Article May 28, 2012 Issue

A growing, healing church

For the lesson titled "God the Only Cause and Creator" from May 28 - June 3, 2012

Olene Carroll—Clayton, California

The title of this week’s Bible Lesson, “God the Only Cause and Creator,” conveys the firm, clear message that there is but one God. The “rain” in the Responsive Reading describes the pouring down of this understanding, and the “growth” relates to the resultant activity. Ezekiel plugs into a global locator to find the sanctuary mentioned in the Golden Text (see Psalms 77:13), and he discovers that God has set it in their midst forever (see Isaiah, chap. 45; Ezekiel, chaps. 36, 37).

This Lesson begins with an invitation to all creation to sing fresh songs to God in the Temple. They recall the tabernacle the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness. Its secret was the protection it provided at the realization of God’s all-power. Their portable tabernacle would develop into what Mary Baker Eddy called “the structure of Truth and Love” (Science and Health, p. 583, citation 3).

The synagogue was another step in the spiritualization of Church (see Matthew 9:35, cit. 5). Both synagogue and church in Greek refer to an assembly. In a major step, Jesus gratefully elicited from Peter the recognition of his true identity, the long-awaited Messiah, the anointed one, the Christ, the Son of God. This understanding was revealed to Peter from their Father in heaven and would be the basis of Christ’s Church (see Matthew 16:13–18, cit. 6). The so-called “gates of hell” would be unable to silence, resist, or oppose it (Science and Health, p. 138, cit. 6).