Joy

August 15, 2002

When the real is attained, which is announced by Science, joy is no longer a trembler, nor is hope a cheat.

Science and Health, by Mary Baker Eddy

Our chairperson started the meeting by reminding us of the so-called Annunciation where Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit (see the readings from Luke). He noted that while joy is not specifically mentioned in the story, it is certainly a result of this and other expansions of consciousness and human possibilities.

Another member offered an aside that any conceptualization of God — as say a Father, Mother, Husband, source, cause etc. — will bind us to dualism or mortality.

This led to a discussion of the deadening downward pull of seeming mortal existence. It's only a belief, of course, but if we go along with it, we may suffer to the point of seeking "exit strategies" like drug and booze taking, overeating or even death. These may give a momentary illusion of bliss which soon fails. Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, has some better advice, based on metaphysical realities — such as, "...leave the mortal basis of belief and unite with the one Mind," to experience "the proper sense of God's unerring direction and thus bring out harmony." (Science and Health, p. 424: 6).

A member amplified this idea with a passage from The Blue Book of Mrs. Eddy's otherwise unpublished writings (p. 128) "...there is joy unutterable in knowing that Christ had no birth, no death, and that we find in Christ, in the true sense of being, life apart from birth, sorrow, sin, and death."

We also heard this, taken from William Segal writing in Parabola (Summer 1998), "...the moment I throw myself away, joy — even ecstasy — bursts through me. The onset of the ecstatic moment does not depend on, nor does it come from, outside oneself. It is a call from the 'purity in oneself' ...to be in touch with one's essential reality."

As long as we were dabbling outside standard Christian Science literature, the member who had just read us the quote from Parabola speculated as to whether tantric Buddhism wasn't what fully integrated Christian Science was getting at. Could what Mrs. Eddy refers to as the "spiritual senses" be described as leading to "a perfect Buddha-land, where every sensation, thought, and emotion becomes saturated with 'holy bliss.'"? (Miranda Shaw, Parabola, Summer 1998).

We went on to healing experiences.

1) A member, struggling with financial stability, opened the Bible to I Samuel. The word "inheritance" kept popping up. He worked with this a bit, eventually coming up with the play on words "in here". As reflection of God, he has everything "in here". His birthright is sole identity as God's idea. He let this truth "wash over" him. Business picked up immediately.

2) Several members described how much joy and well-being they experienced when they realized that it is God who heals us and expresses Himself as us. We have only to let it be so. One member quoted this: "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis." (Science and Health, p. 258:13)

3) Another described the elation he felt as he once watched Gertrude Lawrence traipsing and flouncing along Fifth Avenue in a playful mood.

4) Three members involved in the performing arts told of their recent returns to performance, after laying off for periods normally associated with diminution of ability. With the application of Science there was no lessening of powers. Indeed there was a greater appreciation of what was truly taking place — God as all-beauty, all-action, all-presence acting through them and their audiences. One of them said this: "The infinite individuality of Soul includes all identities in One."

5) Our member who lost his roommate two months ago continues to deal with and process grief. He found this statement comforting: "If grief causes suffering, convince the sufferer that affliction is often the source of joy, and that he should rejoice always in ever-present Love." (Science and Health, p. 377:3) He has now broken through to a very deep intimacy with his friend, at the level of the "inner child", and has been able to understand to an extent this from Science and Health: "Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,—this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony." (p. 323:32)

6) Another member, finding herself midweek severely blocked in her lower digestive tract, prayed in Science and eventually called 911 for assistance. She was taken to an emergency room where no aid was offered for over two hours. She left, knowing all the while that she would find a solution. Eventually she located a woman who could give her a good colonic and she's fine.

7) Another member talked of some developing friendships. He is finding that he must approach them with "charitableness" — i.e., feeling himself and others as whole and complete already. Complaining, manipulating and kvetching are out; abundance and joy are in.

8) Another member told us how he discerns between sensualism and the joys of Soul. He recalled sharing a precious, hoarded candy bar with a fellow soldier while they were enduring the rigors of bivouac. His taste buds screamed to have the whole thing, but something in him (Christ?) caused him to give half to the other man. He still feels the joy that accompanied this act; the taste sensation of the candy bar faded long ago. He also mentioned the joy he felt later when he addressed an overeating problem. Again as his taste buds and emotions pleaded for more and more food, his better self directed him to weigh and measure quantities. The result of consuming less food than his cravings wanted was and is still, calmness and bliss.

For next week we want to look at entrenched hatreds and fears, as in the Holy Land, Kashmir or Northern Ireland. There might even be some lurking in our own psyches. We chose the word Oneness as the topic. It's oneness beyond all dualisms, where we all truly exist.

The Bible

the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy

We cannot fathom the nature and quality of God's creation by diving into the shallows of mortal belief. We must reverse our feeble flutterings—our efforts to find life and truth in matter—and rise above the testimony of the material senses, above the mortal to the immortal idea of God. These clearer, higher views inspire the Godlike man to reach the absolute centre and circumference of his being.

Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual.

The pains of sense are salutary, if they wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense to Soul, where the creations of God are good, "rejoicing the heart."

Also the spiritual idea is typified by a woman in travail, waiting to be delivered of her sweet promise, but remembering no more her sorrow for joy that the birth goes on; for great is the idea, and the travail portentous.

This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death. The perfect man—governed by God, his perfect Principle—is sinless and eternal.

Trials teach mortals not to lean on a material staff,—a broken reed, which pierces the heart. We do not half remember this in the sunshine of joy and prosperity. Sorrow is salutary. Through great tribulation we enter the kingdom. Trials are proofs of God's care. Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.

Miscellaneous Writings, by Mary Baker Eddy

St. Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always." And why not, since man's possibilities are infinite, bliss is eternal, and the consciousness thereof is here and now?

Sorrow is the harbinger of joy. Mortal throes of anguish forward the birth of immortal being; but divine Science wipes away all tears.

The only conscious existence in the flesh is error of some sort,—sin, pain, death,—a false sense of life and happiness. Mortals, if at ease in so-called existence, are in their native element of error, and must become ^dis-eased^, disquieted, before error is annihilated.

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