Persistence
February 24, 2005
Mind is its own great cause and effect.
"When I saw the snow I was sure you wouldn't be here."
"What kind of Christian Science practice is that? Of course I'm here. It's my topic and I have to lead the meeting."
"Are you feeling as well as you look?"
"I'm doing just fine — getting back into lots of the old stuff and maybe a few new things."
"I was really interested in the reading from Miscellaneous Writings, page 230. I'm pretty sloppy with my time. I love the idea of improving each moment."
"Well, I'm sloppy too. That's why I brought it in."
"You know those paragraphs could have been written by any of a number of famous human potential practitioners — like Tony Robbins or Dr. Phil."
"Hitler, too."
"Huh?"
"Picture it: he lines his generals up and demands, 'Look guys, you've got to get the panzer divisions moving faster,' or, 'What's the delay with the final solution?'"
"Well, yes, but what's your point?"
"Just that the Science of improving moments is to get the spiritual import of them and live out from there. Human speed and efficiency are as prone to evil as to good."
"Also success in Christian Science is about loving your neighbor."
"I was going to mention the First Commandment but really if we love our neighbor correctly we're observing the First Commandment."
"Here's a quote from this week's Lesson on Christ Jesus. It's in Section IV: 'The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer?' (Science and Health, pg. 9:5)"
"Man, did I get a kick in the pants yesterday! I went to see my doctor for my first check-up after the hospital. I took him through a detailed litany of complaints about how I'd been treated in the hospital — all the indignities, cruelties and tortures I'd suffered during my stay. He listened patiently and when I'd sort of run out of steam he said quietly, 'Oh I think you left one thing out: they saved your life.' I can't even begin to tell you how moved I was. I wept right there, just like I'm doing now. Yes I'm glad to be rid of the pneumonia but I think the loving rebuke from the doctor marks a whole new level of healing going on within me and my attitude towards life."
"The readings I studied for the meeting involve Melchizedek, the king of Salem who, as the Bible says, was also the priest of the most high God. Since he combines both political and religious functions he's a very early figure, living before either Israelite Jerusalem or the Levitical code. The God referred to is not Yaweh but El Elyon, head of the Canaanite pantheon. Melchizedek gives Abram bread and wine, precursors of the Eucharist. He himself is seen as a forerunner of Christ Jesus and therefore Christian Science. Look at this verse from Hebrews describing him: 'Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.' (7:3)"
"I can remember being attracted to Melchizedek's story in connection with the growing awareness I was Gay. Why? I can't say exactly but maybe it's his innate weirdness. Also the bit about no parentage. I had parents all right, but I never felt I belonged there. We should start a cult to honor him."
"Not a bad idea, but Christianity beat us to it. The whole thing is based on the idea represented by Melchizedek's demonstration, as Hebrews brings out. I'm fascinated that an ancient and persistent intuition of God's presence, dating back to perhaps 1000 BC, has been worked on and amplified by all the intervening generations up to the present. And we're carrying on the revelation even beyond Mrs. Eddy's apprehension of it."
"Persist means literally 'to stand through'. That got me thinking of some ambiguities. Do we stand through the storm? Should we? Or, should we yield? And on a more metaphysical level, is God what's actually standing through and as us?"
"If I merely persist in some material pursuit, is that a victory for God's man? But if I can see that God and His plan and pattern really persist, I'd be happy to let go of outgrown concepts, things that might have been perfectly wonderful yesterday but no longer serve my evolving self identity."
"That reading from page 263 of Science and Health about the finite sense peering from its cloister fits in here. Our immense divinity is always setting off fresh counterfeits to strut their hour upon the stage."
"Friends have said I should clear out all the clothes I haven't worn in a year to make room for some new stuff."
"Yeah, I get that all the time too. But you know if we're hoarding anything — clothes, books, money, tired thoughts — then we have no space for new things to flow in."
"The children of Israel couldn't store manna for the next day. They had to look to God for fresh supplies every day. Even if we're healthy, rich and beautiful — and we all are — we mustn't let our sense of good persist merely in belief but need to anchor it daily in our relationship with God."
"I think we need new language for man's likeness to God. The Bible came up with the term 'image and likeness' and Mrs. Eddy says we're reflection. I kind of like seeing us as holograms (or is it holographs) of God."
"That was in that Bleep movie, wasn't it?"
"I think so, but even seeing ourselves as holograms seems inadequate. Our bodies are mostly space — what I'm looking at and touching isn't it made up of colored light? And where does that come from — the imagination? It's not heavy, thick, leaden matter. The idea represented by the colored light image is our current dream of individual infinite eternal being."
"And as long as we're dreaming away it would seem like a good practice to strive for new and better images of our divinity."
"But how? The best practice might be to let the images evolve seemingly on their own. Mrs. Eddy gives us a big hint of how to do this. Just pay attention to our desires which are prayer. Using the tools of Science we can then take these to the non-dualistic God being and live that."
"Sounds like serial ascension — a little bit at a time."
"Ha! I guess you're right. The most desirable end result would be to have one's life, encompassing the universe, not as a phenomenal exhibition but a noumenal experience."
"I had this thought during the week — if someone asks you how old you are you could reply, 'Why, I'm as old as God.'"
"Oh I heard a good testimony yesterday. The testifier was getting a fever and had lots of entertaining to do and responsibilities to fulfill that evening. He lay on the bed spewing quotes from Science and Health when a still, small voice said, 'Stop!' He did and waited. Then the thought came, 'I'm not responsible for my health or the happiness of anyone. God is.' He was instantly well, got right up and went forward with the evening."
"Hey, that's letting God take a stand through and as him."
"I'd like to talk about The Gates."
"What's to say? It's a self-indulgent piece of, uh...did you have a more positive experience?"
"Well I saw it at night before a concert. I didn't find it interesting but at least I was in the Park on a cold winter night looking at the lights from the buildings. Someone was playing a horn back in the woods — that was moving."
"I just loved it. The construction and the way it was put up by volunteers. I liked seeing all the people from around the world there. Late afternoons as the light faded were magical."
"Here's what opened up to me. I realized Christo installed The Gates at the mid point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It's when life begins to stir, ever so subtly. The orange..."
"Saffron, please!"
"The saffron, occasionally known as orange, indicates the second chackra — the zone associated with sex, underlining the idea of approaching Spring. The Gates in their overwhelming numbers are saying, 'You can enter into renewed life at any time, anywhere, on the path of life.'"
"Would you like a quote from Science and Health?"
"Sure."
"Through discernment of the spiritual opposite of materiality, even the way through Christ, Truth, man will reopen with the key of divine Science the gates of Paradise which human beliefs have closed, and will find himself unfallen, upright, pure, and free, not needing to consult almanacs for the probabilities either of his life or of the weather, not needing to study brainology to learn how much of a man he is."(pg. 171:4)
"Wow! I guess all that stuff about one Mind is true."
"We need a topic for next week."
"I'd like to look at Patience. It seems to flow from Persistence."
"There's a practitioner here in New York who recommends divine impatience. That kind of appeals to me but how it interacts with patience I don't know."
"I'm pretty sure we've done [#topic=20000713#] before. If so, I'll ask the webmaster to link it."
"All cleared for Patience?"
"I agree."
"Yes, that's fine."
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
The divine Principle of the universe must interpret the universe. God is the divine Principle of all that represents Him and of all that really exists. Christian Science, as demonstrated by Jesus, alone reveals the natural, divine Principle of Science.
Whatever seems to be a new creation, is but the discovery of some distant idea of Truth; else it is a new multiplication or self-division of mortal thought, as when some finite sense peers from its cloister with amazement and attempts to pattern the infinite.
Because Life is God, Life must be eternal, self-existent. Life is the everlasting I AM, the Being who was and is and shall be, whom nothing can erase.
He who has the true idea of good loses all sense of evil, and by reason of this is being ushered into the undying realities of Spirit.
IMPROVE YOUR TIME
Success in life depends upon persistent effort, upon the improvement of moments more than upon any other one thing. A great amount of time is consumed in talking nothing, doing nothing, and indecision as to what one should do. If one would be successful in the future, let him make the most of the present.
Three ways of wasting time, one of which is contemptible, are gossiping mischief, making lingering calls, and mere motion when at work, thinking of nothing or planning for some amusement,—travel of limb more than mind. Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much.
All successful individuals have become such by hard work; by improving moments before they pass into hours, and hours that other people may occupy in the pursuit of pleasure. They spend no time in sheer idleness, in talking when they have nothing to say, in building aircastles or floating off on the wings of sense: all of which drop human life into the ditch of nonsense, and worse than waste its years.
"Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Science reverses the evidence of material sense with the spiritual sense that God, Spirit, is the only substance; and that man, His image and likeness, is spiritual, not material. This great Truth does not destroy but substantiates man's identity,—together with his immortality and preexistence, or his spiritual coexistence with his Maker.