Prayers for the World Blog

3/14/2020

To the Christian Science Association of Students of Mark Swinney, CSB --

As we are all praying for the world, this page here on our website is for posting our inspiration.

In class, we learned to heal by quelling and eliminating fear. What is behind all fear? Always the same thing: a false belief that a lie is real and can act.

How, specifically, do we do eliminate fear? By becoming still and listening to the loving intelligence of divine Mind. The precinct of human consciousness is the sole battleground and in it we first distill every case down to a simple lie. As we pray and listen, this lie is corrected in our thoughts by the truth that Mind provides.

Then, we show our gratitude by embracing wholeheartedly the truth that Mind has provided.

Mary Baker Eddy said, "We, to-day, in this class-room, are enough to convert the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole world will feel the influence of this Mind" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 279).

How, today, is Mind influencing you to pray? To share, please post below.

Thanks, and much love, Mark Swinney, CSB

Click here to see the comments or add your own

298 Comments

Jessica Dunlap

3/15/2020 10:09:49 pm

I am so grateful for God's goodness. In times of seeming chaos in the world around us, a simple prayer of gratitude can dissipate the most gripping fear. In God's Kingdom, fear and anxiousness, all "what if" thoughts and panic dissolve with the conviction that God is all and evil is nothing. I love working with the following from Science and Health, page 495: "When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious — as Life eternally is — can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not."

Jessica Dunlap, Texas

Carrie K.

3/23/2020 12:09:09 pm

This is so helpful about clinging to God's allness when tempted by an "illusion".

The other day, I saw an article in the March 6,1943 issue of CSS .... entitled THE UNIVERSAL SOLVENT by Geneva Mary Clippinger

EXCERPT:
"Evil declares that it can destroy anything that opposes it, and one is tempted to accept its aggressive suggestions as if they actually had power; as, for example, when it suggests that epidemics and world wars can disrupt and destroy. The claims of materiality to have power to rule might seem frightful if it were not for the Invincible fact that nothing which is unlike God can have power."

The reference in S&H on p. 495:14 is a rule for the type of prayer that Jesus employed in his "deep and conscientious protests of Truth."

This is 100% reliable.

An "epidemic" is a vain repetition of lies that cannot resist the Allness of God. "Stand ye still, and SEE the salvation of the Lord."

theresa lalonde

9/14/2021 07:50:47 pm

I especially loved this:
An "epidemic" is a vain repetition of lies that cannot resist the Allness of God. "Stand ye still, and SEE the salvation of the Lord."

Scott Coolidge

3/16/2020 12:00:00 pm

Thank you so much for establishing this blog. We have been praying for everyone's safety and well being while knowing the one Divine Mind can inspire everyone to make sound decisions at a time when fear tries to invade our thoughts. "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Tim.1:7) "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Ps. 91:11) "Soul has infinite resources with which to bless mankind, and happiness would be more readily attained and would be more secure in our keeping, if sought in Soul." (S&H 60:29-31)

Christine

3/24/2020 05:50:31 am

Working from home while my husband is still being called in has been challenging as now I am, like so many, homeschooling my two kids as well. The ideas you shared are just what I needed to get out of bed today! “Soul has infinite resources..” thank you so much

Hilary Palanza

3/16/2020 12:05:15 pm

This morning, two words stood out to me as I was praying: Innocence, and exemption. As children of God, good, we are naturally and eternally exempt from any claim of something “otherwise.” Our innocence IS our protection. We are inherently beloved, immune, and free. God loves and cares for each of his beloved children, tenderly. There is no “seam or rent” in Gods creation, no room for anything to enter in our thinking to convince us otherwise.

~marilyn

3/16/2020 08:02:47 pm

That's wonderful Hilary. I hadn't thought of the innocence point yet but it's a wonderful one.
Love to you . . .

Laura Shear

3/16/2020 01:11:06 pm

Love is in the air. Love is everywhere. There is no room for anything else. Love fills all space.

Katie Davis

3/16/2020 02:13:29 pm

This sweet blog has brought tears to my eyes and such a needed lift to my heart. All day today I have been counseling leaders on how to lay off staff- and choose who. There are many gentle reminders here in all of what you are sharing - that no matter what looks and feels like truth or reality - the law is that there is One Mind in control. One Mind in operation. thank you

Marilyn

3/16/2020 08:05:43 pm

Hard job, but good reasoning.
Maybe another thought that might be useful is that there is NO backward step in God's government. Only blessings and forward movement can result.

Shelly

3/17/2020 02:56:44 pm

I love and needed that idea of no backwards step. Thank you.

Melissa Auman

3/24/2020 09:20:46 am

Onward Christian soldiers. Onward, forward, upward, growth. We can not go back to positions outgrown. Cleanse the foul senses within. Purify thought.

Amy Hampton

3/16/2020 02:39:42 pm

Thank you for this loving space of prayer and sharing. We have been lifting our voice in song and praising God. Fear can’t run rampant now or ever and all of Gods creation is subject to His unending love and care. All mankind can feel His presence and find peace. Keep praying and loving one another! “See baseless evil fall and know that God is here.”

Sandy Callaway link

4/4/2020 11:33:14 am

Echoing the singing and praising God-loving the hymnal
supplement/literally/singing it all the way through. So many many
precious gems of affirming the facts of God/man/children/neighbors/community/church/country/whole wide world embraced in “His arm encircles me, and mine, and all”.

Tressie Armstrong

3/16/2020 02:49:26 pm

As I left our Sunday service yesterday, the words to hymn 98 came to my thoughts..."Look again, the fields are whitening, Harvest time is surely here." It made me commit to taking a deeper and better look at what is being presented to world thought. Look again to what God knows and is saying about the whole world..."the fields are whitening," here and now.

Betsy R Ray

3/16/2020 04:03:49 pm

Gratitude for this scripture in Isa. 26:3 which promises, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee". I also have great gratitude for this opportunity to read and express. I acknowledge many evidences of blessings both from Divine Love and also to and from humans one to another as loving and caring abounds. I have both seen personally and have heard broadcast evidence of this today. God answers prayer through thought. He gives idea and inspiration to the many who are listening to His voice. Many prayers of several sorts are going forth in love.

Betsy Ray, SW Ohio

Beatrix since, New Jersey

3/17/2020 04:24:12 am

Yes, I love to catch glimpses in the news and on social media of good things happening, like the community music in Italy, messages of support and love to those in Wuhan, school children feeling closer to each other than before after starting classes online, penguins getting a free run of the entire aquarium in Chicago zoo, and so on. Thank you, Betsy!

Jeffrey Lang

3/16/2020 04:50:06 pm

Thank you for establishing this Mark and all who have and will share, there are such wonderful truths to work with and affirm. In working to watch my thought about current events the idea came that even when billions are duped into believing that a lie is true, it can never make the lie in the least bit true. A lie never has any real origin or power, only the supposed power of belief, and belief is temporal. Understanding (as the expression of Mind) is constant, time-less, eternal, ever-present, instant - even when there is a suggestion of mass confusion, panic, or darkness of any sort. The idea also came (in a different light than ever before) that Truth has never been geographical nor ever at the mercy of matter, it IS present and ONLY good, God - All in all.

I have also really enjoyed working with Hymn 53:
"Everlasting arms of Love
Are beneath, around, above;
God it is who bears us on,
His the arm we lean upon.

He our ever-present guide
Faithful is, whate'er betide;
Gladly then we journey on,
With His arm to lean upon.

From earth's fears and vain alarms
Safe in His encircling arms,
He will keep us all the way,
God, our refuge, strength and stay."

And from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures page 29:7-10
"Christian experience teaches faith in the right and disbelief in the wrong. It bids us work the more earnestly in times of persecution, because then our labor is more needed."

Jenny Moeller

3/17/2020 07:03:47 am

Thanks for your thoughts, Jeffrey. They reminded me of an activity we did in class. Mark had us draw a zero made out of a dotted line, a regular zero, and a zero with a big dark line we had traced many times. Then he asked what each of those added up to. It was still zero. It doesn’t matter how big or scary the picture seems to be. A material picture is still nothing. I am grateful for that reminder today :)

Yolanda Spencer

3/24/2020 12:16:18 pm

Thank you Jenny for sharing that, love Mark’s way to explain to us the nothingness of error.
I also remember, we mentioned in class, how more that 450 years ago the believe of the flu started in Europe, when the North and the South were in conflict, there were some strong winds coming from the North and people from the South , though that people from the North were sending those winds to make them sick and sure enough, they got sick and that was the beginning of a lie.
It is so comforting to know that Divine Mind control all our thoughts and there are not erroneous thoughts in Divine Mind so neither on us !!

Carrie K

3/23/2020 08:29:41 pm

When I saw your mention of the billions who believe in lies, I can't help sharing this idea from S&H that keeps coming to me regarding the world's tumult:

MARVELS, CALAMITIES

Marvels, calamities, and sin will much more abound as truth urges upon mortals its resisted claims; but the awful daring of sin destroys sin, and foreshadows the triumph of truth. God will overturn, until "He come whose right it is." (223: 28-32)

I was intrigued that "truth" in both cases here is NOT capitalized.

-Merrilyn Mc Elderry ( Merri)

3/16/2020 05:19:37 pm

As you teach us and show us;" Each time that Truth beholds its treasured , perfectly flawless reflection, it doesn't see a perfect human, but sees, of course, itself! We each are actualy the individualized , flawless reflection of God!!!! Watch , how simply reflecting and beholding God's own reflection as man, exposes evil as unreal" Just holding this Truth close and soaking in it, dissolves, all fear that there is any power opposite God... either God is All, or He isn't. And taking it one more step, whatever I place in my thought, in my belief , is brought to fruition for me. Therefore I hold, close and reverent the ongoing Truth for all that since we are the pute , unfolding thoughts of God, Ideas..... we are forever unblemished, uncontaminated, unstoppable, and pure. "Blessed be the Lord who daily, loadeth us with benefits<" Psalms 68;19
WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD. To GOD, nothing is impossible!

Mary Lerner

3/25/2020 07:29:24 am

Sweet reminder. Thanks, Merrily.

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/16/2020 05:35:10 pm

I am so grateful for you etablishing this loving space in heaven ie harmony for me and all of us to share the pureness of your teachings to us.showing us the total . the power and presence of God and the selfless work you do to establish and ground us in this healing work. . I am humbled in this space to sling the slingshot of Truth and kill the seeming giant of Fear, dissolving it into its nothingness. I am so grateful for each one posting here , sharing these beautiful , individual ideas from each one and sending them all out to the Universe.. When we love our world and universe from the Heart, it is as if we are all children dancing together in the Light, rejoicing in our Father knowing"I and my Father are One.:"

Beatrix von

3/16/2020 07:33:43 pm

This Sunday, that harsh account of Amnon raping his fair half sister Tamar, suddenly held a new, highly applicable meaning:
Amnon became the claim of mortal error, and evil "made himself sick" - took on the name of contagion. It is lusting after innocence and love to comfort it - after Tamar, suddenly standing for all those dear doctors and nurses and helpers (and Christian Science nurses and church friends). As Tamar answers the call, error forces itself upon her, until she too is unclean - infected. Now the dear helper is a threat, to be hated and feared, not to have anywhere near, for it could be harmful! And the poor helper, believing the lie, now is sick and no longer useful. Thus ends the sad, hopeless and aggressive tale of "Genesis 2 being". Not the reality of being, not the creation of Genesis 1. In heaven (Genesis 1), the woman (innocence and Love) is clothed with the sun (Spirit, Truth), with the moon (mortality claiming to embody truth) under her feet, with a crown of twelve stars, i.e. divinely authorized with all christly power. The dragon, the old serpent, called Devil and Satan - that whole Amnon/Tamar tale - is cast out, is shown to be powerless. It tries to throw lies like a flood after the woman (after the beloved, pure, innocent man of God's creating), to drown her, but it can't. Even the earth - common sense and rationality catching a glimpse of Truth and adopting it - helps the woman - she remains nourished and completely safe.

In other words: we do not have to "sit this out" and hope for a best possible outcome and swift ending - we can know that it is not real, never was; not to Christian Scientists and therefore not to ANYBODY - it can stop right now. Let us, in words ascribed to Mary Baker Eddy:
1. recognize what animal magnetism is trying to do;
2. know that it cannot do it;
3. SEE TO IT THAT IT IS NOT DONE.

Love you all!

Betsy R Ray

3/16/2020 10:26:22 pm

Thank you, Beatrix for your blog post. Such a lovely explanation of the Amnon-Tamar story. That story deeply troubled me as it seemed that from the story of King David and Bathsheba 'till the present, society (in a variety of cultures) has placed women in some sort of victim role. Your enlightening words have helped me wipe away the victim and replace it with Truth, Innocence. The virus lie cannot wipe out Truth, can it!
Let's keep knowing the Truth in prayer and listening further.
Betsy Ray

Tonia Benoist

3/19/2020 06:59:42 am

Thank you, Beatrix, for this contribution. You put such thoughtful consideration and study into the spiritual aspect. I love that! Honestly, I was a bit shocked when I first read this Bible story. In fact, I don’t remember ever knowing of it before, so I decided to read the whole story in order to understand its context in the scheme of things during that time, and to find in it a higher spiritual sense. Here's some ideas that have come to me.

First, as immoral as Amnon’s act was, the story seems to imply that, since Tamar was Amnon’s half-sister, his act might have been considered a bit more ‘secretly’ tolerable back then than it would have been with a full-sister. I mean, in the verse where Tamar is pleading with him not to do this, she also suggested he go speak with the king because he might even consent to give her to him in that way. But, obviously, Amnon chose not to do this. Then came the shame—both his and hers.

I read an article called "Looking Backward" from 1902 where the author states, “The idea that good and evil are necessary foils to each other, that it is impossible for good to be truly known save as the antipode of evil,—this is one of the earliest and subtlest of the serpent's deceptions. It has furnished a universal palliation for a universal offence, and is an important factor in the premises of all human philosophy.”

Of course, I had to look up the definition of ‘palliate.’ It means, “to cause (an offence) to seem less serious by concealing evidence; extenuate.” Then I looked up ‘extenuate’ and found this: “To lessen or appear to lessen the seriousness or extent of (an offense, for example), especially by providing partial excuses.”

The correlative citations to this story are, also, so relevant. “Matter, which takes divine power into its own hands and claims to be a creator, is a fiction, in which paganism and lust are so sanctioned by society that mankind has caught their moral contagion." Science and Health states, that “the breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears.”
“
Love will finally mark the hour of harmony, and spiritualization will follow, for Love is Spirit. Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding.”

Lindsey Roder

3/19/2020 07:08:08 am

Beatrix and Tonia,
Thank you for the deep insight on last week’s lesson. You are right, good does not need an antonym to express it’s full potential, intelligence, and presence. Neither do we! Lots of love to you both!

Carrie Kay

3/19/2020 09:35:07 pm

Wow, this is such an inspiring exposition on that story from the Bible lesson. I don't recall ever seeing that story in the Lesson before. At first, it seemed cringe worthy to me but your unfoldment lifts it into an entirely new realm for me. Thank you for sharing this. I'm going to be pondering this for awhile because it shows that no matter how off-putting something seems, it doesn't make it "real" or formidable to rise above.

Mark Swinney

3/16/2020 08:15:18 pm

As I listen in prayer, I am seeing and understanding Mind's authority much more. In light of Mind's utter authority, the lie that evil can move contagiously from spiritual idea to spiritual idea, is exposed as completely groundless, even laughable. Mrs. Eddy says on page 171 of Science and Heath, "Mind's control over the universe, including man, is no longer an open question, but is demonstrable Science."

Mark Strickland

3/17/2020 11:52:31 am

Cherishing this idea of Mind's complete authority ... as the Father is the One author... as Mrs. Eddy says " Those instructed in Christian Science have reached the glorious perception that God is the only author of man". So, there is one voice and one power that is ever-present Love...the only voice we can hear is the Father sharing the truth that heals, the truth that reveals "as in heaven so on earth God is omnipotent supreme".

~marilyn z

5/22/2022 06:42:22 pm

Just as a point of interest to show how right ideas were trying to break through all during our human history, there is this.

This was written about and by Paracelsus in the early 1500s regarding contagion and the various plagues running across Europe.

"He argued that "imagination" was a more plausible culprit than God or the devil. The imagination, Paracelsus said, "doth not onely fly out of one house into another… but also most swiftly passeth from one City and Country into another, so that by the imagination onely of one person, the Pestilence may come into some whole City or Country." "

Can't wait to see you all in August.
*

Marilyn Zavitz

3/16/2020 08:32:39 pm

Thank you Mark for such a wonderful opportunity to share our insights, work and understanding at this time.
Today I have been trying to see each person I encounter or read about as God's perfect child, whole, free, loving and giving - and not the vulnerable or ill, greedy or scheming, personifications being put forth by the constant barrage of news.
It is a constant prayer to keep reversing the predictions and authoritative statements of the "experts".
Expect only good, and know your expectations will be met.

Mary

3/16/2020 08:43:49 pm

Like others, I’ve been inspired by a hymn - #148:

In heavenly Love abiding, no change my heart shall fear,
And safe is such confiding for nothing changes here.

The lesson on Substance reminds us that Spirit, not matter, is all that holds reality. Spirit does not and has not changed. As we see Spirit truly, we can have no fear.

Diane

3/16/2020 09:28:19 pm

Simply put, from Psalm 91: "...there shall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."
The use of 'thee' is the plural 'you' or universal 'you', including everyone in the world. Our Life is not touched by evil, only by Love, wherein we always dwell.

Lisa Winn

3/16/2020 10:01:36 pm

I had a wonderful thing happen last week. I am currently the 1st reader of my branch church. Last week’s Wednesday readings tackled fear and mesmerism. The next day a gal in my neighborhood saw me out walking my dog and came out to talk to me. She asked for my opinion on the virus issue. Since I had been so “prayed and prepared” from the previous evening’s readings, I was more than ready to provide an answer. I explained that what is happening is pure and simple mesmerism. And, I told her that mesmerism can have no effect on any of us. I shared with her the analogy I heard in class about playing baseball at 3rd base and the batter hit a pop up. If we listen to the crowd telling us to drop the ball, we will drop it. But if we shut out those yells and focus only on the ball we will catch it. She understood the analogy. I asked her if she wanted a copy of my readings from the previous night and she happily said yes. She sent me an email a couple of days later saying she felt so much better because now she understood better how to combat mesmerism and she lost her fear of all that yelling going on.

Carrie K

3/20/2020 05:48:30 pm

Wow, I love that analogy!

I remember years ago an experience I had while out walking my dogs. I was on the street in our neighborhood with my two little dogs and the neighbor's dog from across the street came bounding over to us. She was a huge dog, and I had never had any encounter with her before. I didn't know what she wanted but I patted her on the head and said something along the lines of, "hi, doggie ... what do you want today?" Then I happened to glance down and I saw a messy wrapping of duct tape around her foot. INSTANTLY, the thought came to me: "material beliefs cannot interfere with spiritual facts" (S&H 402:12) ... and I was TOTALLY at peace and even joyous. I patted her on the head and said, "okay, you can go home now" and she bounded off back to her house across the street. I had NO IDEA why that tape was around her foot; I thought maybe she had been playing with something she shouldn't have and accidentally got that tape wrapped around her foot. A FEW DAYS LATER, her owner -- an airline pilot that I frequently conversed with -- called me over to him and said, 'You will never believe what happened to our dog. She had a huge gash in her front paw and we had wrapped tape around it until we could get to a vet and when we took her to the vet, there was NOTHING ...not even a mark or blood or anything on her foot. The vet didn't believe there had ever been anything wrong with her." I silently thanked God for showing me that "thou has been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many." I didn't need to say anything to my neighbor -- I knew to let God show it to him. And that's what I did.

Patti F

3/21/2020 05:12:24 pm

That's beautiful Carrie. Thank you for treating that sweet dog and sharing your experience here with us.

Diane

3/24/2020 08:59:11 am

That is so wonderful, Lisa, that you could share that insight with your neighbor and give her the Truth to help rid her of her fears!

samuela orth-Moore

3/17/2020 05:40:05 am

It seems that a root of the widespread panic is fear of there being no known medical "antidote" for the virus. I love this citation from last week's lesson which addresses that fear so perfectly.....

"God never ordained a material law to annul the spiritual law. ...

Science shows that material, conflicting mortal opinions and beliefs emit the effects of error at all times, but this atmosphere of mortal mind cannot be destructive to morals and health when it is opposed promptly and persistently by Christian Science. Truth and Love antidote this mental miasma, and thus invigorate and sustain existence."
(SH 273:21–22, 29–3)

miasma: (definition) an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere which surrounds or emanates from something. (Miasma is from a Greek word meaning to pollute or defile)

What then is the 'antidote' ( 'a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison' ) to mental miasma? "Truth and Love" are the antidote and they invigorate and sustain existence.

I pray the world takes in the big doses of "Truth and Love" that God is showering upon us moment-by-moment.

"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."
(Mal. 3:10)

Neil Kearney link

3/24/2020 07:44:32 pm

Thank you Samuela. On page 255 of SH Mrs. Eddy states ""Let there be light," is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres." I had been contemplating this sentence when I read your contribution.

Truth and Love are in fact the antidote! Showering the "light" of Truth onto fear which has suddenly found a worldwide voice. The "light" of Love into thoughts and actions which spread goodness and gratitude.

Valerie Spenard

3/17/2020 08:00:57 am

Thank you everyone for these beautiful uplifting thoughts.
They are so inspiring, I feel compelled to share.

When the false suggestions of fear and error seem to be knocking at the door of thought, remember Christ is the door and guards and guides our consciousness.

Every good thought, desire, and prayer includes in it all the power of infinite Truth. God, Mind and idea are One ever present unfoldment of omnipotent Love. We dwell in a spiritual universe of well being and heavenly bliss... and harmony is the law.

Beatrix Incde

3/18/2020 08:42:42 am

What a wonderful thought, Christ being the door of our consciousness. I recently saw a video explaining that in Bible times, the shepherd(s) would bring their sheep into a safe place, for example a cave, and would install a stone wall along the cave mouth, leaving only a narrow entrance. In this entrance, the shepherds would spend the night. So, indeed, the shepherds were the actual "door" through which anything would have had to go, to get in or out. And Christ would certainly not let anything harmful in!

Moira Doyle

3/17/2020 08:44:29 am

Someone at our church book group, where the book we’re reading is the Bible, specifically Psalms this month, suggested we all write a Psalm. I realized how grateful I have to be, and how much I have to lift my thought to be able to do this. I think it’s a great project.

Dwight Henneberger

3/17/2020 08:53:45 am

That we should take command of the situation, govern our own thought and "understand that mortal existence is a state of self-deception and not the truth of being" has been important to me in seeing where I allow my thoughts to be led. No man can serve two masters, and we are sometimes led to believe that darkness is as real as light, but Science clears this up. Through right thoughts we are given the strength and freedom to do good, - to protect ourselves and to help others. Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf, and these thoughts have authority and power.

Kathryn Goodnow

3/17/2020 11:33:23 am

A little nugget: Recently, I was working with a practitioner on feeling sluggish due to a physical condition. When the practitioner told me, "I can see why you would feel that way if you thought something had been taken from you" - the mesmerism broke.

In that moment it became so clear that health isn't something that can be taken from me/man. Health is a quality of God that we naturally reflect.

Jeffrey Lang

3/17/2020 08:44:33 pm

Thank you Kathryn - that is a HUGE nugget, I love it! - Jeffrey

Marcia

3/17/2020 05:32:03 pm

Several folks from my church have found this Christian Science Sentinel article useful. Note that it was published in the Weatherford Texas News in 1899. It's suggestions are so helpful and appropriate. https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1899/3/1-29/cure-for-epidemics

Heather K. Libbe

3/17/2020 06:48:59 pm

This morning, in working with Mary Baker Eddy's article "Ways That Are Vain," [see Miscellany pg 211-213] it came to me very clearly that man's identity, as an emanation of divine Soul, is untouched, eternal, forever permanent and that, as a unique idea in the mind of God, divine Spirit, man cannot lose his individuality, nor be made to identify with amorphous disease.

Kate Davidenko

3/18/2020 06:55:30 am

Mrs.Mary Baker Eddy says : "Man is the idea of Spirit; he reflects the beatific presence, illuming the universe with light. Man is deathless , spiritual. "Lets illuminate the universe with light!

Cher Loskota

3/18/2020 08:03:29 am

I am always humbled in knowing that so many are collectively praying worldwide. We are all recognizing and affirming the allness of God, good. In this weeks lesson, it says "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God. I know not any."
So, to me that means there is nothing that is more powerful than God. No virus, no media report, no contagion can ever take hold over God's love and protection for us all. In S&H, page 473:8 it says" God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power". My Mom used to tell me that "nothing is contagious but good"...I've effectively used that simple statement my entire life, you can too.

Kim Pollard link

3/18/2020 09:22:35 am

Last week, as I prayed, I was lead to look up the meaning of the word Sabbath. I came upon this website written by Messianic Jews : /www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Sabbath.html#.XnJHTG5Fw5s

After reading much, the definition below really struck me as it links to the statement in the Bible, II Corinthians 10:5 , "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ." It helped me to see that the power of Truth, and it's manifestations are governed and held in absolute obedience to divine law-- so that nothing can be put to it nor anything taken from it.

Verb שבה (shaba) means to take captive, or to put a halt to someone's preferred trajectory and coerce them to go somewhere else. Nouns שבי (shebi) and שביה (shibya) mean captivity or captives collectively, but with the emphasis on being moved somewhere rather than the static condition of being imprisoned. Likewise, the noun שביה (shebiya) means captive. Noun שבית (shebit) or שבות (shebut) means captivity but since the parent verb speaks of a sudden change of destiny rather than a particular destination, this noun may also be used to mean restoration. The noun שבו (shebo) describes some sort of gem, apparently a real "head-turner."

Hilary Palanza

3/18/2020 07:26:40 pm

Thank you, Kim! This very same quote care to me this week too. Grateful for one Mind, speaking to all of us.

Lindsey A. Roder link

3/18/2020 07:05:15 pm

As we pray for the world, I am inspired by this wise counsel from Mrs. Eddy in Science & Health.

“If you launch your bark upon the ever-agitated but healthful waters of truth, you will encounter storms. Your good will be evil spoken of. This is the cross. Take it up and bear it, for through it you win and wear the crown.”
(SH 254:27–31)

One message from God that I received several months ago, has been a comfort to me recently:
“You are a child of God” is the calm in any storm.

I’ve found a lot of inspiration in these verses from Genesis.

God made man in His image and likeness.
God gave man dominion over all things.
God blessed man and told them to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Replenish: to fill with inspiration or power; to nourish; to supply fully: PERFECT; to fill up full.

Fruitful: abundantly productive; conducive to yielding

A question to ponder: What does it mean to be the full reflection of God?

Some inspiration on the meaning of FULLNESS: complete, especially in detail, number, duration; having all distinguishing characteristics; enjoying all authorized rights and privileges; not lacking in any essential: PERFECT; being at the highest or greatest degree; being at the height of development: FULL BLOOM; being a full moon COMPLETELY ILLUMINATED; having abundance; rich in experience, a full life; SATISFIED; having both parents in common (full siblings) THE SAME FATHER-MOTHER; having depth of sound – full tones; completely occupied with thought or plan (God’s thoughts, Mind’s intelligent design); possessing a rich or pronounced quality.

My spiritual reasoning from this inspiration is that God is an intelligent, creative power that illuminates, inspires, and fills everything with goodness. Everything God has made is creative, productive, abundant, and completely illuminated with His intelligence and power. God is a CREATOR, and He gave His offspring dominion over all creation.

DOMINION; sovereignty; law; supreme authority; self-government;
DAUNTLESS: incapable of being intimidated or subdued, fearless, unbroken, untamed (wild and free, not tamed by fear), undiscouraged, courageously resolute.

"Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way."

Much love to you all. So grateful for this awesome blog.

Lindsey A. Roder

3/18/2020 07:25:29 pm

Continuing our definition of man, let us remember that harmonious and immortal man has existed forever, and is always beyond and above the mortal illusion of any life, substance, and intelligence as existent in matter. This statement is based on fact, not fable. The Science of being reveals man as perfect, even as the Father is perfect, because the Soul, or Mind, of the spiritual man is God, the divine Principle of all being, and because this real man is governed by Soul instead of sense, by the law of Spirit, not by the so-called laws of matter.

God is Love.
(SH 302:14–25)

Sharon McElroy

3/18/2020 07:44:06 pm

In listening for what's real, this occurred to me - we can't be the light of the world, as Jesus said we are, as well as a giver or receiver of darkness, sickness, or evil of any sort. What is the darkness to the light? Nothing.

As the light of the world, we can only give and receive light. Jesus said ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. In the same way, we shall know the light, and the light shall make us free.

... “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32

Lindsey A. Roder

3/18/2020 08:16:08 pm

Christ Jesus said, The world can't see the spirit of Truth, the Christ, the divine nature of all, but you know it because it is in you.
(John 14:17)

Therefore, what you perceive is a world of matter isn't in you.

Dianne

3/19/2020 07:30:40 am

A clear thought came to me:. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". I have always thought of the Beatitudes as statements of man's perfection . I have been working with "pure' and looked up all the hymns with pure'.
Hymn 36:. Thy words, amid the words of earth, how noiseless and how pure; Amid the hurrying crowds of time, Thy step how calm and sure.

Hymn 513 MBE Satisfied. Pure peace is thine.
The music is Mkhaya. Which means home.

Hymn 40. Earth has no sorrow that Love cannot cure

Thank you all for your inspiration

Tressie

3/19/2020 07:49:44 am

I woke up today thinking that we have to be very careful not to be so focused on healing this virus that we're too focused on this virus. I'm thinking we need to take that Great Red Dragon and turn it to a tiny baby lizard. Then know that even talking tiny baby lizards do not exist...because God never made them.

Mary jo milner

3/19/2020 08:19:05 am

“God is All-in-all. Hence He is in Himself only, in His own nature and character, and is perfect being, or consciousness. He is all the Life and Mind there is or can be. Within Himself is every embodiment of Life and Mind.
If He is All, He can have no consciousness of anything unlike Himself; because, if He is omnipresent, there can be nothing outside of Himself. Unity of Good.
Thou shalt have no other presence beside me.
From Assn Address:
Quote today: “error, when found out, is two-thirds destroyed, and the remaining third kills itself”,quoted in area of your assn on animal magnetism, pointed out
to me tonight “watch that these particular trends of thinking don’t remain hidden: mental pictures of suffering, feelings of being separate from God, or debilitating, materialistic words and phrases that repeat in thought. Expose them simply as suggestions coming to you for life. Refuse them life by embracing in their place the angel-messages os Spirit. Ask God what to think instead. Then let what God gives you become wholeheartedly what you see, feel, and think—what you embody,”

Cynthia Gibbons

3/19/2020 10:42:03 am

recently two people I have known for sometime told me that they attended Christian Science Sunday school as children...this came up because I mentioned our lecture...I have started to openly talk about Christian Science.
My nieces and nephews were raised in Science but have since gone elsewhere. I sent all 7 people the hymn by Francis a Fox..#154-156. " No anxious thought, no load of care.
I had expected a nice thank you but I received a tremendous thank you. The hymn meant a lot to all f them
So, reaching out has good results

Katharina Helmick

3/19/2020 10:47:30 am

For me, the two wings of eagles, given the woman in Revelation with which she did fly into the Wilderness, are the Bible and Science & Health plus Mrs. Eddy's writings, and then been continuously nourished by those coming via TMC/CSPS, like this blog. "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished..." (Rev. 12:14) Woman being all of us, to fly. Need those wings and nourishment.

Tonia Benoist

3/19/2020 01:30:57 pm

A while back, I was working on something and this verse in the Bible became clearer to me. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37) At that moment I understood that commandment to mean, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God [True Consciousness] with [which is] all thy heart, and with [which is] all thy soul, and with [which is] all thy mind.

Understanding it in this way, I could see that the I AM THAT I AM is the oneness of God and man. Therefore, I am Principle AND Idea. And this at-one-ment with divine Consciousness demonstrates all the authority there is, or need be, to eliminate anything unlike Itself.

Further on in my studying I read an article somewhere about this statement of Mrs. Eddy’s: “Knowing that Soul and its attributes were forever manifested through man, the Master healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, feet to the lame, thus bringing to light the scientific action of the divine Mind on human minds and bodies and giving a better understanding of Soul and salvation. (Science and Health, p. 210:11)

The article explained that she didn’t just say its attributes were forever manifested, but Soul AND its attributes. Again, individual man is the manifestation of Soul AND its attributes.

Beatrix Ince

3/19/2020 04:08:32 pm

I love that idea, "with [which is]"! Thank you very much for that.

Betsy R Ray

3/19/2020 07:03:07 pm

Besides promises instead of demands, (as in the promise: Thou shalt have no other Gods before me because there IS no other God) you present another way to read Moses' decalogue - another point of view! thanks. ~ I am also working with the idea of HOME, consciousness, being always calm, loving, peaceful and giving comfort as more folks stay home. Blessings are where we find them and are thankful for them.

Kim POllard link

3/19/2020 07:27:38 pm

Hey Tonia!! Here is proof positive that there is one Mind. I received the same message about the I AM, but my interpretation went something like this: I-- -me; all the Truth of Being; manifested qualities.
AM- belonging always; having being; having the ability to perform qualities; having the knowledge, wisdom and understanding to correctly govern.
I AM= Manifested Eternity

Jeffrey Lang

3/20/2020 08:39:42 pm

Tonia - I have included Matthew 22:37-40 in my daily work for some time now and absolutely love working with it. After reading your interpretation it is as if I have been reading it by candlelight and you just turned the lights in the room on and it is infinitely clearer, I sincerely thank you for sharing, I will love working with it even more going forward! - Jeffrey

Tonia Benoist

3/21/2020 06:43:59 am

Jeffrey, I’m delighted that this spiritual idea is beneficial to you. You know, after understanding the verse in this way, I often substitute the words ‘True Consciousness’ for ‘the Lord thy God’ when I read it. I have even taken this idea and applied it to other verses where I felt it increased my understanding.

For instance, when praying to heal an unpleasant situation with a few neighbors, the definition of ‘man’ in the chapter Recapitulation became very applicable. Mrs. Eddy says that man “... is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; the generic term for all that reflects God's image and likeness; the conscious identity of being as found in Science, in which man is the reflection of God, or Mind, and therefore is eternal; that which has no separate mind from God; ...”

So, man, being the highest idea of God, ‘the generic term (which can mean universal) of man, which ‘has no separate mind from God,’ must, of necessity, include my neighbor.

Then, the second commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour [which is included] as thyself [the conscious identity of God, divine Mind, including ALL right ideas]”.

Robert Dowcett

3/19/2020 01:36:22 pm

We've all been bombarded with news about a virus and its effect on our local communities and the world. Clearly we have all faced a steady flow of email from our employers, businesses and other organizations. Concerned about whether you can do anything about it ? Well I found that each of us can, in our own experience.

I serve on the Board of my neighborhood Homeowner’s Association, and we had an important Annual Meeting for residents coming up. Due to local guidelines from city and state officials on gatherings held over a certain number of people, we were required to postpone this meeting for the time being. We needed to alert the homeowners.

A note was drafted explaining this meeting change, along with its reasons. When the note came to the rest of the Board for review, it was more a sensational, fearful description of the virus and its spread than it was a short notification of change. It didn't seem this was the time for us, as the Board, to pile on further to the public's fear and
concerns. I felt we needed to be a thoughtful, calming influence in our communication to homeowners.

This week’s lesson includes from the Bible, “Fear ye not, neither be afraid……Is their a God beside me; yeah there is no God..” And in Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy advises: "The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lesson evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome them by understanding their nothingness and the allness of God, or good." (S&H 450).

As I prayed with these messages, I was able to submit a shorter, more gentle reply to lessen the hysteria, while also being considerate of the concerns of our residents. My revised notification was agreed on by the Board, and soon went out to homeowners.

This might seem like a small step within a larger challenge, but isn’t that how we face each suggestion that
comes to us? Let's grab every opportunity to be a calming influence in our respective communities. That will be a true healing presence

Tonia Benoist

3/19/2020 08:58:30 pm

The latest bit of news tonight is that after weeks of hard work and research, scientists may have come across a ‘new-old’ drug which appears to alleviate the symptoms of this virus. I call it ‘new-old’ because it’s actually just a new use for something that has been around for 70 years. I mention this only because I was struck by the fact that the remedy was always at hand, it needed only to be recognized for its application to the current problem.

Now I’m not singing praises for medicine, but I did find this ‘discovery’ similar in notion to how I’d been praying. By that I mean, while listening in prayer to how best I might reject in my thought the belief of disease, I ended up finding that the answer had been there all along--Mind is the only medicine. Mrs. Eddy says “... that faith in rules of health or in drugs begets and fosters disease” and “the faith reposed in these things should find stronger supports and a higher home." (S&H 169)

Joe Gariano

3/20/2020 08:22:23 am

As I was praying this morning, after a somewhat sleepless night filled with concerned thoughts about the world situation, the following quote from Paul came to me: "man's extremity is God's opportunity." It made me think about what my concerns were a few weeks ago -- relatively unimportant things that probably wouldn't be consuming the mental cycles of a dedicated Christian healer. Whereas the current global troubles are forcing me to apply my healing practice to world, and thereby forcing out those previous lesser concerns. It's also making me grateful for small things that for some time I've overlooked, but now seem to stand out in stark contrast.

If this type of resetting of priorities is happening in me, perhaps it's happening in the world at large, too. Wouldn't that be a blessing!

Marilyn Zavitz

3/20/2020 11:52:44 am

One of the thoughts that came to me last week that involved priorities was how Mrs Eddy talked about care in action and practical love and I was led to make a FaceBook page for our condo street. Neighbours are a mix of downsizing seniors and first-time buyer young families and it may be hard for some of those to get to a grocery store or do other necessary errands, so we could sign up to do those for each other if needed.
I think that our neighbours' fears can be mitigated a great deal by knowing that someone will step in if needed and we can demonstrate practical Christian Love by doing so.

Tonia Benoist

3/20/2020 04:55:33 pm

Here is a story I received from a friend. It was written by Martha Wilcox.

"Let us assume that there is a stick over there in the
corner, and because of dim light, I think I see the stick
move, and I think it is a snake. My belief that there is a
snake in the corner does not objectify a snake. I cannot
extricate a snake from a stick. Just because I believe a
thing, my belief does not objectify the thing. Let us never
get away from the fact that reality and its manifestation
exists eternally, and my belief never is a created or objectified
thing.

There is no snake present anywhere. All there is to the
snake is an unreal, misleading image, presented to the
vision. Why is it, that this illusion can present itself to me?
It is because of ignorance of the Truth. If I know that the
stick was not a snake, I could not see the image of a snake,
neither could I be under the influence of a false impression.

Then the mind I now have, did not make the image of
the snake. The image of the snake was the result of ignorance
and false conclusions.

In the same way, my mind does not make a shadow.
Try as you may, the mind you now have cannot form a
shadow. You may see or feel a shadow of a tree, but for your
mind to make one is impossible. If I could only get some
students, who always think their troubles are not in the
body but in their minds, to see this.

Carrie K

3/20/2020 06:03:26 pm

I LOVE this!!! I have never seen it before, BUT it reminded me of something a CS Practitioner gave me many years ago, and it was said to be authored by Martha Wilcox that has been a beacon light of inspiration to me about how to pray in Christian Science.

HERE IT IS BELOW

REMINISCENCE -
by Martha Wilcox

I well remember when for the first time I understood that all things of which I am conscious are thought—never external to nor separate from what I call my mind, and that what I call my mind is not always seeing things as they actually are.

Once, while I was at Mrs. Eddy’s, one of her beautiful horses was in a serious claim. This was reported to her and in substance she said: “What the horse is to you is not actually the way that idea is.”

Mrs. Eddy showed us that the so-called human mind holds within itself its own self-made concept of horse, and attached to
the concept horse, its own qualities of being: sick or well. She also showed us that this one so-called mortal mind gives to each of us its own and the same concept of horse. She then showed us that this beautiful horse, which we all so much
admired, was wholly within the realm of consciousness as image or idea.

She showed us that the Divine Mind was the only power which can formulate an idea, and that the Divine Mind was the substance and character of every particular idea, and that the Divine Mind was all there was to what the human mind called a horse. She showed us that we did not have to heal a horse, but that we did need to restore our vision from that which was untrue to that which was true in the realm of consciousness.

The work was not to be done on the horse — the only horse there was, was already perfect — and she showed us that the true idea of horse was the one and same horse in each individual consciousness.

We thoroughly understood that the Divine Mind was the I or Ego present that we were calling the personal I; and this Divine Mind, present, was conscious of and was seeing, its own concept or idea of horse. The horse did not need healing; Mrs. Eddy only restored our vision to the truth or fact that the only
Mind present was aware of its own perfection, and with the restoration of our vision from that of belief to truth the horse appeared to us as it always had been.

This was my first clear apprehension of the fact that a Christian Scientist has nothing to do with effects. If a Christian Scientist has the Divine Mind present as the only Mind, this Mind itself sees and is aware of its own identity or effects. I understood for the first time that if I allowed the so-called human mind to have place, then the human mind would see its own imperfect concept — a sick horse needing healing. I understood the necessity of realizing and maintaining the FACT of the presence of the Divine Mind only.

###

"The work was NOT to be done on the horse" .... that idea has stuck with me for many, MANY years! The "work" is never about the so-called "object" ... it's a matter of CLAIMING the Mind of God as the ONLY MIND PRESENT. Wow, this is so uplifting to me even today when I ponder it and think it through!

Tonia Benoist

3/20/2020 07:22:09 pm

I've read this one, too. In fact, I've read it many times. Her reminiscences during that time are packed full of ideas that give me plenty to work with and to understand more fully.
idea for me that I take from it is where she states:

"We also thoroughly understood that the Divine Mind was the I, or Ego, present, that we were calling the personal I, and this
Divine Mind, present, was conscious of and seeing its own
contents or idea, horse."

"Frequently Mrs. Eddy would say to some member of
her household, “Now remember what you are,” meaning
that if we, to ourselves, do seem to be human, we are
instead divine, even though seen “through a glass darkly.”
She meant that if we will dispose of the false sense about
ourselves, we leave present only noumenon and phenomena,
or God and man as one."

“You can never demonstrate spirituality until you declare yourself to be immortal,” etc. (My.242:3-7)

Vicki Shillington

3/21/2020 09:25:22 am

Deeply grateful for this post. "The work was NOT to be done on the horse - the ONLY horse there was, was ALREADY perfect - ...".

Carrie

3/21/2020 10:06:10 am

Yeah, and ....

".....and she (MBE) showed us that the TRUE idea of ...."

horse, world, body, supply, church, etc.

"....was the one and SAME in each individual consciousness."

###

EVERYTHING comes out from ONE idea of Mind.

Patti F

3/21/2020 05:46:46 pm

I'm loving this entire thread. Thank you both for sharing.

Carrie K

3/20/2020 07:41:55 pm

Tonia .... I just saw your lovely response but there isn't a "Reply" button on it to respond.

So I'll just do it here.

I love your exposition to Mrs. Eddy's statement: "Now, remember what you are...."

Along the same lines of these ideas by Mrs. Wilcox, I recall reading that one of Mrs. Eddy's students asked Mrs. Eddy how she healed a particular (seemingly serious) case and her response was to the best of my recollection: "I just know Love didn't look like that."

So simple and straight-forward. Mrs. Eddy was very clear that we were never to admit something about ourselves that wasn't the "likeness" of God and that it is not a personal ego thing, but to declare it like this: "Mind never forgets" and then know that we are the very image and likeness of that. I love that!

Tonia Benoist

3/20/2020 08:07:30 pm

Oh wow! I will start putting those ideas into practice immediately. Love them. Thank you for sharing that.

As for the 'exposition', that isn't mine. Apparently, I didn't make that too clear. It is a continuation of what M Wilcox was describing.

(As for the REPLY button. . . it seems posts can only indent two levels after the original post)

Tressie Armstrong

3/21/2020 07:23:55 am

Freedom
By not conforming "to this world"
But "transforming"
Our minds, thoughts, speech, actions
Rise above
Climb to the mountaintop
Stay out of squawkiing flocks of seagulls
And fly above all of it
On the wings of eagles
Why get caught up in fear-filled thinking?
Ask God what He thinks of all of this. Ask Love.
"Is it well with the child?"
"It is well."

MUCH Love to the whole world.

Vicki Shillington

3/21/2020 08:58:48 am

Mark, THANK YOU for setting up this blog of inspiration. The ideas shared have been on point and helped me gain a deeper insight.

I love how succinctly you described what is behind all fear: a FALSE belief that a lie is real and can act. It caused me to reflect deeply on why we pay attention to it if it’s so obviously false? Why does it sometimes FEEL so real? In Science and Health, page 460, it states “Sickness is neither imaginary nor unreal, - that is, to the frightened, false sense of the patient. Sickness is more than fancy; it is solid conviction. It is therefore to be dealt with through right apprehension of the truth of being.”

Sin is only a BELIEF in separation consciousness, believing we are separate from and not at one with God. Fear arises from this standpoint. That’s when thoughts start to creep in that are not from God. Especially those sneaky “what if” thoughts. Those are NOT from God. At the heart of any fear we have - fear of not being enough, not being good enough, fear of not fitting in, fear of being judged, fear of failure, any fear you can imagine even fear of success - is one root cause fear: “I can’t handle it”. However we CAN handle it as Gods perfect reflection. We are one with God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

I love in Science and Health on page 454 where it states “Remember that the letter and mental argument are only human auxiliaries to aid in bringing thought into accord with the spirit of Truth and Love, which heals the sick and sinner. A mental state of self-condemnation and guilt or a faltering and doubting trust in Truth are unsuitable conditions for healing the sick.”

And on page 458 “It is anything but scientifically Christian to think of aiding the divine Principle of healing or of trying to sustain the human body until the divine Mind is ready to take the case. Divinity is always ready.” I love that. God is ALWAYS ready.

On page 392, Mrs. Eddy counsels in Science and Health: "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results. you will control yourself harmoniously."

I love how this article tells us how to do this:

https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/41c1p30qvw

“In standing porter we welcome in the divine fact that our true self is the reflection or idea of divine Love or Mind, and hence perfect, immortal, pure, and good. We remember that Mind is the source of man's every action, and that immortal Love provides him with all that he needs, including integrity, courage, patience, unselfishness, compassion, alertness. When we see something of our true identity, we are entertaining angels or God's true thoughts, and as we live in accordance with His truths, we should expect them to be manifested in increased harmony in our daily life.

Those who "stand porter at the door of thought," admitting the good and rejecting the evil, are assured of a happier, healthier, more rewarding human experience. If you aren't doing this, try it!”

Tressie Armstrong

3/21/2020 09:44:42 am

It was helpful to re-read (more deeply) the trial at the end of Christian Science Practice (pgs. 430-442). Mankind is "not guilty."

Lindsey A. Roder

3/21/2020 10:39:41 am

I love this idea, and felt so much peace and love when I read it!

Patti F

3/21/2020 05:58:07 pm

I found thinking about the trial especially helpful in praying for healthcare workers who might seem to be vulnerable. The idea that man can be found "guilty of benevolence in the first degree' has seemed so laughable. I'm finding it helpful to affirm that the love that has led them to care for others is protecting them, not sentencing them to be punished.

Lindsey A. Roder

3/21/2020 10:38:17 am

I love the unfoldment of thought in this blog. It is so helpful!
Here's an excerpt from an article that I've been studying all week that is really inspirational and relates to our discussion of One Mind.

It is from The Glory of the Tomb
by LUCY HAYS REYNOLDS
From the April 1931 issue of The Christian Science Journal

https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1931/4/49-1/the-glory-of-the-tomb

"Has humanity ever been able to come forth from its mental tomb of erring belief through human endeavor alone? Had the Master attempted through human effort to roll away the stone from the door of the tomb, think you there would have been a resurrection morn? Yet, how difficult it is for human nature to surrender its own feeble efforts! It rushes forth to achieve with impulses all its own; and if for any reason its opportunities and faculties seem to be restricted, it believes all is hopeless.

But real Mind-faculties cannot be confined to human limits. Love cannot be sealed in by hatred. The activity of good can never cease. The fact that two times two is four is active everywhere. Just so is the spiritual idea of Life and Love unrestricted by the limits of human concepts. Hence, in times of mental gloom our work is not to beat vainly against fortuitous circumstances which seemingly restrict us, nor to wonder how we got into such situations and who is to blame; rather is it to reflect the light of divine Love which penetrates the rock of false material beliefs, causing them to crumble.

To depend upon the power of Mind alone in the would-be tomb of material sense is to reach the zenith of demonstration. When at the spiritual altitude of true goodness, we are at the point of marvelous achievement. In the stillness of prayer and aloneness of thought, new virtues unfold and the resources of righteousness are revealed. With the light of spiritual vision penetrating our thought, we peer beyond the confines of human belief into the range of man's infinite capacities. Then do hope and courage surge into our consciousness; spiritual faculties become clearer to us; we gather fresh energy, and discover the motive-power of Love with which to break through the barriers of material world-resistance. Animated with the qualities of Christliness, we are lifted into the conscious power of man's spiritual individuality. Reflecting this power, we step forth with such spiritualization of thought that gradually every obstruction to our progress is removed. The graveclothes of fear and despair, cold reason and intellectualism, are left behind, and we ascend into the freshness of inspiration and the joy of liberation."

Lindsey A. Roder

3/21/2020 10:56:56 am

And from Mary Baker Eddy,

"Humility is the stepping-stone to a higher recognition of Deity. The mounting sense gathers fresh forms and strange fire from the ashes of dissolving self, and drops the world. Meekness heightens immortal attributes only by removing the dust that dims them. Goodness reveals another scene and another self seemingly rolled up in shades, but brought to light by the evolutions of advancing thought, whereby we discern the power of Truth and Love to heal the sick."

(Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 1:15)

Patti F

3/21/2020 06:04:37 pm

That's so helpful Lindsey. Thank you for sharing that article.

Shelley Long

3/21/2020 11:10:30 am

Sick of the sickness? And tired of the news and celebrity of the illness? Our shared experience has seemingly been flooded or overwhelmed by this lie about what controls mankind. This message cannot pick up any more momentum or substance when we choose to side with truth. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” (Rev 19:6). Let us awake to and join our voices with this angelic chorus. Choose Life (God) not death. And eternal health and harmony will be demonstrated and welcomed!

Kim pollard link

3/26/2020 05:36:13 am

I just made a great post and it didn't go up. This is my test to see what I did wrong.

Lindsey A. Roder

3/21/2020 11:27:59 am

Excerpt from Do You Know Who You Are?

L. IVIMY GWALTER
From the January 1974 issue of The Christian Science Journal

https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/238igx7csps?s=e

A little boy was asked by a skeptical friend where God was. "Is He here?" asked the friend. "Oh, yes," was the instant reply. "Is He down the street?" "Oh, yes." "Is He off at the far end of town?" "Yes." "Well, if you were all by yourself on a desert island, with nobody else there, would God be there?" "Oh, yes," replied the little boy. "But how do you know?" To which came the quick response, "Because I'd be there, wouldn't I?"

What a wonderfully comforting thought, that we can never be anywhere where God is not! The very fact that we are there means that God is there, no matter what the circumstances or what the problem; and the fact that God is there means that we are really not in the erroneous situation, for no such situation is going on in the infinite omnipresence of God, good, who is all Life and Love. This is not mere words; it is truth to be pondered, accepted, and demonstrated. No erroneous condition exists in Him. Man is not a separate entity upon whom, through whom, or for whom God acts. God acts because He is omni-action, all the action there is. There is no action of God that is not harmonious, nothing that stagnates, slows down, or stops. And man, God's self-expression, manifests that action.”

Beatrix Ince

3/22/2020 07:06:19 pm

Thank you, Lindsey, I love this! Wherever we are (helping, comforting), God is. God is not there because we are, but because God is, we are there, expressing Him, all Love, all Live, all powerful!

Tonia Benoist

3/21/2020 12:24:13 pm

I, too, appreciate the way in which these conversations are unfolding. To me, even though we are at present a relatively small number of Christian Scientists sharing ideas, I know that Christian Scientists all over the planet are working and praying on their own.

It brings to thought something said by Mary Baker Eddy to one of her classes, (and I believe someone here has already posted it). “We, to-day, in this class-room, are enough to convert the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole world will feel the influence of this Mind; as when the earth was without form, and Mind spake and form appeared.” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 279:27) The whole world is already feeling “the influence of this Mind.”

I remember Mark say during class, essentially, that One with God is not only a majority, it is a monopoly. Divine Mind has exclusive control of man and the universe. I am convinced that there is no other presence anywhere.

It seems to me that, by definition, fear can never be present because it is always about something that may happen, or could take place, or as I read here in a post, a supposition of ‘what if’. FEAR, quite literally, does not exist NOW. “Now are we the sons of God.” There is no space or time in infinity or eternity. Omni-presence (all : in all ways, places, etc. : without limits) or God, Principle, divine Science, is the ALL and ONLY presence. There is no ambiguity in it. Principle and idea, God and man, Soul and body IS one. Isn't that just too cool!?!

Lindsey A Roder

3/21/2020 01:23:16 pm

Tonia-I just love what you wrote! As a little girl, I learned in Sunday School that FEAR is just
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

No reality in a lie!

Katharina Helmick

3/21/2020 06:33:15 pm

From the Mary Baker Eddy Library:
“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”
— Martin Luther
https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/webcast-singing-hymns-going/

This is the hymn, No. 554, that kept humming in my mind for days, after finding the text I know why:

One by one, pure thoughts and holy
Lift us out of self and sin;
One by one, bright gleams of glory
Show the goal we all will win.
One by one, our trusts are strengthened,
As our lives to God we give;
One by one, our days are lengthened,
While in Love we move and live.

One by one, our aims grow purer,
As our deeds reflect our God;
One by one, our path grows clearer,
Guided by Love's staff and rod.
One by one, our thoughts move forward
To the time by prophets told;
One by one, our lives move homeward
Singing of one Lord, one fold.

Then within Love's ever-presence
We shall live amid its light,
Knowing well that holy brilliance
Which is called the Infinite.
Know the glories of God's kingdom,
Hear the music Spirit sings,
Be at one with that great Wisdom
From which all creation springs.

Poem is based on Ps 23:4, John 10:16, Acts 17:28. It appeared in Jan 1902, CS Journal:
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
(Psalms 23:4)
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
(John 10:16)
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
(Acts 17:28)

And "Thank you" to all at TMC that worked on the silver hymnal

Diane

3/25/2020 08:05:54 am

That is a beautiful hymn. Thank you for reminding us. I shared it with my siblings, non of whom are CS. But it is so universal and gets to the point so well. I love how we are all sharing!

Carrie

3/21/2020 10:35:58 pm

Recently, Mark was featured in a Daily Lift where he expounded on the FACT that "evil isn't."

I was hugely inspired by Mark's reasoning along the lines that IF God truly is ALL, then evil can't possibly be real. Not only that, but if God is Alpha & Omega -- then evil can't even BEGIN ... much less continue or "really" end. And that in this omni-action of the ONLINESS of this fact, we are relieved and exempted from being fooled by another presence and power that "looks" like God's absence.

This Daily Lift led me to a few other articles in the periodicals that were also authored by Mark where he used a similar approach in his reasoning to show not only the unreality of something suggesting God's absence, but the impotence of any assertion trying to impose itself BETWEEN God and his creation, man.

(See "Injured Foot Healed" March 24, 2014 CSS)
("The Good Worth Holding Onto" - November 9, 2015 CSS)

There are so many helpful ideas in these articles!

To bring it all home to the prevailing world thought it's important to realize that there is no objective world "out there" with a menacing condition that needs healing. Jesus taught just the opposite: "Neither shall they say Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21 full context)

In the above-referenced articles, along with the Daily Lift, Mark proved with healing illustrations that the entire VERY REAL SEEMING conditions were NOT "realities" althoogh they momentarily seemed to be so. Why? because they weren't of God. He showed that by LOVING GOD more than fearing something opposite to the nature of God -- this brought complete release from the grip of what looked and felt so real, but WASN'T.

These inspiring examples, along with the accompanying sound reasoning that Mark described, have brought me tremendous confidence in the REALITY of the presence of God EXCLUSIVELY.

What we are called upon to do in these turbulent times is to immunize our THOUGHT from the contagion of fear and IGNORANCE of God that worldly thinking tries to impose. There is NO MIND apart from God, the textbook iterates over and over again. If that is truly true, and we know that it is, then our love of this truth will compel us to stick like velcro (as Mark describes it) to what we KNOW instead of what we SEE.

Earth is simply heaven misconceived and that is why Jesus could sleep on a small fishing boat in the midst of a storm. His Kingdom was within, and not without; but when brought to his attention, the storm held not even a possibility of reality and therefore had to disppear.

F = forgetting
E = everything
A = about
R = Reality

Beatrix Ince

3/22/2020 07:02:19 pm

With the constant stream of information on (social) media, full of rumors and speculations, these ideas spoke to me today:
"The transfer of the thoughts of one erring mind to another, Science renders impossible."
(SH 211:21)
"The intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man."
(SH 284:31–32)
"ANGELS. God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality."
(SH 581:4)
"Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness."
(SH 332:9–11)

~marilyn

3/22/2020 07:12:43 pm

Isaiah 26:20 English Standard Version

Come, my people (all of us), enter your (sacred Soul) chambers, and shut your doors (of false sense) behind you; hide yourselves (in Love) for a little while until the fury (of mortal mind) has passed by (into its native nothingness).

Hilary Palanza

3/22/2020 11:03:30 pm

Marilyn, I absolutely love this. Thank you! Love to you, dear.

Jeffrey Lang

3/22/2020 11:20:13 pm

Over the last few days I have been repeatedly led to work with the idea of unity or oneness. In doing so the phrases "divide and concur” and “united we stand, divided we fall” came to thought and I joyously realized they were referring to the insanity [extreme foolishness or irrationality] of the erroneous attempt at trying to make people believe they are all alone and helpless. In the case of this hypnotic world belief, the supposed solution (albeit a wolf in sheep's clothing) is to isolate people…followed by instilling fear through animal magnetism/morbid curiosity.

Exposing this attempt of mesmerism for what it is - insanity - followed by rejecting the beliefs that (i) anyone could ever be isolated or separated from God or (ii) that there could be any real power behind an attempt to isolate and instill fear, and replacing these lies with the truth about mankind’s eternal and unbreakable oneness with our omnipresent Father-Mother God, has for me resulted in an instant awareness of being completely surrounded by God’s Love. A thoroughly uplifting declaration, which I though worth sharing.

Recently I listened to - LOVE: "What a Word!” an article by L. Ivimy Gwalter - and several of the ideas contained therein are in line with refuting this suggestion, here are a couple:

“Love starts with One and expresses itself in one harmonious whole, one infinite, indivisible self-expression. In this One there is neither superiority nor inferiority; for Love reflects its own perfection and excellence in endless variety of form, outline, color. Thus it is that Christian Science, demonstrating Love as Principle, alone holds the answer to the world's problems.”

“In Science everything is one. The starting point is God, and God is One. Thus God expresses His own oneness, manifests His own perfection, constitutes His own infinite individuality, and identifies Himself in countless forms of beauty and goodness. Identity is the multiplicity of form by which the one Ego or infinite individuality identifies itself. Where Spirit forms, there is no deformity. Where Principle reigns, there is no inferiority.
All human problems, those of individuals, races, and nations, can only be solved from the basis of God as the starting point. These problems must be metaphysically solved. They have no physical solution.”

The full article can be found here: https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1956/4/74-4/love-what-a-word!

Thank you everyone for the contributions to this blog (I typically avoid social media but this has been a wonderful exception to say the least!), they have provided so many truths to work with and are a great illustration of mankind's unity and oneness!

Carrie Kay

3/23/2020 08:18:52 pm

Wow, Jeffrey ... I have to look up this article!

I love your ideas emphasizing ONE ... and I too avoid social media for the most part but this forum has been an exception.

For the past week I kept thinking of a fragment I read somewhere where Mrs. Eddy said that infinity isn't linear like our math system. So instead of thinking One, two, three, and so forth, think ONE once, ONE twice, ONE thrice, and so on.
That has revolutionized how I think of creation. It starts and STAYS always with ONEness multiplied. And Infinity never repeats itself, so nothing and no one is redundant.

BUT unless we replace objectivity with subjectivity, we are only tilting at windmills.

Patti F

3/23/2020 01:10:23 am

Here's a reassuring passage that came to me that I've been cherishing: "...founded upon the rock of Christ, when storm and tempest beat against this sure foundation, you, safely sheltered in the strong tower of hope, faith, and Love, are God's nestlings; and He will hide you in His feathers till the storm has passed."
(Mis. 152:22–26)

Right in the midst of this seeming storm, God is with us, sheltering us, protecting us, inspiring us.

Betsy R Ray

3/23/2020 07:36:26 am

Thanks Patti.
This passage concisely states God's Love for each of her "chicks" - and that includes you as well as others - and puts Psalm 91 in thought.

Tressie

3/23/2020 09:16:34 am

"...thou renewest the face of the earth." Today I want to look for ways that that is happening. Dolphins, for example, have returned to the canals of Venice, Italy, and the water is clear. Let's watch together how divine Love is "renewing" the earth.

Tressie

3/23/2020 12:53:37 pm

Update...
Someone pointed out elsewhere that this is not factual. Just to be open and honest. I DO still think that the earth is being renewed and will continue to look for where the cleansing is happening!

Lindsey A Roder

3/24/2020 05:48:36 am

Earth is the spiritual understanding of God appearing in your thought!

All the “glories of earth and heaven and man” is the same as all the glories of Life, Truth, and Love!

Betsy R Ray

3/23/2020 12:39:20 pm

Today I have embraced courage and persistence. Because of much prayer, I am seeing from a higher viewpoint. All around is not just sympathy, but acts of compassion, wonderful examples of love-in-action abound. The Bible story of the "Good Samaritan" is worth deeper study. (Luke 10:33)

Ashley Hingley

3/23/2020 01:34:24 pm

As I have been praying for the world these verses keep coming to me in thought....

Proverbs 18:10
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe."

Psalm 121:7-8
"The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Deuteronomy 33:12
" The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders."

As we model calm trust in Christ we are also called by our leader Mary Baker Eddy to stand porter of our thoughts.

"Beloved Christian Scientists keep your minds so filled with Truth, and love that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them." MBE

Amy Randles

3/23/2020 04:15:59 pm

It just came to me that the 2 + 2 = 4 proof is never in jeopardy of being eliminated. Its foundation is based on mathematic principles. It’s a fixed idea that comes from divine Principle, Mind. You can tell where I’m going with this. 😊 Just as this equation is always intact because of its source, we, too, are a proof of Principle, Mind. We are a fixed, immutable ideas and no lie can ever change that. We aren’t worried in the least when our little ones confuse 2 + 2 to equal 5. We quickly dismiss it for what it is. It has no power of it’s own to stand for anything. I’m going to stick with this simple equation as a reminder that an error in thought only needs correcting with Truth.

Tammi Brannan

3/23/2020 06:13:06 pm

Mortal mind is a toothless tiger 😏

Lindsey A. Roder

3/24/2020 05:27:35 am

I’m loving all of these beautiful expressions of God. Last night, I kept hearing the same phrase over and over when I was trying to fall asleep. At one point, I did fall asleep and started dreaming, and it woke me up! This time, I thought, this is definitely an angel message that I need to yield to! Instead of sleeping, I found myself thinking this line over and over all night long. I just held on to it until morning.

Here is the angel message that wouldn’t let go:

“goodness identifies man with universal good.”

It’s from this letter of gratitude written by Mary Baker Eddy:

As an active portion of one stupendous whole, goodness identifies man with universal good. Thus may each member of this church rise above the oft-repeated inquiry, What am I? to the scientific response: I am able to impart truth, health, and happiness, and this is my rock of salvation and my reason for existing.

Human reason becomes tired and calls for rest. It has a relapse into the common hope. Goodness and benevolence never tire. They maintain themselves and others and never stop from exhaustion. He who is afraid of being too generous has lost the power of being magnanimous. The best man or woman is the most unselfed.
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 165:16–28 (to 2nd .))

It’s a perfect prayer of confident trust for all the practitioners, pastors, health care workers, volunteers, and prayer warriors out there.

The universe, including man and woman, is purely good. Universal goodness! Nothing needs to be fixed, altered, changed, or healed. There is no sick man, no diseased manifestation of God. If each one of us sees only good today, we will demonstrate our universal goodness.

Betsy R Ray

3/24/2020 09:58:23 am

A volunteer called this morn asking Qs about preferences and will be by to deliver some groceries and supplies. My heart is full of gratitude for him and the others who are giving from love toward other parts of God's creation. Aren't we blessed to have this forum to express loving thanks! No act of love will go unrewarded. Let's keep praying to allay fear and to uplift. Acknowledgment of every act of unselfed love we see - and they abound - is our task and our privilige.

Thanks, Lindsey for your quoting this whole reference:

"Goodness and benevolence never tire. They maintain themselves and others and never stop from exhaustion. He who is afraid of being too generous has lost the power of being magnanimous. The best man or woman is the most unselfed."

Carolyn O

3/24/2020 06:49:46 am

We are about to go into lockdown here in South Africa. A church member shared this with me this morning L. O. C. K. D. O. W. N.

is a time to:

*L* - isten to God’s Voice and reflect. Let go & let God.

*O* - bey His Word and His Teachings.

*C* - all on the name of Christ Jesus and be calm.

*K* - now what is the purpose of all of this.

*D* -well in His presence.
Do not panic.

*O* - ffer a prayer for everyone’s safety.

*W* - ait and be patient.
This too, shall pass

*N* - urture our unbreakable relationship with Him.

God Bless Us All.

Mary Lerner

3/25/2020 07:26:04 am

Clever! Thanks!

Gene Policastri link

3/24/2020 07:24:32 am

I was inspired by the healing thoughts of Annie Buckley in the latest Sentinal when she says, “I lifted my thought to God for inspiration, and the idea I received was this: ‘Right now, in this very moment, regardless of what the material senses are saying, I am expressing Life, Truth, and Love, and nothing else.’ I understood this to be a truth I was to declare about myself. I held to this thought, mentally repeating the words in defiance of the seeming chaos, knowing that I could express only God and nothing else.” Internal Illness Healed, Annie Buckley, March 30, 2020 Sentinal.
Healings occur when our mind is brought into unison with the Divine Mind and we express all Truth and nothing but error. Mrs. Eddy puts it this way:
“Spirit, bearing opposite testimony, saith: I am Spirit. Man, whose senses are spiritual, is my likeness. He reflects the infinite understanding, for I am Infinity. The beauty of holiness, the perfection of being, imperishable glory, — all are Mine, for I am God. I give immortality to man, for I am Truth. I include and impart all bliss, for I am Love. I give life, without beginning and without end, for I am Life. I am supreme and give all, for I am Mind. I am the substance of all, because I AM THAT I AM.” Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 252:31–8. And further, “If sin, sickness, and death are as real as Life, Truth, and Love, then they must all be from the same source; God must be their author. Now Jesus came to destroy sin, sickness, and death; yet the Scriptures aver, “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Is it possible, then, to believe that the evils which Jesus lived to destroy are real or the offspring of the divine will?” Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 474:16. Logically we know that this cannot be so.
We must adopt the “I AM” attitude in our expression. We must eliminate all thoughts of error, or of mortal mind and replace those with the reminder that sin, disease and death are not “real” for if they were, then the expression of the Divine Mind through Life, Truth and Love would have no effect on them. Remember the words of the Master, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matthew 5:17; and “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.
On my way to the office this morning, an office that is mostly closed, I realized that I had been instinctively summoning all the Truth I know into my consciousness and I was so very grateful for my increased realization of oneness with the Divine Mind. At that very instant I was expressing all the Life, Truth and Love that there is and as the cherry blossom tree’s bloom came into full view this expression came to mind:
I AM
I AM Life
I AM Love
I AM Health
I AM Beauty
I AM Truth
I AM Wisdom
I AM come to fulfill the law of Life, Truth and Love – Perfect Life, Perfect Love and Perfect Substance
I AM a channel
I AM an expression of Divine Mind
As God’s perfect image I AM reflecting all that God made and it is Good and Very Good.

Carrie K

3/24/2020 09:12:29 am

I love your post!

Thank you for sharing this...so helpful.

Neil K

3/24/2020 08:26:52 pm

Gene, thank you for those affirmations of our identity. Starting last week, I have been especially noticing the words "nature" and "naturally". We are all the perfect reflection/emanation of God. And as God's loved child:
It is natural to be healthy
It is natural to be calm
It is natural to be a good neighbor
It is natural to be generous
It is natural to be joyful

It's more clear now that I AM is our nature.

Malcolm

3/24/2020 08:23:10 am

A Sentinel article by Jill Gooding contains this very helpful message:

"... a true willingness to let divine Mind express itself as our Life will lift us out of doubt, uncertainty, or fear of present or future events."

Carrie K

3/24/2020 09:14:11 am

Excellent point, so glad you shared.

Jan Borgstadt

3/24/2020 09:46:55 am

Yesterday, I stopped by our local mall. It was nearly empty and only a few people were visible where normally a couple hundred or more would be milling around. In an expanse of businesses gone dark, one shop - the pet store - caught my eye. It was light and open. In the front window, puppies were playing. They were tumbling around, nipping each other and having a jolly, carefree time. Seeing them evoked pure joy and a reminder that Life is being expressed all around us. Today, I'm looking for those quiet proofs of God's care everywhere I can.

Charlotte Cross

3/24/2020 11:20:53 am

Mrs. Eddy states on page 331 that God fills all space. That means that there can be no contagion.

Alex

3/24/2020 02:04:53 pm

In praying for the world recently I longed to see God's view instead of the disturbing news reports of the increasing spread of the virus.
Mrs. Eddy instructs us to find the counter fact in healing, so I prayed to know the reverse of this seeming spreading. Jesus' parable of the leaven came to thought. Just as leaven permeates the dough causing it to rise, so the truth of God's allness transforms our thought. As we fill consciousness with His truth this will surely spread through the world blessing all. The leaven of Love dispels fear - and each of the synonyms provides wonderful insights. So grateful for all the beautiful inspiration shared on this blog which surely has a powerful leavening effect on world thought.

Joe Gariano

3/24/2020 11:47:09 pm

I love that, thanks Alex.

Wendy Rankin

3/24/2020 02:43:21 pm

I've been thinking a lot lately about the words "Principle" and "witness". I love how these two words go hand-in-hand.

Principle denotes law, order, harmony, cause, strength and calm. It is immovable, unshakable law. It is God upholding, protecting, and embracing His own cherished creation and giving each of us the authority and ability to fulfill our one true job which is to bear witness to God's very being.

To bear witness to something is to give evidence of—to show proof of a truth or fact. So if we are the proof, the actual evidence of God, then it is impossible for us to bear witness to anything unlike our source of being. Or for us to accept anything else as fact. We can only ever attest the truth.

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he"
(Isaiah 43:10)

Hilary Palanza

3/25/2020 03:58:22 am

In the September 24, 1960 issue of the Sentinel, author Fenella V Farrar’s poem “Answer” includes the statement: “nearer than the air you breathe, God is to you.” I’m always grateful to be reminded of the fact that God is never ever, at all, even 1/100 of a millimeter away from us. Because we are, as Mark has so reminded us, the rays of sunshine that come from the sun, we can be reminded that God is “nearer than the air we breathe“, and with this, we can never be without Life’s perfect, consistent, healthful, “breath.”

I am so grateful to all of you for your consistent prayer and good work. Keep it up! Don’t “peek”, as my mom used to say. Let’s keep our eyes on God.

Mary Lerner

3/25/2020 07:24:19 am

I love that, Hilary, "don't peek"... If we keep our eyes on God, there's nothing else to see anyway. :) Thanks!

Mary Lerner link

3/25/2020 07:13:00 am

I love to think of the whole world and pray in singing. I love to pray with many lines in this song, especially: "Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if with His Love He befriend thee." (which He does :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEh7Vt9sxmc

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee!
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the amen sound from His people again;
Gladly forever adore Him.

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/25/2020 10:10:17 am

I love seeing your post, Mary. It not only inspires me to sing, but to finish my new poem on SINGING as well. Thank you for your powerful, and as always , pure healing words of Truth! Keep ' coming to glorify our only song. in PRAISING GOD in ALL THINGS GLORIOUSLY CONSTANT and ever filled with HIM.. Much Love, Merri

Jefffrey

3/25/2020 10:29:37 pm

A few citations really stood out today from this week's lesson:

Psalms 111:7
“The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments [: the act or power of commanding] are sure [admitting of no doubt: indisputable: bound, destined: bound to happen: inevitable: reliable: trustworthy].”
- The “works” of mortal mind's hands i.e. everything being reported about the current world belief, are lies, poor judgement, disputable, unreliable, and untrustworthy.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures page 275:17 (to ,)
“No wisdom is wise but His wisdom; no truth is true,”
- No human logic, human reasoning, or material explanation of anything has even an ounce of truth in it, unless it can be directly traced or attributed to Mind, God.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures page 207:30
“Spiritual facts are not inverted; the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real. The only evidence of this inversion is obtained from suppositional error, which affords no proof of God, Spirit, or of the spiritual creation.”
- A clear statement that isolation, “self”, inharmony, incurability, plague, etc. cannot have ever been or ever represent God or God's reflection - Man.

With this came a clearer understanding than before that healing is always looking away from matter to the Truth of being and annihilating any erroneous or sinful suggestions - disease, sickness, sin, grief, anger/hate, judgement, lust, envy, or even the slightest sympathy with error.

I was reminded of the origin of sin, which in both Hebrew and Greek, means “to miss the mark” and in both languages it is an archery term. That sin is merely a wrong belief, conclusion, action or answer that just needs to be corrected to “hit the mark” or correct one’s thought and experience.

Often this is be done by the persistent work of denying and replacing erroneous suggestions with the God-given reality of all things through deductive reasoning. Until the lies are no longer a possible reality in one’s atmosphere of thought. Denial is part, but not the sum of healing, constant replacement of sin or sickness with Truth brings change in one’s experience.

This enlightenment brought with it the feeling of "bring it on" to the following from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures - page 22:20 “Love is not hasty to deliver us from temptation, for Love means that we shall be tried and purified.”

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/26/2020 01:25:17 am

During a time in my life when things seemed not to be lining up with God ,and that feeling of hopelessness crept in, God gave me a poem to write which expressed my letting go of fear and walking in the Light of Divine Love. Since then I have written so many God inspired poems. The Christian Science Sentinel liked the poem I wrote and published it. Here it is, and as I read it again, I realize how God's total presence in my life lifted me past that doubt and fear I was having. into the steps in my life that led me out and up.. Those steps were... LETTING GOD DO THE WORK and giving it ALL to Him, Here is my poem " "Reverenced."
I wandered out in fields on starlit night,
clutching fear in tightly rounded fist,
thinking I;'d find peacefulness in flight,
and gice up fruitless effort to persist.

Crossing stubbled field, by need possessed,
with lighted snetinels etched across the sjy,
I slowed my pace, scooped stillness to my breast,
and stood there, Soul-filled, uttering no cry.

My heart voiced wordlessly a prayerful song, ,
While facing still, the row of blackened trees,
" Oh! Thank you for the place where I belong!"
I knew God's grace, and bowed to bowed to bended knees.

Then looking up, I saw His anwer bloom;;
There is no holding back Truth's Light above.
As radiance broke through the then all curtained gloom,,
I silently released all fears to Love.

Betsy R Ray

3/26/2020 12:13:12 pm

I love this poem. The vision evoked of scooping stillness up as I climb the ladder of gratitude fills me with confidence in Spirit knowing that I will awaken from this dream looking at fresh possibilities. I listen for your voice, love your ideas, God. Thanks Merrilyn

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/28/2020 09:37:12 am

Many thanks, Betsy for that beautiful visual you got of scooping the stillness to my breast----- your post inspires me to post another poem God gave me, so I shall. and love your replies as well and your prayerful work here.. leading me upward in consciousness of my True spiritual Being.. joyful, steadfast and on going in unfolding grace and perfection! MUCH LOVE, and gratitude ,Merri

Shirley Stewart

3/26/2020 06:11:53 am

“In atmosphere of Love divine, we live and move and breathe”

Susie West

3/26/2020 06:40:49 am

We reside in the kingdom of heaven and can never be outside of God’s care.

One of MBE definitions of heaven is the atmosphere of Soul which immediately came two thoughts -

In atmosphere of Love divine we live and move and breath.

Soul has infinite resources which which to bless mankind and happiness would be more readily attained if sought in Soul

Our residence (our consciousness) is harmonious, ruled by Spirit, governed by divine Principle, spiritual, blissful, encased in the atmosphere of Soul. That is permanent, unchanging.

Vicki Shillington

3/26/2020 07:34:46 am

Love reading this from Bill Gates, especially this lesson;

“It is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do.

Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another.”

Which of his messages resonates most with you? They’re all SO good!

https://artofquotation.wordpress.com/2020/03/23/bill-gates-the-corona-covid-19-virus-is-sent-to-remind-us-of-the-important-lessons-that-we-seem-to-have-forgotten-and-it-is-up-to-us-if-we-will-learn-them-or-not/

Jeffrey Lang

3/26/2020 09:22:38 am

I awoke this morning read something that was very disturbing first thing. The thought had come to me prior to not look at anything until after studying (putting my mental armor on) but I didn't listen...at first. After realizing I had allowed myself to be disturbed I stopped and corrected course by focusing on preparing thought for the day by doing mental work before getting busy with other tasks. In doing so fallacy of what I had allowed to disturb thought was dissolved by the realization of God's Love and total care for Man, that nothing could ever interfere with omnipotence. It reminded me of a story we learned in class instruction:

An Indian boy told his grandfather he thought of life as a dog fight between a good dog and a bad dog, grandpa asked who wins? The boy responded who I choose to feed.

Be alert to which dog you are feeding in your thought today!

Carrie K

3/26/2020 10:16:52 am

I really resonate with this!

I have found the same thing: "prepare thought before ANYTHING else."

Mark told us in an Association address: "Every morning, listen for that special message God has just for you" and I've often remembered it quite vividly when I've neglected to heed the wisdom of it.

Thanks for posting this. Been there, done that!

Mark Swinney

3/27/2020 07:26:46 am

In class, we learned to expose and denounce various phases of animal magnetism. Last week, I heard of a curious, yet entirely dubious, example of customary animal magnetism involving historical cycles purportedly supposed to bring suffering. It is the notion that worldwide pandemics come in cycles of one hundred years. In 1720, it was the bubonic plague, in 1820, cholera, in 1920, the Spanish flu, and, in 2020, the corona virus.

Historically, the dates associated with these illnesses, research shows, aren’t even close to accurate, but the point here is that, like the woman who superstitiously feared the east winds, (see S&H, pp. 184-185) people still may believe that evils must come in cycles. This baseless superstition should be seen as absurd and then discarded in the same waste bin as the suggestion of suffering customarily from east winds.

The basis of reality, Christian Science teaches, is that, supreme in all His action, God operates uninterruptedly as ruler over the entirety of existence. Why does God have such authority? Because God is the entirety of what is real and, as the creations – the spiritual ideas – of God, we benefit greatly thereby. Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health: “If thought is startled at the strong claim of Science for the supremacy of God, or Truth, and doubts the supremacy of good, ought we not, contrariwise, to be astounded at the vigorous claims of evil and doubt them, and no longer think it natural to love sin and unnatural to forsake it, – no longer imagine evil to be ever-present and good absent?” (p. 130).

Customary cycles of evil and disease always are conjectural, superstitious, and not concrete. Pronouncements of inevitable disease, sin, lack, injustice, and death are what some percentage of the world’s population may bow down to, and they invite everyone to join in to bow down and fear them, too. Knowing the supremacy of God, however, we could never be convinced to honor any powerless superstitions. “God never ordained a material law to annul the spiritual law” proclaims Science and Health (p. 273).

In light of fears regarding cyclical, customary evils, how important is an ever-continuing awareness of God’s supremacy? It is actually foundational to salvation itself. In the Glossary of Science and Health, Salvation is defined as, “Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed” (p. 593).

Tonia Benoist

3/27/2020 08:56:05 am

Thank you Mark for your post. I have been working, studying, listening in prayer for several hours this morning. It's not really 'work' to me, though, since I tend to have fun doing it. Interestingly, I have been search and reading articles on JSHOnline which included such ideas as 'foundation' of Truth and 'concrete evidence'. Perhaps a proof of One Mind. . .

Carrie K

3/27/2020 09:22:43 am

Wow!

Thank you so much for connecting the dots.
(Every hundred years) This makes TOTAL sense!

And I love how you're putting it as "an invitation" ... which really IS an invitation to join in a conspiracy of self-destruction.

It was starting to bother me that it seems maliciously imposed (no matter what mm says is the "who" or "what"), but I could see that this evil is NOT necessary!

Now you've cleared it up for me, and the main thing is to NOT LET GO of the FACT that ONLY God is in control and this is simply a malicious attempt to DENY that verity.

Thanks so much, Mark!

Betsy R Ray

3/28/2020 04:48:21 am

Cycles of 100 years or so are no more valid nor controlling - unless we grab hold of them and embrace error - than cycles or patterns of behavior in ourselves or family members. It is no more controlling than the lie of dna. as Paul says in Rom. 8: 16, 17, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children of God, and joint-heirs with Christ..." Thanks, Mark, for this connection as well.

Lindsey A. Roder

3/27/2020 08:36:28 am

I’ve been studying Genesis and Revelation in the Bible and it’s spiritual interpretation in Science and Health, and pondering the importance of “I am the first and I am the last, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” Much of the world believes the Apocalypse to be an event, such as the end of the world, when the truth is that what it really is, is a type of literary form of writing using symbols. Daniel and St John both wrote in the “apocalyptic” style of writing, and I’m finding there’s so much to learn in our individual spiritual interpretation of it.

As I was thinking of these ideas last night, this thought from God came to me..I am the beginning, and the end.....and everything in between.

We think about pre-existence and know God is there. We think about “life after death” and have faith God is there. But what about everything in between?

That phrase “everything in between” brought a sweet sense of relief to my thought with the feeling that God is always caring for each one of us right now, no matter where we live, who we are, or what epoc we seem to be living in. It was really comforting. St John promises in Revelation that our belief in the reality of time will come to an end.

In researching “cycles” in Concord, I found some helpful hints from Mary Baker Eddy:

God was not in the whirlwind. He is not the blind force of a material universe. Mortals must learn this; unless, pursued by their fears, they would endeavor to hide from His presence under their own falsities, and call in vain for the mountains of unholiness to shield them from the penalty of error.

... Jesus....demanded a change of consciousness and evidence, and effected this change through the higher laws of God. The palsied hand moved, despite the boastful sense of physical law and order. Jesus stooped not to human consciousness, nor to the evidence of the senses. He heeded not the taunt, “That withered hand looks very real and feels very real;” but he cut off this vain boasting and destroyed human pride by taking away the material evidence. ... Jesus required neither cycles of time nor thought in order to mature fitness for perfection and its possibilities. He said that the kingdom of heaven is here, and is included in Mind; that while ye say, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest, I say, Look up, not down, for your fields are already white for the harvest; and gather the harvest by mental, not material processes. The laborers are few in this vineyard of Mind-sowing and reaping; but let them apply to the waiting grain the curving sickle of Mind's eternal circle, and bind it with bands of Soul.
(Unity of Good, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 10:25; 11:10–19, 24)

Betsy R Ray

3/28/2020 05:21:45 am

Thanks, Lindsey, for pointing out that God is not only the alpha and omega, beginning and end, but also everything in between. The invitations of mm seem to have such a reality and a pull but our life is Hid with Christ in God as Paul says at the beginning of the 3d chapter of his letter to the Colossians. We are not just gravestones with dates of a false beginning and a false end. As Peter says, God's creation is made of lively stones, built up a spiritual house, (I Pet. 2:5)

Tonia Benoist

3/27/2020 08:58:05 am

I would like to share the following excerpt which I think is very good. It comes from the article:
THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS
By George Channing
From the March 1949 issue of The Christian Science Journal

“Let there be no misunderstanding. The seeming juxtaposition of the real and unreal does not imply duality. There are not two minds, one divine and the other mortal. There are not two consciousnesses, one spiritual and the other material. There are not two sets of knowledge, one true and the other false. There is one Mind, one consciousness, one knowledge. The recognition of the one perfect Mind, which unfolds the consciousness of truth and which is comprised exclusively of the knowledge of spiritual ideas, constitutes the recognition of all reality. There is no excuse for saying, "The spiritual realm is good and perfect and eternal, but we are still in the human realm and must approach its problems with regard for that fact." The spiritual realm, that is, the realm of true, or spiritual, ideas comprising all that infinite Mind knows, is the only realm that exists. What the divine Mind knows must be established by every individual as his true consciousness, reflecting the divine.

Why this emphasis upon the knowledge that man is the son of God? Because it is foundational. The constant, unremitting effort to establish this knowledge in our consciousness constitutes one aspect of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, in consequence of which, the master Christian promised, "All these things shall be added unto you." The implications are tremendous. They are infinite in truth. Some of them may be stated as follows:

He who spiritually knows he is triumphant sees only the evidence of triumph.

He who spiritually knows he is whole (healthful) sees only the evidence of health.

He who spiritually knows he is righteous sees only the evidence of righteousness.

He who spiritually knows he is wise sees only the evidence of wisdom.

He who spiritually knows he is loving and beloved sees only the evidence of love.

He who spiritually knows he is harmonious sees only the evidence of harmony.
He who spiritually knows he is free sees only the evidence of freedom.

He who spiritually knows he is alive sees only the evidence of life.

He who spiritually knows he is useful sees only the evidence of usefulness.

He who spiritually knows he knows sees only the evidence of knowledge.

Lindsey A. Roder

3/27/2020 02:52:28 pm

Thought I would share some lessons I've learned on "battling evil" and the unreality of malicious mesmerism or "mortal mind."

Lies that need to be refuted:

I can only be REDEEMED if the injustice I’ve been subjected to is real.
I can only be SAVED by Jesus’ promise of eternal life if death is real.
I can only be LOVED by God if I have unlovable qualities that need His love.
I can only be REFORMED, if the mistakes in my past are real.
I can only be HEALED if sickness and disease are real.

Lie – Evil has to be real for God to be real. if you take away belief in evil, you remove the purpose and power of God.

Truth: God, divine Love, is All-in-All.

We teach our kids that knights are valiant because they slay real dragons. But if the dragon isn’t real, does the knight lose his nobility? Not at all. “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….show what we are winning.” (Science & Health p. 239:16)

One day, I was in a great battle with error, declaring the Truth and feeling like I was winning.

Then I heard this voice say, “Put down your sword.”

I felt victorious, and said, “Yeah, error, you hear that? God said to put down your sword.”

Then I heard the voice again, “Put down your sword.”

And I thought, “Wait, what?!? Me? God, you’re telling me to put down my sword? What about error? Aren’t you going to ask him to put down his sword, too?”

The voice came again, “Linds, put down your sword.”

So I did. I mentally stopped battling. I yielded to the understanding that only Truth is present. The Christ, Truth is ever-present. There is no error, no thing or no one to battle. No separate subversive mind that can derange God’s omnipotent plan of good for his offspring. As soon as I yielded, and “put down my sword,” then I heard the message I had been “fighting” for: “LOVE WINS!”

But we never have to fight anyone to win God’s love. God is Love, and Love always wins, because there is no other opponent in the game. Just you (Love’s idea) and Love (the source or Mind).

I learned an important lesson that day. Fighting error is like shadowboxing. It’s as ridiculous as having a swordfight with an imaginary dragon. It's equally ridiculous to resist God's love for us, or to not feel worthy of it.

Mark says it best in his article, “Seeing matter for what it isn’t” when he says, “fighting an illusion from within the illusion is pure folly.”

If evil is unreal, then what I was really fighting wasn't real evil, it wasn't a real error, it was a feeling of being worthy of God's love. What I was really battling was the idea of God loving me. Until I heard Love's tender message to stop doing that and to let Love own the moment. And then I realized: Love is all that was ever present.

Cheryl Eckert

4/1/2020 05:54:35 am

Thank you so much for sharing these ideas. So helpful!

Carrie Kay

3/28/2020 12:25:36 am

Tonia,

Excellent reminders in that article. I love that you shared it.

~Carrie

Patti F

3/27/2020 11:57:00 am

I feel that an area that needs to be addressed in prayer is the guilt / blame game, which comes with any contagious condition.

Last week, my daughter returned from studying overseas and began self-quarantining with me. I wasn't overly concerned, but honestly, in part, because she was coming from a country with few cases. I'd been praying about the global situation and prayed specifically about the seeming vulnerability of travellers. But neither of us had considered how we'd proceed if symptoms arose, until 4 days after her return she messaged me from her room to ask if I would want to isolate from her within the house if she had symptoms. Of course not!!! She felt she was developing a cough, and wanted to be sure. We both prayed, and I contacted someone for help in addressing the fears, because now I was beginning to feel a scratchy throat. Influenced by the beliefs about who is more vulnerable, one of my biggest concerns was that if I came down with it, she would feel guilty. I stayed up, reading and praying until I felt at peace, and we were both feeling better in the morning. (I'm not saying this was necessarily the virus, but it needed to be addressed. One thing that helped me was to recognize that these 'symptoms', whether of the virus or not, were really just suggestions, brought on by the rampant fear that seems to be going around, not a physical condition, so they could be met entirely in thought.)

I relate this because I feel that along with society's view that our safety comes from isolation and social distancing, comes the notion that if we get sick, either we weren't careful enough or someone else wasn't. And people end up feeling guilty, or angry with others, or fearful that someone else will feel bad about infecting them. And guilt, anger, and fear are never conducive to healing.

For me one answer is found in Jesus' healing of the man born blind. When the disciples asked him, 'Who did sin, this man or his parents that he was born blind?', Jesus refused to even engage, showing it wasn't a valid question, by seeing and proving that there was no blindness, so no need to look for a cause or someone to blame.

I also like Paul Stark Sealey's article, 'Right When -- Right Then' for dealing with issues of a cause or a history. It begins: "Because God eternally is infinite good, there has never been an instant when any phase of evil has been able to get a foothold within this infinity. The forever universality of God's kingdom, wherein all manifestations of God safely dwell, is uninvadable. Evil, ever suppositional and false, has no capacity to relate itself to God or to aught that is of and in Him. Evil's every thought, condition, or sense of selfhood remains forever outside God's allness—in falsity's nothingness.

In these simple verities are the answers to the many-faced lies of evil which so persistently suggest that somehow it has, in the past, broken through the gate to God's infinity and found a toe hold there."

He goes on to point out that Right When various problems seemed to begin, Right Then God was in complete control. Personally, I sometimes fortify this argument with Right Where… Right there.https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/upmv10e7go?s=t

I'm praying to see that right when feelings of guilt, anger, or fear would try to creep in regarding transmission of this illness, right then God is speaking to consciousness assuring all involved that they are whole and well and right where mortal mind would claim symptoms are present, right there, God is the only presence.

I'm also addressing annoyance with some who seem to be displaying either a blatant or an ignorant disregard for what leaders are requesting, by knowing that each of us has a direct relationship to God, untouched by the actions of others, and even if someone would seem to make a foolish mistake, God is still there loving and protecting them, as well. 'None can beyond his omnipresence stray.'

Thank you everyone for what you have shared. This is one of the places I came for inspiration that night when I was feeling concerned and it was very reassuring to read so many beautiful posts. <3

Jeffrey Lang

3/27/2020 08:20:16 pm

Patti - thank you for sharing. Really the wonderful ideas, enjoyed reading them and look forward to continuing to include them in thought. And thank you for the article, haven’t read it yet and will do this evening. Sincerely - Jeffrey

Patti F

3/27/2020 09:34:59 pm

Thanks Jeffrey. I've been enjoying yours, too. Especially the reminder about the dog we feed being the one who will win. Very important not to feed the fears these days.

Carrie

3/27/2020 02:38:56 pm

I've been thinking about Mark's post throughout the day and this came to me as I was thinking it through. (My computer was down for a time and that was the delay in positing it.)

"The cycle of good obliterates the epicycle of evil." (My. 270)

Tonia Benoist

3/28/2020 07:52:56 am

From the Lesson this morning:

" . . . he will be ever mindful of his convenant." His promise is not only present forever, but is omnipresence, itself.

Lindsey A Roder

3/28/2020 09:03:00 am

This is beautiful, Tonia. Thank you!
I’ve also been thinking about the Bible lesson this week and the instruction to exchange limited, human concepts for unlimited divine ideas. This is illustrated in the story of Martha and Mary and Mrs. Eddy’s promise that the divine idea cannot be lost (Mary) or remain forever unseen (Martha).

Here’s a nugget from a lecture by Anna Herzog, CSB.

“We shall never fully understand God, we shall never actually cognize our true selfhood, until we have fulfilled all the demands of good. As we exchange mortal beliefs for spiritual perception, human concepts — limited, meager, sick, and sinful — for the boundless glory of divine consciousness, we shall see resurrection, ascension, eternity, opening up before us.

On the way to that desired goal we are daily filling consciousness with more of spiritual truth, daily letting shine into the world a little more of God's glorious light, daily pouring into the chaos and disorder and frenzy of mortal thinking and living powerful trust in God, indomitable dominion, the calm and joyous serenity of the Christ.

That is your work. Exchange the unworthy for the lovely, the transitory for the eternal, the limited for the infinite, until Love's reality, the spiritual concept, is all there is for you.”

Patti F

3/29/2020 04:40:32 am

I'm finding reassurance in the account of the day of the Pentecost this morning and this passage from Hebrews.

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ...[and] every man heard them speak in his own language.
(Acts 2:1–4, 6)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12)

This same mighty Spirit / Holy Ghost / Word of God is filling every nook and cranny of consciousness where fear would seem to be and speaking to everyone in a language that they can understand, in whatever way is needed to pierce and eliminate whatever fears are presenting themselves, fear for their health or that of loved ones, fear about the economy, fear for the future, etc.

It is more than enough to discern and root out all fear and bring a sweet sense of God's loving, abiding presence.

Mary

3/29/2020 07:27:09 am

Hymn 527
Elizabeth Glass Barlow, Alt.

"Lord, ... open his eyes, that he may see,"
The mighty prophet prayed.
Send not armies great and strong,
Neither strength to battle wrong,
But lift his vision to behold
Your truth already here,
The legions of omnipotence,
The hosts of Your deliverance.
Awake, O man, and know
Love's all-embracing sphere.

Lord, open my eyes that I may see
Your presence everywhere,
My dwelling circled by Your might,
My mountaintop aflame with light,
The shining sentinels of Your love
Triumphant in this hour.
For You with me are greater far
Than all the seeming evils are.
Be still, O heart, and trust
God's omnipresent power.

Poem Notes: II Kings 6:17. The words of this hymn are from a poem entitled, “Vision,” printed in the December 17, 1960 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.
Words © 1960, renewed 1988 The Christian Science Board of Directors. Music © 2016 The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Patti F

3/29/2020 06:43:54 pm

I just love that hymn! Probably my favourite in the new hymnal. It went perfectly with the lesson (and, of course the scriptural selection.) Thanks for sharing it here.

Betsy R Ray

3/29/2020 11:04:07 am

Yay! I was able to listen to two virtual services this morning - one from the Mother Church earlier and one from Abq. What a privilege to hear timely readings, hymns, solos, and then, of course, the lesson in two different voices and emphases. After a bit of trouble with Zoom software, I finally got to listen. Patience paid off. Often solutions are simple when I step back in prayer with hands-off and yield. Human talent for making complex issues where there are none abounds. ~ I have found some of the comments on this blog especially encouraging. Thanks both to Mark for establishing it, and to those who have shared. Especially to Lindsey.

Lindsey A. Roder

3/30/2020 08:00:33 am

Love reading all of these healing ideas too, Betsy Ray!
Big hugs to you!

Tonia Benoist

3/29/2020 11:48:44 am

I just peaked at next week's Lesson Sermon. Read the Golden Text. It looks like another 'bulls-eye'. I decided not to read it yet, though, because it feels a bit like opening Christmas presents before Christmas Day. So I returned to this week's Lesson with a fresher enthusiasm gaining a whole new perspective as well as a
deeper sense of gratitude for the truth's contained in it.

Kim Pollard link

3/29/2020 02:26:49 pm

Upon the human plane, individualism, and independent living... An article from the March 1915 Journal is a great read.
I'm not sure what caused the author to write it, but I found it very helpful and timely!

Mimi Sitterly

3/29/2020 03:46:35 pm

It’s been a time of gently slowing down the racing worries and fears as well as the false desire to keep checking what is being said on social media. As I make progress day by day in that direction I find that I am becoming bit by bit more fearless and more confident in the triumph of Truth in this trial. This quote from MBE feels like exactly what is happening as we are prayerfully raising our voices for Truth.
It requires courage to utter truth; for the higher Truth lifts her voice, the louder will error scream, until its inarticulate sound is forever silenced in oblivion.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 97:22)

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/29/2020 08:31:22 pm

Here is a poem I wrote a while back to express Love of Father. .and my duty to follow Him...

"Gathering Light from Gesthamene" by Merrilyn Mc Elderry ( Merri

Who am I to hold the cup right now?
Close enough to touch and handle in my thought.
A covenant with God, Light -filled, no doubt.
Who am I?

Who are you to sit and read this ?
And know forever your mission oh so dear., .
We, we all, are Spiritual Warriors called to Bless
No turning back, No fumbling at the cross.

As we kneel here now, in this holy Moment,
What fear we?
The Power of God reflected in us?
The power and dominion freely given for heavenly abiding?

Why fear we this covenant of golden Light?
He took it willingly for us. HE was our way shower then , and now.
Can we honor this calling
That was in Soul and reflected in ours .

Or do we tremble too much,
And put the gauntlet down, wanting more of sun?
Yet, we who are called upon to open space for Light,
Cannot refuse the cup its ...bitter gall,

Though perhaps tempted to side step , we must pause,
And listen for the " still small voice ," or watch the pillar of fire, and follow Truth and Love

Patricia Bouchrd

3/29/2020 08:50:14 pm

Hello to All
Mark thank you for implementing this blog. I’ve been following along since its posting. Thank you to all who have been sharing your spiritual insights. It is awesome and so enriching. I like that it has provided me with a greater appreciation of the association itself. How very special.
This morning when the first reader stated this service from the Mother Church is the sole service throughout the world today due to our current crisis, I was a bit stunned. I thought some churches were still able to meet. But almost immediately, the spiritual signification and effect of global church unity filled my thought. I felt the reality and power of that unity of all members envelop my consciousness throughout the entire service. We were all in ‘atonement’ in this ‘one’ healing service. There is no loss or separation at our local branch. We perhaps were comforted too. All aspects of this specially adapted service were beautifully orchestrated and delivered. Harmony and good abound. I am grateful to the Mother Church readers and staff who coordinated the service. Prior to the service I was praying, God said, ‘let’s stay focused in consciousness today.” A blessed start. This week’s lesson Phil 3:13-15 Paul’s truth here is so wise and encouraging ‘forgetting those things behind, reaching forth to things that which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

My prayerful approach to our world crisis these past weeks included studying Science and Health 'reading ‘every single word’ as Mrs Eddy advises. However, I was first drawn to start with the Apocalypse and did so. How perfect that was/is. It anchors me in confidence, with such a bright, powerful sense of Divine Truth’s victory over evil! Only God IS. God IS Love, God IS Truth. Truth is God. (Gandhi). I experienced many reminders of Mark’s 2019 Association Address focus on Light. ‘Be ye Light.’ What we are called to be always, especially brighter during a crisis such as now. It’s helped me to do so with greater energy and will be a resource to assure my light is well charged. Like others, in the past week I felt increased pressure of evil suggestion surrounding the pandemic b/c of the increased isolation, limitations, influences of others. etc. I’ve made errors. Science and Health is providing discernment and confidence. Mary Baker Eddy’s teachings are spiritually influencing. At times it’s been as if she is reading my thoughts..Her guidance or answer has been waiting for me.

Patti F

3/30/2020 07:17:40 am

Just a quick note. It's my understanding that a few are still meeting in person. And certainly many are 'meeting' online or over the phone via conference calling and zoom meetings. I don't believe The Mother Church has asked every branch what they're doing or told us what to do.
They're letting us be led by prayer, what our local authorities are saying, and our sense of what is right guide us.

I think all she meant by that was that The Mother Church was not holding its in person meeting at that time or any other time.

Joe Gariano

3/29/2020 11:10:05 pm

This weekend I read that the genetic source of the coronavirus is believed to be bats, and that it is furthermore believed that an animal market in Wuhan China is where it first spread from an infected animal to a person.

In praying about this tonight, it became very clear to me that the source belief of the pandemic is therefore ANIMAL magnetism. God gave man dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowls of the air. Animal nature/activity does not therefore have the power to harm our society or give reason to make people afraid.

"Animal magnetism, hypnotism, etc., are disarmed by the practitioner who excludes from his own consciousness, and that of his patients, all sense of the realism of any other cause or effect save that which cometh from God."
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany)

Hilary Palanza

3/29/2020 11:43:28 pm

Error should also be to us, nothing, or suggestion, or lie, or zero, or any word that helps us remember it’s powerlessness.

Speaking of words... I looked up the root of the word “pan” as it refers to “pandemic” and also, “panic.”

The definitions are as follows:
-“PAN is from the Greek prefix pan, meaning all, of everything, or involving “all members.” (Source: Wikipedia).
-“Panic comes from the name of the Greek god, Pan, who supposedly sometimes caused humans to flee in unreasoning fear. “ (Source: dictionary.com and Wikipedia).

PANdemic and PANic are, together, something like this: “all members...fleeing in unreasoning fear.”

I love that God leads us to do detective work when it comes to the supposed sneaky ways of illusion, or error. Some other “god” or idol, cannot make us al run in panic, confused and afraid. “It” cannot make us panic, because “it,” is nothing.

We replace the concept of “all members... fleeing in unreasoning fear” to, ONE member, ONE creation, reflecting Divine Love in perfect assurance and harmony.

Thank you all for your incredible posts!

Beatrix Ince

3/30/2020 09:59:40 am

Just a quick note to say you can now find a service near you, online or on the phone, by following the link to the spreadsheet under "Find a church" on the website of The Mother Church:
https://www.christianscience.com/find-us/find-a-church?icid=Homepage:main-menu:Find%20a%20church

Beatrix Ince

3/30/2020 10:03:26 am

If you are looking for music for your online or call-in service, The Mother Church is making the hymnal accompaniment available for this use:
https://www.christianscience.com/additional-resources/churches-societies-and-groups/branch-resources-during-the-pandemic/music-for-branch-church-services

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/30/2020 01:44:28 pm

As I was thinking about Mark's fascinating post on CYCLES of belief of illness, I was fascinated at the twenty year , or thereabouts, gap between major outbreaks of fear and epidemic . It led me to think of the gap in time between them.. and what caused the buildup of error to reach the boiling point... on the wrong side. It reverts , perhaps again to mortal thought on this, or spiritual Truth on this , and the divine revelation came in a verse I just love from Mrs, Eddy in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures page 203;" God , divine good, does not kill a man in order to give him eternal life. for God alone is man's Life. GOD IS AT ONCE THE CENTER AND CIRCUMFERENCE OF BEING. It is evil that dies, good does not." Thus in the sphere of the entirely of GOD ie All in ALL...filling all space... the wholeness of God IS COMPLETE ... and we enfolded in that divine Truth of his Thoughts and ever unfolding. are spotless . As Jean Hebenstreit puts so well " in her article" Spiritual healing"; We deal with our own thought,and if though is in accord with God , malpractice is powerless to affect man. Be well-minded. Examine your own thought and check to see if your thinking correctly about your seeming opponant. To think correctly about evil is to deprive it of its very being because evil( plague, sickness fake news) can have no real existence if God good is the only True reality..

Jeffrey Lang

3/31/2020 07:18:10 am

The second commandment (Exodus 20:16) “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” stood out this morning as very relevant when thinking about the current world belief or when we hear others volunteer their opinions on the impacts whether economic, health etc. Thinking of our neighbor as separate from God is baring false witness, in any capacity, just as thinking or believing that you are separate from God is also bearing false witness.

This directly applies to something our Leader states (The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany 213:15-25) “Unless one's eyes are opened to the modes of mental malpractice, working so subtly that we mistake its suggestions for the impulses of our own thought, the victim will allow himself to drift in the wrong direction without knowing it. Be ever on guard against this enemy. Watch your thoughts, and see whether they lead you to God and into harmony with His true followers. Guard and strengthen your own citadel more strongly. Thus you will grow wiser and better through every attack of your foe, and the Golden Rule will not rust for lack of use or be misinterpreted by the adverse influence of animal magnetism.”

I am reminded and thankful this morning that we have ability to correct our thought about any fallacy that comes to thought about another or ourselves, rather the right and duty!

Dianne

4/2/2020 03:58:55 am

Can I pass your comments along to a friend who is also a Christian Scientist

Betsy R Ray

3/31/2020 07:52:54 am

As Paul Stark Seeley says in his timeless article Right When, Right Then, Because God eternally is infinite good, there has never been an instant when any phase of evil has been able to get a foothold within this infinity. The forever universality of God's kingdom, wherein all manifestations of God safely dwell, is uninvadable. Evil, ever suppositional and false, has no capacity to relate itself to God or to aught that is of and in Him. Evil's every thought, condition, or sense of selfhood remains forever outside God's allness—in falsity's nothingness.

In these simple verities are the answers to the many-faced lies of evil which so persistently suggest that somehow it has, in the past, broken through the gate to God's infinity and found a toe hold there. From such a suppositional beginning, it argues it has built a formidable case against one's life with which now to harass one.

But evil, the lying material mind, can do nothing but lie.

Our task is to nail the lie for what it is and not be duped either by inviting it in through habit, or through any other means like "everybody else does" or any of the other "yeah buts". Take a deep breath! Thank Goodness we can be helpers.

Merrilyn (Merri) McElderry

3/31/2020 01:22:24 pm

Acknowledging ONENESS with God is vital. Mark wrote me one time in an answer to something I had asked:

" In Science and Health there is an important statement in relation to our work.

"Truth is always the Victor:" Sh page 380

She doesn't say that Truth MIGHT be the voctor , or that it will sometime in the future. That statement is a statement of Truth's CURRENT status. Victorious---why is this so? Because God, m Divine Truth , is alone and unchangeable.

. The thought long believed is that there are two factors; matter and Mind , uniting in some impossible basis. This theory would keep Truth and error always at warm

Victory would perch on neither banner, Sh page 493; Divine Truth's Victory is our Victory because we are at one with Truth . There is no separation . Now you can see why it is so important to acknowledge your ONENESS with GOD and Love and Truth. .
Therefore, Chronicles 29;11-13 is our prayer. " Mark Swinney notes.

Lindsey A. Roder

4/1/2020 06:39:46 pm

Just wanted to express my gratitude for all the healing ideas in this blog and share some inspiration that has been helpful on how God is our Best Friend, so we are never alone. The phrase that keeps coming into my thought these past weeks that we have been obeying our state's "Stay at Home" order is this phrase: "infinite self-containment."

Here is the verse from S&H in its entirety. It's from the chapter in the Key to the Scriptures on Genesis.

"The divine Principle, or Spirit, comprehends and expresses all, and all must therefore be as perfect as the divine Principle is perfect. Nothing is new to Spirit. Nothing can be novel to eternal Mind, the author of all things, who from all eternity knoweth His own ideas. Deity was satisfied with His work. How could He be otherwise, since the spiritual creation was the outgrowth, the emanation, of His infinite self-containment and immortal wisdom?
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 518:27)

Divine Mind is the best friend of the body.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 176:19)

(A healing from Fruitage chapter)
In three weeks after beginning Science and Health, to my joyful surprise I found myself a well man, sound physically, and uplifted spiritually. Life was being lived from a new basis, the old things of personal sense were passing away and all things becoming new. I learned that the infinite good is the one Friend upon whom we can call at all times, an all-powerful, ever-present help in every time of trouble; that His children are really governed in peace and harmony by spiritual law, and as the right understanding of it is gained, the other things soon follow, bringing a peace the human concept can never know.
For the last twelve years my whole time has been devoted to Christian Science practice, and I have seen nearly every so-called incurable disease healed by its beneficent influence. God bless our dear Leader! She has set before us an open door, which no man can shut, and it is but a question of time when the world will know her better and love her more.
SH 695:8-27

From the Christian Science Hymnal
O Lord, I would delight in Thee,
And on Thy care depend;
To Thee in every trouble flee,
My best, my ever Friend.
When all material streams are dried,
Thy fullness is the same;
May I with this be satisfied,
And glory in Thy name.
Hymn 224

Jeffrey Lang

4/2/2020 08:46:23 am

Thank you Lindsay that is wonderful. - Jeffrey

Betsy R Ray

4/1/2020 09:51:10 pm

Thanks, Lindsey, for pointing out that infinite self containment precludes us from a false, mortal, need to be "included" in someone else's dream. God includes us in the "Perfect Love that casteth out fear" - see John 4:18. I'm gonna work some more with the concept of infinite self-containment as I thank Mark for pointing out that God's Love, Divine Love, enables us to be and remain fearless, because there is no fear in Love.

Heather K. Libbe

4/2/2020 06:06:22 am

I have been enjoying praying to see more of the unreality of disease and was grateful to discover these ideas from the "Christian Science Practice" chapter of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"The cause of all so-called disease is mental, a mortal fear, a mistaken belief or conviction of the necessity and power of ill-health; also a fear that Mind is helpless to defend the life of man and incompetent to control it. Without this ignorant human belief, any circumstance is of itself powerless to produce suffering. It is latent belief in disease, as well as the fear of disease, which associates sickness with certain circumstances and causes the two to appear conjoined, even as poetry and music are reproduced in union by human memory. Disease has no intelligence. Unwittingly you sentence yourself to suffer. The understanding of this will enable you to commute this self-sentence, and meet every circumstance with truth. Disease is less than mind, and Mind can control it. ...

Disease is not an intelligence to dispute the empire of Mind or to dethrone Mind and take the government into its own hands.

(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 377:26; 378:22–24)

One marginal heading being "Disease Powerless" (pg 378)

Thank you, all, for sharing!

Heather K. Libbe

4/2/2020 06:16:00 am

Also, just as a note, Michelle Nanouche will be giving a new version of her webinar "Finding Your Immunity from Disease" at 12:00pm CT this [April 2] afternoon. Here is the log-in information:

attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4395724748305570316

Jeffrey Lang

4/2/2020 08:55:50 am

A couple of things I am working with that have been very helpful:

Hymn 406
O Love, our Mother, ever near,
To Thee we turn from doubt and fear!
In perfect peace our thoughts abide;
Our hearts now in this truth confide:
          Man is the child of God.

O Light, in Thy light we can see
That man is ever one with Thee.
In love our lives Thou dost enfold,
And now our waiting hopes behold
          That man is God’s own child.

O joy that ever will remain,
Midst seeming sorrow, hate, and pain,
Our hearts to fill with this glad song
That soars above the mists of wrong:
          Man is the loved of Love.

Someone shared a testimony last night that included "we can be in it and not of it". As I am working with it, find it is applicable to every aspect of the false mortal picture.

This week have also been working with "Love Your Enemies" (Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy pages 8-13) and the thought of applying the truths contained to the supposed enemy being those we come into contact with that are buying into the fear, or seemingly relishing in and spreading fear, gossip mongering, etc. It has been very helpful in seeing everyone as they truly are - a complete innocent child of God.

Lindsey A Roder

4/2/2020 09:07:25 am

Jeff,
This is so helpful! It reminds me of an article Mark shared with me called, “In the world but not of it” by Ella Hoag. It’s from the May 16, 1925 Sentinel.

Here’s the intro:
In a prayer to God for his disciples Jesus said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." He was evidently facing and safeguarding a situation that Christians have ever since been trying to understand for themselves; for there is no true-hearted follower of the Christ who does not have presented to him again and again the question as to how he is to be in the world but not of it.

Katharina Helmick

4/2/2020 10:49:24 pm

Thank you, to all Bloggers and Replyers!
I was today greatly helped by the April 13 (current) CS Sentinel, p 19, poem: "Ever been afraid?" - reminding me to "Pray until you see man as the face of God...,and today that man may be you." Felt it was like mutual immunology from evil.
Virtual Hugs all around!

Betsy R Ray

4/3/2020 09:59:54 am

Remember you are surrounded by angels.

PSALM 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Psalm 91 (King James Version)

I memorized this as a small child ;This Psalm has been a keeper for many years.

Be well. Be encouraged in every way, all you virtual hugees.

Scott Coolidge

4/4/2020 09:10:50 am

From Hymn 293 of the Christian Science Hymnal:

Christ, the Truth, foundation sure,
On this rock we are secure;
Peace is there our life to fill
Cure is there for every ill.
Rock of Ages, Truth divine,
Be They strength forever mine.

Kim Pollard link

4/5/2020 06:45:15 am

These are my words, as influenced by the message of Christian Science, and from my independent study of the Bible, about the way we should be recognizing and acknowledging the eternal verity of earth and heaven. So, my treatment for the world would go like this:
In the beginning, God created the heaven (1 harmony) and the earth (1 compound idea)
Mrs Eddy says the Trinity is One quality, with infinite quantity representing perfection. (starting on pg 331)
Trinity: Spirit and spirituality in an inter-dependent relationship.
Father: God; The governing, omnipotent, omniscient, deity we call Spirit; Father/Mother, male and female infinitely expressed as one, in every representation of Spirit and spirituality ( life. )
Son: also called child; singular idea of good which is represented through and in spirituality. The son is the image of the Father/Mother which is accepting of / responding to /obeying all /acting on/ only what is possible within divine Principle, Love. The Son is Truth manifested in the type, form, beauty of its individual representation in life. Interdependent but singularly expressed through spiritual understanding and acceptance of divinity.
Holy Ghost: the message coming to all ideas within the one Mind, to the Son. The unseen presence felt, and voice of holiness expressed in reason, morality, consistency, justice, health and so on, which will produce interdependence with Spirit for every quality-- in infinite quantity,-- as is necessary to speak the word of divine Mind to every creature and thing.

Stand down mortal fear! Illusive and horrifying scenes of death have no power or principle because they do not repeat the message of holiness. Holiness bravely repeats the message of divine Love through its individual spiritual idea. The message IS that all right ideas are included in the 1 harmony of this 1 compound idea in every creature and thing.

Fear of sickness and death!! Be gone from the sight of the loving child. Our divine parent has said “Have no Fear, neither be afraid.” We obey.

Fear of loss of stuff, be gone!! Every creature and thing is supplied for each moment of every second by the Principle of Life,-- Love.

Fear of loss of normalcy – Ridiculous! The plan of eternal Love is set for the universe, and whatever needs to be revealed to maintain it, will be. We look understandingly to Love.

Fear of the perfect word being unaccepted and denied: Jesus knew he would be denied and told them so. They even denied that. Yet Jesus pushed forward to prove eternity and life in Spirit. “We love him because He first loved us.” The power to accept and use the perfect word is within. There is no ability to deny divinity within the system which God created. That system is perfectly able to hold and maintain a perfect and eternal Life and be represented in spiritual life. It is not possible to deny it or for it to deny us, for that would be denying itself.

The Father/Mother is correcting and governing, and we have only to help our brothers and sister to obey by obeying ourselves. It is just that simple. We are safe.

kim pollard link

4/5/2020 06:54:04 am

Just one more thing-- We are safe because we are 1.

Tonia Benoist

4/5/2020 09:02:55 am

There is a very good article written by Dr. John M. Tutt, called, THE LAW OF ACTION AND THE LIE OF REACTION.

In it he explains how the basic law of physics, "For every action there is a reaction, equal in force and opposite in direction,"
is countered in divine metaphysics as a law of action which acts as a ". . . law of annihilation to the lie of reaction, and to the degree of his understanding of this fact, the individual is saved from the supposed operation of the physical so-called law."

More succinctly, he states it as: "For every lie there is a true statement, which acting oppositely to the lie, destroys it."

https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/qn74703ery?s=e

Lindsey A Roder

4/5/2020 01:22:02 pm

The experiments made at Goat Island by Navy doctors...
From the April 12, 1919 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

Oakland (Cal.) Enquirer

The experiments made at Goat Island by Navy doctors in an effort to learn something about the influenza germ, carry a lesson that every person should study and understand. Fifty young sailors volunteered to become influenza victims, that the doctors might study the disease more carefully. These young men had no fear of the disease; they willingly offered themselves. They were placed with flu patients; they were given jars of flu germs, which they breathed into their lungs; they had flu germs injected into their bodies. Then the medical men prepared to study the cases as they developed.

But no cases developed among these fifty sailors! These men had been inoculated; they had been exposed to the disease in every manner; they had breathed in the germs and eaten and slept with flu victims, and not one of them became infected! The medical men confessed themselves baffled. All their ideas of the disease were turned topsy-turvy. The bunk about the masks was again exposed; and it was shown that the disease was not communicable, not contagious. The doctors are still wondering. The explanation, however, is simplicity itself, for it was proved by each one of these fifty young men.

These fifty young men volunteered to act as subjects upon which to be experimented. This showed clearly that they did not fear the disease. In other words, they could not acquire what they did not fear. Since their fear of the disease was gone, the disease was absolutely nonexistent, even though every effort was made to force it on them.

There can be no clearer nor better proof of the oft stated and rapidly being accepted fact that mind controls matter. Medical men are now acknowledging this condition. They are the first to tell patients to eliminate fear. When this is done, their work is done. There would be no cases of influenza if every person in the state would do as these fifty Goat Island sailors did; namely, eliminate fear of the disease.

Lindsey A Roder

4/5/2020 01:35:06 pm

[Harry Vandegrift in Canton (Ohio) News]

I have read the "Open Letter on Plague Danger," published...
From the April 12, 1919 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

I have read the "Open Letter on Plague Danger," published in the Daily News, wherein the writer states that "the people of Christian Science persuasion tell us that we should ignore the whole matter (the recent epidemic of influenza and the order closing churches, schools, etc.) and create among the people the feeling and attitude that there is nothing to fear."

The writer of the letter has either been wrongly informed or has misunderstood his informant. Christian Science does not teach that sickness should be ignored, but rather overcome, destroyed, healed; and this is done by the proper application of the teaching of Christian Science as given in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. Christian Science does not deny that disease and suffering have a seeming existence in human experience, but it does deny that sickness of any kind has a place in God's creation. That sickness and sin are merely false conditions of human experience and therefore unreal in the absolute sense is proved in the fact that unnumbered thousands have been healed by the Christian Science method. Christian Science reaffirms the Bible statement, "Be not afraid," and offers as a reason for fearlessness the many Bible promises of immunity from danger to those who trust God. "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." Disease feeds on fear; happily this is being recognized by the medical profession to an ever increasing degree. Likewise our brethren in some of the churches of other denominations are awakening to a realization of this fact.

The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent Love. Christian Scientists know this to be true and are therefore able to cast out the fear which breeds disease. Answering the lawyer who asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."This is our first duty.

Ruth Green

4/6/2020 09:05:57 am

Thank everyone so much for your loving thoughts and inspiration.
I have learned so much. I often think of the 23rd Psalm where it says:" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." The shadow of death can be any situation that presents a difficulty:disease, money, friends, lack. It says fear no evil, for God is always with us.. A shepherd uses a rod and staff to guard and guide the sheep, just as God guards and guides us.I remember from my Sunday school days: God, good, guides, guards, and governs.

Jeffrey Lang

4/6/2020 08:58:37 pm

Thank you very much Ruth, those are exactly the reminders needed this evening. Working with them I can feel God's love for all His ideas.

Tonia Benoist

4/6/2020 10:10:03 am

I would like to share a couple of my thoughts on this week's Lesson Sermon.

This may be assuming a bit, but in the Bible story about cutting off the soldier's ear, and even though it doesn't say so, Jesus must have picked it up off the ground, recognized the error, and afterward restored the right understanding of ear, the soldiers right ear. I think of that as both the spirit AND the letter.

Some other thoughts came to me as a result of hearing a few comments from my non-Science friends who are becoming uncertain about this verse in 1 Cor 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

In this week’s Lesson Sermon there are many references to temptation. Thankfully, in Christian Science we know that God doesn’t tempt us. It is the so-called action of mortal belief which, by a’ttempting to make discord seam real to human consciousness, superimposes an image of mortal thought on the body.

One particular citation this week in S&H is, “Reason, rightly directed, serves to correct the errors of corporeal sense;” and “breaks their illusion with the unbroken reality of scientific being.” (p. 494:19)

A statement not in the Lesson that I have studied recently about illusion seems to go along with this:

“Until rebuked by clearer views of the everlasting facts, this false testimony of the eye [deludes] the judgment and [induces] false conclusions.” (p. 121:19–22)

Carrie Kay

4/6/2020 10:09:56 pm

Wow, this insight is inspiring -- especially the last point!

"Induces" false conclusions is exactly what seems ro happen!

Thanks for sharing this, Tonia.

Kevin Powers

4/6/2020 10:07:55 pm

Recently I have been praying with the story of Judah and the Ammonites that was in the Bible Lesson this last week. The line from the story that has been most applicable to my life in recent times is "the battle is not yours, but God's." What a helpful reminder that is in these challenging times.

It can be so easy to put oneself in the battle and to think you have all the responsibility of solving it. I often think that I need to personally figure out what's going on and try to solve it. Actually, I just need to turn it over to God and recognize Him as the only power. In doing this, I am guided in how to pray and how to act.

I have also recently been pondering the concept of healing. I was recently asking myself why I pray to God, who is spiritual, for help with a material problem. If God is spiritual, how could he know or understand what I was going through? That's when it hit me, the purpose of healing is to prove God's allness, not to fix a material problem. When I am thinking about proving God's allness instead of thinking about my human problem, that is when I find healing and the solution appears.

I will keep praying for the world, as I know we all are. Much love to all of you.

"All God's servants are minute men and women. As of old, I stand with sandals on and staff in hand, waiting for the watchword and the revelation of what, how, whither. Let us be faithful and obedient and God will do the rest."

- Mis 158:19.

Vicki Shillington

4/7/2020 08:57:15 am

Thanks for sharing! Your post spoke to me, specifically that our prayers prove God’s allness. What a fun and joyful activity instead of one that can feel comforting at best and sometimes fruitless when focused on trying to heal ourselves. I feel uplifted and it feels effortless proving God’s allness.

Kevin Powers

4/13/2020 06:59:46 pm

Hello Vicki,

Thank you for your response. I agree that shifting the focus to God can be fun and joyful. And you're totally right that it takes the pressure off of us, feeling like we need to heal ourselves. That's God's job! :)

I hope you are well during this time.

-Kevin

Vicki Shillington

4/7/2020 04:36:38 am

“The only reality of sin, sickness and death is the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human erring belief, until God strips off their disguise.” S&H 472.

It makes me ponder deeply why I spend so much time thinking about what is unreal.

Tonia Benoist

4/7/2020 05:57:19 pm

There is a very good Bible Lesson article from the December, 1888 Journal.

It is about the Bible story in this week's lesson of the three times Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Lots of spiritual insight, but there is one idea that stood out to me more. I'm still thinking on it.

"Silently comes the enemy, who would cast you from the pinnacle of your thought into the valley below."

"The next thought higher than your present estimate of Truth, is your highest conception of God, and this thought tempts no one; because it is the thought immediately beneath your present conception of goodness which tempts you most.

"Guard zealously the pinnacle of your thought."

https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1888/12/6-9/bible-lessons?fbclid=IwAR2ioCOPyXZs45fCy2AtAoxQiZN9c73GZKKMo73RvsW37SQ4eLlxh5kF6jc

Tonia Benoist

4/8/2020 02:30:21 pm

Here is an excerpt from the above Bible Lesson I posted earlier. It begins with a description and explanation of the setting where Jesus was tempted those three times. Very cool!

"Time: About January, of the year 27, according to our reckoning; very soon after Jesus' baptism.

Place: The Wilderness of Judea, between Jerusalem and Jericho on the west, and between the Jordan and upper part of the Dead Sea on the east. Tradition places it in a place called Mount Quarantania, near the Jordan. This Latin word means a space of forty days, because Jesus is supposed to have fasted forty days in one of the caves of this place; but this name was given to the locality much later in its history."

Vicki Shillington

4/13/2020 09:14:39 am

Love the articles shared by you all. They’re inspiring to dig deeply into.

This point stood out to me this morning from the Dec 1888 article shared by Tonia.

“God the Father is always higher and grander than our highest and grandest conception of Him.”

I love thinking about God being even grander than however I may possibly conceive Him to be.

Jeffrey Lang

4/7/2020 09:33:59 pm

Reading the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil from this week’s lesson in the Responsive Readings really stood out to me, specifically (Matthew 4:10-11):
“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

The order of events of first Jesus taking action to reject Satan (the evil suggestion / temptation), and replacing the erroneous suggestion with right thinking - putting focused faith in God not error. Only after this did the devil (evil suggestion / temptation) leave him (loose it’s suppositional power or influence in that environment) and then angels came catered to his human needs.

As I thought of how that applies to our Leader’s reassuring promise “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.” (S&H 494:10-11) It has provided further clarity of my understanding of the steps required to experience that promise - those being on every occasion to first reject the lie or mesmeric claim and then turning wholeheartedly and without reservation to serve, worship, and glorify God, which results in every human need being met, regardless of the situation.

Beatrix Ince

4/8/2020 07:48:41 am

Yes, exactly. What also stood out to me this time, were the different ways in which the temptation came to Jesus:
1. Your are hungry, right? You are the Son of God, right? You have power to manipulate matter into something to eat, to nourish you.
Jesus' rejection: No point, I would still be hungry, for matter cannot nourish or sustain me, God's Word does.
2. Okay, so there is no help in matter, but there is no harm in it either. So why not indulge in it a bit, partake in it, no harm can come from it; let it be real for a while.
Jesus' rejection: it would be tempting God by turning away from Him, to explore something else. Not good.
3. Okay, so material living, mortal mind, cannot give you anything you don't already have, but you are the Son of God, you have power, you can manipulate it, turn it into your liking, into something good! Would imply that you worship me though, but that's just a minor detail...
Jesus's reply: your suggestions are nothing, and there is no changing one nothing into a better nothing, it's all nonsense: Get thee hence!

Made me wonder what level of temptation I am entertaining. Have I really overcome the believe that there is power in matter? Do I still believe that matter, which IS mortal mind, is real somehow, is still my own? Do I still think, that mortal mind being not my own, it is still something that I can manipulate for the greater good of everyone else, somehow? If the answer to any of these is yes, I am still punching the mist, having a nice chat with the devil, instead of practicing Christian Science. Get thee hence, lie! I am going to turn wholeheartedly to God now, to Truth, to Life, to Love.
That's when the angels come and minister unto me, as they have always done.

Tressie

4/8/2020 06:41:45 am

I'm sitting here thinking how it must have felt to Mary to hear Jesus call her name when she was missing him and feeling so sad. I can just hear that gentle voice with such love, "Mary." It's kind of fun to put other names in there and imagine Jesus, the Christ, Love...gently calling each individual to the understanding that He/Love is standing right there.

Beatrix Ince

4/8/2020 07:29:36 am

Dear Tressie, what a wonderful thought! Just imagining Jesus calling me right here, right now. Thank you for that lovely idea!

Lindsey A. Roder

4/8/2020 11:07:16 am

I’m loving our conversation on the Bible Lesson this week and Easter’s celebration of SALVATION and LIFE. It has inspired me to share my experience of the truths I’ve been learning with all of you as a result of prayer and class instruction in Christian Science.

It starts with this question that came to me: Isn’t the biggest affront to humanity the lie that God gives us free will to choose something other than Him?

Life is not a choice that God gives his vibrant creation to make, but is a precious gift of man’s oneness with God, divine Life, Truth, and Love.

One does not need to know evil to appreciate good. One needs to know the Christ. One does not need to experience death to joyfully celebrate eternal life right here and now.

The most powerful prayer that I have ever prayed in my life was invoking this omnipotent law of Life by stating these four words: “I want to live.”

Making this declaration, “I want to live as the expression of Life” shuts the door on every aggressive mental suggestion every single time I make it. And it consistently fills my heart with joy, radiance, liveliness, love, and peace. Beautifully and gratefully, I see it reflected in my human experience. Suggestions of sickness, displeasure, and fear, all vanish when I invoke this law in my heart: “I want to live.”

This prayer is not a prayer of petition. It is a prayer of affirmation. And it completely denies the existence of mortal mind. It is a "get thee hence" to every suggestion unlike God.

It has not only delivered me from the depths of despair, but has transformed seemingly “mundane” experiences into moments of spiritual clarity, surrender to God, and unselfed love.

“The exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good, is the only Mind, and that the supposititious opposite of infinite Mind — called devil or evil — is not Mind, is not Truth, but error, without intelligence or reality” (SH 469:13-17 The).

“Understanding is a wellspring of life,” says the Bible, (Prov 16:22).

In my experience, I have found that invoking God’s Law of Life brings the power of purity to the surface, transforming any scary or confusing mentality into one of dominion, clarity, and peace. It is my refuge. It also allows me to understand and declare, “I want my neighbor to live. I want my (so-called) enemies to live.” If I desire anything to the contrary, I cannot be the perfect expression of infinite Life. This clears away conflict, sadness, lack of understanding, impatience, irritation, and resentment and makes room for harmony, purity, love, peace.

The Bible is filled with examples of this. Jesus, Abigail, and Elisha all set their tables and filled them with good fruit to feed their enemies, thus putting into action the truth of the 23rd Psalm. (I love seeing this demonstration of David reflected in his experience with Abigail.)

“It is the purpose of divine Love to resurrect the understanding, and the kingdom of God, the reign of harmony already within us,” says Mary Baker Eddy in Mis. 154:16.

Allowing Truth to cleanse our thought of false accusations brings us into a spiritual rebirth. When we are born again, we see Life reflecting Love alone and vice versa. This clear view shows that evil, sickness, sin and death were never real choices after all.

Thinking that life and mind are separate from God tempted even some of the greatest spiritual seers in the Bible. In I Kings, we read that Elijah “went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers,” I Kings 19:4 went.

When mental anguish enveloped Elijah, and thoughts of fear ensued, a quick determination that these thoughts were not God’s thoughts, allowed him to hear an angel message of eternal Life, which lovingly said, “Arise and eat,” (I Kings 19:5 Arise).

Renewed in righteousness and refreshed by spiritual sense, Elijah climbed to the height of revelation, watched the mountains of matter crumble under foot, and yielded permanently to “the ‘still, small voice’ of Truth uttering itself,” (SH 323:29-30 the). I believe that voice for him was, “I want to live.”

“For ye were sometimes darkness (tempted by mortal mind), but now are ye light (life) in the Lord: walk as children of light (Life):” Eph 5:8.

So, I invite everyone to sing along with me and John Denver, “I Want to Live.”

Have a blessed day!!

Lindsey

4/9/2020 06:45:25 am

Noticed a typo. This line about Elijah should say, “the ‘still, small voice’ of Truth uttering itself,” (SH 323:29-30 the). I believe that voice for him was, I AM Spirit, I AM Life, and man is MY image and likeness.

Some helpful articles are Withdraw Your Consent by Nate Talbot and Unself Mortality by Paul Stark Seeley and One Present Universe by Mark Swinney,

Lindsey A Roder

4/8/2020 11:27:38 pm

In thinking more about the consciousness of Life, Spirit, and the divine fact that we are God’s children, His perfect expression of Spirit, Life, never in nor of matter or physicality, I was inspired to look up the verb “to live” in Webster’s Dictionary, and was surprised to see the first entry: “to have a home;”

Our Father's house has many rooms,
And each with peace and love imbued;
No child can ever stray beyond
The compass of infinitude.
(The Christian Science Hymnal, No. 497:2)

We are one compound idea of infinite Love!

The other day, I was driving past our local hospital at sunset, when it appeared bathed in light! The golden glow of the sun was reflecting on the window panes, and I felt the calming presence of our all-loving Father-Mother God. I also noticed some of my neighbors have Christmas lights aglow at night -including a nativity scene, a Peace on Earth sign with a white-winged dove, a giant heart made of twinkle lights, and an illuminated cross in a windowsill, just to name a few. Many of my neighbors have written prayers on heart-shaped pieces of paper taped to their windows. Seeing this expression of Love and the power of prayer from my neighbors gave me a sweet sense that God is Love and Love is all-in-all.

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.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 587:5)

Psalm 139
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand (Thy Truth, Thy Life, Thy Love) shall hold me.
(Psalms 139:7–10)

Just wanted to share my inspiration to keep living joyously, with holy purpose and gratitude for Life’s abundance, keep loving, keep blessing, keep praying, keep listening, because it is useful, effective, indestructible, and profitable. It is bearing fruit!

“Each of Christ's little ones reflects the infinite One, ...Who lives in good, lives also in God, — lives in all Life, through all space. His is an individual kingdom, his diadem a crown of crowns. His existence is deathless, forever unfolding its eternal Principle. Wait patiently on illimitable Love, the lord and giver of Life. Reflect this Life, and with it cometh the full power of being. “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house.”
(Pulpit and Press, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 4:14–15 Each (to ,), 20)

Tonia Benoist

4/10/2020 11:44:30 am

I woke up this morning more determined in my efforts to really KNOW the Truth. After the usual morning routine, I changed from my nighttime ‘jammies’, not into my daytime ones, but into my work attire and got on to the ‘business’ of the day. Struggling against the belief of no employment, I read a line from a poem by Mrs. Eddy, “Work for our glorious cause!“ (Poems, p. 39:15)

My Bible fell open to, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5) And so it is with my job—to make practical the Truth of concrete being, of spiritual man. That is, manifest in thought, an understanding higher than just an “abstract glory.” (Misc, p. 82)

The next statement I read came from Science and Health, “The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, declaring precisely what would destroy sickness, sin, and death, although his teaching set households at variance, and brought to material beliefs not peace, but a sword.” (SH, p. 19:12)

I must admit that this statement has always seemed a bit ‘cryptic’ to me. So, I focused my determination on it for the purpose of clarity. The words, “forbore not to speak the whole truth,” to me, didn’t square with the words, “declaring precisely.” But I quickly I discovered my mistake. He didn’t hold back from speaking the Truth, he held back from NOT speaking the Truth. Instead, he declared PRECISELY the truth required to destroy error. And this is what “set households at variance.”

Thanks to His precise and perpetual unfolding of Truth, Life, and Love, I discovered my individual, spiritual ‘household’ as the reflection of divine Consciousness, expressed as His complete, (but never completed), spiritual idea, man.

Lindsey Roder

4/12/2020 10:01:49 am

Thank you, Tonia! Your insight is so helpful.

This is so powerful...so grateful you shared this: My Bible fell open to, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5) And so it is with my job—to make practical the Truth of concrete being, of spiritual man. That is, manifest in thought, an understanding higher than just an “abstract glory.” (Misc, p. 82)

Tonia Benoist

4/11/2020 02:28:02 pm

This is a really good article by George Shaw Cook, from 1936

Defense against Mass Mesmerism
By George Shaw Cook

From the August 29, 1936 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1936/8/38-52/defense-against-mass-mesmerism

Carrie

4/11/2020 10:43:20 pm

Wow, Tonia --

You're right. That IS a very good article by George Shaw Cook.

Thanks for pointing it out!

Kim link

4/16/2020 05:53:08 am

We talk of knowing that hate, pride, misunderstanding, health, happiness, etc, is not the reality of Life in God, and so it is. We are asking right now that we do not see the evidence of the pandemic; that we do not have the inconveniences and expenses; the all encompassing circumstance of it. The demonstration demands the evidence of harmony in our lives. And it would seem that much of the evidence is-- in the numbers, and sense of harmony in our communities, and the sense of urgency to become whole. The Bible says that all mankind will know and see it also --- not as a curve that is falling, but as the spiritual image and likeness of the "One altogether lovely."
Mark helped me one time, to change a very bad situation, where we had been robbed, completely wiped out. Through prayer, there was a complete 180,-- within a day, all was restored. I learned that day that circumstance, lies, theft, inconvenience and resources are all from and governed by God. I also learned that the sense of peace cannot come from organization of things and people. Organization of things and people must reflect God. Resistance to acknowledging God seems great because of pride, self-aggrandizement and ego.
So, my prayer will be specifically for the recognition of God, and the willingness to follow. Every child follows their Father and Mother. Let us see the world and all in it ,as living obediently, accepting, willingly and cheerfully following the evidence of Divine Love, without question, laying no blame, or desire to be the one to take the credit for it. Glory belongs to God.

Tonia Benoist

4/16/2020 07:10:30 am

Kim, I love this thought! And such an awesome demonstration. The glory TOTALLY belongs to God! And all mankind can see it, and does see it. There is nothing else TO see.

I've been studying along this train of thought today, also.

Tonia Benoist

4/16/2020 07:21:17 am

I've been loving these Bible Lessons from the early days of Christian Science, There are various authors, but I've been mainly reading the ones by F.E. Mason. Here a few of the ideas I found when looking further into concepts presented in this week's lesson, and on the current situation.

PERCEPTION, RECEPTION, CONCEPTION
BY F. E. MASON
From the Christian Science Sentinel - November 1, 2013
Originally published in the August 1, 1890 issue of the Christian Science Series (Vol. 2, No. 7)

"Materiality is a sense—a consciousness—and not a substance. It is subjective—not objective, and must be annihilated from within and not from without."

"Does not the science of Physics teach that no particle of matter is ever lost? It simply changes its manifestation, and though it disappears as one object, it reappears as another. Then it is impossible to destroy the physical world by external means; it must be changed by the renewal of the mind, since matter is but the phenomenon of mortal belief."

BIBLE LESSONS
F. E. MASON, C.S.B.
From the September 1888 issue of The Christian Science Journal

The author refers to the ‘Flight to Egypt’ in this way.
“We must protect this Child-Truth when it is conceived by us, born to our consciousness. Egypt was outside of Herod's jurisdiction, isolated from his dominion. We must keep our sense of Truth hidden from the world's contagion, unknown until the death of Herod (mortal thought), until it is a conscious fact that God is an omnipresent supremacy.”

He then refers, also, to the time Mary and Joseph found Jesus, at age 12, in the temple.

“The meaning of this is obvious: conventional religious people are one day's journey from Christ, — thinking all the while, however, that he is among them. When they miss him, as they purely must, they will vainly search among their creeds, forms, and ritualistic modes of worship. They will then turn about, and seek the Truth which they lack, and they will find it in its fulness in the Temple of the Most High. It was here that Jesus declared it his duty to do his Father's work.”

“Jesus was a spiritual carpenter. During his uninterrupted crusade against error he tore down material structures, and erected spiritual mansions, eternal structures, not made with hands, framing together God's mighty facts, dovetailing truth to truth, mortising life to life, and love to love. Cutting off error, discord and death, planing down the rough places of sense, he succeeded in erecting the platform on which you and I now stand, — an eternal platform, on which eventually all the world must stand."

"The platform of Christian Science, which our Master builded, still upholds the Heavenly mansions. He is still preparing a place for us in the Heavenly Kingdom. Christian Science is the place he promised to prepare for us. He has come again, and is receiving unto himself those who will come, that where he is, there we may be also."

kIM pOLLARD link

4/16/2020 02:12:58 pm

Thanks Tonia,
That is a great example for me!! We are custom window and door contractors. WE plane, join, mortise, stain, and finish all the time!! lol.
It helps to know also, that the qualities and attributes of God always-- ALWAYS do the work specifically for His purpose, with spiritual art and science applicable for it.

Tonia Benoist

4/16/2020 03:22:22 pm

Wow, Kim, how cool is that! I was even thinking, before I went ahead and posted it, that maybe someone of us might be in this line of work, and could relate to this analogy. It really shows that whatever form the spiritual idea appears individually to human consciousness, it’s entire substance, including every detail, is always the perfect action of divine Mind.

Scott Coolidge

4/17/2020 09:33:36 am

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful posts, ideas, and articles. I wanted to pass along the following article that was shared during a recent virtual Wednesday evening testimony meeting at our branch church. It is an inspiring account from a Christian Science "front line" worker during the Spanish Flu:

"A Nurse's Experiences" by A.E. Kathryne Ramer from the Christian Science Sentinel, February 15, 1919

There is also an archived inspirational talk from 2016 by Lona Ingwerson on the Christian Science Broadview website called "Community: It's Essential to Healing."

https://www.csbroadview.org/community-its-essential-to-healing/

One powerful concept that Mark shared in class and his association addresses that I've been praying with is that "there is no corner of thought and no corner of the globe where God isn't All in All."

Grateful for everyone's prayers and love.

Amy M Swick link

4/19/2020 08:10:59 am

I have been affirming the absolute ALLNESS of God. There is truly nothing in this world that can separate any one of His loved children from divinely bestowed good.

Our church is hosting a web-based lecture from Michelle Nanouche, CSB, today at 2pm. Information can be found at this link: https://christianscienceatlanta.com/lecture-april-19-2020/

So much love to everyone!

Katharina Helmick

4/20/2020 04:42:28 pm

Some time ago, Mark pointed a couple of lines of Mrs. Eddy's following poem. I just read in its entirety, and can only say, WOW! I saw a lot that applies for today.
Here it is, from Poems, p. 77.

Our National Thanksgiving Hymn

God of the rolling year! to Thee we
raise
A nation's holiest hymn in grateful
praise!
Plenty and peace abound at Thy behest,
Yet wherefore this Thy love? Thou knowest
best!

Thou who, impartial, blessings spreadst
abroad,
Thou wisdom, Love, and Truth, — divinely
God!
Who giveth joy and tears, conflict and rest,
Teaching us thus of Thee, who knowest best!

Ruler Supreme! to Thee we'll meekly bow,
When we have learned of Truth what Thou
doest now —
Why from this festive hour some dear lost
guest
Bears hence its sunlit glow — Thou knowest
best!

How have our honored dead fought on in
gloom!
Peace her white wings will spread over their
tomb;
Why waited their reward, triumph and rest,
Till molds the hero form? Thou knowest
best!

Shades of our heroes! the Union now is one,
The star whose destiny none may outrun;
Tears of the bleeding slave poured on her
breast,
When to be wiped away, Thou knowest best!

Thou who in the Christ hallowed its grief, —
O meekest of mourners, while yet the chief, —
Give to the pleading hearts comfort and rest,
In that benediction which knoweth best!

Lynn, Mass., December 7, 1865.

Lindsey A. Roder

4/21/2020 08:58:44 am

“THINK ON THESE THINGS”

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
(Philippians 4:4–8)

SPIRITUAL MAN (WHAT WE ARE – THIS INCLUDES ALL, COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY)
- Infinitely progressive
- Born of God, spiritual
- Emanation
- Reflection of immortal Mind
- Unfoldment of All Life, Truth, Love
- Unlimited Consciousness of Good
- Incorporeal, immortal
- Peaceful
- Eternal,
- Christlike, goodwill toward mankind
- Universally loving, love our neighbor as ourselves
- One in Being, Oneness with Divine Love, Spirit
- Steadfast, Unselfed
- Innocent, Refuse the evil and choose the good
- All Needs Met

MORTAL MAN (WHAT WE ARE NOT – THE LIE THAT DECEIVES TO BE CAST OUT)
- Willful
- Corporeal
- Separate from God and each other
- Personal tyrant
- Narrow minded, limited
- Hateful
- Fearful
- Guilty, Victimized
- Conceited
- Condemning
- Discouraged
- Stubborn, resistant
- Chained to a material personality
- Sick, sinful, subject to mortality

“One thing I have greatly desired, and again earnestly request, namely, that Christian Scientists, here and elsewhere, pray daily for themselves; not verbally, nor on bended knee, but mentally, meekly, and importunately. When a hungry heart petitions the divine Father-Mother God for bread, it is not given a stone, — but more grace, obedience, and love. If this heart, humble and trustful, faithfully asks divine Love to feed it with the bread of heaven, health, holiness, it will be conformed to a fitness to receive the answer to its desire; then will flow into it the “river of His pleasure,” the tributary of divine Love, and great growth in Christian Science will follow, — even that joy which finds one's own in another's good. ...

... The human heart, like a feather bed, needs often to be stirred, sometimes roughly, and given a variety of turns, else it grows hard and uncomfortable whereon to repose.

... Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

With love, Mother,
Mary Baker G. Eddy

Chapter V Letters
(Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 127:7, 31; 128:11–0)

4/22/2020 07:18:14 am

As the tide turns on this thing...and it is turning...I'm thinking more about interactions that people are having with each other. I'm thinking of the range of belief systems about what to do/not do about the re-opening of society.
And I'm reading on pg. 514 of S&H about "moral courage," particularly about being free, fearless, undisturbed, carrying stern resolve-all accompanied by tenderness.
Daniel with the lions, and Paul with the vipers knew Love to have control over all.
My favorite thought in all of this is, "The individuality created by God is not carnivorous."
We simply can't eat each other.
Love reigns and must restore harmony.

Lindsey A. Roder

4/22/2020 08:14:08 am

I’ve found a lot of inspiration in an article called,

The Resurrection: Promise of Universal Peace
INMAN H. DOUGLASS
From the April 1967 issue of The Christian Science Journal

The article starts out with this question:

“Universal peace. Can it ever be attained on this planet, in this age? Or is it a state capable of being attained only hereafter in another world? To the truly Christian thinker everywhere there can be no slightest doubt that the goal of universal peace not only is attainable here but that Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has clearly charted the way. It is a question, not of when or where, but of how. And the Master gave the complete answer to this perplexing question.”

The author goes on to say,

“Universal peace is the consciousness of the unopposed reign of absolute good. The realization and attainment of this divinely mental state must be the goal of humanity if Isaiah's vision of world amity is ever to come to pass. He says of God, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

The article also quotes this beautiful statement from The People’s Idea of God, written by Mrs. Eddy.

"Proportionately as the people's belief of God, in every age, has been dematerialized and unfinited has their Deity become good; no longer a personal tyrant or a molten image, but the divine Life, Truth, and Love,—life without beginning or ending, Truth without a lapse or error, and Love universal, infinite, eternal. This more perfect idea, held constantly before the people's mind, must have a benign and elevating influence upon the character of nations as well as individuals, and will lift man ultimately to the understanding that our ideals form our characters, that as a man 'thinketh in his heart, so is he."7

I've seen in my own experience that in proportion as we see God as good will we see Him as infinite, and this will be reflected in our human experience through Christian healing.

Tonia Benoist

4/22/2020 10:02:18 am

This is very good stuff! I'm reading these two passages now. I want to share with you, too, an article I've been reading. It was written by Mary Baker Eddy, called, LIFE.

One paragraph in particular that I really liked is this one:

"The side of nature which seems to the senses matter is but the veil that hides the reality of being; the visible universe is but the picture of the mind's ideas, the expression of thoughts, the hieroglyphic record of the art and meditation of Deity. In the words of Starr King, "There is not a planet that wheels a tiny circle around its controlling flame, not a sun that sheds its steady radiance upon the dark depths of neighboring space, not a comet that rushes through its excentric track, not a constellation among all that hang like fantastic chandeliers upon the dome of heaven, that is not the visible statement of a conception which dwells in the Omnipotent Mind. It is through the silent command of Mind that the morning light bursts like a wave of glory over the orderly universe."

Lindsey A. Roder

4/22/2020 01:59:50 pm

WOW! Just read LIFE by MBE. Very insightful sermon, Tonia. Thank you so much for sharing. This really stood out to me in bright lights: "Truth and Life understood cast out error, heal the sick, raise the dead, and this demonstration brings to light the Truth of Life and the Life of Truth.....It is through the silent command of Mind that the morning light bursts like a wave of glory over the orderly universe."

I've been studying references to the word "veil" over the past few weeks and it's really insightful to see how it is used in the Bible and Science & Health.

Tonia Benoist

4/22/2020 09:25:16 am

I would like to say how much I appreciate all the items posted on this blog. I look here every day, more than once or twice, for something new. All that I’ve read has been helpful, and encouraging. I’ve been able to give more thought to many new ideas which, in turn, have lifted me higher in understanding. ‘One with God is a majority,’ but it’s sure nice to know that others are working and praying, too. Thanks to everyone!

Diane C

4/22/2020 11:38:48 am

“When from the lips of Truth one mighty breath
Shall, like a whirlwind, scatter in its breeze
The whole dark pile of human mockeries;
Then shall the reign of Mind commence on earth,
And starting fresh, as from a second birth,
Man in the sunshine of the world's new spring,
Shall walk transparent like some holy thing.”
(Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 51:22)

Since today is Earth Day, I was looking at some quotes about earth, and I found this. Although earth is often alluded to as the material (therefore nothing), I think this comment on earth illustrates with so much hope the vision of a new 'earth' which includes no belief of the error such as a pandemic. It is a new spring!

Kim Pollard link

4/23/2020 05:05:11 am

Diane, I have that poem hanging in my office. It reminds me that every manifestation we encounter was seen before and has grown and learned more of it's spiritual source.

Tonia Benoist

4/23/2020 07:58:24 am

I read something many years ago, but I have no idea where it came from. It was probably from one of the periodicals, or a lecture.

'ERROR CANNOT DO SOMETHING QUICKLY, WHICH TAKES GOD A LONG TIME TO UN-DO.'

Kim Pollard link

4/25/2020 06:59:34 am

I had a thought today about the rule of law, as in Federal and State and Local government, the constitution: What do I really expect from them and their representatives, and as a practicing Christian Scientist, what am I responsible for?

After some personal observation here in small town USA, it would seem some people think a government should be the smallest it can possibly be, with rules, ostensibly which the people have set-up expressly to maintain peace, order, safety and protection, and using those indelible rules to bring quick justice. Government should be there to respond to behavior, not to dictate it. While other people seem to think a government should be not responding to behavior of the populous, but giving them the rules, again ostensibly which the people have set up, so that all types of behavior is mitigated, with the goal of maintaining peace, order, safety and protection.

Assuming my thesis is acceptable, there are two things I notice immediately: first, and obviously, in either case, the rules by which we govern must be agreed to, and willingly followed and obeyed as they have been established. Those rules must be strong and provide action; understanding of conditions and provide aid; easy to follow and provide guidance. Of course, this is simplistic but hopefully helps get the point across. So the second thing I notice is, all the rules,-- established by people from the past, who are no longer here and can’t see our circumstance,-- on either side of that fence, so far seem to be doing very well. So, why have our debates and contests become so vicious?

Below are 5 statements. How would you pray and do a treatment for each of them? Would you like to change an assumption? Would you ask a different question? If you are interested, write a response. I will put up my treatment when I’m done, too!

If I personally don’t like that rule, is there a way to skirt to system?

Selfishness and dissatisfaction are the reasons we fight.

Blame is the cause of dissension.

Fear of losing a good law and replacing it with a bad law, and ruining the country seems very real.

Distrust in the integrity of the people within the governmental system, is the reason we fight.

~marilyn

4/25/2020 12:40:52 pm

Hi Kim: This isn't in direct response to your questions, just a thought that started developing while I was reading your entry.

I thought of how just one guy (no voting) came down from a mountain with 10 rules for our behaviour.

I thought about how well things went for the people when they obeyed those rules, starting shorty thereafter and continuing episodically throughout history, and alternatively how badly things went when they were ignored, or when the government (God) was thought to be insufficient and was replaced by something flashier and more trendy.

I might think of gently asking any people who identify as Christian if they thought God made a mistake in trying to dictate our behaviour.
And I would pray to know that no one, anywhere, for any reason, can not hear that still, small voice that will bring peace.

Kim Pollard link

4/26/2020 06:20:34 am

I had some of those same thoughts about the 10 commandments. In addition, the sermon on the mount, and indeed the book of Acts is instructive.
And here's a passing thought.,... I wonder if Jesus wanted to NOT know the law and the future as badly as we want to know it.

Lindsey A. Roder

4/29/2020 03:51:10 pm

Hi Kim! This is such a good topic. Thank you so much for bringing it up. I find myself thinking so many good things to write.

One of the most powerful statements of Truth that I love is:
“God creates all forms of reality. His thoughts are spiritual realities.”
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 513:26–27)

The starting point of my treatment is to see those five points as false suggestions only, with no reality, presence, or rule. We can authoritatively dismiss them as never-present falsities. Matter is lawless. It has no laws. It suggests that Spirit and its laws can be changed, altered, broken. But we know that Spirit, its laws and its manifestation, is perfect, eternal, and must be fulfilled.

“I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.” Christ Jesus
“Love is the fulfilling of the law.” St. Paul

Begin Rightly - Start with Truth
The allness of Spirit and man as the idea of Love is the only reality and must fulfill itself eternally. This exposes the nothingness of material personality.

What is the lie of the serpent in Genesis II?
The fear of separation from God, good.
The fear of sinning could deceive one into thinking he is a mortal. Afraid of being exposed to sin and of sinning, he goes with the flow of mortal thought.

Thankfully, Mary Baker Eddy discovered the Truth which exposes and eliminates this fear of separation and unveil's the reign of divine Love taught by Christ Jesus.

Daniel; Shadrack, Meshak and Abednego; and Christ Jesus had no fear of sinning, because they worshipped the one true God, Spirit, not matter. They proved radical reliance on the fact that God is Love, and that God’s Law of Love delivers without fail every time. Why? How? Because of man’s unassailable innocence as the perfect child of God, Spirit.

“That evil or matter has neither intelligence nor power, is the doctrine of absolute Christian Science, and this is the great truth which strips all disguise from error... Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 454:11, 18–19)

Truth of Being
In reality, all the knowing, all the righteousness, all the activity, all the intelligence, all the presence is Spirit, Love and its idea, its emanation, its expression.

The unchangeable divine intelligence of a “tender, loving Shepherd” and a “gentle presence” which we call Father-Mother God, overrules the fear of sin, including selfishness, separateness, blame, shame, dissension, and conflict.

“God is Love.” More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go."
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 6:17)

Kim Pollard link

5/1/2020 08:12:47 am

Hi Lindsey,
I didn't see your comment until today. Very Helpful! The thing I like the best about this blog, is seeing how very focused and determined everyone is on what is Good, True, Eternal, and are using the certainty to be applicable to every situation. No Bland denials here!!

Tonia Benoist

4/25/2020 10:51:16 pm

Kim, I came across an article by Annie Knott, written in 1910 that appears to address many of the ideas you brought up in your post. The article is called, REASON AND CONSCIENCE. It's really very good. I think you'll like it.

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy says, "God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience" (p. 106). It is very significant that reason and conscience are thus linked together and their vital relation to each other shown, the more so since many have held very hazy views as to the function of conscience, some thinkers regarding it as a propelling, not a directing force in human consciousness. Webster informs us that as science means knowledge, it follows, etymologically, that conscience means self-knowledge. He defines conscience as "the faculty, power, or inward principle which decides as to the character of one's own actions, purposes, and affections, warning against and condemning that which is wrong, and approving and prompting that which is right." There are numerous references to conscience in the New Testament, especially in Paul's writings, the most familiar passage being that in which he speaks of the one whose "weak" conscience is defiled by his partaking of that which is offered to an idol, and also of those who have "their conscience seared with a hot iron." Again, in Hebrews, we find the fervent desire expressed that our conscience may be purified "from dead works to serve the living God."

In Christian Science conscience might be defined as the faculty which responds to the demands of divine Principle, or to be more accurate, that which is conscious of such demands. A nature which had no sense of the demands of justice, of truth, or of right, would tend toward annihilation, for evil is not self-preservative but self-destructive. An enlightened conscience, on the other hand, would prove an awakened spiritual nature, responsive to the requirements of divine law; whereas, the one whose reason and conscience were divorced would be swayed by fear, superstition, and the tyranny of man-made creeds and dogmas. Such an one would need to have his conscience purged from "dead works," that he might truly serve God and the cause of righteousness.

If the whole desire is to know the will of God and to do it, obedience must and will follow, and this will of necessity bring greater and greater enlightenment. One of the greatest miseries of mortal experience is the uncertainty as to what is right on many occasions, but there can be no uncertainty in the divine Mind, to which we have continual access, and to the extent that we reflect this Mind our sense of uncertainty vanishes, and we shall do all things to the glory of God. Our first duty, then, is to do what our revered Leader has said in her beautiful hymn (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 398),--

I will listen for Thy voice,
Lest my footsteps stray;

the next is to obey, whatever the demand of Truth may be, for it is ready obedience which quickens the inner ear to hear the voice of God.

No one would question that the harmonious action of reason and conscience constitutes a healthful mental and moral condition, but Christian Science has revealed the fact that this includes a healthful physical condition as well. The "self-government" of which Mrs. Eddy speaks as a divine endowment, is found to extend to all within the area of human experience, and the conscience which is "void of offense toward God, and toward men" (to quote Paul again), aids in propelling even the bodily activities toward health and harmony, while the spiritually enlightened reason directs thought toward perfection in all things. Fear is not a factor in this scientific process, but instead of it there comes an ever greater assurance that

The hand which bears creation up,
Shall guard His children well.

Kim link

4/26/2020 08:33:09 am

Yep, that says is very well. The part that says, "One of the greatest miseries of mortal experience is the uncertainty as to what is right on many occasions, but there can be no uncertainty in the divine Mind, to which we have continual access, and to the extent that we reflect this Mind our sense of uncertainty vanishes, and we shall do all things to the glory of God," Is the part that gives me the most peace. The "mankind" we see now, groping for guidance in numbers, are like the group at Lazarus's grave, as shown in the bible lesson this week. So sure they saw Jesus cry for the loss of Lazarus--- when he was crying for them. That's I how I feel most of the time... like crying for those people who cannot feel the peace and know the assurance of All powerful divine Love. But reading the lovely comments you all are leaving is so inspiring. Thank you so very much.

Randy

4/27/2020 06:49:05 pm

During a recent 'Saturday School' conference call hosted by an area branch church, we noted that a variation of the phrase "kingdom of God" appeared 25+ times in that weeks' lesson on Atonement and it was pointed our that:

- The "kingdom of God" is reality. It is within our own conciousness. In Luke, Christ states "the kingdom of God is within you."
- There are 2 types of thoughts trying to enter our conciousness:
1) God's thoughts; or
2) All other thoughts.

At-one-ment with God means only admitting his thoughts--standing porter at the door to our conciousness--making moment by moment choices as to what we are willing to acknowedge as true about us and others. God made man in his image and likeness and we need to see the reality of that to demonstrate it.

Many years ago I had a demonstration where I understood Mrs. Eddy's statement regarding "intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruiton and reality," as 6 ascending steps. It involved a much welcomed career advancement to another company that began with an intuition that I might be able to meet their needs and they mine. It then progressed through hope, faith, etc. so that this May 1st will be my 14th anniversary. As the world has advanced from the first intuition of a pandemic, it is important for us to maintain our hope and faith that we will move through the understanding phase of solutions to fruition and the reality of the kingdom of God. That reality is not a disrupted universe.

During the panedmic I have repurposed what was my morning commute time to reflect on the Lord's Prayer in which the Christ declares "Thy kingdom come & Thine is the kingdom." The reality is that we are living in God's kingdom, he is in control--his (and our) universe cannot be a overthrown by a bacteria.

kim link

4/28/2020 04:44:58 am

Wow, Randy,
Thank you for reminding me of the idea of the ascending steps. This was very helpful.

Beatrix Ince

4/28/2020 05:24:39 am

"Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way."
(SH 454:18–19)

Tonia Benoist

4/29/2020 07:12:00 am

I think this is a good and relevant article to share. It's called,
Spiritual Alertness Antidotes Apathy by W. STUART BOOTH and is from the March 28, 1942 Sentinel. Here's a little excerpt.

Doubtless if Paul were personally with us today he would voice a similar and perhaps an even more rousing appeal to Christian believers, for the world is facing a most flagrant and far-reaching attempt at mass mesmerism, which aims to stupefy, intimidate, dominate, and enslave men and nations. In spite of repeated instances of duplicity and deceit, tyranny and terrorism, achieving temporary advantage and accomplishment, some men and nations have indicated that they are handled by the same claim of mesmerism, for they have endeavored to build around themselves a mental wall of selfish isolationism instead of recognizing that, as the Bible states (Romans 14:7), "None of us liveth to himself."

Christian Science, the Science of right thinking and living, shows how each of us can, and in fact must, eventually have the Mind that was in Christ Jesus; how we may think as the master Metaphysician would think under such circumstances. Like our Exemplar, we can and must fearlessly face up to and denounce as false and powerless every phase of evil, be it blatant, boastful, and threatening, or subtle, beguiling, and deceitful. This leads us to recognize and consistently acknowledge that good alone is inevitable. With an assurance born of Christianly scientific demonstration, Mrs. Eddy gives us both direction and encouragement in these words in Science and Health (p. 571): "At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity."

Mary

5/9/2020 06:39:12 am

Thank you, Tonia,

I, too, was inspired recently by an article written with attention to a different time period. The article, “God’s Elect,” published in 1933, challenges the tendency to look towards human government for leadership, responsibility, or blame. It included this:

“Wherever the human recognizes and yields to the divine, salvation occurs. And divine Love compels such awakening in spite of mental darkness in order that God's will, being done in the earth as in heaven, may appear to men.”

I appreciated the reminder that divine salvation comes instantaneously and to all.

Tonia Benoist

5/12/2020 02:14:48 am

Thank you, Mary, for sharing this. If I didn't know, I would have believed it was written for today.

I've read and listened to it several times now for a reassuring reminder that "the Christ is . . . an irresistible influence ever present with men, . . . and that there "is no secret chamber of deliberations where its influence is not present. . . and that it cannot be banished."

Hilary Palanza

5/2/2020 08:51:20 pm

I was recently battling thoughts and frustrations regarding the required vaccinations for our newborn in the state of California. Reaching out to Mark for support, I was reminded of God, or Mind, being the only reality, and that we are really only ever battling suggestions that there are other powers or something real to overcome. Our newborn was showing signs of “side effects” after we came home from the shots being administered. I remembered what Mark had reminded me of - and listened for God’s voice with full trust I would hear what I needed to. She told me this: “Hilary, I AM: magnificent, beautiful Divine Mind, reigning Supreme.” This angel message came to me several times over, like a wonderful chorus. The message ruled out any other thought being present in my thought. Our baby fell asleep and all sense of frustration and judgement left.

Heather Libbe

5/13/2020 06:31:40 am

Thank you so much, Hillary, for sharing this beautiful testimony!

km pollard link

5/3/2020 07:07:18 pm

I have been struggling with the idea that there is an “us and them;” or an authority that is sometimes aware and other times not aware of the issues most people face; and that there could be many people willing, ready and able to take villainous or nefarious advantage any situation. But also, I am concerned that the rule of law is being subverted, usurped and often inverted. I recently made a post that asked the questions below;

If I personally don’t like that rule, is there a way to skirt the system?

Selfishness and dissatisfaction are the reasons we fight.

Blame is the cause of dissension.

Fear of losing a good law and replacing it with a bad law, and ruining our country, seems very real.

Distrust in the integrity of people within government is the reason we fight.

I’m adding another question: how to pray for a change of thought during this time, away from what we are seemingly influenced to think, fearfully believe, no one can be well unless all are well because the sickness is catching and we are all liable for the sickness.... Liable for its transmittal, liable for its sequester, liable for assured mutual destruction.

My spiritual sense knows every statement above is not true. Since the time I posted, I have seen many answers and had a few demonstrations to prove again the allness of God. Here is my treatment: I always set up a Truth and Error table when I do a treatment. The statements above are the error and here are the statements of truth.
The Truth
The mandate of the Divine Mind is progress.

All things work together for good, to them that love God.

Ego is Mind with a Principled behavior

Nothing can be put to or taken from the law of God.

Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation or object.

The topic that has the most impact on my thought is Progress as a Mandate. Combining progress with a mandate is genius, because it forces everything within the systems of divinity, to achieve a higher, better and permanent spiritual recognition. The Bible Says, every knee shall bow, and every voice shall swear. So, the mandate of progress is specifically the ever-occurring recognition of the Science of Being, which begins with perfection and grows, still perfect, to the understanding of eternity. Understanding spirituality only, would be like kindergarten--- spirituality is the basic fact of your identity, like the abc’s. Praying for a whole world which has not asked for my prayer, which has the belief of liability for health and quality of life as based in matter; which does not have an understanding of God as a universal power, is only possible when it is viewed from the perfect standpoint of assured mutual progress!

Mark gave us this essay about praying for others, during my class time. The last paragraph lovingly reminds us that we are to pray for ourselves, see the truth and recognize the eternal law of love in every moment of every second of our day. That is the way we show the truth. By recognition!! No wonder it says that God is doing the work!! Here's what Mark wrote:

How much can we pray for other people without their request and without interfering with their thought?
Mary Baker Eddy addressed the issue this way: "As a rule, one has no more right to enter the mind of a person, stir, upset, and adjust his thoughts without his knowledge or consent, than one has to enter a house, unlock the desk, displace the furniture, and suit one's self in the arrangement and management of another man's property" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 283). This is why I like to ask myself, "What do I think about the situation?" That way, if it's only my thoughts that I'm addressing, I know I'm not interfering with anyone else's.
And Mrs. Eddy's life of healing others is a testament to the fact that one does not in fact need to "enter the mind of a person" in order to heal them. There were times when she would just see someone on the street, and although the individual had not specifically asked her to pray, her altitude of thought brought healing. One account is found in the biography Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer: "One day when Mrs. Eddy was taking her daily drive, she passed an old acquaintance on the street. He could scarcely walk with a cane, but her sense of God and perfect man was so strong that he was healed" (p. 278).
Sometimes the individual praying simply realizes that the only presence and authority is God. To the degree that our thoughts simply reflect divinity, the law and power of God embrace and affect everyone and everything we come in contact with. This is how Christ Jesus healed multitudes without praying individually for each person involved. It's like opening the shades in a dark room--one person does the opening, yet everyone in the room benefits from the light. We can, and actually should, behold the allness of God wherever we go. The world is demanding it.
Mark Swinney
Albuquerque, New Mexico, US

I&rs

Jeffrey

5/13/2020 09:06:26 pm

Thank you very much for this Kim, it is very helpful. - Jeffrey

Lindsey A. Roder

5/17/2020 09:28:25 am

I've been thinking a lot about how Paul and Silas were freed from the innermost chambers of prison by singing praises to God. This brought them into a new understanding of Life in Spirit.

In the place where I live, there is an atmosphere of freedom and rejoicing, of gratitude for self-government and a resumption of business and activity. There's also a contrasting mortal opinion that this rejoicing is presumptive, chaotic, drunken, uncertain, and will be penalized by increased sickness in the future.

I've been focusing my prayer on knowing that all men have One Mind, live in Spirit, and are governed by divine Principle, Love. I'm grateful to say that I have seen the "beauty, grandeur, order" of man self-governed by His divine Principle, Love, and that no mortal belief can trespass on Love and the rights of man as the child of God. I've witnessed harmony, meekness, temperance, Soul, which is Truth, and which I feel is real and right. This has allowed me to see that what is real and right in my experience is true for all, and is a law of annihilation to any false presentation of discord, sickness, drunkenness, mortality.

Mrs. Eddy says in The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, "The chain of Christian unity, unbroken, stretches across the sea and rises upward to the realms of incorporeal Life — even to the glorious beatitudes of divine Love. Striving to be good, to do good, and to love our neighbor as ourself, man's soul is safe; man emerges from mortality and receives his rights inalienable — the love of God and man. What holds us to the Christian life is the seven-fold shield of honesty, purity, and unselfed love."
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 200:11–19 The)

I have also found beautiful inspiration in an article called "Songs at Midnight" from the September 14, 2009 issue of The Christian Science Sentinel.

https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2009/9/111-37/songs-at-midnight

Here's the concluding paragraph:
"Christ, the Counsel who argues on behalf of Love, Truth, Life, transforms thought. Christ lifts hearts and destroys darkness. Each of us can know this presence and bless ourselves and others by its unquenchable light."

Heather K. Libbe

5/18/2020 09:30:24 am

Though I am still needing to continue to practice this, I hope this serves as encouragement:

A practitioner of Christian Science healing once spoke with me once about the concept of preponderance in relation to the following passage from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy:

If the scales are evenly adjusted, the removal of a single weight from either scale gives preponderance to the opposite. -pg 168:4-6

At the time, as I believe I was frustrated to not be at 100% Truth all the time in my thinking, her sharing that preponderance, simply meaning a majority, could mean even just 51% Truth to tip the scale, was encouraging.

I was grateful to see it work shortly thereafter one morning, as I was struggling to get through my metaphysical work; it just seemed I wasn't making any progress in my prayer. However, as I turned to reviewing some of the attributes of God, as I had been doing systematically at the time, all of a sudden, as I read just one attribute, it was as if I had dropped a rock on one side of a scale and everything I had been experiencing, which before had seemed so heavy, became equivalent to the weight of feathers. And that was it!

Here are a few other related ideas:

It is possible, and it is man's duty, so to throw the weight of his thoughts and acts on the side of Truth, that he be ever found in the scale with his creator; not weighing equally with Him, but comprehending at every point, in divine Science, the full significance of what the apostle meant by the declaration, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 46:16–25)

Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 192:21–23)

Selfishness tips the beam of human existence towards the side of error, not towards Truth. Denial of the oneness of Mind throws our weight into the scale, not of Spirit, God, good, but of matter. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 205:28)

The human mind acts more powerfully to offset the discords of matter and the ills of flesh, in proportion as it puts less weight into the material or fleshly scale and more weight into the spiritual scale. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 155:21–25)

Lindsey A. Roder

5/18/2020 11:36:47 am

My prayer has led me to handle allaying fear regarding government.

Some good lectures are "Who's in Control?" by Charles Ferris, CSB and the "Origin and Power of Thought" by Paul Stark Seely.

There is also a wonderful audio CD and pamphlet on "Government" that is available on JSH and in Reading Rooms.

Some ideas I have been working with on freedom and self-government by divine Principle:

Gal. 5:13

For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Acts 22

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. ...I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, ...
Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom.
And Paul said, But I was free born.

Here's the full story: (Acts 22:1, 3 (to 2nd ,), 3–16 and, 19, 22–24, 27, 28)

SH 106:6

Like our nation, Christian Science has its Declaration of Independence. God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.

SH 79:17–18 The

The Apostle Paul bade men have the Mind that was in the Christ.

SH 105:10–11

Can matter commit a crime? Can matter be punished?

SH 468:9–10 There

There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter.

SH 280:1–10

In the infinitude of Mind, matter must be unknown. Symbols and elements of discord and decay are not products of the infinite, perfect, and eternal All. From Love and from the light and harmony which are the abode of Spirit, only reflections of good can come. All things beautiful and harmless are ideas of Mind. Mind creates and multiplies them, and the product must be mental.

Finite belief can never do justice to Truth in any direction.

SH 34:5–8 (to ;)

If Christ,Truth, has come to us in demonstration, no other commemoration is requisite, for demonstration is Immanuel, or God with us;

Lindsey A. Roder

5/19/2020 10:52:50 am

Here are the links to the lectures that I referenced in my post:

https://cslectures.org/ferris/whos-in-control-ferris.htm
https://cslectures.org/seeley/cs-the-healing-power-of-true-consciousness-seeley.htm
https://cslectures.org/seeley/the-origin-and-power-of-thought-seeley.htm

And here's another good one to share. Norman Holmes was a chaplain in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s and 60s. My father met him when he first enlisted as a sailor at Great Lakes Naval base. Mr. Holmes became his teacher and mentor and friend to our family.

This is from a lecture called, "The Answer to Despair."
'Don't look down' by Norman B. Holmes, CSB

Some years ago when I was sailing in the Pacific, one of the crew was painting the top of the mainmast. Suddenly the line supporting him gave way. He avoided a fall by quickly grasping the rigging into which he was thrown. Looking down at the sea below, he was unable to move, paralyzed with fear. The first mate shouted to him from the deck, "Don't look down. Look up, look up." Looking up, the man was soon able to make his way through the rigging to safety.

When we're confronted by some desperate set of circumstances, how often do we find ourselves looking down, fixed on the problem, paralyzed with fear. It may be illness, insecurity, unemployment, loneliness that hypnotizes us. But at such times many have found a sure way out. Instead of being immobilized by the problem, they've learned to look up. They've learned to place their reliance on a higher power, on the infinite goodness of God as the great first and only cause.

This is how Paul put it: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

This is the answer to any problem confronting us. Find that we live and move and have our being in God. Stop looking down, deep into some problem. Look up. Look to the one cause, the infinite power of the almighty God. Find our basic spiritual being in the infinite goodness of all-encompassing Spirit — always unfolding man in perfect harmony, in perfect health, in perfect wholeness, with certain, unerring direction.

https://cslectures.org/holmes/the-answer-to-despair-holmes.htm

Linda Read link

5/20/2020 06:56:19 am

“The precinct of human consciousness is the sole battleground and in it we first distill every case down to a simple lie.” This statement caught my attention. Working throughout this year, I recognize error to be only lies, illusions and suggestions with it’s only playground... to pull from your words “human consciousness”.
We reside in the atmosphere of Divine Love. I took to heart such statements as “For in him we live and move and have our being” ( In Acts 17:28, “him” meaning God) and “ In atmosphere of Love divine we live and move and breathe” (hymn 144). Safely securely there, there isn’t room for anything unlike God good. I daily walk with these companions. Thank you.

kim link

5/22/2020 04:28:00 am

I had an argument with myself the other day. It went like this:Everyone else is imposing their will on me to stay home, to be afraid with a "healthy fear" of a virus. Stupid decisions have taken my ability to earn a living away from me. I'm not afraid. So, why are they. Then I realized it is the same argument I had in my last post

Us and Them again. But actually is more ME--Me--Me! Lol.

There is only God.

Lindsey

6/2/2020 02:43:26 pm

Kim. I know just what you mean and I love your honesty and humility. An article that was shared with me, which I have found helpful is called, One "Us", by Skip Phinney from the June 1985 Journal.

https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1985/6/103-6/one-us

Tonia Benoist

6/2/2020 11:45:12 am

I was reading the lesson today, and started to think about how the stories in each section, as well as the listing of the Beatitudes seem to include an idea of ‘unfoldment’.

Even though I only found the word ‘unfold’ two times, this idea might, also, be expressed in other ways, such as open the way, opened the prison doors, open you the windows of heaven, opens the petals, open valley, stretch forth, germinate, prophesy.

The significance I relate it to is similar to watching a movie, or listening to a symphony. For example, I get more interested in a movie as the plot begins to unfold. A symphony, too, is appreciated more as the whole piece unfolds. They are already complete before I get there, I’m just enjoying, or witnessing, their unfoldment.

While working and praying for a more spiritual idea of what error seems to be claiming during these past few days, I’m thinking more about how the reversal of material testimony unfolds and reveals the presence only of spiritual Truth.

“Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.” (SH p. 506:18)

Beatrix

6/2/2020 11:53:11 am

Dear Tonia, that’s exactly the passage from the Bible Lesson that stood out to me today:
“Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.” (SH p. 506:18)
God unfolds the current, yet unformed thoughts of justice and righteousness into their proper form and expression like the petals of a beautiful flower: peacefully, steadily, unstoppable and completely!

Tonia Benoist

6/2/2020 11:59:00 am

Oops! Forgot one paragraph.

An article by F.E. Mason, from JSH Online, gives new understanding to me about the wisdom Jesus expressed by the order in which the Beatitudes are listed. The author puts it this way:

"That kingdom must be sought in our present condition. "Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven," was our Master's petition.

When man is poor in spirit, he will mourn. He will exhibit meekness; will hunger and thirst after righteousness; will be merciful and pure in heart."

Lindsey Roder

6/2/2020 02:27:52 pm

Yes! I've been thinking along these same lines too. One of my favorite articles from class is "Being is Unfoldment," which describes the law behind Christian Science healing. When we know what Mind knows it is enough to know it will bless all!

One of the qualities of Mind that I'm loving to learn more about today is omniscience.

The definition of "omniscient" in Webster's Dictionary is "having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight; possessed of universal or complete knowledge."

The examples given in this dictionary definition are: "the omniscient God." "The narrator who tell us about the characters and their relations."

Love is not only omnipotent and ever-present, but omniscient, too! Therefore, all must know and feel what this Mind of Love knows and feels. Love's reflection includes all, so universal and infinite is Love!

Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.”
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 13:2)

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:6, 7)

Tonia Benoist

6/2/2020 06:32:39 pm

Lindsey, I am really struggling this week at keeping my thought higher than what I’m hearing and seeing of the news reports. I am, also, considering often these characteristics, and the nature, of God as Life, Truth, Love, Mind, Principle.

Essentially, I figure that with Omniscient Mind being the source and expression of all knowing, it just follows that there is nothing else TO know. As Omnipresence means the only presence, then nothing else IS or CAN be present. And that since Omnipotence is the ONLY power or potency, there’s no room for another power TO exist. God is the ONLY Cause.

In the lesson this week, MBE says: "I hope, dear reader, I am leading you into the understanding of your divine rights, your heaven-bestowed harmony, — that, as you read, you see there is no cause (outside of erring, mortal, material sense which is not power) able to make you sick or sinful; and I hope that you are conquering this false sense."

Not sure I’m stating this correctly, but I have been working daily to conquer this false sense, and trying to ‘look out FROM Mind,’ and to realize that outside of this one and only Cause, which is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, there is, in fact, nothing that can even CLAIM to call itself real.

Lindsey

6/2/2020 07:04:18 pm

Tonia, I love how you said, "there is, in fact, nothing that can even CLAIM to call itself real" There is such peace and comfort in that.

From MBE: "Wholly apart from this mortal dream, this illusion and delusion of sense, Christian Science comes to reveal man as God's image, His idea, coexistent with Him — God giving all and man having all that God gives. Whence, then, came the creation of matter, sin, and death, mortal pride and power, prestige or privilege? The First Commandment of the Hebrew Decalogue, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and the Golden Rule are the all-in-all of Christian Science. They are the spiritual idealism and realism which, when realized, constitute a Christian Scientist, heal the sick, reform the sinner, and rob the grave of its victory. The spiritual understanding which demonstrates Christian Science, enables the devout Scientist to worship, not an unknown God, but Him whom, understanding even in part, he continues to love more and to serve better.
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 5:7)

I love how Mrs. Eddy reassures us that understanding - even in part- causes us to love God more and serve Him better.

In addition to reading the Bible and Science & Health, and Mrs. Eddy's Prose Works, one resource on JSH is an author by the name of Julia M. Johnston. She lived through The Great Depression and WWII so you know she speaks from experience. She wrote an article called THIS WORLD OF INFINITE LOVE. It's from a pamphlet called "I was there."

A few days ago, I was reading Mark's article, Truth's brightness and brilliance, in which this statement is made: "Consider how, right in this moment, the light of Truth is flooding your consciousness. Responding to this light of divine Truth can heal you." This applies to everyone!

Tonia Benoist

6/5/2020 04:12:11 pm

“We ought to obey God rather than men.” As part of my prayer and study this week, I’ve been trying to practice the instruction of reversing the false belief, whenever I see or hear disturbing reports happening in the country, and rising “above the testimony of the material senses, above the mortal to the immortal idea of God.” (SH p. 262:10–14)

MBE states that, “God has built a higher platform of human rights, and He has built it on diviner claims,” not on a system of rules or beliefs. Divine Principle’s ‘platform’ on the human level must be the “demonstration of “on earth peace, good-will toward men,” and the daily practice of guarding our thought as the “persecutor of Truth and Love,” the error of belief in more than one mind, persistently attempts “to hold Spirit in the grasp of matter.”

So, daily, and sometimes, several times a day, I am turning my thought toward Spirit and away from matter. The truth of man, inclusive of the universe, is the full and complete idea of Itself, divine Mind, the Only Cause, the Only Creator. There can only be one right and real thought about man because there is only One Mind to think it.

Tonia Benoist

6/5/2020 05:04:41 pm

Ooops!!! I'm re-posting the last paragraph of the one above because I didn't check it over as closely as I should have. Here it is!

So, daily, and sometimes, several times a day, I am turning my thought toward Spirit and away from matter. The truth of man, inclusive of the universe, is the full and complete idea of divine Mind Itself, the Only Cause, the Only Creator. There can only be one right and real thought about man because there is only One Mind to think it.

Tonia Benoist

6/8/2020 06:49:03 am

When considering the story of ‘dry bones’ in last week’s lesson, to me, at first glance, it seemed a bit more than odd, the scene of walking around a valley of dry bones and declaring the Truth. After all, no one was going to hear him! Thankfully, the concept of 'dry bones' can lend itself to any number of interpretations.

For example, if it’s considered in relation to the exile of the Children of Israel, and their turning away to idols, then God’s command to Ezekiel was to prophesy their return to grace. In this way, it would be less odd, in the sense that reviving 'dry bones' could be seen as slowly losing faith and not guarding our thought against being influenced erroneously. This has helped me to see it as a promise of hope for those who seem to have lost their way, as well as a promise of restoring spiritual sense, Soul.

Something else I found interesting is that, after God asks Ezekiel if dry bones can again have life, he didn’t give a reply in the negative. That answer would have been an indication of trust in matter and material so-called laws. Instead, he affirmed immediately that Truth is all-knowing, and, to me, this demonstrated the extent of his trust in the Truth.

In my own daily routine, I try to realize that same trust in my own prayers for the world. And even though no one can hear me, I know that not only is God the Mind of man, inclusive of the whole universe, He is also the all-hearing, and His image and likeness, both individually and collectively, necessarily reflects perfect hearing, or spiritual sense, understanding. Not one identity in this reflection is capable of expressing unwillingness or inability to hear, or understand. Then, this means I can trust divine Mind to have already provided the ‘hearers’.

Tonia Benoist

6/8/2020 07:14:01 am

Oops! I did it again!

The phrase "in the sense that reviving 'dry bones'" , should read in the sense that 'dry bones' . That is, remove the word 'reviving' in this sentence.

Tonia Benoist

6/13/2020 06:26:50 am

I'm still praying for the world.

My thinking on the Bible story in Section 5 is, that no matter the intensity of the storm, or how hopeless the circumstance, the only real power governing man is divine, not human. God, Good, created man—inclusive of the universe. The angel of God says to Paul that God has given him all those that are with him. Paul knew the commandment of ‘love thy neighbor as thyself.' That is, his recognition of himself as image, or his self-knowledge, included the infinite idea of one man, and that one expressed in infinite variety. This understanding is the preserver of the spiritual idea (all those that were with Paul), and the destruction of trust in material belief (the ship's inability to save).

Beatrix von Meier-Ince

6/13/2020 08:23:08 am

Yes, I love that account too. And so everybody who, in prayer, sees God's angel and receives that angel message of absolute safety and immunity from harm, is a "Paul" today. And all those who are with that one, is saved, i.e. all of mankind!
God has already determined our path, our function, our "destination", and His divine plan will unfold, and no human will, stubbornness, or blind going-ahead-no-matter-what can stop it. I find that so comforting.

Heather K. Libbe

6/14/2020 07:24:09 am

Thank you, Beatrix!

Amy M

6/16/2020 05:26:05 am

I've been checking this blog periodically in the last few months. So grateful that Mark created it. I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for all the beautiful contributions from the deep thinkers out there. What inspiration!! These ideas, thoughts and prayers are healing our nation and world. Awesome!.

Tonia Benoist

6/16/2020 06:17:48 pm

Here I go again!

I have a book on Revelation, written by Irving Tomilinson, that I read periodically when I find citations in the lesson from Revelations. Section 5 has one of those.

First of all, though, the section actually begins with a verse from Jeremiah containing the words, “O earth, earth, earth, . . . ” This kind of grabbed my attention because I don't believe I've ever seen that before, and I thought how strange it was to say it three times. I'm still working on that one, so I didn't give it any more thought. Instead, I moved on to find Tomilinson’s take on Rev 9:1,2.

He explains these verses as the beginning of the ‘three woes’ to materialism. Now I had to check out what the 'woes' were all about! I started doing a little searching, and noticed that Rev 8:13 begins with a verse containing the phrase, “woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth . . .” (I found this interesting because of the 'earth, earth, earth' verse.)

I found that the first woe—wrath, spiritually interpreted, is the suffering caused as a result of false belief in matter, or mortal mind, etc. The third woe, Tomilinson says, is the destruction of the false belief, or the spiritual understanding of God and man. More precisely (and in his words) it is the: "vision of the ark in the opened temple of God, showing the spiritual understanding of God and man. . ." To me, this whole scenario is what the section is about.

Just for the record, the second woe is: "the liberation of the four angels of the Euphrates, or the spiritual understanding of the Word, Christ, Christianity, and divine Science."

I’ve been rather disturbed lately with what I see and hear about what’s going on around us, and I’ve been looking for some relief in the lesson sermons. This week I’ve come to see more clearly Truth and Love’s perfect method of destroying sin and error, and that what everyone seems to be witnessing is really a moral chemicalization; bringing error to the surface to be destroyed. I decided this section is all about hope, not fear.

Of course, I’ve known about this chemicalization process, but it is kinda cool to see it laid out in the lesson this way. It has sort of forced me to search out the biblical basis of MBEs wording, and has given me an even deeper understanding of it.

~marilyn z

6/16/2020 06:43:32 pm

Hi Tonia:
The past few years I've been using Bible Hub a lot when wrangling with a verse or section. It has every Bible ever published I think, so you can easily cross-reference translations and something may click there.
But it also had a load of other resources,like commentaries.
I've been using Bengel's Gnomon a lot lately because he gives the cultural background for certain usage (and I know there is a cultural meaning to repeating something 3 times, just can't remember what it is), but he also gives a history of interpretation of a verse so you can see where it either got better or went off the rails due to politics or something. He will also refer backwards or forwards to other verses that directly support, connect with or foreshadow your verse.
I can't make full use of it since I don't know Greek or Hebrew, but find it very interesting. Lots of other commentaries available there too. Here's what he had to say about "woe, woe, woe".

ἔργ. 607, 608.—οὐαὶ οὐαὶ οὐαὶ, woe, woe, woe) About the end of the fifth century there were not wanting presages of future calamities. The second woe is more disastrous than the first; the third than the second.—ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, upon the earth) D. Lange says: Bengel not only refers to past times the three woes, which refer to the vengeance yet to come upon the beast and the whore, but he also recalls the beginning of the papacy itself to the third woe, and so declares that the third woe has come a thousand years ago, and more than this. But when it is said of the second woe, Revelation 11:14, “The second woe is past; behold the third woe cometh quickly:” and immediately after the seventh trumpet follows, which refers to the completion of the judgments, and the enlargement of the kingdom of Christ, it can easily be imagined that the third woe cannot be thrown back so far.—Epicr. p. 406. I reply: The three woes have reference to the inhabiters of the earth; and I have shown that they have come long ago, and that the third woe has come, not indeed a thousand years ago, but yet almost eight hundred. The trumpet of the seventh angel, after the second woe is past, first sets forth things which are most desirable: then it describes the third woe; and when that is exhausted, a completion of the judgments is made and an enlargement of the kingdom of Christ. The interpretation of the Divine of Halle changes this order; and, without any cause, restricts the three woes denounced against the inhabiters of earth to the last times of the enemies; and accounts as the second woe the rage of the beast, which is really in the third woe. By which method the well-arranged order of the text is violently disjointed.—τῆς σάλπιγγος, of the trumpet) The singular number, put distributively for the plural, of the trumpets.

Tonia Benoist

6/16/2020 08:10:54 pm

Thank you, Marilyn, so much for sharing this. Yes, you’re right, there is some kind of significance to repeating some words, especially three times. I use several different sites, too. I think I’ve used the Bible Hub before, but I’m not certain. I, also, use one called Blue Letter Bible. It provides a reference to Strong’s.

As for the Book of Revelation, I don’t know too much about interpretations that predict mainly historical human events. I know that there are probably as many, though, as there are religions in the world, maybe even more. The symbolism and imagery in Revelation seems make it susceptible to any number of predictions about the past, present and future. I even have friends who tell me some of the ideas they are told in their churches. It just seems so confusing to me. I usually end up just reminding myself, that’s exactly what mortal mind wants—confusion.

Mrs. Eddy’s first tenant is to “take the inspired word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal life,” and that’s what I try to do. The way she presents this book in the chapter Apocalypse is definitely inspired, and a more spiritual interpretation. Anyway, that’s what I grew up with, and it’s still the only explanation that has ever made practical sense to me.

Kim Pollard link

6/17/2020 03:45:28 am

Hi Everyone! Haven't read anything for a while. Missed it! The last two comments from Tonia and Marilyn are so great! I have a copy of that book by Tomlinson, called "Revelations: An Open Book." It is so very interesting how it is presented for reading and studying. It is enough for a lifetime of study between that and the Science and Health and the Bible. One thought occurs to me about the comments above. The warnings of woe and the visual impressions in those passages are alarming at best, and speak to what I would interpret as, (for the lack of better words) a lower base of the human mind. Holding it to the light of spirit and reconsidered, like Tonia said, as a lesson in hope, not in fear, we find that the three time warning is the ascending scale of understanding, or possibly referring to Mrs. Eddy's interpretation of the three stages of mortal mind (pg 115). I think what we are witnessing now and what the whole world seems to be aware of, is that the world coming to grips with the idea that we belong. We belong together, in harmony. We belong in a world of peace which requires recognition of, and demands obedience to the Laws of the Divine. The upheaval, if it can serve any purpose, is to prove God, change our basis in matter to spirituality. As we collectively rise higher, some will see the future again, and warn us of our erroneous thought and someday another change will come to take us all higher still, until every knee shall bow.

Heather K. Libbe

6/18/2020 08:12:27 am

I am especially grateful for The Christian Science Monitor and its coverage of world news, in keeping with Mrs. Eddy's object: "to injure no man, but to bless all mankind." (see My. pg 353)

As others have mentioned through testimonies and articles in the Christian Science periodicials, and as at one point, too, as Mark reminded me of how Job found freedom in praying for his friends, wonderful healing can result - for both ourselves and others - in praying for the world.

The other day, as I was reading a Christian Science Monitor article that mentioned extremism, I worked to know that there is just one Mind, Spirit, reflected in temperance. (One of the "fruits" of the Spirit, mentioned in Galatians 5:23)

Furthermore, I have found it helpful, as we did in class, to pray with the scientific statement of being, as found on page 468 of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, substituting any "error," part of the definition of "matter," (see pg) to gain further clarity and sed it self-destruct:

"There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. (extremism) All is infinite Mind and it's infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter (extremism) is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter (extremism) is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God; man is his image and likeness. Therefore, man is not material, (extreme) he is spiritual." (Brackets added)

Man is neither extreme, nor attracted to extremes. And, no so-called human mind (or human concepts, which "run in extremes" see Mis. pg 353) can distract me from beholding what is actually present: God's complete, perfect government being manifested in God's, Good's, harmony and control, regardless of what our material senses may tell us.

This is scientific fact and the truth that can free us individual from any extremities in thought, while uplifting all mankind.

Tonia Benoist

6/19/2020 10:28:35 am

This morning, while reading the Lord’s Prayer, I found I was applying a specific rule of grammar and sentence structure, to the verses in a similar way that I’ve been teaching it to a student who is struggling with the concept.

The concept is that of an ‘understood subject,’ which is a sentence starting with a verb, instead of a noun, or subject. In this type of sentence, the subject is assumed, or ‘understood’. For instance, ‘eat your dinner’, or ‘clean your room,’ or even street signs, such as, ‘No Parking’, or ‘Walk’/’Don’t Walk.’ The missing part is the information about the one being spoken to—the subject. It's the 2nd Person point of view, or a statement aimed directly at the person hearing the demand, or declaration, or reading the sign.

Anyway, I stopped reading the prayer when I noticed that it contained several of this type of sentence. Then, instead of reading it as I usually do, I decided to add a subject. “Give us this day our daily bread” becomes [You] give us this day our daily bread; “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” becomes [You] forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Now about the next verse, I don’t know anyone else’s experience, but the scientific interpretation by MBE on the ‘temptation’ verse has always felt like a ‘leap’ to me. But when I added ‘You’ it becomes: [You] lead us not into temptation, but [You] deliver us from evil.” That seems to have cleared up any questions I’d had about her interpretation.

The prayer no longer feels like a sort of plea to show me my daily bread, or how to go about forgiving a wrong. It has become an affirmation of Truth, which is taking my thought instantly out of the realm of needing something from God, to the recognition that I already have it, it’s already been done, and it comes from Him.

“Our Master said, “After this manner therefore pray ye,” and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs. (S&H pg ;16)

Lindsey

6/21/2020 11:18:53 am

One idea that has always inspired hope in me is the phrase, "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread." To me, "day" and "earth" in the Bible represent Mind's spiritual understanding unfolding to human consciousness and "bread" is our eternal life in Christ promised by our heavenly Father-Mother God and demonstrated by Jesus.
It's a prayer of petition to divine Mind: "Give us your understanding of Life in Spirit."

Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation, always to make practical and demonstrable to human consciousness, so beautifully illustrates exactly what the need is and how it is met: "give us grace for today, feed the famished affections."

The rest of the Lord's prayer to me represents how to eliminate from my thought any distraction that would tempt me to abandon or doubt the unfoldment of Life in Spirit or The Way, and to hold thought steadfastly to the understanding that "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need."

So through inspired reasoning, "Give us this day our daily bread," can mean "Give me, O Lord, an understanding heart, / That I may learn to know myself in Thee, / To spurn the wrong and choose the better part / And thus from sinful bondage be set free."
(The Christian Science Hymnal, No. 69:1)

It turns into a beautiful prayer when coupled with these other statements from Christ Jesus: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but my me." And, "I and my Father are one."

Tonia Benoist

6/26/2020 09:21:03 pm

No villain—no victim
Beverly Bemis Hawks DeWindt

From the May 1992 issue of The Christian Science Journal

This is a very good article.

Tonia Benoist

6/29/2020 09:40:42 am

I’ve been working and praying for several weeks to un-see the belief of divisiveness and separation, and to replace it with a better understanding of the Oneness of God and man. As the study of this week’s lesson begins, I see it as yet another spiritual step for me in realizing the unity of Spirit and its expression in human consciousness.

Right off the bat, the Responsive Reading shows, to me, my starting place for this week. In Acts, Paul says, “I perceive in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar. . .”

Obviously, the altar wasn’t constructed from the same understanding of God that Paul worshipped, but still, it seems to indicate to Paul that at least they (the men of Athens) held in belief, in some form or another, a sense of a divine nature—even though it was considered to be unknowable.

He must have found it necessary to begin with some common ground between himself and them before he would be able to teach the people that the only God there is, is not so mysterious. I’m not sure, but maybe it could be said that he ‘agreed to disagree.’

In Pulpit and Press, I found an article written by a journalist about Mrs. Eddy. The writer’s assessment of both Mrs. Eddy and Christian Science were very fair, noting, at one point, a comparison between differing beliefs of that time, held by various proponents of so-called ‘spiritual movements’ and Christian Science stating:

“Yet each and all these movements, however they may differ among themselves, are phases of idealism and manifestations of a higher spirituality seeking expression. . . as a signal proof of the divine origin of humanity which finds no rest until it finds the peace of the Lord in spirituality.” (Pulpit and Press, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 38:26–4)

Golden Text (Isaiah: 40.18) “Who compares with God? Is anything like him?"

LINDSEY A. RODER

6/29/2020 05:06:53 pm

I was reading through some notes I took from the January 13&20th edition of the Christian Science Sentinel from this year and came upon this wonderful statement about Christian Science practice:

“Mary Baker Eddy’s conviction that God’s will provides salvation for everyone is central to the religion she founded.”

In a wonderful article, called “Harvest” published in The Independent newspaper in 1906, Mrs. Eddy makes this beautifully profound statement: “What we love determines what we are.”

“It is of comparatively little importance what a man thinks or believes he knows; the good that a man does is the one thing needful and the sole proof of rightness.”

(The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 270:24 (only); 271:4)

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures she makes this statement: “We are all capable of more than we do.” I’ve seen this statement in a new light recently, as a command to really deepen my faith in God and to Love more.

Drawing upon these statements, I concluded that the universe we think is material is actually a universe of infinite Love. Since God is Love and God is All, it makes sense that the universe, the understanding of God, is Love. Since “all is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation” then the universe must be spiritual understanding.

Is [Spiritual Understanding of the Infinite Mind] evolved by atomic force [material theory, human will]? Of course not!
Kind of a relief actually to know that Love is All. The spiritual counter-fact of an atom or an adam is man as a compound idea of infinite good.

In one of her poems, Our Leader writes:
“Fear no ill since God is good
And loss is gain”

There is no ill in God, good. Therefore, there is nothing to fear. The only thing you can ever lose is a false view of God and His universe, His Love, His understanding, by gaining a right idea of Him. You cannot lose a spouse, a parent, your health, your Life, your perfection, your childlikeness, your wisdom, your supply, your innocence, or God’s love. You can have it all because Love is All.

As God’s reflection, we have all of God’s attention, all His love, all His wisdom, all His intelligence, all His understanding, all His compassion, all His sight, all His Word, all His worth, all His excellence, and all His perfection.

Tonia Benoist

7/14/2020 05:28:57 pm

“Valley. Depression; meekness; darkness.
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm xxiii. 4.)

Though the way is dark in mortal sense, divine Life and Love illumine it, destroy the unrest of mortal thought, the fear of death, and the supposed reality of error. Christian Science, contradicting sense, maketh the valley to bud and blossom as the rose.”

During the past few days, I’ve been thinking about the fear and uncertainty so many are having about reopening schools and business and such, and how much fear is claiming to grip us stronger than before. When I read the above citation from the lesson it stood out to me as an apt description of what is happening. However, one thing that I never noticed before in Mrs. Eddy’s definition, is that the word ‘meekness’ is placed in between ‘depression’ and ‘darkness’. Why is that?

Many years ago, I went to a lecture given by Lona Ingwerson where she spoke only of the 23rd Psalm. She elucidated every verse, including the fact that the valley of the shadow of death was an actual place. She said, “The valley of the shadow of death is actually the name of a valley near Jericho. It's a gorge between two massive rocks which tower 1500 feet or more and are so close together that the valley is always dark, and at the bottom, where the sheep must cross, there's a very narrow gully about 3 feet wide and 6 feet deep.”

She goes on to explain that the crossing was a treacherous one, but the sheep needed to pass that way because of the green pasture on the other side. The shepherd would cross before them, and patiently plead with them to cross. And if one did fall, the shepherd’s staff would pull them back up to safety.

Anyway, I can now see what might have been Mrs. Eddy’s purpose, and an analogy. Fear and Uncertainty are the massive rocks, and Meekness is trustful submission to the voice of Truth and Love. In this way, we ‘will fear no evil.’

Heather K. Libbe

8/9/2020 08:37:33 pm

The second verse of Hymn #2 from the Christian Science Hymnal just came to me to share. Here are PDFs to (most of) the hymns in our hymnals:

https://www.christianscience.com/additional-resources/branch-activity-support/branch-resources-during-the-pandemic/music-for-branch-church-services

Beatrix Ince

8/10/2020 04:14:53 am

Thanks Heather, and here it is:
The advocates of error / Foresee the glorious morn, / And hear in shrinking terror, / The watchword of reform: / It rings from hill and valley, / It breaks oppression's chain. / A thousand freemen rally, / And swell the mighty strain.
(The Christian Science Hymnal, No. 2:2)

Beatrix Ince

8/10/2020 04:42:10 am

Just last night I thought of this blog, and how it had not been used for so long. Thanks Heather, for your thoughts this morning!
Recently, there was an article by Linda Kohler, previously a Christian Science nurse, in the CS Sentinel (link below), and in it, she refers to a short article by Mary Baker Eddy, titled „Angels”. She talks about applying this to pray for loved ones we cannot currently see in person, but it came to me to apply it to all the unrest and protests going on, and now to the situation in Beirut:

“When angels visit us, we do not hear the rustle of wings, nor feel the feathery touch of the breast of a dove; but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts. OH, may you feel this touch ...”! (Mis 306:23–28)

Oh, may they feel THIS touch, this touch of love; the protestors, the police, the federal agents, the superiors and all the local and national officials and governors involved in decision making, right up to the very leaders of the country. May that touch of love dissolve all fear and hate and ignorance and stubbornness and inflexibility, with its all-encompassing embrace of comfort and peace!

And now in Beirut: instead of the frustration, fear, desperation, and that sense of loss and helplessness, may each and everyone there “feel THIS touch”!

With this touch, Love will inspire, illumine, designate, and lead the way. Then, “Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action.”
(SH 454:18–21)

https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2020/7/122-29/when-an-in-person-visit-is-not-an-option

Jimmy Page link

8/18/2020 08:21:45 am

Thank God!!

In many years I have had CS healings that really proved Gods wonderful help!!

Thank you Mark for this blog....I read the wonderful works of Jesus that so many people are receiving. God is love..

,,,and, thank you Mark S., for the match to light the candle...

Hilary Palanza

8/22/2020 10:48:11 pm

The mortal picture seems to be bleak: pandemic, economic struggle, climate change. God reminded me in prayer just this week that when we pray, we are never really fixing a physical situation. Because the physical situation never existed in the first place, we can be assured that all that is really being healed is thought, or consciousness. And because we have One Mind, we are always willing and able to be healed. Man isn’t physical and has to pray to resolve physical problems he created. God created man, and because of that, we are supremely and only spiritual. Therefore, we reason like Mary Baker Eddy showed us how to do, and we find that there really isn’t any life or substance IN matter. All the work is in Gods thought, or Mind, and all the RESULTS of healing are also, in Gods thought, or Mind. We can rest assured we are never praying our way out of something physical. We are always with God, and the result if our healing is when our thoughts have gone from fear back to the ever operative only power of Divine Love. Loving all of you, and especially grateful for the progress made as a result of all our prayers.

Hilary Palanza

8/22/2020 10:50:51 pm

Slight edit above: of* our healing (not “if” our healing)

Lindsey A. Roder

9/9/2020 01:25:23 pm

"EVEN GOD"

This is the phrase that awoke my thought to God's total governance and control of all things this week.

"All is under the control of the one Mind, even God."

(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 544:14–17)

EVEN GOD. That clears up any mistaken concept that God, whom Jesus declared is Life, could see or know evil, falsity, illusion, sin, sickness, or death.

"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you."
(Isaiah 35:4)

Yes, even God is under the control of Love's intelligence and oneness. I like to ask myself often: What is it that is confining me to the relative, instead of understanding the limitless nature of the infinite, the absolute?

Most times, the answer is a false sense of fear, inadequacy, or lack (of time, of resources, of understanding). Thankfully, all these things are false beliefs, and can be reversed by understanding that God made us in His image, just like the Bible says. This truth is always available to each of us to claim as our own. And there is no limit in a day of how many times we can claim it!

Just like goodness itself, our right to claim (our individual acknowledgement of) God's perfect goodness is also unlimited.

"We are indeed privileged in having the untranslated revelations of Christian Science. They afford such expositions of the therapeutics, ethics, and Christianity of Christ as make even God demonstrable, the divine Love practical, and so furnish rules whereby man can prove God's love, healing the sick and the sinner."

(The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 179:29)

Instead of contemplating injustice, lack, self-justification, self-condemnation, or self-righteous indignation (never a part of us or any of God's ideas) we can contemplate and behold Love’'s realm of infinite expression and see the law of loving our neighbor as ourselves in action, blessing us and everyone around us!

In "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy says (p. 152): "'As in water face answereth to face,' and in love continents clasp hands, so the oneness of God includes also His presence with those whose hearts unite in the purposes of goodness. Of this we may be sure: that thoughts winged with peace and love breathe a silent benediction over all the earth, co-operate with the divine power, and brood unconsciously o'er the work of His hand."

I love asking myself this question: Am I preparing my thought daily to behold God’'s view of infinite Love for me and for everyone?

"“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;”" says the Bible. And Mrs. Eddy completes this beautiful statement in Science and Health by saying, “"and I will dwell in the house [the consciousness] of [LOVE] for ever.”"

(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 578:16)

A few weeks ago, I was driving through a part of our state and listening to our association address when I felt a deep sense of peace wash over me. Driving along the highway, I felt a sense of freedom and assurance from God that all is well and that highway felt like a way of holiness, as described in the Bible Lesson recently.

Later that evening, I opened up the Monitor Daily to read a cover story about riots and violence breaking out in the very place where I had driven through on the highway. In the very place where thoughts of peace and freedom and love had come to my thought, material sense was claiming injustice, hatred, fire and destruction. I refused to give that any attention in my thought though, since God revealed the activity of the Christ just a few hours before.

I'm learning that as I steadfastly acknowledge the presence of the Christ, Truth, it can't help but have a healing effect on any situation vying to portray an opposite picture.

Even if it's just my own thought about that city, it's powerful to know our individual expression of God's peace, love, holiness - New Jerusalem - can heal and save, because it is the only real view of God's creation.

I'm grateful for the reminder that "All is under the control of the one Mind, even God."

Kim POllard link

9/11/2020 08:57:13 am

Hey Lindsey,
I had that same thought! It was God is Love, and Love rests in Itself. That is total consciousness-- of Environment; Self; Individual spirituality; Universal Spirit; Knowledge and practice of Truth. God is the Governing Omnipotent Deity. A Being, which is in, and of, itself.

Carrie K

9/14/2020 09:07:40 pm

I love this from Lindsey:

"A few weeks ago, I was driving through a part of our state and listening to our association address when I felt a deep sense of peace wash over me. Driving along the highway, I felt a sense of freedom and assurance from God that all is well and that highway felt like a way of holiness, as described in the Bible Lesson recently."

I live in Portland and I have become more and more aware of the fact that evil is NOT localized as it seems to be but that RIGHT WHERE we are is the face of God and that face is Love divine.

It is HOLDING to this fact that brings it about for ALL to see.

Jeffrey Lang

2/1/2022 09:10:20 pm

Hi Lindsey - The thought came to me to come back to our blog and I am very glad I was obedient. Thank you very much for what you shared, what a wonderful collection of truths. I especially loved "Am I preparing my thought daily to behold God's view of infinite Love for me and for everyone?" What a wonderful focus for each day. Thank you very much for the gifts. - Jeffrey

Lindsey A. Roder

2/2/2022 06:39:17 am

Jeffrey,
Thank you so much for reminding us of the powerful Truth shared on this blog. I, too, am so grateful for everything that is being shared here. What a blessing to the world. God is so good!!
Lindsey

Lindsey

9/15/2020 06:02:53 am

Carrie,

Yes!! I love what you said. Your insight about divine Love is so good: "It is HOLDING to this fact that brings it about for ALL to see."

After the rioting broke out in Kenosha, I asked God if I should drive back there and volunteer to help clean up.

But the instruction from God was clear: stay right where you are and continue to HOLD to the right idea of this city.

"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God," as the Bible says in Job.

This was a confirmation that while in some situations, taking action and helping out may be the right thing to do. However, in this case, God was showing me that prayer and "holding steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true," is effective, healing, and powerful.

I handled the temptation that not going back to that city to "help clean up" was not inaction --it was an instruction from God that my work in this specific case is prayer, that He had given me His idea of this city, and it is my job to HOLD to it.

Later, I looked up all the references to "stand still" in the Bible. Here is what it says in I Chronicles.

"Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's...

...Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to-morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you."
(II Chronicles 20:15 Thus, 17)

This made me realize that in every case, listening to God's specific instruction of what to do and how to help is the best way, the way of holiness. And that all of our prayers for the world on this blog ARE having a wonderful, powerful, healing effect.

There's a really inspiring article in a recent Sentinel called,
"When protest is prayer"
By Jeremy Campbell
From the August 3, 2020 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/qm7ofu01eg?s=e

Carrie K

9/15/2020 02:49:00 pm

Yeah, the HOLDING is important because it illustrates FIDELITY to Principle's unchangeable Law of good.

In the Mind that is God -- Universal Mind -- there is no chemicalization to fog Reality. There is only Light.

"Lighthouses don't BLOW; they just GLOW."

WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD with no speck of darkness to leave room for "real" or "imagined" evil to invade conscious awareness of good.

Lindsey Roder

12/11/2020 07:56:03 am

I am finding in my prayers for the World and for American Democracy, that it is important to hold to the facts of absolute Truth. Not to personalize anything but just to know the absolute Truth of being is bringing immediate healing results.

I'm also reaching out to a much deeper understanding of Truth than I have ever known before, because, as Mrs. Eddy says, "Infinite progression is concrete being."

In a Sentinel article called, "Advancing Steps" is posed this question: "How may I learn these deep truths which make a Christian Scientist?”

And the answer: Just take firm hold upon the highest spiritual fact you have ever learned, cling steadfastly to that fact amid puzzling doubts, and "In the secret place of the most High" declare and realize God's allness until you are lifted to a still higher understanding.

https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1905/7/7-48/advancing-steps

"Infinite progression" is the spiritual idea that is inspiring my prayer. And I'm finding the requirement to "give a treatment for your treatment" to be imperative. No reversal or overturning of Truth is possible in the allness and omnipotence of Truth's universal intelligence.

Katharina Helmick

12/11/2020 09:49:58 am

This is the poem that is quoted in the Christian Science Sentinel's article:

Published on Academy of American Poets (https://poets.org)

To a Waterfowl
Whither, 'midst falling dew,
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?

Vainly the fowler's eye
Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong,
As, darkly painted on the crimson sky,
Thy figure floats along.

Seek'st thou the plashy brink
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink
On the chafed ocean side?

There is a Power whose care
Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,--
The desert and illimitable air,--
Lone wandering, but not lost.

All day thy wings have fanned,
At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere,
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,
Though the dark night is near.

And soon that toil shall end;
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
Soon, o'er thy sheltered nest.

Thou'rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart
Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,
And shall not soon depart.

He who, from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
Will lead my steps aright.
Credit

This poem is in the public domain.

Author
William Cullen Bryant

William Cullen Bryant, author of "Thanatopsis," was born in Cummington, Massachusetts on November 3, 1794. He is considered an American nature poet and journalist, who wrote poems, essays, and articles that championed the rights of workers and immigrants.

Date Published: 1818-01-01

Source URL: https://poets.org/poem/waterfowl

Lindsey

12/11/2020 10:32:43 am

Katharine—Thanks so much for posting the poem that goes with that Sentinel article.

It also relates to this verse from Mrs. Eddy, quoted in a wonderful article called “From zone to zone” by Julia Johnston.

“In order that humanity may be aware of man's forever safety in the universe of Soul, Mrs. Eddy has given to the world the revelation of divine Science. In her poem "Christ and Christmas" is a significant statement of this Science:

"Fast circling on, from zone to zone,--
Bright, blest, afar,—
O'er the grim night of chaos shone
One lone, brave star.”

Tonia Benoist

2/14/2021 09:08:50 am

Current events and various recent conversations show me the obligation that we, as Christian Scientists, are under to see through the false claims of error to the divine Truth of God and man, and the divine Science of all real being. This week’s lesson includes the idea of ‘marriage’ which, essentially, is unity. This is typically thought of humanly as between two persons, but could it not, also, be considered metaphorically, and metaphysically speaking, as unity between Republican and Democrat, the Senate and the House of Representatives, the President and the Congress—individual ideas, or bodies (the body politic?) united under one divine Government? These are ALL divine, spiritual ideas, not material organization. There is no matter. Even the United States of America is Mind's perfect divine idea, as are all countries and nations, inclusive within the spiritually perfect universe of the omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient divine Principle, Love, God.

I believe the extreme need, at the moment, is for Christian Scientists to unite with the understanding that “…the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God's government.” Events which appear beyond our control are, in truth, completely within our control. There is no ‘out there’; there is only ‘here,’ our own thought. We are responsible for the content of our own thoughts. Consciousness is divine Mind, God, and God is the Mind of man.

Our lesson states that, “Man is harmonious when governed by Soul. Hence the importance of understanding the truth of being, which reveals the laws of spiritual existence,” and, also, “There is moral freedom in Soul.”

“Love metes not out human justice, but divine mercy.”
(Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 11:14 (only))

Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. ...
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 521:2 (to 1st .))

~marilyn

2/14/2021 09:20:49 am

Thank you, Tonia. That was a thoughtful and perfect rallying-call for this moment.

Katharina Helmick link

2/2/2022 07:52:49 am

Hi Fellow Swinney-Bloggers, still Good Morning in Boston, 2/2/2022, - a date with little ducks "2" all in a row...:
a. it seems we are having a second string of blogs, started by Jeffrey Lang on 2/1/2022, - and yes, I am grateful for the attention it brought to the blog, again. So, question: which string will be kept going? I believe that would be a question to Mark himself.
b. I reread the blogs which quoted Mrs. Eddy's "...Mind, even God". In case others also find this helpful, the "even God" to me actually means "i.e. God".
Like Steve Jobs once asked his team: "Thoughts?"

Susan

2/15/2022 04:43:08 pm

I think a blog is a wonderful idea. It keeps us connected like a family. I just came across it today. I hope to see a renewal of interest. We are not alone.

Patti

2/25/2022 10:08:17 pm

I know many of us are praying about the situation in Ukraine right now. A word that came to me yesterday as I was praying about it was 'puppet', as in no one can be made a puppet of evil. I found this article on JSH.

""STAND IN THE HOLY PLACE"" https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1plx6kyq6bc?s=t

It's full of powerful statements. Here's one short excerpt.

"Let us use the forces of Spirit that the great Commandant of creation has provided for us. These legions of angels, "the chariots of God," as the Psalmist designates them, are at hand night and day. They tell us of God's omnipotence when evil boasts it is, or will be, enthroned. They show us the uninvadability by mortals, material forces, or human purposes, of God's universal kingdom. They reveal the impregnable defenses of spiritual understanding against mortality's lie."

Would love to know how others are praying.

Prayers for the World Blog

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