Everlasting Punishment

This is the first in a series of posts about the 26 Weekly Bible Lesson Subjects (chosen by Mary Baker Eddy), which rotate twice each year. I’ll start with the subject “Everlasting Punishment”. Look for other posts under the category “Lesson Sermon Subjects“.

If you’re a former Christian Scientist or a Christian Scientist, the title of this post is familiar to you as one of the rotating weekly Lesson Sermon subjects. It is also one that I recall always seemed uncomfortable to many–after all, who likes the concept of punishment that never ends? But, as with everything Christian Science, there is more to these words than initially meets the eye. The devil is between the lines (and in the details).

Heaven and Hell

As I’ve alluded to in a previous post, there are some ideas and concepts from Christian Science that have stuck with me, and always will. It’s not all misguided illogical doublespeak. Some of it is logical and makes sense, to me at least. One of the biggest ones is the Christian Science concept of heaven and hell (I don’t capitalize these terms, as I do not believe in them as actual places).

I Walk With Love

A favourite hymn of mine is #139 in the Christian Science Hymnal. The first line is “I walk with Love along the way…” These words have always brought me great comfort, as does the musical setting. Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of my Mom singing that and also #304 (Shepherd show me) and #207 (O gentle presence) to me when I was sick. The words of all of these hymns still comfort me when they come to mind, and I can still hear her voice in my mind as vividly as the last time she sang these hymns to me when I was a child. The marriage of poetry and music in hymns has tremendous mental/emotional healing power. But, it is the line from #139 in particular, that inspires this post.