Ideas for studying the Lesson on "Ancient and Modern. . " for May 28, 2017

Dear Friends, Below are some ideas to further your study for this week's Lesson.

RESEARCH: Nehemiah and the wall for Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, in May 28 Bible Lesson

Nehemiah article by Shotwell

STUDY SHEET

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Articles from the periodicals on Nehemiah:

"Evil: No portion, nor right, nor memorial," by Carolyn E. Holte, March 1982, CSJ

"The Rebuilding, by Nehemiah, of the Wall of Jerusalem by Annie Colt, CSJ, September 1889

"He Will Prosper Us" by Dorothy Roberts, August 1920, CSJ

"Gashmu saith it" Bustavus S. Paine, Feb. 17, 1917, CSS

Photo of a section of the remaining wall of Nehemiah in Jerusalem

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Research. Luke 13 woman bowed over

Womanhood chart for own study

Notes: Womanhood in Jesus day (stereotypical view)

Notes: Jesus view on womanhood

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The Director's Window in the original Mother Church depicting the "Holy City." Can you find all the symbols for the four sides?

There are three panels per side: Word, Christ, Christianity, divine Science. (SH 575:17) Find a larger picture in the book "Building the Mother Church" by Joseph Armstrong.What does each panel symbolize?

Diagram of the four sides of the Holy City

SOME MORE VIEWS OF THE MOTHER CHURCH, April 1895 CSJ

"New Jerusalem," William D. McCrackan, April 1919, CSJ

"The Holy City," Luman Field, February 13, 1909 CSS

"The City of God" Albert Gilmore, December 11, 1926 CSS

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CHILDREN'S IDEAS:

Nehemiah's Wall for preschool or home schooling

http://www.biblefunforkids.com/2017/04/nehemiah-rebuilds-walls-of-jerusalem.html#more

http://freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/5/0/12503916/lesson_113_the_story_of_nehemiah.pdf

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Older children:

true womanhood chart   (for discussion with teenage girls)

Questions to ask ourselves in a relationship

COMPLETENESS        (use for a discussion with teenagers)

What is our spiritual mission?      (use for a discussion with teenagers)

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I hope these ideas are helpful!

With love,

Kathy

Ideas for studying the Lesson on "Doctrine of Atonement" for April 16, 2017

days before crucifixion pg 1Dear Friends, Here is some research for this week's Lesson.

Word Study for Doctrine of Atonement April 16 2017

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Research: Trials of Jesus John 18

Passion Week Chronology  (goes along with John 18 in Section 2, and John 19:38-42 in Section 3 of the Lesson.

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Research: Crucifixion of Jesus John 19: 1- 6, 16-18

Information on crucifixion

Map of Jerusalem includes where the six trials took place, the site of Golgotha and the Garden Tomb sites, Antonia Fortress, and east to the Mt. of Olives. If you want to see a large version, drag it onto your desktop, and double click on it. It should blow up to be 81/2 x 11". This is true of all the pictures on the blog.

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another map with numbers on sites of crucifixion

Research: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea: John 19. 38- 42

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Research: Resurrection: John 20

The Empty Tomb in different Gospels

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Video from CBN news on "The Garden Tomb" where we visit when we tour Jerusalem.

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/March/The-Garden-Tomb-Where-Jesus-Rose-Again

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"The Way of Gethsemane" by Lucy Hays Reynolds, April 1945, CSJ

THE GLORY OF THE TOMB by Lucy Hays Reynolds, April 1931, CSJ

(an excerpt from the above article)

“In the long struggle and waiting in confining circumstances, or so-called physical disabilities, when day after day nothing seems to happen, when every door is closed and there appears no way out, the Christian Scientist, understanding that man reflects the perpetual activity of Mind, looks beyond the evidence of the senses and discerns the marvelous unfoldment taking place in consciousness through the reflection of divine Love. In the mighty wrestlings of overcoming error we discover that, although human energies and interests may seem to fail, we become animated with the graces of Spirit. Endurance, patience, and stability are all won in the overcoming of adverse experiences. Through the silent workings of Spirit, self-will and rebellion surrender to divine law. We step forth from our wrestling chastened and sanctified, with a new outlook, and new power. Think it not, then, an occasion for despair if we are seemingly buried in some hopeless situation. Be the condition what it may, let us make of the experience a quiet retreat of spiritual aloofness and security.”

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Here is the wonderful 6-hour movie called "Jesus of Nazaareth".  It is my favorite version of this story even though it was made in 1976. It is well worth viewing during this Easter season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruLjkt-5Kao

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CHILDREN'S IDEAS:

http://www.biblefunforkids.com/2017/04/412b-resurrection-of-jesus.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FNIpgVA+%28Bible+Fun+For+Kids%29

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Places where tradition says the disciples preached after the crucifixion

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Make a chart of the days leading up to the resurrection.  Here are some samples.

days before crucifixion pg 1     days before crucifixion page 2

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CraftRisen2     CraftRisen1

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Story Puzzle for beginning readers

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Seven Synonyms on a ring

Perfect God and Perfect man

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I hope these ideas are helpful!

Kathy

Ideas for studying the Lesson on "Love" for January 29, 2017

A new "Museum of the Bible" is being built in Washington D.C.  Click here to see more about it! https://www.museumofthebible.org/museum

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Dear Friends,

One theme that seems to run through this lesson is how Love rules out fear. Fear is mentioned many times in the lesson, in almost every section. 

"Fear is the belief in the existence of something apart from good. Love casts it out because Love understands the infinite oneness of Being without an unlikeness." Laura Sargent

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Possible main ideas of each section: (Please know these are just what is coming to me. You might see completely different ideas.)

God is Love:

Section I: Infinite, omnipresent Love

Section II: Divine Love meets every need!

Section III: Universal brotherhood: "Love thy neighbor as thyself"

Section IV: Raising of Jairus' daughter (Fear not!) Handle fear first in every treatment!

Section V: Jesus walking on the water. Peter follows him but sinks when he becomes afraid and looks away from the Christ.

Section VI: "be not afraid," Divine Love is the shepherd!

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Attributes of LOVE:

WHAT IS LOVE attributes chart  (These qualities and attributes are not all of them. But they are a start in applying our understanding of what Love is and does.)

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GOD IS LOVE!  I John 4:16   (agape in Greek)

Research: agape and phileo

John: on love one another

LOVE defined from Eerdman's Bible Dictionary

"Love" by Frederick Dixon, CSJ, March 1909

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Research: Luke 12, Take no thought

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Research: Luke 10. Good Samaritan

Research: Luke 8. Raising Jairus' daughter

Research: Matt 14. Walking on the Sea

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Every Monday morning in the Upper School a Chapel is shared by members of the community. Last week's was given my Marshall McCurties, and it was about "True Freedom." I thought you all might like to hear it. It was just excellent.

Skim through the first part and go to 17:58 minutes to hear his Chapel. The first half is something else where the students are talking about Martin Luther King.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHO3kxjEfOs

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CHILDREN'S IDEAS:

Priority Equation explanation                   Priority Equation: blank for student

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"Are we benefited by praying?" SH 6:4

Here is a chart that might help have a conversation or discussion about prayer and what it means to pray:

Qualities of thought needed.blank                   Qualities of thought needed (teacher)

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This website from Bible Fun For Kids is a great way to teach the books of the Bible. It is a FREE download but you have to go to their website to receive it. Then you can print it off yourself.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Books-of-the-Bible-File-Folder-Game-Freebie-1535704

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This website has a pop-up book to be made on all the parables of Jesus.

http://www.biblesongsandmore.com/2013/07/06/parables-of-jesus-pop-up-book/

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The following two links are ways to teach Jesus' life and the disciples to preschool age up to about second graders.

http://www.biblefunforkids.com/2012/11/life-of-jesus-lapbook.html

http://www.biblefunforkids.com/2014/07/jesus-picks-his-disciples.html

Hope these are helpful!

with love,

Kathy

Ideas for studying the Lesson "Doctrine of Atonement" on October 16, 2016

Dear Friends, One word that is a thread that runs through this week's Lesson is "grace." Another thread that runs through the lesson is "teach" or "taught" (used about 7 times). And "love" is used over and over and over.

The word "doctrine" in English means: a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church political party or group. In Late Middle English, which is the word's origin, it meant: teaching, learning from a doctor or teacher. (Latin: doctrina and docere - to teach)

In the 1828 Webster's Dictionary it means: whatever is taught; a principle or position in any science; whatever is laid down as true by an instructor or master; the act of teaching; learning; knowledge; the truths of the gospel; instruction and confirmation in the truths of the gospel. 

Atonement in the 1828 Webster's means agreement; concord; reconciliation; reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which is received in satisfaction for an offense or injury; in theology, the expiation of sin made by obedience and personal sufferings of Christ. (the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing, compensation for wrong).

Word Study for "Grace"

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A definition from the periodicals:  "justification by faith" in Responsive Reading: Rom. 5:1

Being justified by faith

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Research: Healing the sick of the palsy by Jesus Mark 2

Research on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

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Who witnessed Jesus after the resurrection? (goes along with Section 4)

Appearances of Jesus after the resurrection

Passion Week Chronology

CHILDREN'S IDEAS:

Website with ideas for teaching the healing of the paralytic man:

http://www.ebibleteacher.com/chalmers/palsy.html

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Template: Jesus and sick of the palsy

sick of the palsy words

Shoebox idea for healing of sick of palsy

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3uNEVAAKowpc3NGa1p2LS1zaVU/edit

Teaching Books of the Old Testament

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3uNEVAAKowpdlhQTGtYTDdmcTQ/edit

Teaching Books of the New Testament

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Lily Pad Game

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I hope some of these ideas are helpful this week. If you know of someone who might be interested in receiving this blog, please enter their e-mail address in the top right side of the page. 

With love,

Kathy

Studying the Lesson on "Christ Jesus" for August 28, 2016

Dear Friends, My name is Kathy Merrill, and I have been hired by Principia School to be the Bible Coordinator. Included in my job description is the role of encouraging and helping people to study the Bible more deeply. One of the ways I can do this is to write a weekly blog called “Bible Insights for Christian Science Families.” This blog will include ideas on how to study the weekly Bible Lesson more deeply, and it will also have ideas for how to teach the Bible to young children of all ages. 

I have entered your email into the distribution list for the weekly blog. If you aren’t sure that you’d like to join it, just scroll down and unsubscribe. If you’d like to share the blog with someone you think might be interested, just forward it on, or put their email in the box on the right side. The link for it is www.bibleinsightscs.com

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to write or call me.  This is a FREE gift from Principia, and is open to all Christian Scientists all over the world.

With love,

Kathy Merrill   Kathy.merrill@principia.edu  618 980 2207 cell  314-434-2100 work

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Ideas for "Christ Jesus:" This week's Lesson is built around the seven "I AM" statements that Jesus gives to describe himself. The sections of the lesson expand on each idea. What research I've done on them, I will color code in red. Please keep checking the post, because it might take me a while to work on them.

John 6:35, 48   I am the bread of Life

Research on: I am the bread of life. John 6. 38 48 to 51

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John 8:12, 9:5  I am the light of the world

Research on: I am the light of the world Jn 8. 12

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John 10:9         I am the door of the sheep

Research on: I am the door Jn 10. 7 9 10

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John 10:11       I am the good shepherd

Qualities of a shepherd

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John 11:25      I am the resurrection and the life

John 14:6       I am the way, the truth, and the life

John 15:1        I am the true vine

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Research on: Expressed image of his glory" Heb. 1:1-3, 9

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Research on two healings in the lesson:

Luke 8: The Raising of Jairus's Daughter

Mark 10: Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

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Outstanding article from the Christian Science Journal: "Christ Jesus, the True Scientist," W. Taylor Stone, December 1919

Christ Jesus, The True Scientist

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CHILDREN'S IDEAS for parents to teach the Bible at home or Sunday School (some of these ideas are not appropriate for Sunday School, but could be used with children at home):

www.biblefunforkids.com has many good ideas for crafts on the Bible for young children.  If you click on their homepage and go to the right side, you'll see a Table of Contents that gives you many characters from the Bible.

To find the idea below, click on Jesus and then go to the names for Jesus. I am sharing a few of the little posters with you of names that are in this week's lesson, but there are many more names for Jesus that she uses. See what you think!

Names of Jesus

If you don't like these, take the chart of the "I am" statements above, and make your own on Poster Board.

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It is always a good idea to have a map of Palestine in Jesus' Time to locate places in the stories in the Lesson.  Here is a map from www.biblosfoundation.org

See if your children can find Caesarea Philippi in the northeast, Capernaum -- north of the Sea of Galilee-- where Jesus healed more people that any other place, and Jericho -- north of the Dead Sea where the healing of Blind Bartimaeus happened.

map of Palestine in Jesus' Day

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Craft for Jairus' Daughter

http://www.jesus-without-language.net/jairus-daughter-luke-8-make-2/

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Animated video for the raising of Jairus' daughter:  Please be sure and preview this to know if you'd like to share this with your children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aEH18yS6a0

Crafts for teaching the stories of walking on the water, and feeding the 5000:

Jesus walks on the water

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Jesus and the loaves and the fishes

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One way to begin sharing the Bible with your children is to read and talk about a Bible story every night before they go to bed. This can begin as early as two years old. There are hundreds of beginning Bibles to choose from with great  pictures.

Here are some examples:

Bibles to use for Preschool Parents

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I hope these ideas are helpful!

With love,

Kathy

Ideas for Studying the Lesson on "Love" for July 31, 2016

Dear Friends, Here is research on some of the stories in this week's Lesson on "Love."

Research on David and Saul

Map of David eluding Saul

Before this stone was discovered, David was not thought of as actually existing except in biblical sources. There was no other extra-biblical source of his existence and some scholars felt like he was just a mythical person in Israel's history. This archeological discovery changed everything!

Discovery of the Tel Dan Stele

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Research on the Woman with the Issue of Blood

Research on the Raising of Dorcus by Peter

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"The healing will grow more easy and be more immediate as you realize that God, Good, is all and Good is Love. You must gain Love, and lose the false sense called love. You must feel the Love that never faileth,--that perfect sense of divine power that makes healing no longer power but grace. Then you will have the Love that casts out fear, and when fear is gone doubt is gone and your work is done. Why? Because it never was undone." (L08565 letter from MBE, We Knew MBE - p. 90)

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Worksheet on the Greek words for "Love."

Blank worksheet for Greek words on "Love"

Ideas on the concept of "Love"

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In thinking about loving one's enemies, here is an article I wrote several years ago that speaks to that subject. It was written after I had gone through the fire of an experience with a person who I didn't get along with. For me, this was one of the most growing times I've ever had. A physical healing and this article were two of the fruits that came from this experience.

"There is no enemy," Kathryn L. Merrill, May 2012, CSJ

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CHILDREN'S IDEAS:

Jesus walks on the water

Standing Porter

Stickers that tell Bible stories

Hope these ideas are helpful!

Kathy

Ideas to study for the Lesson on "Truth," July 24, 2016

Dear Friends, When reading the Old Testament, the original language was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was written originally in Greek. On page 24 of S&H, Mrs. Eddy tells us why we need to be familiar with the original language of the Scriptures and why we need to learn how to look up words in these original texts. From time to time, I will share with you some of the main words in the Lesson in Greek and Hebrew (The bold and underlines are mine in the following paragraph from page 24 in S&H are mine.)

    Acquaintance with the original texts, and willingness to give up human beliefs (established by hierarchies, and instigated sometimes by the worst passions of men), open the way for Christian Science to be understood, and make the Bible the chart of life, where the buoys and healing currents of Truth are pointed out. (SH 24:4) 

Word Study for the Lesson on Truth

Ps 119 The Way of Truth responsive reading

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Sometimes the Lesson has a theme that runs through it. For me, this week's Lesson is "way or path".  Please know that you may see something totally different. Whatever makes sense and inspires you is the best way to think about it.

The Way: Jesus' followers were called the "followers of the Way' long before they were ever called Christians. That term is used 18 times in the Lesson. Path is also used. The terms 'lead' and 'teach' might be lesser themes.

Way: Greek is hodos: 3598

• The way
• A travelled road
• Journey
• Course of conduct
• A way or manner of thinking, feeling, deciding
• Progress

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Main themes: Golden Text: Lead, teach the truth to me

RR:  “I have chosen the way of truth” through your statues, judgments, law, commandment, precepts

1^st: Way of the Rock – Truth --  to find salvation

2: Way of salvation through Christ Jesus (the human herald of Christ Truth)

3: Way of distinguishing Truth vs. error

4: Way of Childlikeness

5: Way of Christ Truth  brings – FREEDOM, physical and mental

6: Way of the Comforter or Divine Science

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Research on stories in the Lesson:

Research on the Nativity Story

Research on the Pool of Bethesda healing

Ideas on "Knowing the Truth"

Comforter Worksheet blank

Comforter Worksheet answers

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Slide Show for Healing of Bethesda:  Cut and paste the link into your URL.

file:///Users/kathrynneale/Dropbox/STOREHOUSE%20STORIES/louryn4%20stories/stories/t9uw6-pool-of-bethesda/index.html

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FOR CHILDREN:

This link has a game for matching up Bible people to who they are. It is a free download, but you have to go to the link itself.

Bible people Match up Game

Bible Fact Cards is a way to teach main ideas about the Bible to small children. A couple of the cards are ones we would not use because of the theology, but most of them are really good. This is a free download, if you go to their home page. Here is the link:

Bible Fact Cards

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Hope some of these ideas are helpful to you!

With love,

Kathy Merrill