March 26, 2008

One Father, one source for peaceful relationships

I was thinking about the conflicts around the world, and how often the issues revolve around land and/or a perception that others have something you don't, more than your community does, etc. This got me to thinking about our father Abraham and how he dealt with conflict within his traveling family, when his accumulation of wealth and his nephew Lot's accumulation got so large the land couldn't sustain everyone and everything and fighting broke out. Abraham looked at the situation logically and said to Lot that they'd have to split up. And then, very graciously, gave Lot the first choice of where he wanted to take his family. What a lovely sense that God would totally sustain him and his family, no matter what direction they went! Abram could let Lot choose and new he wouldn't lose. He trusted God and His promise. And all was well. A good lesson for any age and family.

So these readings evolved from there - more about our brotherhood and how that understanding helps in all relationships, from familial to international.

Peace to you all!


The Bible:
Prov 28:25
Prov 17:14
Prov 20:3 (to :)
Gen 13:1-12 Abram,14,15,17,18
Isa 26:3,4 (to :)
Isa 32:17,18
I Cor 8:3,5,6
Matt 5:9,23 if,24,48
James 4:1-3
James 3:13-18
Titus 2:1 speak,11-15
Titus 3:1-9
II John 1:3

Science and Health:
516:9-12
586:9
31:4-6,10
231:12
576:31-4
329:26 If
140:7
475:7-9,14
63:5
276:4-16
60:29-11
467:1-16
444:13
469:30
340:23
518:15-21
361:16
16:26-29

Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 58
Hymn 30
Hymn 72

March 21, 2008

Benefits of charity

In case you wondered, here's an article I saw in our local paper today: "Science and Bible agree on benefits of charity"

It starts out:

People who made gifts to others or to charities reported they were happier than folks who didn't share, according to a report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
While previous studies have shown that having more money can increase happiness, the researchers at the University of British Columbia and Harvard University wondered if the way people spent their money made any difference.
Turns out, it does.
Researchers found that how people spend their time and money and how they shared their skills has a major effect on happiness. The more they gave, the happier they are.

Certainly not news to many, not even to the researchers on this project. And certainly we've all had good advice on this subject. Here are some ideas on the blessings of giving...

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it." (Prov 3:27)

"Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us. (Science and Health 79:31-32)

"We should measure our love for God by our love for man; and our sense of Science will be measured by our obedience to God, — fulfilling the law of Love, doing good to all; imparting, so far as we reflect them, Truth, Life, and Love to all within the radius of our atmosphere of thought." (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896 by Mary Baker Eddy 12:28)
And this concept certainly must be behind Oprah's "Big Give"! I'm sure I'd agree, any day that I feel that I've really done something for another, really helped in some way, and especially in a God-directed way, is a much brighter and happier day for me.

March 19, 2008

One God - one law for our health

I'm not really sure what title to give these readings, but they hold a Bible story that is really significant to me - the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in I Kings 18. It just seems so profound to me on so many levels and important to consider in so many aspects of life. Are we choosing the one, true God? Are we honoring Him as God? If we are, then certainly one of the benefits is the experience of His protection for all harm - even disease. That's what these readings are getting at - and how that will help preserve our lives, prevent ills, maintain health, better than any human theories really can in the long run.


The Bible:
Isa 45:20-22
Isa 12:2,3
Isa 25:9
I Kings 18:21-39 Elijah
Lam 3:24-26
Prov 4:20-25
Ps 91:1-6,9-11,14,16
Matt 4:17 Jesus,23
Matt 6:22,24-33
Matt 15:1-3,7-11
II Cor 6:15-18 what concord
I Tim 6:11 follow
III John 1:2,3
Ps 67:1-3


Science and Health:
183:21-5
184:12-18
124:32
182:18-22
412:16-18
168:4-10,15-21
232:19
369:25
276:19-26
220:26-28 np
222:4-21
62:20-4
174:4
297:7
167:6-7,11-14,22-30


Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 12
Hymn 70
Hymn 77

March 13, 2008

The Truth

Here's an interesting video from YouTube sent by a friend today, and a good quote from Science and Health to consider along with it:

"Delusion, sin, disease, and death arise from the false testimony of material sense, which, from a supposed standpoint outside the focal distance of infinite Spirit, presents an inverted image of Mind [God] and substance with everything turned upside down." (301:24)







Here are some other ideas from Science and Health that relate:


"Science reverses the false testimony of the physical senses, and by this reversal mortals arrive at the fundamental facts of being." (120:7)

"In viewing the sunrise, one finds that it contradicts the evidence before the senses to believe that the earth is in motion and the sun at rest. As astronomy reverses the human perception of the movement of the solar system, so Christian Science reverses the seeming relation of Soul and body and makes body tributary to Mind. (119:25)

"The evidence of the physical senses often reverses the real Science of being, and so creates a reign of discord,--assigning seeming power to sin, sickness, and death; but the great facts of Life, rightly understood, defeat this triad of errors, contradict their false witnesses, and reveal the kingdom of heaven,--the actual reign of harmony on earth." (122:1)

"The higher nature of man is not governed by the lower; if it were, the order of wisdom would be reversed. Our false views of life hide eternal harmony, and produce the ills of which we complain. Because mortals believe in material laws and reject the Science of Mind, this does not make materiality first and the superior law of Soul last." (62:27)

"If you wish to know the spiritual fact, you can discover it by reversing the material fable, be the fable pro or con,--be it in accord with your preconceptions or utterly contrary to them." (129:7)

"We cannot fathom the nature and quality of God's creation by diving into the shallows of mortal belief. We must reverse our feeble flutterings--our efforts to find life and truth in matter--and rise above the testimony of the material senses, above the mortal to the immortal idea of God. These clearer, higher views inspire the God-like man to reach the absolute centre and circumference of his being." (262:9)

How important to begin with the real Truth - God and His creation - to come to the correct conclusions about ourselves, others and the world around us.

March 10, 2008

a great analogy

A friend sent this story in an email today. It really resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you...

--------------------------------------------

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the w! hole ni ght and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

----------------------------------------------------

Isn't that a cool analogy? And a good reminder - God, our Father-Mother is always right at hand no matter what is going on, no matter where we are. It is only that blindfold that prevented the boy from seeing his father right next to him during the night, and probably the fear he is feeling from all those creepy noises and the uncertainty that otherwise makes him unable to detect his father's presence. How often it is like that in our own lives! Get so caught up in the situation, the fear, the drama that we don't realize help is right there.

But once that light comes, the blindfold is off and the truth is revealed, the father is right there - Love is right there caring for His child. Always.

March 05, 2008

The healer

Last week's readings for the Wednesday meeting focused on healing. I thought it would be intereseting next too look at the healer - what are some of the qualities that help us all to be better healers. It's so interesting that Mary Baker Eddy started the chapter "Christian Science Practice" with the story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and annointed them with ointment - giving insight to key qualities needed by the practitioner or spiritual healer. So I started the Science and Health portion of the readings with her commentary on this Bible story and its accompanying parable, as well as of course including the story in the Bible portion.

What qualities do you find exemplified by this "strange woman"? How do you express these in your life right now? How can you express more of them or express them better? Could questions for everyone to ask themselves regularly, I am thinking!

Much good!

The Bible:
Ps 43:5
Ps 51:1,2,6,8 (to ;),10-13,15,17
Ps 10:17
Matt 4:23 Jesus
Matt 5:1-3,5-8,20 I say,48
Matt 18:2-5
Mark 16:15,17,18
Luke 7:36-50
Acts 9:1-20
Acts 20:7-12
James 5:13-16
Col 3:12-17

Science and Health:
362:1-364:31
365:19
592:25
366:3-23 np
241:19-20 np
270:22-24
326:23
403:21-23
410:14
419:28
3:12
4:3
248:29

Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 151
Hymn 307
Hymn 109