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The Bulletin Board is for gratitude for Christian Science and the Church, as well as timely excerpts from the Bible, the works of Mrs. Eddy, and the early workers that help and encourage. We are very grateful for all posts that conform to these guidelines, but will edit or remove anything that the Practitioners feel is not in complete accord with pure Christian Science or in any way disrespectful of it.
We also ask that you keep your postings as concise as possible. If you quote the Bible, please use The King James Version, as this is what Mrs. Eddy used. Thank you!
I also like what Ames Nowell C.S.B writes in his book Mary Baker Eddy Her Revelation of Divine Egoism about our Golden Text,
“Beautiful as this language may be, it is extremely difficult to understand Paul’s intended meaning, -not because Paul had failed to state his case correctly, but because the translators had failed to give the full and proper significance to this passage as written in the original Greek text…… there are two entirely different words, both translated as “things”, but had quite different meanings. Following the language of this epistle as actually written by Paul, we find it means: ‘Now faith is a mental realizing of things hoped for, a detection of things already fulfilled, not being seen by the bodily eye’….it is in complete agreement with the fundamental teaching of Christian Science that calls for the acknowledgement of good as already established, and present, — not something to be hoped for in an indeterminate future time.”
There is so much ‘substance’ in this lesson on substance. Thank you!!
In reading this Bible passage today, a quote from Mrs. Eddy came to me that can be found in the Essays and Footprints Fadeless book also referred to as the “Red Book” page 80. “I don’t care what mortal sense has done; I don’t care how it has beat me, and worked me, and insulted me, wronged me and lied to me, and tortured me. It is all past and it is a dream. I have found Love at last. I can lie down in the Father’s arms and be at peace. I love God supremely. Mortal sense has done its worst. I have passed through the Red Sea and under the rod, and been nailed to the cross, and still I am God’s own child, hid with Christ in His arms, safe in green pastures.”
Thank you for your post and the article you shared. It really does create a clear picture as to how united in God’s love we all are.
Beautiful lesson, Thank you
Thank you for your post. Very helpful.
Thank you so much for recommending Rieke’s Address on Immortality where he does an analysis of Job. It is wonderful!!
The part of the story where Job prays for his friends before “…the Lord gave Job twice as he had before….” really stood out to me this week and how important it is to pray for our fellow man if we want to see the results of our prayers for ourselves.
Thank you lesson writers for this inspiring lesson! Gratefully appreciated
Thank you for your post. I would like to add some thoughts from John Morgan’s “Some Notes on True Vision”. He says with regard to the synonym Spirit, “Through Spirit I see all things rightly, clearly, correctly, distinctly, spiritually. This gives me discernment, so that I differentiate between one idea and another, also between true and false…The clear sight of Spirit does not blind me to faults and errors. Rather I detect them more clearly-but as unrealities. I discern only the good and the true to be real, and so my eye is single…It is Spirit that does the seeing, not flesh, and the senses of Spirit are indestructible and perfect. My outlook is always positive, never negative because my vision is spiritual.” Is this not also being ‘present with the Lord’ and ‘walking in the Spirit’?
I am also grateful for this lesson on how to walk in the Spirit.
The account of the raising of a widow’s son in the city of Nain really struck me. Of the three accounts in the gospels of Jesus raising the dead and the other two accounts of healing in the lesson, only the raising of the widow’s son was unsolicited. “Many of his disciples went with him and much people came into the city with Jesus and came upon this scene. What an opportunity for Jesus to show true compassion. As the account says, “…behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” Jesus was so moved in his heart with the suffering that was clearing being felt by not only the widow and her loss of her son but of everyone around her, that the Christ-love he embodied impelled him to relieve her suffering and raise her son. What a lesson to his disciples of the compassion that would be required of them in order to fulfill their future mission.
In describing the power of this love of God, Mrs. Eddy said “I saw the love of God encircling the universe and man, filling all space, and that divine Love so permeated my own consciousness that I loved with Christ-like compassion everything I saw. This realization of divine Love called into expression the beauty of holiness, the perfection of being which healed and regenerated and saved all who turned to me for help.” (Attributed to Mrs. Eddy, From “General Collectanea” published by Gilbert C. Carpenter Jr.)
What a beautiful lesson on the Love that is God.
Thank you so much for this very helpful post.
I don’t know what more I could add. I guess that I have already signed up for Constitution 101. So much gratitude for all that I learn here.
Thank you for your post. There is another Watching point in 500 Watching points that goes so well with this week’s watching point. Watch
#285 says “Jesus encouraged the eating of food, showing that at our present stage of experience, it is not food that we must eliminate, but the belief that it is material, that it can affect man adversely either through quality or quantity, or that it can be the medium for mortal mind. When Jesus met with his disciples at supper, the eating of food became a channel for a spiritual uplift. When food is seen as a channel for inspiration and blessing, man’s spiritual nature is fed, at the same time his temporary material needs are taken care of.”
Since this beautiful lesson is on “Substance” we can use this same analogy for any gift. In the same watch “nerves” are referred to not as “..the medium through which mortal man becomes conscious of matter, pain, suffering, disease, death but….methods of communicating spiritual ideas; they are the spiritual antenna over which are transmitted the precious messages of good. Spiritually considered they are
God-given means by which man becomes conscious of God, man and the universe.” This is why in the Bible reference that was given in the original post it says that every good gift comes from above and has “no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
I also want to thank that angelic voice that sang this morning. How appropriate after hearing the lesson on Christ Jesus and knowing how he loved the little children and then to hear this child sing. It really touched my heart too. How can such a voice with such sincerity and innocence not touch others who seem to be in a dark place. Can not a voice of sweetness and light such as we heard this morning cut through the hardness and the oppressed? I pray it does.
Thank you so much for your post. Having been a violinist for a few years when younger and part of an orchestra, tuning up was something I was familiar with. Over the years when I would read those words of Mrs. Eddy I did not really understand how to do that. Since coming to Plainfield I am once again so grateful to be learning what this means and how to practice this. The video was also a great illustration of how I have to keep in unison with my Father.
When Faith started to sing “The Deer’s Cry” the tears ran down my cheeks. She and Jared and Bruce did such a beautiful job and I could really feel the spirit in which it was sung. Thank you so much. I will enjoy listening to this on the website and I am sure others will too.
Thank you so much for your post. Hymn 105 says, second verse,
“Help us to build each other up,
Our little stock improve;
“Increase our faith, confirm our hope,
And perfect us in love.”
i am so grateful for the provision that this church’s website provides for members to share their inspiration of the weekly lesson in this way. I have found sharing as much a benefit to me as what is shared. Thank you to everyone who participates, and to the lesson writers for their inspired lessons.
Thank you for your post. I love the poem “The Deer’s Cry” and listen to it sometimes before going to sleep. It often brings tears to my eyes. Here is one of many beautiful renditions of the poem “The Deer’s Cry” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAuJgMDwTlw
Thank you everyone for the wonderful Bible Study this morning. What a blessing to be part of this church where there is so much unity of hearts and minds. I know how I have been blessed since being a part of these Bible Studies, so many more I know are also benefiting by this hour we spend together sharing the truth and our love of the Bible.
Thank you for your post. I loved the spiritual lessons that were learned from a sweet dog named Lass. Thank you for sharing, now I will share with others.
I also would like to express my gratitude for the Bible Study today and all of the Saturday mornings we can get together and discuss the Bible. The Bible has become to me such a treasure. Mrs. Eddy says in Miscellaneous Writings on page 363 “The Bible is the learned man’s masterpiece, the ignorant man’s dictionary, the wise man’s directory.” I learn so much from these Bible Studies and am so grateful to all those members who are involved in putting these together. I feel like I am back in Sunday School every two weeks and I love it!!
Thank you for your post. I have seen the movie you refer to and remember how touching that scene was and the look on Valjean’s face. How the world needs this reminder today that just one kind, loving gesture can possibly transform a life, and eventually our world.
Thank you. This post reminds me of watch #122 where Carpenter says “There is no false testimony more persistent than that the sun moves in relation to the earth; yet that constant evidence has not the slightest power to force enlightened people to accept it is true. If persistence gave false testimony power, then that daily illusion would surely have power over us. Yet it has none. We should adopt this same attitude toward error, namely, that the continuation of its false claims and testimony has no power whatsoever to make us believe in it, once we have learned its illusive nature.” Thank God!!