Uproar in the court of David

 Welcome to 2021 everyone and thank you to our loyal book club team who continue to support us by contributing to the blog posts, responding with comments, and reading all or some of the books chosen.

This month I am inspired by a post from Bible teacher and friend Madelon Maupin's post about getting to know your Bible better in seven steps. Just visit www.bibleroads.com. Step one is PRAY. 

She also offers tips for up to date Bible Commentaries, a Bible Atlas, and a Study Bible.

This month our book club will read I Kings, which begins like this (The Message) - King David grew old. The years had caught up with him. Even though they piled blankets on him, he couldn’t keep warm.

But there was strife in the household...

11-14 Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Did you know that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has taken over as king, and our master David doesn’t know a thing about it? Quickly now, let me tell you how you can save both your own life and Solomon’s. Go immediately to King David. Speak up: ‘Didn’t you, my master the king, promise me, “Your son Solomon will be king after me and sit on my throne”? So why is Adonijah now king?’ While you’re there talking with the king, I’ll come in and corroborate your story.”

And later in the proceedings:

38-40 Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s personal bodyguard (the Kerethites and Pelethites) went down, mounted Solomon on King David’s mule, and paraded with him to Gihon. Zadok the priest brought a flask of oil from the sanctuary and anointed Solomon. They blew the ram’s horn trumpet and everyone shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” Everyone joined the fanfare, the band playing and the people singing, the very earth reverberating to the sound.

41 Adonijah and his retinue of guests were just finishing their “coronation” feast when they heard it. When Joab heard the blast of the ram’s horn trumpet he said, “What’s going on here? What’s all this uproar?”

Now who was that guy called Solomon?

Julie Swannell

Overwhelming consciousness of the divine presence

 

When I came to the entry for Sarah Crosby in Appendix B of our book, Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer (p. 432) and read that Mary Patterson (as she was then) had healed her in 1864, it hit me that this occurred 2 years before Mrs. Eddy's discovery of Christian Science.

It was what may be called a significant healing -- see pages 54 and 55. Mrs. Crosby had spilt vitriolic acid on her face. Mary prayed and Mrs. Crosby slept. In two hours the “face showed no sign of the accident” (p. 54). Later there was some discomfort with one of the eyes from light. It was soon healed after Mary was informed of the problem by letter.

The healing mentioned before this one -- pp. 53-54 -- is also recorded in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. The case concerned consumption and suffering brought on by “east winds.”  (See SH pages 184-185.)

It seems that Mary Patterson had lived and worked with what would later be named "Christian Science" with remarkable results before her discovery of its full explanation. It is interesting to me that the healing of consumption is included in the textbook of Christian Science as an illustration of its healing effects.

Alfred Farlow, the first Christian Science "Committee on Publication", wrote this about Mrs. Eddy’s own healing in 1866 - see pp. 440-441 of Christian Healer:

            At that time it was not clear to Mrs. Eddy by what process she had been instantaneously healed, but she knew that her thought had turned away from all else in contemplation of God, His omnipotence and everpresence, His infinite love and power. It eventually dawned upon her that this overwhelming consciousness of the divine presence had destroyed her fear and consciousness of disease exactly as the light dispels the darkness.

            She afterwards “noticed that when she had entertained similar thoughts in connection with the ills of her neighbors, they too were benefited, and it was in this manner that she discovered how to give a mental treatment."

Joyce Voysey

He's in my book club

Friends

Warm greetings to our book club readers. 

People all over the world are joining together to read. Our local library has a group that meets regularly - and from my observation - converses eagerly together about their current choice. It's a great way to expand one's reading and to share insights.

Our Reading Room Book Club has been "meeting" digitally since 2012. We've read so many interesting books together and read about some wonderful discoveries. Mostly, we don't hear from our readers and so we don't know who is reading along at any point in time. That's OK. And it makes the following "Home Forum" essay from The Christian Science Monitor Daily Edition (on Thursday this week I believe) even more appropriate.

So, for those who may have missed it or for those who'd like to read it again. (I hope those without a subscription can access this link. If you have trouble, please email me at csredcliffe@hotmail.com.) 

"He doesn’t know it, but he’s in my book club"

https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/The-Home-Forum/2020/1209/He-doesn-t-know-it-but-he-s-in-my-book-club

Of course, our book club's major project is to better understand the Bible and its relevance to healing and harmony in our own times, so anyone who's ever dipped into its pages may already be a tacit member of our book club. 

Warmly

Julie Swannell