May 28, 2008

Turning sorrow for sin into sinless joy

Okay, doing more on the Second Beatitude today. Until I was doing some research on this Beatitude for last week's readings, I'd never thought very deeply on this one. Though I really believe all the spiritual ideas in the Bible are infinite, so many meanings, ideas, insights can be drawn from a verse, psalm, story, parable, etc., I never really went beyond a basic sense of "mourning for the loss of those who have died" when it came to this verse. So it was cool to learn of some other perspectives - especially the idea (that some of the commentators that I read preferred) that Jesus was really referring to mourning or sorrowing over sin. So that's what these readings reflect - the beneficial effects of sorrow over sin, that turns us to divine Love to cleanse our sense of self from sin to find that sinless joy that is naturally ours as God's image and likeness, as Her loved children.


Much joy!


The Bible:
Eccl 7:3-5
Prov 14:10,13
Ps 34:17-19,22
Ps 51:1-3,7-12,17
Mark 1:14 Jesus,15
Mark 2:15-17
Luke 6:12,13 (to :),17-20 (to 2nd ,),21 Blessed are ye that weep,25 Woe unto you that laugh
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 7:36-50
James 4:7-10
Rom 5:1-5,11
Rev 7:9,10,13-17
Heb 12:1,2,5-7 ye,9,12,14
Phil 3:13-15

Science and Health:
66:9
265:23-2
5:3-11
14:16-22,25-28
125:12-16
324:2-5
362:1-12
363:1-9 (to .),25-19
364:25
405:22
8:28-30
9:17-24
19:17-24
242:1
76:22-29
20:27-14

Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 40

Hymn 19
Hymn 300

May 21, 2008

The Second Beatitude

Continuing along in a look at the Beatitudes - time for #2! There is such mourning over loss lately - with the cyclones in Myanmar, earthquakes in China, and other more personal losses. I hope that the ideas in this selectiton from the Bible and Science and Health help to lift thought to find joy and peace that comes from the love of God and the understanding of Him as Life and of man as His reflection.

Much good.

The Bible:
Ps 116:1-5,8,9
Ps 30:10-12
Ps 119:76
II Kings 4:8 it fell,12,16-21,25-28,30,32,33,35-37
Isa 51:3,11,12 (to :)
Isa 66:13
Matt 4:23 Jesus
Matt 5:2,4
Luke 7:11-16
John 17:1-3
John 14:1,15-21,25-27
I Cor 15:19-21,51,52,54,55,57
I Thess 4:13 I,14,18
Rev 21:3,4
II Cor 1:2-4

Science and Health:
206:19-21,25
215:15-24
218:32-2
584:9-16
427:1-25,30-14 np
428:22
410:4-9,14-17
332:19 Jesus
44:9-10
69:13
324:32-19
266:29
164:17
585:9-14
304:9-14
386:16-2
55:27
271:20
57:23

Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 174

Hymn 208
Hymn 101

May 07, 2008

The First Beatitude

I have been hoping to do a study of the Beatitudes at some point while reading at the branch church of Christ, Scientist of which I am a member, and the time seems right. So here is a look at the first one, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

As always, follow the links to see each citation, or cop and paste the whole thing into Concord if you have that program and view it from there (citation by citation or print it out).

The Bible:
Ps 34:1-3,6,8
Deut 6:4,5
Prov 15:33
Prov 22:4
Prov 3:5,6
Isa 57:15
Matt 4:17 Jesus,23,25
Matt 5:1-3
Matt 6:1,3-6,9,10,19-22,31 take,33
Matt 18:2-4
Matt 23:9-12 call
Matt 26:1,2,36-47,50 Then
Matt 27:1,35 (to :)
Matt 28:1,2,5,6 (to .),16-20 (to .)
Mark 16:17-20 (to .)
Phil 2:1-3,5-9,12,13
Heb 11:6
James 4:10

Science and Health:
20:14
586:23
33:18
51:19
316:3
202:3
205:22-9
242:15
590:1
323:28-4
2:8
8:10-30
15:25-6
261:31
7:18
1:6
12:10
467:13

Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 291
Hymn 318
Hymn 162