Blog Archives - Sharon Leman, C.S.Practitioner of Christian Science Healing

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Epilogue

30/10/2013

This is not the end, it is just the beginning! Keep asking questions! Here's one more:
"Question. — What is God?
Answer. — God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love.
Question. — Are these terms synonymous?
Answer. — They are. They refer to one absolute God. They are also intended to express the nature, essence, and wholeness of Deity. The attributes of God are justice, mercy, wisdom, goodness, and so on." (SH 465:8-15)

We have just scratched the infinitesimal surface of a new point of view on how to Get to Know God. We only explored 4 qualities for each synonym for God and there are a whole lot more! If you wish to continue to your exploration of God in this way, here is a list of several more qualities organized under the seven synonyms for God.

If you really want to deepen your understanding of God in this way, I urge you to get the comprehensive work on this subject, Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy which can be purchased online. Or, if you want to buy one at a bookstore and be able to chat with someone about it, check your local White or Yellow Pages listings for a Christian Science Reading Room near you.

If you just want someone to talk to about it, don't hesitate to contact me and we can continue the conversation.

Above all, have fun Getting to Know God!!

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Summary: God is Mind

29/10/2013

Summary: God is Mind

“God is wise and powerful! Praise him forever and ever. He controls the times and the seasons; he makes and unmakes kings; it is he who gives wisdom and understanding. He reveals things that are deep and secret; he knows what is hidden in darkness, and he himself is surrounded by light. (GNT, Dan 2:20-22)

Reflection: We can be thankful that the supremely wise intelligence of the universe is in control, is the divine Truth, and is entirely separate from the discord of the human mind. When we have but one Mind, God, this Mind forms its own likeness in us, and we can then express this soundness in our lives.

Spiritual Fact: “When we fully understand our relation to the Divine, we can have no other Mind but His, — no other Love, wisdom, or Truth, no other sense of Life, and no consciousness of the existence of matter or error.” (SH 205:32)

“Mind is God. The exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good, is the only Mind, and that the supposititious opposite of infinite Mind — called devil or evil — is not Mind, is not Truth, but error, without intelligence or reality. There can be but one Mind, because there is but one God”. (SH 469:13-18)

Tomorrow, the Epilogue

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 28

28/10/2013

God is Mind
Day 28 – Transcendence

tran·scend·ence /tran-sen-duhns/ η: 1 the quality or state of being transcendent: exceeding or surpassing in degree or excellence. 2 a. (of a concept) falling outside a given set of categories. b. beyond consciousness or direct apprehension. 3 theol (of God) having continuous existence outside the created world. 4 free from the limitations inherent in matter.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:8-11)

Contemplate that God, Mind, is like a sole Broadcasting intelligence system that perpetually transmits Life, Truth and Love, without interruption out to the entire universe including Man. And, that we are like radios that have to be tuned into the station to get a clear transmission of the broadcast. Sometimes its clear as a bell; sometimes it’s fuzzy and hard to hear; sometimes there’s so much interference all we can hear is “white noise”. But, we can trust that the broadcast continues above the din and free from the limitations of the interference.

Awareness Exercise: Take several quiet moments today to become aware of Mind’s transmissions. Ask for clarity about something you need help with in your life right now and then listen patiently for a transmission. Notice whether you can hear a transmission or not. Remember back to God is Soul: Intuition and know that this sense is direct communication with God. How easy or difficult is it to hear? Does the level of ease or difficulty change as you do this exercise? Consider how you might tune in to the station with less interference. What do you have to do to adjust the dial? Practice tuning in and adjusting the dial. What happens when you tune in and act on the direction you received? Did it fix the problem? If not, keep practicing and note the results.

“The verity of Mind shows conclusively how it is that matter seems to be, but is not. Divine Science, rising above physical theories, excludes matter, resolves things into thoughts, and replaces the objects of material sense with spiritual ideas. The term Christian Science was introduced by the author to designate the scientific system of divine healing.” (SH 123:11-18)

Congratulations! You've completed the 28-day Get to Know God Project! Tomorrow we'll summarize God is Mind and the following day, we'll reflect on our entire journey!

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 27

27/10/2013

God is Mind
Day 27 – Soundness

sound·ness /sound- nis/ η: 1 the quality or state of being sound: free from injury, damage, defect, disease, etc.; in good condition; healthy; robust. 2 financially strong, secure, or reliable. 3 competent, sensible, or valid. 4 having no defect as to truth, justice, wisdom, or reason. 5 of substantial or enduring character. 6 following in a systematic pattern without any apparent defect in logic. 7 uninterrupted and untroubled; deep: sound sleep. 8 free from moral defect or weakness; upright, honest, or good; honorable; loyal. 9 having no legal defect.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (KJV, II Tim 1:7)

Contemplate that you were created by Love and that Love could not create anything unlike itself – fear, or weakness, or instability; that the Mind of Love is a practical power that establishes and maintains soundness, and which is permanent and stable and is, therefore, incapable of defect. Consider that restoration happens at the mental level since this is Mind’s work.

Awareness Exercise: Become aware today of your thoughts first and then what you see externally, second. See if you can notice a connection between the two. You know that age-old question: “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” What if the answer was not in the externalized image of the chicken or the egg, but the thought of either one? Think of it this way: If you want to make a meal, you have to think of it first before you can cook it, right? The meal does not cook itself. It requires you to think about it before it can appear in your external world. Get really curious with this exercise and write down all the questions and discoveries that arise. Try not to judge what you’re thinking; just allow the thoughts to flow.

“Dear reader, [of Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy] which mind-picture or externalized thought shall be real to you, — the material or the spiritual? Both you cannot have. You are bringing out your own ideal. This ideal is either temporal or eternal. Either Spirit or matter is your model. If you try to have two models, then you practically have none. Like a pendulum in a clock, you will be thrown back and forth, striking the ribs of matter and swinging between the real and the unreal.” (SH 360:13)

Last but not least, we’ll be checking out God is Mind: Transcendence

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 26

26/10/2013

God is Mind
Day 26 – Intelligence

in·tel·li·gence /in-tel-i-juhns/ η: 1 capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc. 2 manifestation of a high mental capacity. 3 the faculty of understanding.

“God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. ... And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.” (Job 28: 23, 28)

Contemplate the above citation by substituting the word God for Mind. In other words, read it like this: Mind, the Great I AM, understands the way (the correct way to go moment by moment) and Mind knows the place from which it originates: Mind. Now substitute the word fear for awe, Lord for Mind: To see the awesomeness of Mind is true wisdom.

Awareness Exercise: Become aware of all the intelligence you witness today. Instead of seeing the intelligence as exclusive to each individual you see expressing it, become aware that intelligence is actually a substance which exists in the divine Mind, the supreme consciousness, the Great I AM, and that Man is the vehicle through which it is expressed. What are you noticing? How does seeing intelligence in this way deepen your understanding of your relationship to God?

“Intelligence. Substance; self-existent and eternal Mind; that which is never unconscious nor limited.” (SH 588:24-25)

Stay tuned for God is Mind: Soundness

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 25

25/10/2013

wis·dom /wiz-duhm/ η: 1 the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight. 2 having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances, etc. 3 wise sayings or teachings; precepts. 4 a wise act or saying.

“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.” (KJV, Jude 1:25) “Whoever gains a wise heart loves his own soul, and whoever preserves understanding experiences true goodness.” (The Voice, Prov 19:8)

Contemplate that wisdom is a quality transmitted by God, Mind, and that it is your GPS for a life filled with goodness. Realize that whenever you use wisdom, you are listening to God and when you listen and act on it, that is God good, guarding, guiding and governing you.

Awareness Exercise: Become aware of your relation to the Divine by noticing when you are exercising wise judgment in your daily activities. Stop for a moment and really be with the feeling associated with your certainty about the wisdom that has informed you of your decision. Memorize that feeling because it indicates when you are listening to God and feeling that oneness with Him/Her. And then notice if you feel that feeling again throughout the day. Note what qualities are present; note that you are consciously in the presence of Mind.

“When we fully understand our relation to the Divine, we can have no other Mind but His, — no other Love, wisdom, or Truth, no other sense of Life, and no consciousness of the existence of matter or error.” (SH 205:32-3)

Next, let's explore God is Mind: Intelligence

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Summary: God is Spirit

25/10/2013

“The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (KJV, Job 33:4) “Who can see into a man’s heart and know his thoughts? Only the spirit that dwells within the man. In the same way, the thoughts of God are known only by His Spirit.” (The Voice, I Cor 2:11)

Reflection: Notice how reliance upon material things oscillates between good and bad, happy and sad, etc. In order to bring constancy of good, we must exchange our reliance upon the material to a perception of and dependence on spiritual things.

Spiritual fact: In order to be in close relationship to God, Spirit, thought must be spiritualized.

“Spirit is the only substance, the invisible and indivisible infinite God. Things spiritual and eternal are substantial. Things material and temporal are insubstantial.” (SH 335:12)

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 24

24/10/2013

God is Spirit
Day 24 – Conscience

con·science [kon-shuhns] η: 1 the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action. 2 the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual. 3 an inhibiting sense of what is prudent. 4 conscientiousness. 5 consciousness; self-knowledge. 6 strict and reverential observance.

“For it is not by hearing the Law that people are put right with God, but by doing what the Law commands. Their conduct shows that what the Law commands is written in their hearts. Their consciences also show that this is true.” (GNT, Rom 2:13, 15)

Contemplate that our inner sense of what is right or wrong is “written in our hearts”, in other words it is our nature to know right and good. Consider that knowing wrong is simply discerning the absence of right. And reflect on the fact that becoming conscious of the moral principles that are built into us is our direct link to God, Spirit, and that knowing this, God is present to help us when we are faced with a moral decision.

Awareness Exercise: As you go about your day, become conscious of things that you think are wrong. As the wrong becomes clear to you, reverse it by identifying its opposite right. Here’s an example: When witnessing someone speaking harshly to someone else, reverse it in thought by identifying that Spirit created only kindliness. Think about the person who is being harsh and apply the understanding that this person was created by Spirit with a conscience built in their heart making the harsh behavior simply the absence of kindliness. Applying this reasoning, what are you discovering about our innate ability to properly govern ourselves rightly, by divine Truth and Love?

“God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.” (SH 106:7)

Day 25 we'll summarize God is Spirit and move to our final synonym God is Mind

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 23

23/10/2013

God is Spirit
Day 23 – Atmosphere

at·mos·phere /at-muhs-feer/ η: 1 the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air. 2 this medium at a given place. 3 a general pervasive feeling or mood: an atmosphere of elation. 4 the prevailing tone or mood of a novel, symphony, painting, or other work of art. 5 a special mood or character associated with a place.

“How clearly the sky reveals God's glory! How plainly it shows what he has done! Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next. No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; yet their message goes out to all the world and is heard to the ends of the earth.” (GNT, Ps 19:1-4)

Contemplate that Spirit, God, fills the universe, night and day, perpetually broadcasting Its message – the prevailing message of Life, Truth and Love – of It’s unique characteristics which are infinitely available for us to express.

Awareness Exercise: Metaphorically, what is the atmosphere of thought that you breathe in and out on a daily basis? How is this connected (or not) with “the aroma of Spirit” God is sending forth? If heaven is not a locality, but “the atmosphere of Soul”, a divine state of Mind in which all is harmonious, how can you experience heaven on earth, in your life right now?

“Mind, God, sends forth the aroma of Spirit, the atmosphere of intelligence.” (SH 191:32-1) “Heaven. Harmony; the reign of Spirit; government by divine Principle; spirituality; bliss; the atmosphere of Soul.” (SH 587:25-27)

Up next: God is Spirit: Conscience

Get to Know God - a 28-day Project - Day 22

22/10/2013

God is Spirit
Day 22 – Radiance

ra·di·ance /rey-dee-uhns/ η: 1 the sending forth of rays of light; shining; bright; radiant brightness or light. 2 warm, cheerful brightness; bright with joy, hope, etc.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (KJV, James 1:17)

Contemplate that all true and perfect gifts – warmth, cheerfulness, brightness of joy, hope, goodness – come from the Creator, the One whom is light and who does not change or cause darkness by turning. Imagine that when our thoughts seem filled with darkness, that turning to thoughts of Spirit, God, floods your consciousness with light, dispelling the darkness.

Awareness Exercise: As you go about your day today, become conscious for a moment of thoughts of Spirit, God, good, calling on any of the qualities you have been examining the past 21 days. Allow these thoughts to flood your being as if you were standing on a stage being flooded by light. Note well the feeling you have and know that this is evidence of God’s power, presence and knowledge.

“The three great verities of Spirit, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, — Spirit possessing all power, filling all space, constituting all Science, — reveal primeval existence as the radiant reality of God’s creation, in which all that He has made is pronounced by His wisdom good.” (SH 109:32)

Tomorrow, we'll explore God is Spirit: Atmosphere

Sharon Leman

Sharon Leman has been studying and practicing Christian Science for over 14 years and in 2012 dedicated her life to responding to requests for prayer in service to God and mankind.

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