CS Lesson Sun. Sept 14, 2008

[Susie]

I've never started a thread before, but it appears the lesson thread-starters are not ready to post. I apologize if the starter for this week's lesson goes up simulataneously and hope the moderators will combine them.

This weeks lesson is Substance and the Goldent Text is for II Corinthians 9:8
"God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others." This idea continues to unfold throughout the lesson and is truly inspirational and practical.

The responsive reading is from Deuteronomy and Luke. I like the starting words of "The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in they storehouses..." I sse this as we can have confidence in what the Lord has planned for us.

The responsive reading also has us reading the directions found in the Bible (Deuteronomy 24:19-21) regarding how we are to handle the blessings that rmain once we have harvested the field, beaten the olive branches and gathered the grapes. These blessings not gathered and used are to be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow.

Last week we studied the blessings of the loaves and the fishes. Interestingly enough, those remains were gathered up (the left-overs of the loaves and the fishes). In this weeks lesson we are told to leave the remains for others that will follow. Insight please!


I look forward to hearing what others see and gather from this weeks lesson on Substance.

Susie

[maminor]

Susie,

Thanks so much for starting this thread. Last week, I had never started a thread either, and yet it seemed to work out all right.

This week's responsive reading from Deuteronomy gave me the thought that while we are harvesting, we should remember to allow for those in need, not just for our own needs. It brought out to me that we have nothing to loose by being willing to give to others since God is the source of our supply. I think that is the same message we had last week with the loaves and fishes.

This lesson is the antidote to the world's opinion that lack is rampant and there is no recourse for us, except to acknowledge lack and suffer the consequences. In Science and Health (S&H3), we are told "The admission that there can be material substance requires another admission --namely, that Spirit is not infinite and that matter is self-creative, self-existent, and eternal." Then S&H4 tells us "Substance is that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay. Truth, Life, and love are substance ..."

If we accept that Truth, Life, and Love are substance, than there can be no lack of any kind since God is infinite. Then where does lack come from? A false idea that some people are blessed, while others are cursed. Mrs. Eddy tells us over and over again that we live in the atmosphere of thought. If we keep our thought on Truth -- there is no error which can tempt us to believe in lack.

In (S&H-8) it says, "As God is substance and man is the divine image and likeness, man should wish for, and in reality has, only the substance of good, the substance of Spirit, not matter." Since Spirit is infinite, we have infinite supply. Ideas are our supply and they come from the one Mind, and are unlimited.

In (S&H - 18) we read, "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 how what we are winning." In my thought of others this week, I am working to show that I am winning increase capacity to give to others and to share God's ideas.

Just thought I would share what has come to me from my initial reading (just three days) of the lesson. I really enjoy the comments of others.

[imjim]

I will often take a sentence from either the Bible or S&H and work to put it into practice, or keep it upper-most in thought, throughout my daily experience. I find it helpful, to not only read and study about it, but to attempt to emulate the essence of thoughts gleaned throughout the day.

Yesterday I picked:

"Spirit is the only substance and consciousness recognized by divine Science." (S&H 278:4-5)

In talking with a friend later in the day, the topic of physical beauty, or wealth, and their pull when dealing with initial attraction in dating came up. We related experiences in which these things had had an effect and some of the results. I found the ideas expressed in the above sentence to be helpful in the discussion and they weren’t far from my thinking as the conversation evolved.

I shared with my friend a vivid example that a friend had experienced years earlier. He had bought one of the expensive 2 seater Mercedes sports cars as a young man - a beautiful car. But a couple of months later, he showed up without the car, and I asked him what had happened to it. He told me that he never knew if the women he met were interested in him. . . or the car. . . so he chose to give up the car. He had opted for substance, rather than to rely on wealth and beauty as an attracting agent - quite an amazing observation on his part considering his youth.

While I truely appreciate the writings of others, I often find it helpful to pull apart what I have read and chosen to mull over, making it "my own." In the breaking down of the above chosen sentence’s ideas, I found this helpful:

Spirit is not expressed in physical beauty - or in wealth. The only substance recognized by Science (the daily application of identification with Spirit) is found within spiritual qualities alone.

Considering the implications of, and looking for, examples of what I am studying, or sentences I choose to work with during the day, often help me to gain a deeper understanding of the lesson.

Hope this helps,
imjim

[BigRaff]

The principle of gleaning which this passage refers to is an interesting concept. Even though it would appear to be charity, it required something of the recipient. They had to go out to the fields and gather what they needed.

In the story of the loaves and fishes, we are learning not to be wasteful. Also, Jesus says that nothing should be lost showing that none of God's ideas will be lost but gathered together in Him.

[JudyRae]

Hey, it's good to see some new "faces" on these Bible Lesson thread. Thanks maminor and BigRaff for your helpful insights (and everyone else too!)



Last week we studied the blessings of the loaves and the fishes. Interestingly enough, those remains were gathered up (the left-overs of the loaves and the fishes). In this weeks lesson we are told to leave the remains for others that will follow. Insight please!



What came to me was that we are being shown various aspects of supply (true substance) and the demands on us. With the loaves and fishes, abundance ("full-orbed promise") was proved to be the counter fact of the counterfeit a "gaunt want" (Miscellaneous Writings 355:2 and Science and Health 233:28-29) This came through the multiplication of ideas. I feel that the disciples needed to learn the Lesson that "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." (Science and Health 494) so they each had a basket full of fragments as proof.

I love BigRaff's take:
In the story of the loaves and fishes, we are learning not to be wasteful. Also, Jesus says that nothing should be lost showing that none of God's ideas will be lost but gathered together in Him.


And from last week:

Mary Alyce: I love the thought that the good we receive does not reduce the good available for others. The ideas we have do not diminish the resource for those ideas, since God is infinite Mind.


This week we are told that we will be given everything we need and have more than enough to share. This to me is removing the fear stopping us from being generous and also helping others find their own supply (as BigRaff says above.)

What came to mind were the beautiful words of Malachi 3:10:

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

I like to sometimes think of that with a slightly different meaning:
“..prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour YOU out (as) a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Then we move on to an even better way – abundant supply meeting demand and demand meeting supply. These words of II Corninthians 8 changed my life and I found a home which was all agreed in 3 days after 18 months of fruitless and frustrating searching for a house!

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

The sentence in Science and Health that really stood out to me was this:

To the physical senses, the strict demands of Christian Science seem peremptory; but mortals are hastening to learn that Life is God, good, and that evil has in reality neither place nor power in the human or the divine economy. (Science and Health 327)

From Webster’s 1828:
ECONOMY (http://machaut.uchicago.edu/?resource=Webster%27s&word=economy&use1913=on&use1828=on)
[Latin oeconomia; Greek. house, and law, rule.]

Some of the definitions:
regular operation, system of rules, order, organisation, management, regulation and government.

From the point of view of a discussion I’m having on another thread where I have put forth the premise that the human is legitimate, while the mortal is the counterfeit – this to me answers that. If evil has no place or power in the human, then it must be all good!

From the point of view of all the fears of the world economy in recession it also answers that. The human economy cannot contain evil because the divine economy doesn’t!

JudyRae

[Susie]

Good morning everyone!

In Sectrion IV of the lesson and is Judy Rae's post we find this from Corinthians 8:13, 14 - For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

This is the verse I kept with me as I went through my day yesterday. I often struggle with allowing the abundance of others to be supply for me. I often respond with "Oh no, that's okay, I'll be fine, don't worry about me." But, yesterday I saw that as God's spiritual idea we are an automatic recipient of the remnants, fragments, etc. that are spilling over the top of the storehouses of others. A sandal was thoughtfully provided for a stubbed toe, a cold drink of water and candy arrived from an unexpected source on a very hot day, and other small events occured throughout today. Each time I was blessed by someone else I saw it as the spilling over of the blessings they had received.

In Section II we have the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his golden statue that he expected all to bow down and worship (Daniel 3). In this story I see a comparison of the "material god" that expects us to provide worship (something that would sustain a material god) and The God, and only God, that sustains us. In this story that sustaining power protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace.

I know there is probably no answer to this question, but I did find myself wondering: "...the fourth was like the Son of God." Now, I have seen Sunday School pictures in some churches that show this scene with Jesus being the fourth man in the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar had not seen Jesus, so what did he see that he would of recognized was "like the Son of God?" I'm afraid the history buff in me comes out now and then.

Thank you all for sharing. Each of you has given me something to ponder and use.

Susie

[JudyRae]

I know there is probably no answer to this question, but I did find myself wondering: "...the fourth was like the Son of God." Now, I have seen Sunday School pictures in some churches that show this scene with Jesus being the fourth man in the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar had not seen Jesus, so what did he see that he would of recognized was "like the Son of God?" I'm afraid the history buff in me comes out now and then.


Hi Susie, I just had a look and several other Bible translations (including my trusted Amplified) render it "son of the gods" (meaning angel) which on investigation is the more exact translation from the original Aramaic (not Hebrew in this case).

This is a detailed argument about it:

http://www.kjvonly.org/doug/kutilek_son_of_god.htm

Of English versions antedating the KJV, the one most closely followed by the KJV is the Geneva Bible of 1560. At Daniel 3:25, we find “the sonne of God.” The KJV, apparently, merely reproduced the Geneva Bible unaltered. The Geneva Bible here has a significant marginal note: “For the Angels were called the sonnes of God, because of their excellencies; therefore the King called this Angel, whome God sent to comfort his in these great torments, the sonne of God.” These remarks clearly indicate that they did not consider the fourth man to be a theophany/Christophany. (whatever those last two words mean!! :o)

JudyRae

[imjim]

Good morning everyone!

I know there is probably no answer to this question, but I did find myself wondering: "...the fourth was like the Son of God." Now, I have seen Sunday School pictures in some churches that show this scene with Jesus being the fourth man in the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar had not seen Jesus, so what did he see that he would of recognized was "like the Son of God?" I'm afraid the history buff in me comes out now and then.

Morning!

The Bible part of the lesson tells us:
“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Dan 3:25)

If you click the following link - scroll down to "see." (I love the Lexicon part of this site)

From Strong’s Dictionary Lexicon: Dan 3:25 (http://scripturetext.com/daniel/3-25.htm)
see: chaza' (khaz-aw'): to gaze upon; mentally to dream, be usual (i.e. seem) -- behold, have (a dream), see, be wont.

“Mentally to dream,” or "have (a dream)" could be indicative of a sense of things that was more spiritual than literal, could it not?

Hope this helps,
imjim

[Susie]

Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be treated as the God for his people. Or at least that is what one can infer from the requirement to bow down and worship his image. BUT, Nebuchadnezzar himself acknowledged a higher power when he saw the fourth figure and let the three men go.

What if the healing is God revealing his power to Nebuchadnezzar? Maybe that is the point of this story. That God will reveal his power even to those who believe their power is more important.

This came to me while reading the responses in the thread and looking at the reference sources. What do you think?

Racing out the door of work- California Time!

Susie

[Mary Alyce]

I've always thought that King Nebuchadnezzar was duped into making the idol. He was talked into it by those who wanted the three Hebrew captives eliminated because they were given power which others wanted. In the Chaldean tradition, once a ruling was made, it could not be reversed.

Those who wanted the stop the power of the Hebrew captives -- actually increased their power because the power they had came from God. And King Nebuchadnezzar realized this power when he saw four men loose. I've always been touched by the fact that they were free before they were released from the fiery furnace.

Thanks to everyone for sharing. I've enjoyed thinking more about the lesson in the hopes that I can participate in these discussions. Thanks for bringing me to a higher place. :)

(maminor is my name when I am working on the computer in our Reading Room.)

[Susie]

I was reading and thinking last night as I waited for that moment where I turn out the light and go to sleep. I found myself exploring what I truly saw God to be and what we are told he is - Spirit. I realized that in many ways I had developed qualities for God that were not His and, therefore; had planted qualities for me. I felt myself trying to open a door to a true world of spirituality that kept starting to close on me. In other words, I was getting a clearer idea of God and me as his creation but not grasping it completely. I was feeling that there is so much more to know.

Today, throughout the lesson, I noticed passages that seemed to address my experience last night. Isn't that the way this usually goes for us? <smile>

These are some of the quotes that have stood out for me today:

Section I (SH P. 275:10)
"To grasp the reality and order of being in its Science, you must begin by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is."

(SH p.468)
"The spiritual universe, including individual man, is a compound idea, reflecting the divine substance of Spirit."

Section II

(the Bible Job 21:15)
"What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?"

(SH p. 301: 18 ...man should)
"...man should wish for, and in reality has, only the substance of good, the substance of Spirit, not matter."

Section III
(SH p. 264: 9)

"Where shall the gaze rest but in the unsearchable realm of Mind?"

Section IV
(SH p. 239: 11)
"To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and obey as God."

Section V
(the Bible John 6:63)

"It is the spirit that quickeneth..."

In a Baptist church I once heard the pastor talk about taking the journey of understanding that moves from head knowledge, to heart knowledge, to hand knowledge. I suspect this desire to truly and completely see myself and God as spiritual is such a journey as the above.

Thanks for letting me share. All our moments are blessed.

Susie

[JudyRae]

Wonderful sharing everyone - thanks!

I had to come and say that i finally managed to listen to 'Reversing decline in health and living' that I gave a link to earlier. (You may remember it had a reference to gathering the fragments)

Well, I can't recommend it enough - it's over an hour, but if there's something you can do, like ironing, cooking etc... There's also a transcript. It covers so many topics we talk about here, especially what to do when healing does not seem to come. Anyway, his ideas about the fragments were so special that I just had to share them here:

Reversing decline in health and living (http://www.spirituality.com/article.jhtml?ElementId=/repositories/shcomarticle/Jan2008/1201123261.xml&ElementName=Reversing%20decline%20in%20health%20an d%20living)
Live audio chat with Channing Walker

I was thinking just this morning about Christ Jesus’ ministering to thousands of people in their remote desert location and that’s when, of course, the disciples come to him and they’re concerned about there not being any food for the multitude, and they have one person who shows up with five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus takes that and multiplies it and the need is met. Now, you know there are four accounts of that episode in the Bible, and not one of them hints that a single enormous loaf of bread, big enough to feed 5,000 people on its own, that would win a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, none of the accounts suggest that that emerged on the scene.

Apparently the additional bread was of the ordinary size. I’m wondering if that hints that not one huge answer, but many modest answers can be the way we solve problems, including this economic problem. You know there is one detail in that story that for me is the most intriguing. At the end of it when everybody’s had enough to eat, Jesus says, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” Then the Bible continues, “Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” And I thought, Why would he bother to do that? Especially given what he just proved. I mean this is Christ Jesus! He can take care of anything he needs to take care of.

And it occurs to me that maybe he was valuing and teaching his followers to value every single problem-solving idea from God. Maybe he was teaching them to cherish every crumb of divine inspiration, to savor every instance of spiritual insight. Maybe he was helping them to recognize that spiritual answers can come in ordinary packages.


JudyRae

[Susie]

Judy Rae,

Thank you for sharing the quotes from the Channinng interview. Your are right, it dove-tailed very well into our whole conversation about the fragments.

By the way, anyone who missed that part of the discussion, it can be found in last weeks lesson thread. The lesson for Sept. 7. It was also alluded to in this weeks discussion.

Susie