Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Metaphysical support for SS


As I watch and listen to the topics covered in the classes the love and care brought to the students is clear.

MBE says healing is more important that teaching. What are your thoughts on a metaphysical  focus, approach for the Sunday School?  We might call it a campaign.
How can we work together to work on this?  We're looking for time-effective ways to put the pedal to the metal. What will help you most in  this endeavour?
Sometimes hearing a metaphysical  theme someone is working with  can be helpful, and support our own prayers.

Thoughts...?
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I think a metaphysical theme is a great idea Chris. And one that we should be persistent in working at.

One theme I have been working on for some time is "spiritual growth." I see that as an inevitable part of church alive. There must be growth with all things alive. The theme can change from time to time, but the spiritual growth will continue.
I loved what Marion English said in the Church Alive chat we watched at the Summit. She said that a tree changes constantly, but it's roots remain firmly fixed in the ground. 

As most of you know, I am continually applying this one statement to all that I am working on. It certainly applies in praying for Sunday School and oour spiritual growth.

Christian Science presents unfoldment, not accretion; it manifests no material growth from molecule to mind,
God's creation intact but an impartation of the divine Mind to man and the universe. (S&H 68)

As we grow spiritually, so we see our experience of Sunday School unfold.

Love Anna
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Right off I want to share  what came to my attention a week or so ago  as I considered our  collective work for Church   The May 16'th Sentinel, article titled"Spiritual Safety Briefing"  p.15  is
 a remarkable example of and model for collective prayer. Plenty of room was given the chaplains for working from very individual standpoints, but the prayers were asked for very specific situations.  Nothing general about that.    You may have read this, but if not please read or re-read it.

 Here are one or two points the article mentions.  Other important points will be found in the article.
 Janet Horton called and invited the 200 chaplains to search their own (diverse) scriptures, to pray daily and specifically for the safety of their soldiers'.  She asked them to return in two days to share anything they found "that constituted assurances and praises of God's power to protect His people  They agreed to embrace the ideas of God's omnipotence and love for His children.  "At the end of the meeting I reminded them we would do such specific prayer each day; and if there was any challenge we would put out a call for dedicated prayer in that particular case. . . they fully embraced the idea."

 And the result off this specific  collective prayer was wonderful, specific and clearly recognized!

We could  invite our whole membership to search our books for specific assurance of  God's omnipotence in providing for the safety and spiritual growth of the children of our community.  As
families in our community have such diverse backgrounds we could start  with purifying our purpose and motive by placing them within the embrace of the universal Church so that we see  all the children's needs met "where they are at" without regard to denomination.  (And surely those who will benefit from our Sunday School can with more certainty find their way to it.)  The cup of cold water is spiritual but not denominational.  (This might be an approach for inter-faith groups as well, after all if the chaplains can do this why not communities?)

Anyway, these are some thoughts that have come to me.
                                Much love and appreciation for our Sunday School team and the whole membership too in this matter of enlarging the borders of our tent.
                                                                                                                Margery


I was thinking of the teachers as having a theme to pray about and work with toegther. How that plays out in the classes would be an individual demonstration according to the students needs wouldn't it? 
Anna


I love the idea  of spiritual growth as a theme for our Sunday School !  It has such wide scope!
I would like to ask another question. We could be specific as to whose spiritual growth?  Ourselves as members of the Sunday school. could we embrace our church's  membership in its love and care for Sunday school?  We could then all of us embrace our neighbour's children  knowing Love's care is meeting each one's need for it in whatever way best meets their present individual need  Thus those  for whom our sunday school will be the fest next step  will inevitably be drawn and brought to it through the universal Christ activity.  And all the other children cannot help being blessed where they are. The power of the focused  collective prayer of our members  surely will  bless our neighbours and our church.  Is there a way we could invite them to join in this holy work?

Margery
Are you thinking of a theme that the teachers are praying with or a theme that all the classes would be working on together?

Shannon

-- the Whole...

1 comment:

Skye said...

Thanks for all the beautiful ideas so far. I was thinking that what we are nurturing in SS is childlike receptivity to God's Word, to hearing, seeing and doing it, as illustrated in the lives of the many Bible characters. We know that each idea of God is already equipped to hear God's thoughts and perform them, because each child of God (of any age), "possesses and reflects God's dominion" - is able to practise His qualities and abilities to the effect of bringing excellence into their experience. This is true of all the children in our neighbourhood. Knowing that each child in our neighbourhood is already good and complete is one way to express a great deal of respect and love for individuals of any background. I believe that many young people are longing to feel this kind of wholesome respect and acceptance. Desire is prayer and our Father-Mother God answers prayers. Our SS is ready to receive them.

I have an idea that would encourage SS students, their parents, and church friends to become better acquainted with their Bibles. This is not a metaphysical idea, so I'll share it in a separate email.

Ginny