they're doing their job right, they should be encouraging their students to heal, to study, work, pray, become practitioners who are relying on God, not personality.

I would suggest you relax and not worry about finding "the right teacher." Explore the people who seem interesting to you. Also, consider where you live and how you will get to associations. CS is practical! I haven't done the research, but I'm doubting people travelled all over the country or world for that matter to get to a teacher in Mrs. Eddy's day. They partook of what was available--I'm assuming.

If you wanted to learn aerobics, you'd look for an instructor, but wouldn't agonize over finding "the right" instructor. You might check out a few different classes and decide, but you'd probably not put off the lessons for the search. Know what I mean? Not saying you should just settle for someone you don't click with, but I'm just cautioning against making a huge, fear-based, deal out of it. (Fear of making the wrong decision.)

[waterbaby]

Hi Junebug.......I couldn't have said it better. I think that's what really occurred to me....not to deify a person. The teaching was excellent..... I have to be grateful for that and move on.

Thank you for your thoughts on the matter.

[gkquick4]

I believe there is a spiritual idea that, if understood to some degree and thereby allowed to operate in our experience, would bring a measure of healing to anything that bothers us. For me, troubling events, such as a choosing a teacher, who later was admonished or even excommunicated, is simply the suggestion of an important event that got messed up. Getting messed up or turning out bad is not something that comes from God. The spiritual idea that heals the situation is already operating and is more powerful than anything I can do to interfere with it. This is the way that I would begin the metaphysical work to bring healing. I would open my thought to understand whatever it is Mind is revealing to me about the situation.

Understanding absolute spiritual ideas may not be expressed the same with each of us because, in the human, material realm things seem far from consistent or perfect. Nevertheless, whatever way the spiritual idea needs to be adapted to the thought of each one, in order to bring healing to all concerned, is the way it will be expressed and understood.

As Mary Baker Eddy pointed out, language can't perfectly express a wholly spiritual idea. But the Principle behind these ideas will and is manifest in some good way in current experience.

Those are my thoughts on the subject.

Regards,
GK