Think regularly of why Sunday School has value and is important

Value the child thought

The city on a hill is not hid

Light comes from Sunday School and church

Christian Science helps us get through life; clarifies God’s purpose for us

See identify clearly as Love’s living manifestation

Healing is what it’s all about

Appreciate the varied 24/7 outreach of the Mother Church

Church and SS are not external. They are complete. It’s fixed!

Goal:  use definition of man to see Church includes (present tense)  all right ideas; the kingdom is at hand.

the seed is planted in all of those young adults, the Christ is present with them, and they have never left God’s kingdom as His perfect children.

Here are my notes from the Summit.  I hope others will share the ideas and inspirations they remember from the Summt.

Wendy Jones

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Notes from Church Alive Workshop

June 3, 4, 2011

Friday evening, Alex Fehrman gave a presentation on the pipe organ at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Denver. Saturday, David Walton shared how the pipe organ is a metaphor for our church. The pipes alone make weak or not so beautiful music, but altogether they produce the powerful, full beautiful music.

Linda Paulsen presented a multi-media show on “The Beginnings of Christian Science in Colorado.” Some of the tidbits I remember are that First Church, Denver at one point had 650 students enrolled in the Sunday School, that church was the first branch churches built west of the Mississippi, and Minnie Hall and her sister went through class instruction with Mrs. Eddy and one of the sisters actually worked in Mrs. Eddy’s home for about a half a year! If her presentation is on the Church Alive website, there will be more specific details about our history.

Saturday morning we heard a Board of Directors discussion. I noted this concept spoken by Nate Talbot: “God is presence itself.”

John Rinnert from Bozeman spoke about “Whatever Rests Upon and Proceeds from Divine Principle.”

Ø He began his talk about how the Church Manual is like the Hubble telescope. The nebulas have always existed, but the telescope allows us to see them. Even so, the structure of Truth and Love has always existed, but the Manual helps us to see it and Mrs. Eddy’s vision for church.

Ø John also talked about “gathering up the fragments that were made.” (Jesus) For example, the lesson-sermon is made up of fragments that pull together into a theme.

Ø Next, he spoke to how the Manual could seem “old” to some, but the permanency of the Manual lies in its connection to the “word of God which lasts forever.” Divine Science is “the word.” Church is permanent because it is the mouthpiece of God’s word, “unfettered and uncontaminated by human hypotheses.”

Ø John also spoke about how the church sanctuary has always been a place of protection. In our case, our church is a place that protects us from false communication such as entertainment, advertising, politics, etc. We cannot be disturbed by these false “mouthpieces.” Church is a safe place from foreign thinking. See Isaiah 54 which gives a prophecy of the church.

Ø Our church is a place of rest. It destroys the curse and panic.

Ø Our church is an institution of education. Our church promotes spiritual understanding. IT brings out what is already there.

Ø How do we make the transition to a church alive? It won’t happen by changing the order of the service or fixing other things “out there.” Think of Ezekiel 37, the valley of the dry bones. Can the bones live? There is no hope since they are cut off from their parts. Sometimes our church seems like the dry bones with no young people, no fruitage, no life. But the bones lived and made a mighty army. An army “rests” by warring against error. Our church is like an army, “Rousing the dormant understanding.” John likened Mrs. Eddy’s seven hymns to a battle plan about how we war against error by resting. We need to be a church of prophets, spiritual healers. The prophets loved God’s word so much that they were ready to lay down their life for it.

Ø Signs of love include value and obedience.

Ø We should be asking “How can we be more obedient to your Word, God?”

Ø How much do we value our church? What would I do without it or Christian Science?

Ø What is Christian Science treatment worth to you? Do we value that as much as one person valued a surgeon who gave her a hip replacement and was willing to pay $40,000 for it? The prophets had their values straight.

Highlights from the panel discussion on “The Structure of Truth and Love: Our Church Service”:

Why should we go to church? We don’t go to church to get something. We go in order to give. We might only offer our presence and our desire to be there. Mike Kilborn

We should get to church before the service begins and pray beforehand. After all, the prosperity of the Christian Science rests upon the lesson-sermon. Amie Chitwood

“If we want to experience church alive, then we need to be alive in church.” Todd Herzer

A Honeybee session is where a group of people share answers to a particular question. The honeybee in each group takes notes and then flies to another group to share our thoughts with that group. Then with the honeybee staying there, the group discusses another question and again, the honeybee flies to cross pollinate another discussion group. Notes from Honeybee session: the Platform Committee and Metaphysical Committee can be awake and alive pray about each of these ideas (church as a sanctuary, a place of rest, a place of education, etc.) If we don’t get to church early, we can mentally support church wherever we are. We need to metaphysically support our church services, our church, and our movement.

IF we value church, we are respectful and get there on time. We go to church with something to give, not only to receive.

Individually, what can I do? When inviting someone to a lecture, don’t say, you look like you need some help, but say, “I’ve noticed you are spiritually minded. Come to our lecture.”

Highlights from Session on “Apprehension of Sprititual Ideas: Spiritual Education”:

Nancy Savage (who wrote Nickel the Buffalo) and ideas for the youngest class:

Handle disruptive behavior ahead of time: such as strong will power, inability to concentrate. Try having a circle of masking tape on the floor, tell the story about the lost sheep. Treasures—we dig for them. Where do you dig? Where there is an X. Our cross from the cross and crown could be our X! We need to dig deep.

A new command—“Thou shalt not fall or fail.”

Kathy LaTourette and ideas for the intermediate, older classes:

The Manual tells us what to teach, not how to teach.

As teachers we should pray, be prepared, then listen.

What is best for kids? In a particular situation, the SS provided a one on one class for a student.

Know your Bible

Check TMC Youth, Sunday School tools

Have each student fill out an index card with name, email, hobbies, sports, favorite subject, not so favorite subject, etc.

Communicate with the students. Give consistent assignments. Text, email the students. Have students participate in church. They could help the First Reader create the readings, they could come up for the last hymn in church , select hymns,

Find out what students know and don’t know

Discussion: If we had to cut back and only have nine commandments, which one would you take out? Why was that commandment important then? Why is it important now?

Write your own parable for a teachable moment.

Teacher and/or student keep a folder of metaphors/analogies to use as talking points.

Today, we are going to learn the definition of evil. Turn to page 500 (it is a blank page).

Probe the Golden text. There is a megaphone that broadcasts your thoughts. What thoughts did you have during the silent prayer?. Why do we pray? How do we pray?

Use maps

Prepare for class as though it is packed.

See April 2009 Journal p. 12 by Rebecca Odegard

Fourth Panel: Demonstration of Divine Science: Healing

Kathy Fitzer: Can church be in conflict with what we do outside of church?

Why should people come together as a church? We are like a symphony, we come together to “play” what we’ve been practicing individually. We are a mighty band of healers.

Personality are the bugs on the windshield. Love is the view through the windshield. Should we focus on the bugs or the view?

Pam Dickson said, “We need to become more a church of healers (practitioners) than of patients.”

Riley Seay expounded on the parable of the midnight visitor. The traveler is the patient, looking for help at the darkest time. The friend is the practitioner who looks in the cupbpard and finds nothing (I can of mine own self do nothing.) Importunity—modest insistence. Never leave anyone out. If everyone is resting in God’s care, who is outside calling form help? Personal sense.

Self justification is pulling us away from MBE, man, God. It says we don’t have time.

Lona Ingwerson:; Church Alive! We have work to do!

She started out her talk with a poem about a candle. One sister put it on a shelf, and one lit it and used it to light a thousand other candles.

She based her talk on Article XXX Section 7 from the Church Manual. “I recommend that each member of this church shall strive to demonstrate by his or her practice that Christian Science heals the sick promptly and wholly, thus proving the Science to be all that we claim for it.”

She shared healings of when she and her husband moved to Colorado for employment and as a result of Evergreen church’s prayers.

She explained the unemployment is similar to a death threat. Christian Science is like a hotline to God and that God can help us. One man had asked her if God could help his situation where had had lost his job. Since Mind’s resources are not limited, not can those of man be limited. Somehow this gentleman received a call from out of state offering him the perfect job for his talents.

Also, she shared how a church member in the Golden Church used her poem, “Which of these men do you think of as you? Genesis 1 or Genesis 2” to overcome a situation like a heart attack.

She shared how a student on a trip to Paris was healed of negative thinking because of her prayers.

Finally, she shared how her home was not touched by fire when she and her family and the rest of the CS communities world wide prayed. She knew that Christian Science was the one thing she had that could not be burned.

Man’s resources are not limited by social, civic, religious, or political circumstances.

Mrs. Ingwerson received a standing ovation for her moving presentation, both in the way she delivered her message and the amazing demonstrations she shared with us.

I left the summit inspired and ready to be a part of our church alive.

]]> http://christiansciencefortcollins.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=363 http://christiansciencefortcollins.com/blog/?p=359 http://christiansciencefortcollins.com/blog/?p=359#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:32:10 +0000 katie http://christiansciencefortcollins.com/blog/?p=359
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In response to a question in our Sunday School group, “Why does John say ‘God game his only begotten Son” when we are all his children?” here is ongoing discussion:

In 1 John of course it says “now are we the children of God”  and Jesus talks about “our Father”.  Those other two quotes, and similar ones,  can’t be discarded in this discussion.

I once thought of putting the quote you are talking about in light of the John statement (in the amplified Bible):

“In the beginning (before all time) was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…He was present originally with God.  All things were                         made and came into existence through Him, and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.  In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men (plural). And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpower it—put it out, or has not absorbed it, has not appropriated it and                            is unreceptive to it.”  This sounds like “birth” too.

Maybe we are misinterpreting the idea of Son (something given birth to) as one person at one period in time,  rather than one inclusive Christ eternally expressing, without time, the  complete being of Life?

I was thinking about what a gift Christian Science is.  Maybe this was expressed at our little meeting a few weeks ago.  I love the thought of CS as a gift that is with us always, whole and complete, for us to lean upon for every minute and detail of our life.

But Paul says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Here is another aspect of our true selves and our relationship with God that we teach in SS.  I love the way the lesson on Life helped us to know what exactly eternal life means, including a present knowledge of God and of the Christ.

I understood from the Responsive Reading about Lazarus that time cannot limit us.  We are not bound by time, a material law, but live within the ever-presence of God.

I had thoughts about the other sections too, but rather than write those down, I think I’ll go read the lesson on Truth.

I loved Suzie’s questions about the lesson. As I read the lesson thinking about what is our mission as SS teachers, the last section kept hammering on the head what we mentioned at our meeting last Sunday. Jesus taught his followers the divine Principal that will “cast out error and heal both the sick and the sinning.” SH P 136. Again, on p. 35, we need to bring forth “the fruits of Love,–casting out error and healing the sick.” Once more in the definition of Church: “casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.” One last citation, p. 34, We must “take up the cross, heal the sick, cast out evils, and preach Christ, Truth, to the poor, –the receptive thought—“

So the healing the sick and sinning is easy to understand but needs to be demonstrated. The casting out error, evil, devils to me means to recognize the allness of God in our lives and the powerlessness of the pull of materialism. That is spiritual baptism, recognizing ourselves as the spiritual man that God “creates, constitutes, and governs.” And once we recognize this, we will “let our lives attest our sincerity”, our divine service will be expressed through daily deeds in accord with Jesus’s command to “love one another.”

Thanks for listening. This has helped to answer my question about Sunday School! Love to you all, Wendy

Well Done!

I think the new lighting in the church auditorium has improved the atmosphere by brightening the room; and is also very modern and stylish.  And I think that we should continue to work in that direction.  The front of the auditorium still seems to me to be a bit subdued and also somewhat outdated.  If I understand correctly, the correct configuration of the front of the auditorium is original and has not changed in the forty some years since the church was built.. a real tribute to the original design.  But I think that modernizing and brightening it now would make our church more attractive.  I’m not so concerned about the height of the podium, but it does look very plain.  Also, the panels on either side are quite dark and could be replaced with something much brighter.. white might be too stark relative to the rest of the room, but perhaps a light beige.  I also think the idea of removing the ‘hatched panels’ ( I forgot what we call them) and replacing them with brighter, lower panels would help open up and brighten the front of auditorium as well.

One other thought: the new lighting has brighened the ceiling in the auditorium over the congregation, but if you look above the readers, the ceiling there is still quite dark.  Some form of lighting to brighten that area would also be good.

If I read the financial report right, we still have $4,710 in the refurbishment fund, so we could make some progress in this direction right now.

Thanks to you and the Decorating Committee for all your good work!

David S

I see a connection to our church.  Where there may be many perspectives on what would make our church building more inviting, the fact that we all love God as Mind, Love, Principle, Soul is a basis for us to come together about how to update our church decor.  In addition,  because of our understanding of God, we know that what really attracts people to our church is our natural expression and reflection of love, thoughtfulness, unselfishness, kindness.  Most importantly, our light that the world can see is the light of healing which again is a result of cherishing our spiritual relationship to God.

He reminded us that Christian Science is not a denomination; it is the knowledge and revelation of God.  He gave examples of how important it is not to be mired in history or to take along baggage from history (including what was done or not done) if we want to move forward (and he referenced the peace negotiations in Sarajevo of which he was a  part).

He also challenged us to cast out demons–demons representing possession — what occupies thought; what may claim we are frustrated, ill, inadequate, limited, hopeless, overwhelmed, reactive, neglectful etc.  We need to cast out those demons and daily be aware of what is occupying thought.  I’ve really been thinking today about what is occupying my thought. I stopped a couple of times during my work, and asked myself what I was thinking about–what was occupying my thought.  I have to say it wasn’t on healing and the highest vision, and some of my thoughts unfortunately were mired down in history.  I think of being mired as being stuck in sticky, thick clayey mud, that slows our progress.

What is occupying our thought in our church?

http://www.spirituality.com/article.jhtml?ElementId=/repositories/shcomarticle/Jan2010/1263414158.xml&ElementName=Prayers%20from%20Japan%20about%20natural%20disasters