METAPHYSICAL MEETING, May 21, 2012
Contents
| - Topic | |
| - Call to the meeting | |
| - Readings | |
| - Participant contribution A | |
| - Participant contribution B |
Topic
Irresistable fruitable of the Christ presence
Call to the meeting
At our lecture preparatory meeting last month, our lecturer referenced Hymn 73 as a complete treatment.
Glory, honor, praise and pure oblations
Unto God the Lord belongs;
Come into His presence with thanksgiving,
Come before Him with a song.
In His hand is all the power of nations,
Sing to Him, ye joyous congregations,
Psalms of gratitude and praise
Unto God the Father raise.
God is Mind and holy thought is sending;
Man, His image, hears His voice.
Every heart may understand His message,
In His kindness may rejoice.
Lo, He speaks, all condemnation ending,
Every true desire with Love's will blending;
Losing self, in Him we find
Joy, health, hope, for all mankind.
For our May metaphysical meeting, we have chosen the topic “Gratitude for healing.”
The words in the last stanza of Hymn 73 certainly uplift the thought to our healing work. As we give
up the material thought of self, we can only find God and his creation in “Joy, health, hope
for all mankind.”
So let’s have fun this month and dig into the chapter of Fruitage on page 600 of our textbook,
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Each testimony of healing in these 100 pages
represents a change of thought in the human thinking and finds a freedom from matter in an uplifting thought of consciousness that heals. Share why/how you think this chapter completed our textbook and what remarkable healings you have enjoyed.
By reading a few pages each day, you can appreciate the healing each individual experienced. Note the “Joy, health, hope for all mankind”. This was also the prayer we were asked to hold for each individual attending our two lectures.
See you Monday, May 21st at 7:30 p.m. in our Reading Room’s study room for our informal discussion. Note the first testimony in Fruitage is from an individual from Pasadena, CA. Good healing is going on in our area and has been for years. Teleconferencing will also be available for this meeting (details on our web site.)
Readings
TBA
Participant contribution A
In pursuit of our project for this month, I decided to read “Fruitage” and “Letters from those Healed” in Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896 to learn how others approached reading Science and Health when they were seeking healing. I reasoned that I could learn new reading and study attitudes, which I did. Now I need to put them into practice. Basically, I made a list of the manner in which the writers read Science and Health. In compiling the list this afternoon, I was dismayed to see that I didn’t finish “Fruitage,” although I think I have a pretty good idea of the theme. Here’s my list, unedited:
From “Fruitage:”
- truth was unfolded to me (601)
- the Spirit of truth which inspired this book was my physician (601)
- I caught beautiful glimpses of Truth, which took away my fear and healed me of all those diseases (602)
- I became so absorbed in the book that I forgot all about my [problem] (602)
- I had a glips of God’s creation as spiritual (602)
- [I] lost sight of my material selfhood (602)
- The revelation was marvelous and brought a great spiritual awakening [604]
- [The book] so interested me that I forgot all about my [problem] (607)
- a patient and persistent effort...to procure a copy of Science and Health (608)
- the wonderful light [was] revealed to me through the reading of Mrs. Eddy’s book (609)
- I [overcame my problem] in one night through the reading of Science and Health (610)
- I...applied its teachings as best I could. In three days the trouble completely left me... (615)
- I [read] Science and Health...to be saved from everlasting hell hereafter (616)
- the study of this book has healed my [problem] (618)
- before I had half finished the book once I was [healed] (618)
- I read the book eleven times straight ahead and many times skipping about (618)
- [My problem was] overcome by an enlarged understanding of God’s word, as explained...in Science and Health (620)
- promising I would read it carefully (621)
- reading was resumed, and with such interest (622)
- we began to read it together (625)
- we obeyed the angel and feasted on it (626)
- earnest...study of Science and Health, in connection with the Bible (629)
- I continued to read eagerly (633)
- study it (635)
From “Letters from those Healed:”
- I...was so deeply interested (Mis. 401)
- strong logical conclusions, learned from Science and Health (Mis. 401)
- I never should get through with that book (Mis. 404)
- I would “go into it for all it is worth” (Mis. 405)
- I...studied your good books (Mis. 408)
- cheerfully take up my books and study, and feel thankful for this light (Mis. 408)
- I get more kicks than halfpence in discussing it (Mis. 409)
- read (Mis. 409)
- studying (Mis. 410)
- almost invariably the first sentence [I read] brings relief (Mis. 411)
- good received from your books (Mis. 412)
- It has gone with me everywhere I have been. I have been well ever since. (Mis. 415)
- I read Science and Health, and all your other books, together with the New Testament, every minute I can get. (Mis. 416)
- trusting to the Saviour’s promises as explained in Science and Health (Mis. 417)
- Science and Health is not hard to understand (Mis. 418)
- every page seemed illuminated (Mis. 422)
- constant study (Mis. 425)
- revealed the light (Mis. 425)
- reading it through twice, and studying it carefully each time (Mis. 426)
- lifted me out of the depths of material debris (Mis. 427)
- the revelation of the All-good appeared to me (Mis. 427)
- great comfort in reading “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” (Mis. 428)
- became very much absorbed in the book, feeling she had found salvation (Mis. 428)
- healed immediately (Mis. 428)
- longing to know God has been answered (Mis. 429)
- I was healed instantly (Mis. 429)
- I seemed to see God so near and so dear (Mis. 431)
- a desire to tell every one of this wonderful truth (Mis. 432)
- Rev. Mary B. G. Eddy’s works, which make my little world (Mis. 432)
- repeated the spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer...endeavoring to mean it also (Mis. 433)
- I soon felt drawn to read the book (Mis. 433)
- The Bible, of which I had had but a dim understanding, began to grow clearer (Mis. 434)
- I desire to make known the great good I have received by reading the blessed book (Mis. 436)
- study it, and practice its teachings, you will find it a pearl of great price (Mis. 437)
- she is so happy with her book that she has no desire for other reading (Mis. 439)
- took the book gladly, and was soon deeply interested in it (Mis. 440)
- now read it constantly, reading nothing else (Mis. 442)
- I have demonstrated the fact that, by reading Science and Health, in connection with the Bible, and trying to follow the teaching therein, one in the autumn of life may be made over new (Mis. 442)
- studied it in connection with the Bible (Mis. 446)
- loved the sacred teaching (Mis. 446)
- studied it with a desire to know the truth (Mis. 446)
- delighted to get hold of it (Mis. 447)
- The more I read, the more interested I became (Mis. 453)
- the more I read the book, the better I became in health (Mis. 455)
- “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” “is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Mis. 457)
- Science and Health has given me a new impetus heavenward (Mis. 458)
- I can heal the sick on its basis, from reading the work (Mis. 458)
- feasting — like a starving, shipwrecked mariner, on the food that was to sustain him — on truths which ages to come will appreciate, understand, and accept (Mis. 459)
- No one can read the book and not be benefitted by it in mind and body (Mis. 462)
To me, these are great descriptors about how we should read Science and Health, every time we pick it up, whether to read it straight through or to read citations from the Lesson or that we have looked up with a concordance. Those of us who were raised in Christian Science have grown up with the book being the truth, so we accept it. We, too, need to cultivate the spirit of discovery each time we read it. These testimonies of healing are lessons in how to peruse (to read thoroughly and carefully) the book, as Mrs. Eddy expected. Sometimes, I think it’s easy to fall into a more intellectual approach, saying to oneself, “Oh yes, I know that and I know it’s true. Now let me move on to the next citation.” rather than really contemplating and applying these nuggets of truth. It requires being really alert every time the book is picked up. I’m still working on it.
Participant contribution B
Some inspiration gleaned from my reading of Fruitage:
Some individuals had an increased sense of gratitude which brought about greater healing.
Those dear ones who were seeking the truth were able to find this precious Science.
Greater receptivity allowed an individual to stick to the Truth that brought healing.
It was noteworthy that people overcame medical beliefs and so-called health laws.
It is worth repeating that these individuals experienced a healing just by reading the Christian Science textbook.
(A testimony included the fact that “the child has passed through some of the worst forms of contagion untouched and unharmed.” (p. 613)
The Christian Science testimonies included in the chapter Fruitage shed light on the fact that Christian Science healing is ready and available to all seekers of Truth.