Putting it in God's hands

I love the story about Hannah in I Samuel! She's one of those Bible characters I really feel for. Here she is, one of two wives to Elkanah. The other wife has given birth to many children. Hannah hasn't had one child. Bad enough in that culture where a woman's worth was primarily her ability to bear children, but on top of it, the other wife taunts her for her bareness! Hannah's solution? Pray to God - ask Him for a child. Not too unusual, especially in a Bible story. But what does she do in her prayer for a child? She promises that child to God in a lifetime of service. How incredibly selfless! Ask for your heart's desire, and then willingly give it back to God in gratitude to God for answered prayer. It's quite something to shoot for in our own prayers.

But even more than this, Hannah gives another wonderful insight into prayer. One day a few years ago when I reread this story, something lept out at me I hadn't noticed before. After Hannah prays and Eli the priest gives her a blessing, she leaves "and her countenance was no more sad." Wow! Her prayer hadn't even been answered, but she had such trust in God that He would answer the prayer she offered, that, instead of crying and not eating as had been the case until she got pregnant, she was happy immediately. This deep trust that brings a sense of peace and calm despite the trouble at hand is what these readings are covering.

And that's why the first hymn (Hymn 124), with words by Philip Doddridge, was selected. It ends with this verse:

His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day:
I drop my burden at His feet,
And bear a song away.

Unfortunately, I think the only way to view the whole hymn, as well as the others, is through Concord or if you have a Christian Science Hymnal accessible. The Bible and Science and Health citations can be individually viewed by clicking each link or by copying into the citation pane of the Concord program.

Peace!

The Bible:
Ps 4:1,3 the Lord will,4 (to .),5-7
Ps 5:1-3,7 I will,11 let all,12
Ps 42:11
I Sam 1:1-12,17-20,24-28
I Sam 2:1,2,11
Ps 31:1,2 (to ;),19,21,23 (to :),24
Ps 34:22
Ps 145:1-5,14,16-19
Ps 46:10 (to :)
Mark 11:22 Have,24 What
Mark 4:39 Peace (to .)
Rom 5:1-5 being
Rom 15:13

Science and Health:
1:10-23 np (to ?)
2:26-2 Shall
11:27
13:10-24
506:18
4:12
446:15-18,20
206:10-18
8:3-6
531:8
95:30-32
298:13-20
495:16
444:10
41:8-10
99:23
506:11-12

Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymn 124
Hymn 410
Hymn 75

The creating is in the saying

Okay, I am still thinking about the first chapter of Genesis. But there’s so much in these 31 verses! Probably a lifetime of learning that can be gathered from this chapter.

Here’s some of what I’ve been pondering the last few days.

1) “And God said.” Each step of spiritual creation detailed in this chapter begins with this phrase. As creation began and expanded, God declare more and more about Himself; revealed more of His infinite self in other forms of creation – light first, then heaven, earth, seas, vegetation, stars, sea creatures, birds, land animals and finally man – higher and higher. Of course, this statement might make you think of the first line of the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word.” “In the beginning” was God expressing Himself, divine Love knowing Himself and expressing that knowledge. And for much of creation, this statement, “and God said …” takes care of the creating. God says, and it happens. Sometimes this is reinforced or the creation is detailed by the addition of “God made” or “God created.”

2) “And God saw ...” Regularly, there’s this statement. It’s like periodically God takes a step back and looks over what has been done, what He’s revealed of Himself. It struck me that this look had to have been filled with love, because God is Love (I John 4). Love was expressing Him/Herself in creation. He could only behold it with love because He is Love and because the reflection of Himself, creation, is made of Love, is expressing Love. God loves all of creation because it is an expression of Himself, an expression of Love that reflects back that infinite Love that created it.

3) “… that it was good.” Each time God sees His creation, He declares it good. Covered this some here, so I don’t think I’ll do more on this aspect today.

So God knew, and then He saw. The “Glossary” definition of God in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy begins: “The great I AM; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal;” (587:5-6) A friend once shared that it meant a lot to her one time when she was praying for healing of a broken leg that the knowing came before the seeing. That comment struck me as interesting and has stuck with me. I think we see it here – “God said” and then “God saw.” His knowing is a revealing that He and all of His creation can see. It’s kind of comforting to think of God’s knowing something first, forming it in His thought – because that formation must be perfect because God is perfect. And as He knows, He sees – sees the perfection of this idea. And we can see it, too!

This all reminds me of MBE’s statement giving spiritual insight to Gen 1:5:

(SH 504:6)
All questions as to the divine creation being both spiritual and material are answered in this passage, for though solar beams are not yet included in the record of creation, still there is light. This light is not from the sun nor from volcanic flames, but it is the revelation of Truth and of spiritual ideas. This also shows that there is no place where God's light is not seen, since Truth, Life, and Love fill immensity and are ever-present. Was not this a revelation instead of a creation?

So, perhaps no great final answers, mostly just some thoughts I’m pondering. But a good reminder to be looking to see more clearly and hopefully more consistently, as God enables me to see, the revelation of Himself, what He knows about me and the entire universe. This creation is there all around us, and it is good!

What do you think about these ideas? Would love to hear what your prayers and ponderings of this chapter have revealed to you!

Tradition broken - Healing found

The readings from this last Wednesday’s testimony meeting at the branch church of Christ, Scientist that I attend remind me of a healing I had a few years ago that give a small example of how traditions can creep in and become a constraint, and how healing can be found when releasing them.


This happened almost ten years ago, and about this time of year (January). I was on a commuter train heading for a volunteer activity and was reading the Christian Science Bible Lesson. The topic was Sacrament. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in my lower back. I jumped a bit and looked behind me. No, nothing sticking out of the seat cushion that poked me. But my back was no extremely uncomfortable. I shifted around in my seat for the rest of the train ride, trying to find comfortable positions, but didn’t find any. I kept pursuing my read of the Bible Lesson, just knowing that there would be something in it that would help relieve this discomfort.

But my back was still painful when I got downtown and remained so for the rest of the day and into the next couple of days. In addition, I developed some flu-like symptoms. I soldiered on with activities that needed to happen, praying as I went and asking God what I needed to learn that would bring relief.

A couple of evenings later, I was lying on our couch and picked up the Bible Lesson to read again. I really reached out to God to show me something that I needed to learn. The lesson that week contained a number of encounters between Jesus and the Pharisees and other religious leaders, all where he reprimanded them for their hardness of heart in holding for various traditions – mostly created over the years by the religious ruling bodies and not truly found in the writings of Moses – over the spirit of the Law and heart of worshipping God.

And that’s when it struck me – I’d been setting up my own little traditions in regards to my spiritual study. And, by these traditions, I’d actually been limiting my study and opportunity to grow and practice what I was or could be learning about God and my relationship with Him. One key example was the study of the Bible Lesson.

Now, I should mention that, because of my husband’s job (he is on-call 24/7), there’s not much opportunity for routine in our days. We never know when he’ll be leaving or returning home – day of the week or time of day. So things happen as they happen, and I’ve learned over the years to be very flexible. Had to or I’d go nuts! J But somehow, in all of this “flexible” lifestyle, I’d gotten into a mindset that if I was going to studying the Bible Lesson, it had to be in the morning. And if it didn’t happen in the morning, most likely it didn’t happen all day, and sometimes this would happen for many days of the week. (Feeling unwell was an exception to this self-imposed “rule” – that’s why I was studying the Bible Lesson in the evening this day.)

And so there’d been many days lately where I hadn’t gotten at this aspect of my spiritual study, and I find it a pretty important tool in my spiritual study and growth. Well, I fully realized what I’d been doing and that there is not really any rule about when and how to study the Bible Lesson. Why had I gotten this narrow-minded about this activity? I don’t know, but I knew I could change it right then and there. And I did. I fully immersed myself in the study of the Lesson that evening, grateful for the time – whether evening or morning – to spend thinking about God, to learn more about His Word, and to gain a deeper glimpse of my relationship with divine Love.

By the next morning, all back pain and flu symptoms were totally gone. And I enjoyed studying the Bible Lesson at whatever was the right time of day for that day ever since. No more restrictions to my study – or to my back! A small thing to get in the way, but a good lesson learned. I try to stay on the outlook for other non-rules that might try to creep in and bind me to routine and tradition and so hamper growth Spirit-ward.

As Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health:

"God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis." (258:13-15)