A look at the Fifth Commandment...
The Bible:
Ex 20:12
Ex 21:15 he,17
Eph 6:1-3
Deut 11:18,19
Matt 15:1-6,29-31
Matt 19:16-21
Isa 1:17,19
I Tim 5:1-3,17
Luke 7:11-16
Matt 23:1,9 call
I Cor 8:6 to
Matt 21:23 (to 2nd ,),24 (to ,),28-31 (to .),33-41
John 5:19-24
John 8:49-51 I honour
John 14:11-15
Mark 16:15
Matt 10:7 go,8
I John 2:24,25
Science and Health:
236:21
61:4
359:18
69:17
236:12
582:28
586:9
592:16
31:4
29:14-16
336:30
517:18-19
305:13
25:13-9
37:22-25,27
183:21
vii:18-20
529:6
143:27-31
16:26-29
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 356
Hymn 58
Hymn 48
Click out the links for the text, or, if you have the Concord Bible Study program, you can copy and paste the set of citations into the citation document window and view the references through that program.
February 28, 2007
February 26, 2007
The Time Traveler's Wife
Fascinating book! Really different. It bends one's thought about time and relationships. And, as time is something most all of us think about a lot (too little, too much, too full, too fast, etc., etc.), thought I'd point out this interesting novel.
In this book by Audrey Niffenegger, the primary character, Henry, can travel through time. And he travels pretty regularly - but has no control over his going and coming. At any moment, he can be gone, leavning all personal posessions (yes, clothes and all!) behind. So he's had to adjust his life around this, um, characteristic, trait, inconvenience? He doesn't drive. Wouldn't want to abandon a car on the highway! Doesn't make too many plans - may not make them afterall. But he does get married, to Clare.
I really liked Clare. I think at least in part because I can relate to her on some level as my husband travels for work, and we never know when he'll be coming or going. So... no plans, no pre-buying tickets for concerts or whatever, no spontaneous weekends, just flexibility. And this is where Clare and Henry are living, too. They never knew when they would pop out and pop back in. At least we have an hour's notice of when my husband has to leave! I think I can be more grateful for that after reading this book.
For much of Henry's time travel, he ends up visiting his wife, starting when she is very young on up through her old age. It is interesting to watch the interplay of who knows who and what, when. For example, when Henry first meets Clare in her real, linear life line, she is in grade school. To Henry, at that meeting when he's in his forties, he's know her for years and they've been married for most of that. But when Henry and Clare meet in Henry's real, linear life time (when he's in his late 20s and she's just out of college), Clare knows Henry very well, but Henry doesn't know her from Adam - okay, Eve. To Clare, she's know him for most of her life. (Yes, probably pretty confusing to describe.) So Clare grows up knowing much about her future husband and their life together. Henry grows up knowing nothing about his future wife.
But Clare doesn't know everything. That's one of the lessons Henry learned, and part of the moral code he imposes on himself in relation to his time travel and interaction with family and friends. He learned early on that, when he goes back in time (and does often to at least one particular heart-wrenching episode in his life), he can't change what happened (Star Trek fans will well appreciate this perspective!). Not that he didn't try at first. He did. But he learned that he just couldn't change things. He also found he couldn't change the future. So it was better not to tell to much to others about what would happen. (Yeah, okay, he did tell Clare a lot, basically grooming her to be his wife as she grew up. He was just selective about what he shared and how.)
I admire the Henry character for his ability to stick with the moral principles he developed. There was only one instance he broke one of his rules. And it really was a sweet reason. I also felt for him - such an eratic lifestyle. He lived in much fear of others finding out, and some hope that somehow he could find a "cure" for this condition.
Oh, and it was no problem for him to be with himself in another time period. Essentially he trained himself to be able to handle this time travel. Not sure what that does for the space-time continuum.... :)
Anyway, with all this time travel and interplay among different times of these two individual's lives, it just makes you have to stop and think about time and its meaning. Essentially, for these two it becomes somewhat irrelevant and at the same time very precious. Each moment together is more important because you don't know how long it will last. So they end up pretty much living in the moment. Not a bad plan.
Even reading the book was an interesting experience in time perspective. One time I could read for a while, feel like I'd read for hours and got far along, and find it had only been a few pages and our minutes. Another time I'd read and read feeling like I was getting nowhere only to discover I'd read an amazing amount of material and only in an hour. What relevance is time, anyway?
So if you want some thought bending on time and relationships, you might like to check out this book. It's a bit of a wild ride, but I found it worthwhile. Or, if you have read this book, I'd love to hear what you thought about it!
Hmmm, thinking about time and bending our thought about it, makes me think of another long time favorite - Einstein's Dreams. Think I'll have to reread and blog on it.
In this book by Audrey Niffenegger, the primary character, Henry, can travel through time. And he travels pretty regularly - but has no control over his going and coming. At any moment, he can be gone, leavning all personal posessions (yes, clothes and all!) behind. So he's had to adjust his life around this, um, characteristic, trait, inconvenience? He doesn't drive. Wouldn't want to abandon a car on the highway! Doesn't make too many plans - may not make them afterall. But he does get married, to Clare.
I really liked Clare. I think at least in part because I can relate to her on some level as my husband travels for work, and we never know when he'll be coming or going. So... no plans, no pre-buying tickets for concerts or whatever, no spontaneous weekends, just flexibility. And this is where Clare and Henry are living, too. They never knew when they would pop out and pop back in. At least we have an hour's notice of when my husband has to leave! I think I can be more grateful for that after reading this book.
For much of Henry's time travel, he ends up visiting his wife, starting when she is very young on up through her old age. It is interesting to watch the interplay of who knows who and what, when. For example, when Henry first meets Clare in her real, linear life line, she is in grade school. To Henry, at that meeting when he's in his forties, he's know her for years and they've been married for most of that. But when Henry and Clare meet in Henry's real, linear life time (when he's in his late 20s and she's just out of college), Clare knows Henry very well, but Henry doesn't know her from Adam - okay, Eve. To Clare, she's know him for most of her life. (Yes, probably pretty confusing to describe.) So Clare grows up knowing much about her future husband and their life together. Henry grows up knowing nothing about his future wife.
But Clare doesn't know everything. That's one of the lessons Henry learned, and part of the moral code he imposes on himself in relation to his time travel and interaction with family and friends. He learned early on that, when he goes back in time (and does often to at least one particular heart-wrenching episode in his life), he can't change what happened (Star Trek fans will well appreciate this perspective!). Not that he didn't try at first. He did. But he learned that he just couldn't change things. He also found he couldn't change the future. So it was better not to tell to much to others about what would happen. (Yeah, okay, he did tell Clare a lot, basically grooming her to be his wife as she grew up. He was just selective about what he shared and how.)
I admire the Henry character for his ability to stick with the moral principles he developed. There was only one instance he broke one of his rules. And it really was a sweet reason. I also felt for him - such an eratic lifestyle. He lived in much fear of others finding out, and some hope that somehow he could find a "cure" for this condition.
Oh, and it was no problem for him to be with himself in another time period. Essentially he trained himself to be able to handle this time travel. Not sure what that does for the space-time continuum.... :)
Anyway, with all this time travel and interplay among different times of these two individual's lives, it just makes you have to stop and think about time and its meaning. Essentially, for these two it becomes somewhat irrelevant and at the same time very precious. Each moment together is more important because you don't know how long it will last. So they end up pretty much living in the moment. Not a bad plan.
Even reading the book was an interesting experience in time perspective. One time I could read for a while, feel like I'd read for hours and got far along, and find it had only been a few pages and our minutes. Another time I'd read and read feeling like I was getting nowhere only to discover I'd read an amazing amount of material and only in an hour. What relevance is time, anyway?
So if you want some thought bending on time and relationships, you might like to check out this book. It's a bit of a wild ride, but I found it worthwhile. Or, if you have read this book, I'd love to hear what you thought about it!
Hmmm, thinking about time and bending our thought about it, makes me think of another long time favorite - Einstein's Dreams. Think I'll have to reread and blog on it.
February 24, 2007
Abolitionists still needed
Caught this story last night while I was flipping channels - since that last couple of post have been slavery related, thought I'd post the story. It is amazing that this issue continues and is still so immense. Anyway, an inspiring story of a young man trying to make a difference for others and some helpful links you might be interested in.
"A Modern-day Teen Abolitionist"
"A Modern-day Teen Abolitionist"
February 23, 2007
The Sabbath - a deeper glimpse
During this past Wednesday meeting at the church I attend, during the testimony period I had some time to really think about what this Sabbath day concept and what it meant for the children of Israel as they began their journey in the wilderness toward the promised land, especially in relation to their freedom. (Here is the set of citations read at that meeting, if you want to check them out.) You know, it really struck me that the whole concept of a day of rest must have been so incredibly amazing to those people!
[As a side note: I don't know if you've been to a Wednesday testimony meeting at a Church of Christ, Scientist somewhere or not, but if you haven't, here's what happens. Attendees sing; they hear a selection of readings from the Bible and Science and Health put together by the person who has been elected to be First Reader; they pray; and they share testimonies. These testimonies can be anything from some great insight they've gained in their spiritual study to reporting of healing that have occured from the action of God's word in their lives. About half the time is spent on the latter, typically. There's usually some quite moments between sharing to pray and ponder.]
Think about it for a moment. Here are thousands of people who, for many generations - at least for all of each individual's life - have know nothing but slavery. And that meant work - constant, consistent, daily work. No days off, no weekends, no holidays, no vacations - just work. Some may have had things better than others depending on their specific role and/or owner, but still - work, work, work. Probably from as early as they could contribute. And even if they weren't working for someone, probably they were working for their family - gathering food as best they could, preparing it, supplying family with other needs. Never a moment of freedom, time to pause and reflect, just quick back. Phew!
So here they are. They've been taken away from everything they know by a God they'd heard about for generations and likely wondered about more than knew for the most part - who is He really? where was He? when will He help us? And now it was happening. They're leaving Egypt and captivity.
But life was still hard, especially at first. It was travel in the desert, after all! No rest stops with McDonald's to be found anywhere. And no food. But God is good. He provided for their needs. Daily, food was literally at their doorstep (or tent flap, I suppose). Manna in the morning; quails at night - enough to feed them all in the right amount each day.
But, as is described in Exodus 16, one day each week was different - the Sabbath day. On that day, no food was provided, no food collection and preparation was required. That didn't mean they went hungry. No way! They got enough for two days on the day before. The extra portion of food collected on day six lasted through the next day so the people had good food to eat then (and, to emphasize the specialness of the food lasting for two day, you should know that on other days of the week, anything left over went bad overnight - very bad).
God wanted them to take the day off. He didn't want them to work. After all, they were free now. What would that concept have seemed like if work was all you'd ever known?
It seems to me that the concept could have been very difficult to even grasp. Not to work, not even to provide that day's food for the family? How could that even be? Beyond comprehension when that was all you'd ever known!
That story in Exodus describes how the Israelites went out on the first Sabbath day to collect food anyway. God didn't appreciate this at all. Why weren't they trusting Him? They didn't have to work - they weren't slaves any more. But, I wonder, maybe for some it was more habit than lack of trust. They were used to working each and every day. What would they do if they weren't working?
Celebrate their freedom, that's what they could do! And give thanks to the Divine One that gave this special gift to them. They were being given a day off, not so they could just kick back and relax, do whatever they wanted, but so they could have the time to really contemplate Divinity without other distractions. A day just made for giving thoughts, prayers and gratitude to God.
And this idea of Sabbath was so important, it was put in the Commandments - number 4 - right up there near the top of the list. [You may know that Bible scholars, etc. tend to look at the list of Commandments in two parts - the first part (being either one through four or five, depending on how you want to look at the fifth commandment) being God-focused commandments (The "love the Lord with all your heart" portion) and the second part describing our relationship with others ("love thy neighbor as thyself").] Don't forget this special opportunity - "Remember the Sabbath day...."
My appreciation for this idea of a day of rest grew immensely that evening. What an incredible gift from a gracious, wonderful God! The meaning of it appeared as so much more than I'd ever realized before. Our gift as His loved children is freedom to have the time, opportunity, space to get to know Him, to think about Him and His creation, to express Her joy and goodness in our lives in ways that glorify Her. I think this feeling is reflected in this statement from Science and Health: "Citizens of the world, accept the "glorious liberty of the children of God," and be free! This is your divine right." (page 227)
So what is my take-away from this? Certainly a greater respect for the idea of Sabbath. And hopefully this respect will be demonstrated in my life in fuller use of the concept - not just in taking a particular day of the week to pray and give thanks. I'm thinking it can be much fuller than this. I'll be looking for more Sabbath moments in each day to be grateful for the freedom to experience the dominion that God has given all of Her loved children and to have the time to pause, at least in my thinking, and celebrate!
[As a side note: I don't know if you've been to a Wednesday testimony meeting at a Church of Christ, Scientist somewhere or not, but if you haven't, here's what happens. Attendees sing; they hear a selection of readings from the Bible and Science and Health put together by the person who has been elected to be First Reader; they pray; and they share testimonies. These testimonies can be anything from some great insight they've gained in their spiritual study to reporting of healing that have occured from the action of God's word in their lives. About half the time is spent on the latter, typically. There's usually some quite moments between sharing to pray and ponder.]
Think about it for a moment. Here are thousands of people who, for many generations - at least for all of each individual's life - have know nothing but slavery. And that meant work - constant, consistent, daily work. No days off, no weekends, no holidays, no vacations - just work. Some may have had things better than others depending on their specific role and/or owner, but still - work, work, work. Probably from as early as they could contribute. And even if they weren't working for someone, probably they were working for their family - gathering food as best they could, preparing it, supplying family with other needs. Never a moment of freedom, time to pause and reflect, just quick back. Phew!
So here they are. They've been taken away from everything they know by a God they'd heard about for generations and likely wondered about more than knew for the most part - who is He really? where was He? when will He help us? And now it was happening. They're leaving Egypt and captivity.
But life was still hard, especially at first. It was travel in the desert, after all! No rest stops with McDonald's to be found anywhere. And no food. But God is good. He provided for their needs. Daily, food was literally at their doorstep (or tent flap, I suppose). Manna in the morning; quails at night - enough to feed them all in the right amount each day.
But, as is described in Exodus 16, one day each week was different - the Sabbath day. On that day, no food was provided, no food collection and preparation was required. That didn't mean they went hungry. No way! They got enough for two days on the day before. The extra portion of food collected on day six lasted through the next day so the people had good food to eat then (and, to emphasize the specialness of the food lasting for two day, you should know that on other days of the week, anything left over went bad overnight - very bad).
God wanted them to take the day off. He didn't want them to work. After all, they were free now. What would that concept have seemed like if work was all you'd ever known?
It seems to me that the concept could have been very difficult to even grasp. Not to work, not even to provide that day's food for the family? How could that even be? Beyond comprehension when that was all you'd ever known!
That story in Exodus describes how the Israelites went out on the first Sabbath day to collect food anyway. God didn't appreciate this at all. Why weren't they trusting Him? They didn't have to work - they weren't slaves any more. But, I wonder, maybe for some it was more habit than lack of trust. They were used to working each and every day. What would they do if they weren't working?
Celebrate their freedom, that's what they could do! And give thanks to the Divine One that gave this special gift to them. They were being given a day off, not so they could just kick back and relax, do whatever they wanted, but so they could have the time to really contemplate Divinity without other distractions. A day just made for giving thoughts, prayers and gratitude to God.
And this idea of Sabbath was so important, it was put in the Commandments - number 4 - right up there near the top of the list. [You may know that Bible scholars, etc. tend to look at the list of Commandments in two parts - the first part (being either one through four or five, depending on how you want to look at the fifth commandment) being God-focused commandments (The "love the Lord with all your heart" portion) and the second part describing our relationship with others ("love thy neighbor as thyself").] Don't forget this special opportunity - "Remember the Sabbath day...."
My appreciation for this idea of a day of rest grew immensely that evening. What an incredible gift from a gracious, wonderful God! The meaning of it appeared as so much more than I'd ever realized before. Our gift as His loved children is freedom to have the time, opportunity, space to get to know Him, to think about Him and His creation, to express Her joy and goodness in our lives in ways that glorify Her. I think this feeling is reflected in this statement from Science and Health: "Citizens of the world, accept the "glorious liberty of the children of God," and be free! This is your divine right." (page 227)
So what is my take-away from this? Certainly a greater respect for the idea of Sabbath. And hopefully this respect will be demonstrated in my life in fuller use of the concept - not just in taking a particular day of the week to pray and give thanks. I'm thinking it can be much fuller than this. I'll be looking for more Sabbath moments in each day to be grateful for the freedom to experience the dominion that God has given all of Her loved children and to have the time to pause, at least in my thinking, and celebrate!
February 21, 2007
The Sabbath - Celebrating Freedom
This is a look at the Fourth Commandment.
The Bible:
Ex 16:2-5,13 and in,14,15 And Moses,21 (to :),22-24 (to :),25,26,30
Ps 116:12-14,16-19
Ex 20:1,2,8-11
Ezek 20:19,20
Deut 4:20 the
Ps 96:1-3,7-9 (to :)
Ps 95:1,2,6,7 (to .)
Ps 118:1,24
Luke 4:14-22 (to .)
Luke 13:10-17
Mark 2:27,28
Gal 3:29 if
Gal 5:1
Acts 16:9 a (to ;),10,16-26
I Cor 9:1 (to 3rd ?)
Rom 14:5,6 (to ;)
II Cor 3:17 where (to .)
Science and Health:
228:11-15
191:16-17
224:28-226:21
18:3-5,10
20:3-13
53:3-5
52:29-30
454:19-22
226:22-227:29
481:3
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 342:1-3
Hymn 136:1-3
Hymn 302:1-4
FYI: If you are using the Concord Bible/Science and Health research program, you can copy and paste the above citations into the citation document window to view the selections through that program.
The Bible:
Ex 16:2-5,13 and in,14,15 And Moses,21 (to :),22-24 (to :),25,26,30
Ps 116:12-14,16-19
Ex 20:1,2,8-11
Ezek 20:19,20
Deut 4:20 the
Ps 96:1-3,7-9 (to :)
Ps 95:1,2,6,7 (to .)
Ps 118:1,24
Luke 4:14-22 (to .)
Luke 13:10-17
Mark 2:27,28
Gal 3:29 if
Gal 5:1
Acts 16:9 a (to ;),10,16-26
I Cor 9:1 (to 3rd ?)
Rom 14:5,6 (to ;)
II Cor 3:17 where (to .)
Science and Health:
228:11-15
191:16-17
224:28-226:21
18:3-5,10
20:3-13
53:3-5
52:29-30
454:19-22
226:22-227:29
481:3
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 342:1-3
Hymn 136:1-3
Hymn 302:1-4
FYI: If you are using the Concord Bible/Science and Health research program, you can copy and paste the above citations into the citation document window to view the selections through that program.
February 19, 2007
Moving up toward compassion
Putting readings together for Wednesday testimony meetings at the church I attend has been a very interesting experience - which I figured it would be! I tend to think about a particular idea and go into researching possible Bible and Science and Health passages for it thinking there will be some particular focus, theme, thread, or what have you. So often, by the time it is all done, it is sooo different from what I expected it would be like. And that's certainly the key hear - what "I" expected. While I'm gathering passages, I try to keep asking, "Okay, Father, what do you want in here? What ideas do you want shared?" And so, hopefully!, what comes out is much less me-centered and much more God-centered messages.
By the time I've read and reworked and reordered and prayed, I have been kind of amazed at the result. Even when I am sitting there on a Wednesday evening with meeting attendees, I have been surprised at the threads and themes that start to stand out. Things I hadn't seen before, and usually I've read these passages together a couple of times!
So it was in last week's set of readings on brotherly love. As I read the collection to the group Wednesday night and have thought about them since, "brotherly love" seems to so barely scrape the surface of what was in there - and there was so much after all, at least that I am seeing. But one thing that has really popped out at me and I have been praying about more these last few days is the concept of compassion. This word and similar words seemed to keep coming up in both the Bible and Science and Health passages selected. And how often it is used in the New Testament in describing Jesus' actions. You know some of them, "he was moved with compassion ..." and then there is some result, some action. He responded by teaching, feeding, healing. Always some action came from that compassion. Here are some examples, with their related story: Matt 14:14, Matt 15:32, Matt 20:34, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, Luke 7:13. There are more.
I'd never really thought deeply about this word until last summer when I was talking with a friend who was in quite a bit of pain from a debility in arm motion and wanted some help to find relief. As we talked a bit, she mentioned some issues she was facing in relation to her mother who was also in a lot of pain from some illness. My friend was feeling frustrated as her mother was so uncomfortable and wasn't really doing anything to find relief or healing. This was causing some flare ups when they were together. My friend said that she really was trying to be sympathetic with her mother; she does love her after all. She just wanted her to really dedicate herself to a form of treatment and stick to it and find help and healing. Who wouldn't want that for their mother, or anyone!
That word "sympathy" really stuck out to me when we talked (she used it a few times). And I thought about some of those examples from the Bible showing Jesus "compassion" with others. I wanted to know more, know if there really was a or what the difference is between sympathy and compassion. And so, being a perpetual student, I went to the dictionary. Merriam-Webster online defines "sympathy" as in part: "inclination to think or feel alike : emotional or intellectual accord" and it defines "compassion" as: "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Ah! I thought - there's the key, "desire to alleviate it." Not just sinking down into the same sad thought as another, feeling their pain, simply "sympathy," but acknowledging someone's need and wanting to lift the person or situation up. And Jesus did that over and over (and so did his disciples). [Interesting to me, too, that "patient" is part of the root word for compassion. That's probably a whole other thought to wander with!] And that's really what my friend wanted to do for her mother - not feel her pain, but lift her out of it.
I think this passage from Science and Health relates to this idea and describes how we can all express this type of helping and healing compassion:
365:7-24
"The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such words as "Take no thought for your life," would heal the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring; but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common sense and common humanity are disregarded, what mental quality remains, with which to evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness?
"If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine. If the Scientist has enough Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Magdalen gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and deal with his patients compassionately; and the result will correspond with the spiritual intent. "
So, it seemed to me that we need to do more than just feel for others, we need to want to alleviate the situation, to raise the thought of that person to a higher, better understanding of divine Love that does help and heal. We are much better helpers ourselves if we can do that than just feeling sorry for someone. That's where I want to go, for sure! After I shared this distinction with my friend and we'd talked some about just showering her mother with Love - loving thoughts, loving deeds, no reaction to her mother's pain but compassion for her, my friend was able feel peace in her relation with her mother in the next days as she strove to live this idea, and, a few days later, she had relief from the debility and pain she was experiencing.
I was glad for the reminder of this better understanding of Jesus' actions and the importance of compassion those Wednesday readings brought me. And I know there is so much more to this idea - to learn and live! And I'm sure there will be more on this concept later - so many other aspects buzzing around in my thought these last days. :)
By the time I've read and reworked and reordered and prayed, I have been kind of amazed at the result. Even when I am sitting there on a Wednesday evening with meeting attendees, I have been surprised at the threads and themes that start to stand out. Things I hadn't seen before, and usually I've read these passages together a couple of times!
So it was in last week's set of readings on brotherly love. As I read the collection to the group Wednesday night and have thought about them since, "brotherly love" seems to so barely scrape the surface of what was in there - and there was so much after all, at least that I am seeing. But one thing that has really popped out at me and I have been praying about more these last few days is the concept of compassion. This word and similar words seemed to keep coming up in both the Bible and Science and Health passages selected. And how often it is used in the New Testament in describing Jesus' actions. You know some of them, "he was moved with compassion ..." and then there is some result, some action. He responded by teaching, feeding, healing. Always some action came from that compassion. Here are some examples, with their related story: Matt 14:14, Matt 15:32, Matt 20:34, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, Luke 7:13. There are more.
I'd never really thought deeply about this word until last summer when I was talking with a friend who was in quite a bit of pain from a debility in arm motion and wanted some help to find relief. As we talked a bit, she mentioned some issues she was facing in relation to her mother who was also in a lot of pain from some illness. My friend was feeling frustrated as her mother was so uncomfortable and wasn't really doing anything to find relief or healing. This was causing some flare ups when they were together. My friend said that she really was trying to be sympathetic with her mother; she does love her after all. She just wanted her to really dedicate herself to a form of treatment and stick to it and find help and healing. Who wouldn't want that for their mother, or anyone!
That word "sympathy" really stuck out to me when we talked (she used it a few times). And I thought about some of those examples from the Bible showing Jesus "compassion" with others. I wanted to know more, know if there really was a or what the difference is between sympathy and compassion. And so, being a perpetual student, I went to the dictionary. Merriam-Webster online defines "sympathy" as in part: "inclination to think or feel alike : emotional or intellectual accord" and it defines "compassion" as: "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Ah! I thought - there's the key, "desire to alleviate it." Not just sinking down into the same sad thought as another, feeling their pain, simply "sympathy," but acknowledging someone's need and wanting to lift the person or situation up. And Jesus did that over and over (and so did his disciples). [Interesting to me, too, that "patient" is part of the root word for compassion. That's probably a whole other thought to wander with!] And that's really what my friend wanted to do for her mother - not feel her pain, but lift her out of it.
I think this passage from Science and Health relates to this idea and describes how we can all express this type of helping and healing compassion:
365:7-24
"The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such words as "Take no thought for your life," would heal the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring; but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common sense and common humanity are disregarded, what mental quality remains, with which to evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness?
"If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine. If the Scientist has enough Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Magdalen gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and deal with his patients compassionately; and the result will correspond with the spiritual intent. "
So, it seemed to me that we need to do more than just feel for others, we need to want to alleviate the situation, to raise the thought of that person to a higher, better understanding of divine Love that does help and heal. We are much better helpers ourselves if we can do that than just feeling sorry for someone. That's where I want to go, for sure! After I shared this distinction with my friend and we'd talked some about just showering her mother with Love - loving thoughts, loving deeds, no reaction to her mother's pain but compassion for her, my friend was able feel peace in her relation with her mother in the next days as she strove to live this idea, and, a few days later, she had relief from the debility and pain she was experiencing.
I was glad for the reminder of this better understanding of Jesus' actions and the importance of compassion those Wednesday readings brought me. And I know there is so much more to this idea - to learn and live! And I'm sure there will be more on this concept later - so many other aspects buzzing around in my thought these last days. :)
February 14, 2007
Brotherly Love
Had to do something about Love for Valentine's Day, and here's what came out!
Bible:
Acts 10:38 God
Matt 4:23
Matt 5:1,2
Matt 5:40-48 if
Matt 25:31-40
John 13:34,35
Matt 15:32,34-37 (to :)
Mark 1:40-42
Mark 2:15-17
John 14:12-15
I Cor 16:14
III John 1:1-6 (to :)
I John 3:1 (to :),10,11,16-19.22-24
I John 4:7,11
I Pet 1:22
I Pet 2:17 (to 3rd .)
I Pet 3:8 be
I Pet 4:8-10
Heb 13:1,25
Science and Health:
135:26
270:23-24
52:19
37:16-17,22-1
518:15-19
147:29
102:31-2
41:22
138:27-2
54:8-17
95:6-10
366:12,30
364:32-24
192:21-24 (to .)
496:9 Ask
57:22-24
570:14-18,23-24
55:15-21
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 179:1-3
Hymn 178:1,2
Hymn 217:1-3
BTW, for those of you who have the Concord program, you can copy and paste these citations into the citation document window and view the selection that way.
Bible:
Acts 10:38 God
Matt 4:23
Matt 5:1,2
Matt 5:40-48 if
Matt 25:31-40
John 13:34,35
Matt 15:32,34-37 (to :)
Mark 1:40-42
Mark 2:15-17
John 14:12-15
I Cor 16:14
III John 1:1-6 (to :)
I John 3:1 (to :),10,11,16-19.22-24
I John 4:7,11
I Pet 1:22
I Pet 2:17 (to 3rd .)
I Pet 3:8 be
I Pet 4:8-10
Heb 13:1,25
Science and Health:
135:26
270:23-24
52:19
37:16-17,22-1
518:15-19
147:29
102:31-2
41:22
138:27-2
54:8-17
95:6-10
366:12,30
364:32-24
192:21-24 (to .)
496:9 Ask
57:22-24
570:14-18,23-24
55:15-21
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 179:1-3
Hymn 178:1,2
Hymn 217:1-3
BTW, for those of you who have the Concord program, you can copy and paste these citations into the citation document window and view the selection that way.
February 13, 2007
Love
It's Valentine's "week" so I've been thinking about love, and divine Love. Felt like sharing one of my favorite poems on the subject, written by Mary Baker Eddy, the author of Science and Health. It is a lovely prayer for peace for the world, too.
Hope you enjoy. Much love to you all!
Love
by Mary Baker Eddy
Brood o'er us with Thy shelt'ring wing,
'Neath which our spirits blend
Like brother birds, that soar and sing,
And on the same branch bend.
The arrow that doth wound the dove
Darts not from those who watch and love.
If thou the bending reed wouldst break
By thought or word unkind,
Pray that his spirit you partake,
Who loved and healed mankind:
Seek holy thoughts and heavenly strain,
That make men one in love remain.
Learn, too, that wisdom's rod is given
For faith to kiss, and know;
That greetings glorious from high heaven,
Whence joys supernal flow,
Come from that Love, divinely near,
Which chastens pride and earth-born fear,
Through God, who gave that word of might
Which swelled creation's lay:
"Let there be light, and there was light."
What chased the clouds away?
'Twas Love whose finger traced aloud
A bow of promise on the cloud.
Thou to whose power our hope we give,
Free us from human strife.
Fed by Thy love divine we live,
For Love alone is Life;
And life most sweet, as heart to heart
Speaks kindly when we meet and part.
Hope you enjoy. Much love to you all!
Love
by Mary Baker Eddy
Brood o'er us with Thy shelt'ring wing,
'Neath which our spirits blend
Like brother birds, that soar and sing,
And on the same branch bend.
The arrow that doth wound the dove
Darts not from those who watch and love.
If thou the bending reed wouldst break
By thought or word unkind,
Pray that his spirit you partake,
Who loved and healed mankind:
Seek holy thoughts and heavenly strain,
That make men one in love remain.
Learn, too, that wisdom's rod is given
For faith to kiss, and know;
That greetings glorious from high heaven,
Whence joys supernal flow,
Come from that Love, divinely near,
Which chastens pride and earth-born fear,
Through God, who gave that word of might
Which swelled creation's lay:
"Let there be light, and there was light."
What chased the clouds away?
'Twas Love whose finger traced aloud
A bow of promise on the cloud.
Thou to whose power our hope we give,
Free us from human strife.
Fed by Thy love divine we live,
For Love alone is Life;
And life most sweet, as heart to heart
Speaks kindly when we meet and part.
February 08, 2007
The Third Commandment -- nothing to sneeze at
Every year in my early childhood, at summer's end as school started, I got hit with hay fever. It made me miserable. About nine years ago, I woke up one September morning with all the symptoms I had learned to hate.
I went out to run some errands. As I drove along, I silently asked God for help. What did I need to do to stop these annual attacks?
The answer came in the form of a Bible verse that at first seemed unrelated: the Third Commandment, the one that says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (Exodus 20:7).
At first I thought, "Okay, what does that mean about this situation?" I'd always thought about it as meaning "don't swear." But I don't swear or use profanity (well, at least I try not to). But again this commandment came into my thought. "All right, I guess I'd better think about this some more." So I did.
Two words then stood out to me as significant: "name" and "vain." I have heard that in many societies (including the Old Testament Hebrew one), a person's name signifies who the person is. And you would only change your name when you've had a distinct change in your character or position in life.
So, I reasoned, maybe "name" meant much more than a word or a label. Maybe it also indicated identity -- God's identity in this case. And mine too, as I believe I am one of God's creations, and, therefore have only qualities that are divine characteristics.
How could I be taking that name, identity, in "vain?" Taking something in vain could be thought of as misusing something, disrespecting it, or otherwise not acknowledging its true worth.
This commandment began to mean more to me than just not using God's name in a bad or insulting manner. It also meant not thinking of divine creation in a wrong way -- as sick or allergic or prone to attacks. I realized I had a choice: to think of myself as a susceptible and miserable physical thing, or as a healthy, peaceful spiritual being. The first choice would dishonor the perfect creator and creation, something I didn't want to do. So, I chose the second option.
I spent the rest of the day identifying myself as a non-allergic, healthy child of God. This allowed a stream of uplifting ideas to flow into my thought. The next morning, all of the symptoms were gone. And, when they have tried to return in the years since, they've been gone within a day.
I went out to run some errands. As I drove along, I silently asked God for help. What did I need to do to stop these annual attacks?
The answer came in the form of a Bible verse that at first seemed unrelated: the Third Commandment, the one that says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (Exodus 20:7).
At first I thought, "Okay, what does that mean about this situation?" I'd always thought about it as meaning "don't swear." But I don't swear or use profanity (well, at least I try not to). But again this commandment came into my thought. "All right, I guess I'd better think about this some more." So I did.
Two words then stood out to me as significant: "name" and "vain." I have heard that in many societies (including the Old Testament Hebrew one), a person's name signifies who the person is. And you would only change your name when you've had a distinct change in your character or position in life.
So, I reasoned, maybe "name" meant much more than a word or a label. Maybe it also indicated identity -- God's identity in this case. And mine too, as I believe I am one of God's creations, and, therefore have only qualities that are divine characteristics.
How could I be taking that name, identity, in "vain?" Taking something in vain could be thought of as misusing something, disrespecting it, or otherwise not acknowledging its true worth.
This commandment began to mean more to me than just not using God's name in a bad or insulting manner. It also meant not thinking of divine creation in a wrong way -- as sick or allergic or prone to attacks. I realized I had a choice: to think of myself as a susceptible and miserable physical thing, or as a healthy, peaceful spiritual being. The first choice would dishonor the perfect creator and creation, something I didn't want to do. So, I chose the second option.
I spent the rest of the day identifying myself as a non-allergic, healthy child of God. This allowed a stream of uplifting ideas to flow into my thought. The next morning, all of the symptoms were gone. And, when they have tried to return in the years since, they've been gone within a day.
- Check out this paragraph in Science and Health, too, and helped me with this healing. It really speaks to this idea! Page 175:9:
"What an abuse of natural beauty to say that a rose, the smile of God, can produce suffering! The joy of its presence, its beauty and fragrance, should uplift the thought, and dissuade any sense of fear or fever. It is profane to fancy that the perfume of clover and the breath of new-mown hay can cause glandular inflammation, sneezing, and nasal pangs."
February 07, 2007
The Third Commandment - What's in a name?
The Bible:
Ex 3:1,2 (to :),7,10,13-15
Ex 34:5-8
Ps 89:26 Thou
John 4:24 (to :)
I John 4:8 God is
Job 23:13 he is (to ?)
Job 33:4
Deut 30:20 he (to 2nd :)
Ps 113:1,2
Ps 148:1-14
Isa 40:26
Isa 45:5 (to :),7 (to :),8,9,11-13 (to :),18,23
Isa 65:18 (to :)
Isa 43:5-7,21
Ex 20:7
Acts 10:9-16 Peter
Amos 4:13
Ps 145:1,2,9,10,21
Science and Health:
465:8-15
330:11-12 God,19 God
331:1-3 God,5-25
502:27
332:4-5 Father-Mother
550:5
239:29-11
118:26
280:2
70:12-13
262:9
119:1-18,21-24
175:6-15,26
184:27
259:6
94:3-6
465:17-1 Principle
333:30
525:20
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 153:1,2
Hymn 378:1-3
Hymn 51:1-3
Ex 3:1,2 (to :),7,10,13-15
Ex 34:5-8
Ps 89:26 Thou
John 4:24 (to :)
I John 4:8 God is
Job 23:13 he is (to ?)
Job 33:4
Deut 30:20 he (to 2nd :)
Ps 113:1,2
Ps 148:1-14
Isa 40:26
Isa 45:5 (to :),7 (to :),8,9,11-13 (to :),18,23
Isa 65:18 (to :)
Isa 43:5-7,21
Ex 20:7
Acts 10:9-16 Peter
Amos 4:13
Ps 145:1,2,9,10,21
Science and Health:
465:8-15
330:11-12 God,19 God
331:1-3 God,5-25
502:27
332:4-5 Father-Mother
550:5
239:29-11
118:26
280:2
70:12-13
262:9
119:1-18,21-24
175:6-15,26
184:27
259:6
94:3-6
465:17-1 Principle
333:30
525:20
Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 153:1,2
Hymn 378:1-3
Hymn 51:1-3
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