Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB Christian Science Practitioner & Teacher
  • THE HEALING PRACTICE
  • TEACHING
  • LECTURES
  • SCOPE OF SERVICES
  • FAQ
  • PUBLISHED CONTENT
  • MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • RATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
  • PAY BILL ONLINE
  • THE HEALING PRACTICE
  • TEACHING
  • LECTURES
  • SCOPE OF SERVICES
  • FAQ
  • PUBLISHED CONTENT
  • MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • RATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
  • PAY BILL ONLINE
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

2/21/2013

Perking up Bible Lesson study

Picture
I recently received this request:  "Help me find understanding in the [weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson], as when I read it I feel confused. People will say to me, 'Oh, wasn't that a wonderful lesson on happiness?' or something, and I can barely remember what it was about. If I read it 4 times I still don't get it... I feel stupid."

RESPONSE: Nah, you aren't stupid. Like anything, Bible study takes practice and tools can help.  When I first attempted a regular study routine, I didn't think I got much out of what I read either.  But actually, good stuff was getting in (and coming out in my life) without my realizing it. The discipline of sticking with it, even when it was difficult, helped me became more familiar with the layout of the Bible. And although I, too, often couldn't pinpoint an overriding theme from the Lesson, certain passages did tend to stick with me or pop back into thought when I needed them.

But to begin to really enjoy the study, I tried different things that helped me find more substantial meaning. I learned off the bat that it's not important what the lesson may mean to others. It's important that it mean something to me.  If your Bible study is in a rut or if you are having difficulty staying focused, you might try one or more of these ideas which helped me to perk up my study life.

Picture
Appendix B
  • In the back of the big Complete Concordance to the Writings of Mary Baker Eddy is an Appendix B that list the Bible citations Mary Baker Eddy used in her other writings (Prose Works, Poems and the Church Manual). There is an appendix B for the Science and Health part, too, but often those passages appear in the Bible Lesson already. I found it helpful to look up whatever Bible Lesson citations appear in other places in her writings. This further reading can help expand the application of a Scriptural passage in new ways.

Picture
Www.bible.cc
  • Online comparative Bibles can be very helpful, too. I have worked with many over the years. But my current favorite is www.bible.cc.  If there is a verse that seems "Greek" to me, I look it up on that website and find another translation that is more understandable. It's fun to look up well-worn passages, too, for a fresh take on the familiar. A lovely feature of this site: When you click on the translation you like, it takes you into the text so that you can read the entire passage in context.  At the bottom of each individual citation page there is a collection of highlights from various Bible commentaries that sometimes offer helpful background and context for the passage, too.

Picture
Mybiblelesson.com
  • One of my favorite tools for studying the Bible Lesson is the mybiblelesson.com version available by online subscription (you can get individual Lessons, too) through the Christian Science Publishing Society. My Bible Lesson is designed for youthful thinkers and readers - I figure that alone counts me in. It is colorful and has sketches and captioned photos and research that I find helpful to expand on the ideas.  I also like the format of having the Bible passages appear to the left of the page, and correlative passages from Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures on the right. I find this layout particularly helpful when I try to identify why and how a particular passage from Science and Health illumines the spiritual sense of a Bible passage or story.

Picture
Mark the books
  • Much as I enjoy the tools available for reading the Bible Lesson in printout form, nothing beats putting in my metal markers and using blue chalk to prepare my books for study. There is something about glimpsing what I will get to study during the week that gives me a feeling of anticipation and expectation of good. And that half hour I give myself on Sunday afternoon to prepare the books pays big dividends all week long. The ideas that have most meaning for me from the study often aren't even in the lesson. They are in the verses above or below the marked passages, or on the opposite page, that leap up and smack me with insights that meet my need. That's when the study stops being "the" Bible Lesson, but becomes "my" Bible Lesson - God's Word speaking to me.

I frequently receive questions from readers of this blog concerning Bible study.  How do you keep your study fresh and alive? Feel free to share in your comment below.

I hope you enjoy this blog. And if you do, I doubly hope you will share it!

If having a full-text version delivered to your email inbox would interest you,
you can find the subscription box in the sidebar.

You may also wish to:
VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE
FIND LINKS TO MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT

9/3/2012

Bible punctuation, revisited

Picture
A rich man took a piece of paper and wrote his last wishes:

I LEAVE MY GOODS TO MY SISTER NOT TO MY NEPHEW NEVER WILL BE PAID THE BILL OF THE TAILOR NOTHING TO THE POOR

But he passed on before he applied any punctuation to his letter. Who did he leave his fortune to?

His nephew decided on the following punctuation:

I LEAVE MY GOODS TO MY SISTER? NOT! TO MY NEPHEW. NEVER WILL BE PAID THE BILL OF THE TAILOR. NOTHING TO THE POOR.

But the sister disagreed. She punctuated the note like this:

I LEAVE MY GOODS TO MY SISTER, NOT TO MY NEPHEW. NEVER WILL BE PAID THE BILL OF THE TAILOR. NOTHING TO THE POOR.

The tailor asked to see the original note.  He punctuated it like this:

I LEAVE MY GOODS TO MY SISTER? NOT! TO MY NEPHEW? NEVER! WILL BE PAID THE BILL OF THE TAILOR. NOTHING TO THE POOR.


Last of all, the town council entered the discussion of the note. They proposed their version:

I LEAVE MY GOODS TO MY SISTER? NOT! TO MY NEPHEW? NEVER! WILL BE PAID THE BILL OF THE TAILOR? NOTHING. TO THE POOR!!!


Picture
Click photo to find source. The Biblia Hebraica Blog.
Punctuation, clearly makes a big difference. Ancient Hebrew, the original language from which Old Testament texts are translated, had no punctuation to indicate the beginning or ending of an idea, phrase or sentence. It also had no past tense. Translators, using their best judgment, added punctuation, time tenses, and even words, to bring out the ideas as clearly as they understood them.

Give it a try, yourself.
Taking out time references and the added words not present in the original, how would you punctuate Genesis 1:1,2 to bring out your best understanding of creation?

GOD   CREATES   THE   HEAVEN   AND   THE   EARTH   AND  THE   EARTH   IS   WITHOUT   FORM   AND   VOID   AND   DARKNESS   UPON   THE   FACE   OF   THE  DEEP   AND   THE  SPIRIT   OF   GOD   MOVES   UPON   THE   FACE   OF   THE   WATERS


"The decisions by vote of Church Councils as to what should and should not be considered Holy Writ; the manifest mistakes in the ancient versions; the thirty thousand different readings in the Old Testament, and the three hundred thousand in the New, — these facts show how a mortal and material sense stole into the divine record, with its own hue darkening to some extent the inspired pages. But mistakes could neither wholly obscure the divine Science of the Scriptures seen from Genesis to Revelation, mar the demonstration of Jesus, nor annul the healing by the prophets, who foresaw that 'the stone which the builders rejected' would become 'the head of the corner.'" 
MARY BAKER EDDY, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 139

If you find this post interesting or helpful, please share it! 
Also, it is quite easy to subscribe to the blog if you would enjoy receiving updates.
Simply put your email address in the box provided in the righthand column and click "Subscribe me!"


You may also wish to:
VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE

FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT
    Picture
    Français?

    Ask a question?
    Wish to receive blog updates? Enter your Email

    Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

    RSS Feed

    Find me on YouTube​

    Michelle Nanouche, Christian Science teacher, spirituality, healing, prayer

    ​






    I have practiced Christian Science professionally in
    some form since 1979.
    But my journey with
    Christian Science started
    in a Sunday school
    where as a young child
    I was taught the Scriptures and some simple basics
    of Jesus' method of
    scientific Christian healing.
    A significant experience
    at the age of twelve
    opened my eyes to
    the great potential
    of this practice. 
    After impaling my foot
    on a nail,
    I prayed the way I had learned
    in Sunday school.
    Within moments
    the pain stopped
    and healing began.
    By the next morning the wound had disappeared completely.
    Having experienced
    the great potential
    ​of Christian Science,
    there would be no
    turning back. 

    Find out more
    Follow @mnanouchecsb
    Tweets by mnanouchecsb

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categories

    All 23rd Psalm About Michelle Abraham Abundance Abuse Action Actions Of Grace Adam Addiction Adultery Affirmation Afraid Of Questions Age Aging Alcohol All Amen Angels Angelsong Anger Angry Anxiety Arrest Evil Astrology Atmosphere Authority Awake Baby Back Pain Bad Days Balloon Balm In Gilead Barbara Pettis CSB Baseball Bbc-radio Bear-dreams Beatitudes Beauty Beauty-illusion Bedside Manner Beek Behold Betrayal Bible Bible Lesson Bible Translation Billing Blindness Blog Body Boyfriend Breaking Bad Habits Broken Toe Bruce K Waltke4a6f762dee Brylcream Burden Business Cancer Caption This Photo Caption This Photo76ad201eac Car Caroling Cat Celebrate Change Chaos Charity Chastity Chemicalisation Chicken Chicks Child Child Healing Children Choices Christ Christ Healing Christian Healing Christianity Christian Science Christian Science Practice Christian Science Practitioner Christine Dreissen Christ Jesus Christman Christmas Church Church Of Ephesus Class Instruction Clergy Killer Clutter College Communication Compassion Complaint Condemnation Conflict Congregations Connie Coddington Consent Contagion Contribution Control Coolidge Core Creation Creationism Crises Crisis Criticism Csb Daddy Daily Lift Daily Lift Daily Prayer Darkness Darwin Dating David Stevens Deafness Death Decisions Delight Depression Devil Diane Marrapodi Csb Diet Discipline Disconnected Disease Dislocated Leg Dislocation Distraction Divine Economy Divine Life Divorce Doctor Dog Dolly Parton Doubt Dreamer Dreams Dysfunction Eagle Easter Eating Ebola Doctor Editors Education Effective Egg Election Elijah Elise Moore Emotional Pain Employment England Envy Eternal Life Evan Mehlenbacher Evil Example Exercise Expunge Exterminator Ezekiel Faith Faithcure9041dbcdb0 Fall Family Family Conflict Father Fear Finding God Finding Your Prayer Mojo Find Your Prayer Mojo Fleas Flight Fly Focus Food Food Illnesses Foot Washing Forgiveness Found French-consulate Friendship Frustration Fully Funded Gender Generation Me Generation We Generation X Genesis Genesis 1134ab414725b George Ritchie Georgia-bulloch Georgia-bulloch-csb Getting Unstuck Ghosts Gift Gifts Giving Gluttony Goals God Godwords Going Home Good Good Deeds Goodness Good Will Gospel Grace Gratitude Grief Grocery Store Growth Guilt Habits Hagar Handwashing84dcc1ba2e Hanukkah Harvest Hate Headaches Healer Healing Healing Of Scabies Healing Prayer Health Hebrew Scripture Hell Helping Others Hitler Hoarding Holiday Preparations Holocaust Home Homeless Homeopathy Honesty Hopeless House Humanity Human Progress Humility Hurricane Hygiene Ichabod Crane Identity Illusion Immanuel Immigration Importunity Incorporeal Infertility Influence Influences Injustice Innocence Insanity Insistence Inspiration Integrity Internet Intuition Invisible Isaiah Isaiah 45 Ishmael Italy Jenny Burton Jessi Binnix Jesus Jewish Job Jonathan Pearson Joseph Joy Judas Judgment Julia Wade Kaleidoscope Karen Mandan Kate Robertson Kay Olson Kay Olson Csb Keith Wommack Kids Kindness Kingdom-of-god Kingdom Of Heaven Kitten Lameice Elaine Harding Language Laughter Lecture Legion Letting Go Life Light Lipstick Life Savers Loaves And Fish Lois Herr Csb Lord Loss Lost Love Love Note Love Yourself Lust Majesty Manhood Marcel Marceau Mark Swinney Marriage Mary Baker Eddy Mashupe451c72f2d Masks Material Law Material Sense Math Matter Media Medicine Memory Mental Influence Mental Sweat Mercy Messages Michelle Nanouche Mind Mindfulness Mindreading8c8b669ff4 Mission Mojo Monday Moral Code Morality Mormons Morning Has Broken Mortal Belief Moses Mother Motives Mountains Mourn Mouth Move Movement Moving On Nadia Bolzweber2632578709 Name Nehemiah Neighbors New Life New Opportunities News Newton New Year No Noise Nurse Obscene Calls Ocean O Holy Night Oil-well Omnipotence Omnipresence Omniscience Oprah Oprah-winfrey Oreos Pain Panic Paralysis Parent Parenting Passion Past Pastor Patience Patient Paul Pause Peacemaker Pearl Peeking Penn State Persecution Persistence Perspective Pest Control Peter Phenomena Pilates Plan Pneumonia Podcasts Politics Position When Praying Possibilities Poverty Powerhouse Power Of Truth Prayer Prayer For Self Prayer Heals Prayer In Church Prayer Mojo Pray First Pray For Children Premise Presence Presents Pride Principle Procrastination Prodigal Son Progress Project Psalms Public Service Public Speaking Publish Pull Punctuality Punctuation Puppy Purpose Radical Acts Radical Reliance Radio Rat Rats Reality Reflection Regret Relationships Remember Renewal Repationships Resistance Resolutions Resources Retrospection Return From Tomorrow Revelation Revision Road Rage Roots Rules Running Sabrina Stillwell Csb Sad Safety Salt Salvation Sand Bags Sarah Satan Scales Schools Sciatica Science And Health Scotland Second Isaiah Seeker Self Condemnation Selfcondemnation695d9c2fbc Self Destructive Selfdestructive515c04d53d Self Examination Selfexamination2b0941cdeb Self Image Selfimageccc8536b7c Selfless Love Selfrighteous5f6e4896b6 Sensuality Sermon Sermon On Mount Sermon On The Mount Seven Deadly Sins Sex Sexual Abuse Shame Shine Shoes Shoplifting Shopping Shut Up Silent Cal7dad7e1da9 Silent Prayer Simple Prayer Sin Sincerity Siyahamba Slab Sloth Smell Snakes Solutions Song Sorrow Soul Soulmate00b25c4b6c Space Spider Web Spirituality Spiritual Qualities Spiritual Sense Spiritual Study Sports Spring Star Stars Stealing Stepparent22b2fbb651 Stillbirth Storms Stress Stubborn Study Tools Substance Summer Supply Support Swine Swine Herder Swineherder0ca3e587ab Symptoms Synonyms Teacher Tears Technology Teenager Telephone Ten Commandments Testimony Thanksgiving Think Thought Thoughts Three Names Time Time Management Timing Tithe Tomb Trampoline Transparency Trapped Treatment Tree Trial Troublemakers Turbulence Ulrike Prinz Cs Universal Universe Up Victories Virgin Virginia Harris Vision Void Vote Walk On Water Warfare With Self Way Out Weather Whole World Why Pray Will Without Form Women Woody Allen World Wowbdde4b5c9f Writer Writing You Your Potential Zacchaeus

INFORMATION

ABOUT
FAQ
​PUBLISHED CONTENT

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

SERVICES

HEALING
LECTURES
TEACHING
​​ASSOCIATION

HELP

CONTACT
RATES
MAKE PAYMENT


Picture
© 2011-2023 Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB. All rights reserved.  Pages updated 2 December, 2022.