Waiting on the Angels

 By Tiffany Loosvelt

 

I got the "What if's" again today.

They came so quickly - 

I didn't see them coming.

I knew I should pray

And I started to, but...

It sounded like begging - 

That God would change something.

Oh, I said a few things in my head that came to me.

But...I was still worried.

It's when I finally surrender in humility - 

That the angels come.

Sometimes they're people that show up and help - 

Or, an idea that gives me the courage to listen and hear.

They lead me back to Love's waiting arms. 

Again.

 

Summary of Bicknell Young's article entitled "DAY"

 

I so love this article that I made it easier to retain what I consider to be the "bullet points" as a treatment to start with as often as possible in the morning. 

Definition of "Day" as given in the Glossary of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. (Page 584:1-8)

DAY. The irradiance of Life; light, the spiritual idea of Truth and Love.

"And the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:5) The objects of time and sense disappear in the illumination of spiritual understanding, and Mind measures time according to the good that is unfolded. This unfolding is God's day, and "there shall be no night there."

• This day is the unfoldment of His plan.
• All the incidents of God's day are already arranged.
• One thing to do. Know the truth.
• Do not allow yourself to be mesmerized.
• Infinite unfoldment never begins, never ends, and is never interrupted for a moment.
• Infinite Love knows no limitation; it cannot be restricted in achievement.
• This day does not begin nor end; it does not bring you or me, nor anyone nearer the tomb in belief.
• This day takes you and all creation nearer immortality.
• This day has divine order.
• This day is immortality revealed and demonstrated.
• It has no night.
• Mind is not engaged with problems.
• It has all versatility, all originality, and all variety.
• It's manifestations are complete, whole and satisfied.
• One does not need to appear as anything else but whole.
• Health means to be complete, nothing wanting, nothing lacking - and health we must have.
• Everyone may have it by claiming it. 
• Christian Science reveals the law and science of life in Christ. It needs to be and can be demonstrated. You can demonstrate it. 
• Try to do it and help others to do it this day. 
• This daily work will do much that you cannot appreciate at once. It lifts the burden of mortal belief and serves to dissipate the current mesmerism of mortal mind, as well as protecting you from its claims. 

Lovingly shared by Tiffany Loosvelt for Prayerfulliving.com.

 

 

An introduction to a new blog on "Prayer." What is your favorite version of the Lord's Prayer?

[Editor's note: We will begin posting Tiffany's sharing on prayer here until we launch her blogsite.]

By Tiffany Loosvelt

As you may know, there are many versions of the Lord's prayer. We've shared some examples in a link here»

This one from New Zealand is one of my favorites:

O most Compassionate Life-giver, 

may we honor and praise you; 

May we work with you to establish your new order of justice peace and love; 

Give us what we need for growth, 

And help us, through forgiving others, to accept forgiveness.

Strengthen us in the time of testing, that we may resist all evil, 

For all tenderness, strength and love are yours, now and forever. 

Amen.    (Bill Wallace, Aootearoa/New Zealand)

Of course, The Lord's Prayer with its spiritual sense as written in Science and Health With Key To The Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy is the most inspiring to me.  I go over it silently or audibly, often and I'm very grateful to have learned it in Sunday School:

Our Father which art in heaven,
     Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,

Hallowed be Thy name.
     Adorable One.

Thy kingdom come.
     Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
     Enable us to know, — as in heaven, so on earth, — 
     God is omnipotent, supreme.

Give us this day our daily bread;
     Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections;

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
     And Love is reflected in love;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
     And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us
     from sin, disease, and death.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
     For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.

(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 16:26–15)

Do you know of another version of the Lord's Prayer that you've heard and appreciate, or have any other prayers you'd like to share? (Please add it to the comments.)

Next week, I'd like to share a prayer that I learned as a child from my best friend at the time, and I still remember today. 

Please share (in the comments) any children's prayers that still mean something to you and/or the little one's in your life!

 

Lovingly,

Tiffany

Doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29)

 By Ken G. Cooper

I’ve been given this nickname:
Doubting Thomas.
It’s hardly fair. Don’t we all have doubts? Don’t we all need to have someone brave enough to share them, to bring them out into the open?
Why should it always be me?
Let me ask you: what proof do we have that Jesus has indeed returned and not just as a spirit? Is my question a lack of faith or a step towards advancing faith to a firmer understanding???
Looking back, and watching from afar, I saw Jesus crucified, yes, watched
him die, saw his body taken down, taken to a sepulchre.
It was an accepted fact. Jesus was dead and buried. His enemies had won.
Three years of building hope, witnessing miracles, suddenly all gone. Or has it?
 

On the third day after his crucifixion, Mary had gone to the sepulchre where he’d been lain, to anoint his body,
found the stone rolled away, and had come running back to tell Peter and John he wasn’t there! They also ran, - I wonder what were they thinking? Mary followed. They confirmed what she had said and returned, but Mary stayed. It was then that Jesus appeared, and told her to tell us that he was ascending to his Father, to his God and our God!
And that very evening he appeared to the other ten. Why was I not there and they were?? Was it left for me to challenge my rightful doubts? Yes, please consider, he appeared to them through locked doors, suddenly present with them all. A physical body can’t do that! But that’s what they all said. First Mary, now too the other disciples! Was it some spirit of their imagination and hope, but not the resurrected body! Dead flesh and lifeless blood is the cold fact, - that reality surely cannot change!
 

I told them straight, - unless I could put my finger in the wounds in his hands, thrust my hand into his side, I would not believe, and more to the point, nor would anyone else! I’m not going to be mesmerised by wishful thinking! I need proof!
 

What did they expect? What would you have thought, come on, what would you have said? Left it to me again?
As the days passed it seemed more and more likely that somehow this was just as I was thinking, some colossal
made up dream. And yet….
I was there when he fed thousands of people with just a few loaves and fishes.
I was there when we were nearly sunk in a vicious storm, - he just stood up and stilled the tempest, - and all the boats, all of us, were suddenly safe.
He even walked on the water to reach us right in the middle of the sea, - we’d left him on the beach and
suddenly there he was! We were all frightened, thinking it was a spirit. He saved Peter and got on board. Stayed with us. I now need him to say again: “Fear not, it is I”. How do you tell reality from a dream? A dream from reality?
 

The last three years kept spinning before me:
People healed of all kinds of sickness;
The deaf, the dumb, - hearing, speaking normally,
straightaway;
Those leprous as snow, suddenly with full flesh;
A withered arm stretched out, complete and whole.
The contrast between the joy he brought to so many people, and the persistent picture now in my mind of three
crosses, three deaths, the darkness.
But yes, he had brought the dead brought back to life!
That ruler of the synagogue’s daughter, - she was only twelve years old, - dead but now alive.
The widow’s son at Nain, - carried out quite dead on his bier. Yet Jesus speaks to him and up he gets.
And there’s the impossible resurrection of Lazarus, - dead four days and already half decomposed. Jesus spoke,
“Lazarus, come forth!” And he did, set free, restored..
But for Jesus to resurrect himself! When he died, when he was gone, who would speak to him and say “Arise”
how could he possibly promise to rise the third day?
So what do I believe?
Jesus turned upside down everything I’d ever learned..
Now he’s dead, can I really believe it ever really happened?
I tremble at the thought that if he does come back, if I do touch his hand, if he really is there again, what is the true explanation…And if he doesn’t, where does that leave us?

We have gathered again. We are together, but I feel left out.
It’s been over a week since they say they saw him. They still keep insisting, “Jesus is risen. Jesus is risen”.
But they haven’t seen him since, - so where is he? What’s he doing?
One of them cracks a joke, and they all laugh, looking at me.
Oh Jesus, if you really are there, please show yourself.
Help me believe.
 

The laughter suddenly stops.
I feel an overwhelming presence of love: it is tangible.
Dare I face this moment?
 

“Peace be unto you”
 

His words create the peace they speak of.
Memories return of his serenity, dominion, and most of all, his love.
But is this still a dream?
 

He turns to me:
 

“Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing.”
 

I look at his outstretched hands, there are the holes. He shows me his wounded side.
It takes me back to the wooden spikes, the thrust of the spear, I hear again the cheering crowd, so constant in my memory!
How is this possible? Is it really happening?
I know that I must do as I had demanded.
I reach out, touch him. Everyone is looking at me. His physical presence matches mine.
Flesh to flesh. I cannot doubt any further. It is no apparition.
 

My whole life with Jesus whips through my consciousness;
This really is the risen Lord. He’s done what he promised,
Proved life everlasting, a life unrestricted by matter.
Proved what he’s always said.
The kingdom of God really is within you, yes, within us all!
Life is everlasting! Not miracles, but divine revelations flood my being.
A reality I had been too scared to accept, and dared not believe.

It is Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth! Alive! Not a spirit, but resurrected in the flesh.
I have felt his hands, his body. Can I doubt anymore?
 

I sink to my knees.
“My Lord and my God”.
 

Jesus reaches down to me. His grip is warm, forgiving.
He lifts me up, both physically and mentally.
I now see. Everything he has said has moved from belief to understanding
 

“Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they which have not seen, and yet have believed”
 

I have seen and touched him. Yes, he has conquered death! I have
witnessed the proof of true being. He once said: “The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.” Yes, he has shown it here and now!
The doubt has gone. I believe, yea, more, much more:
 

I UNDERSTAND.
 

[Thomas was there when Jesus said to Peter: “Feed my sheep”, and went on to become a missionary in India]

© KenCooper2024

A Bible parable with a new analysis! (The Prodigal Son)

by Jeane Appell

2024 being an election year —with all the political variants, the claims, counter-claims, ads, campaign funding etc.—may seem like a long year!  Interestingly, the partial definition of “Year”  in the Glossary chapter of Mary Baker Eddy’s “Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures reads, “Year:…space for repentance” (page 598.) This is an appropriate consideration for all of us praying in support of the election process.   When asked about her politics, Mrs. Eddy  replied that she had none except to support a righteous government. (See  Miscellany, pg 276). This has become my response as well.  

Recently, while praying to support our country, an unusual interpretation came to me as I read the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15).  The parable as told by Jesus refers to our sonship with our Father, God. But I’ve adapted it to my consideration of citizenship and government. I’ve changed the characters into concepts.  I’ve substituted for the Father the concept of Righteous Government.  The younger son represents  special interest groups with fallacious goals, scrupulous lobbyist, egotists, selfish donors with ulterior motives . The elder son represents past and present patriots dedicated to preserving righteous government.  The Father’s wealth represents our U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Irreverent lobbyists, egoists, etc (the younger son) hope to take advantage of righteous government (the Father) by wasting its substance with porkbarrel projects,  unsustainable debt, false accusations, kickbacks, irresponsibility, etc. But eventually all these prove unfulfilling, dangerously robbing themselves of the benefits of a righteous government. Then, having found themselves defeated by difficult social, economic, and  personal troubles, they come to realize their need to return to a sense of righteous government (the Father’s house). Their false sense of entitlements has imploded and honest accountability becomes essential!  

The good news is that a Righteous Government (like the Father)  is always welcoming to those who wandered but now have honest desire to regain, maintain, and retain the blessings of good government.  The integrity of elections (the journey home) is critical to those who seek the “father’s substance.”  

 Today’s patriot (like the elder son) needs to guard against anger, revenge, envy, disappointment, and jealousy so that he, too, doesn’t  lose sight of his  father’s substance— which guarantees the generational inheritance of a righteous government. The patriot is not the indentured servant of the government, rather a Righteous Government supports and protects the patriotic citizen’s inheritance.  Both the younger and elder son must learn to value and preserve the Father-son relationship in order to protect their inherited wealth — a Righteous Government!!