If you walk into a movie theater to watch a movie you think is going to be enjoyable to watch, but it turns out to be a bad movie that is miserable to watch, you can leave that theater. You don’t have to stay and watch in misery. You can get up, walk out and do something else that is more enjoyable and worthwhile.
We can do the same with material sense. There are times when the material senses seem to grab our attention and hold our mental view on subjects that make us feel miserable and uncomfortable. But we have dominion over material sense. We can “walk out” of its theater and enter the theater of spiritual sense where the views are uplifting and inspiring.
Mary Baker Eddy writes about the example Jesus Christ left us, “Like our Master, we must depart from material sense into the spiritual sense of being” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 41). In spiritual sense, we find health, happiness, inspiration, truth and love that bless life and bring us great good.
For the best results, be quick to depart from material sense. Don’t let it captivate your attention and hold thought in undesirable places. Let thought ascend to Life in Spirit, where spiritual sense holds your attention and inspires your points of view with healing truths.
Spiritual sense is a much happier place to be.
Here’s an article in the current Sentinel that I thought does a great job of explaining how we “depart from material sense into the spiritual sense of being”. I recommend listening to this if you can do that to hear the joy in the author’s voice.
The healing joy of prayer by John Biggs
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1vuee1v4ha2?s=copylink
Thank you , Robert for giving the link to that article . I listened to it a few days ago and have shared it with others . It is truly inspirational!
And thank you , Evan for clarifying how we just need one simple step to walk out of the “dream “ of material sense . Very helpful .
Thank you, Robert H.
I only call a pract when fear sets in. My eyes seem only able to clearly see error. I’m going directly to this article now, as an addition to the prayerful work I’ve spent trying to overcome a wrong belief which has my eyes fixed on the ugly picture. I’m getting up and leaving this movie now.
So enjoy John Biggs! He is so joyful and funny. A recent SW with him was so good as well (or maybe it wasn’t recent but I just listened again ).❣️
Thank you Evan, and what a wonderful article RobertH, Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
This topic reminds me of a favorite quote from Susan Booth Mack Snipes: “It’s as though the carnal mind would constantly tempt us to keep asking Spirit to do something to matter instead of worshiping God as the All-in-all.” I wish I could attach the article this quote came from, but can’t seem to find it or must not have it…sorry.
Thank you J. I found that quote in this article.
Easter and the real deal behind Christian Science healing
By Susan Booth Mack Snipes
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/ghf8gcfiye?s=copylink
And I failed to Thank Evan in my comment above, so I’d like to thank him in this comment. 🙂 Awesome message today Evan. I always notice how in every video of Evan he is so joyous, like I pointed out John Biggs is also when reading this article. That’s a characteristic we should all have as Christian Scientists. How can we not be joyful when we know God’s harmonious law is always operating and at hand…even if the illusion of material sense is telling us otherwise (i.e., we haven’t yet walked out of the theater of mortal mind).
RobertH, thank you so much for attaching the link to the article referred to – much appreciated! So very true on the observation about Evan’s videos, as well as John Biggs, as you can just feel the joy expressed. Evan’s videos always engage and hold my attention, very down-to-earth, and enjoy his sense of humor.
Robert, thank you for this article! As in John Biggs’ article, the focus, the “big deal” is on worshipping God not on “fixing mortal lives”. I am slowly realizing that is the point of all our studies and prayers. With gratitude to Evan and all the helpful comments and articles shared every day on SV’s community of seekers. I feel blessed.
Thank you Evan for the good thoughts and Robert for the helpful article. BTW, Susan Mack wrote & composed the beautiful hymn #595 in the new hymnal.
Many thanks Evan and Robert.
Thank you Evan, and all! This is so helpful!
Thank you Evan, a helpful way to look at the, often, mesmeric pull of material sense.
Thank you Robert for sharing the link above. John Biggs has a wonderful way of sharing 😀
I love this, Evan! Thank You! Sometimes we try to please others by sitting
through what we think they want us to see. For example, I, years ago, went
with two friends to see the movie, Noah. It was nothing like what I thought it
would be. It was very violent and I dreaded being there. After it was over and
walking out of the theater, my friends and I all agreed that we each would have left,
because neither of us was enjoying it, but stayed, thinking the other two had paid
for their ticket and wanted to see it. Because we rode together, we could not have
easily had just left on our own. How many times do we accept mortal mind’s belief
in things, rather than just walk away from the erroneous scene? Like this morning,
I had a dream that I had a check from a customer that I was holding and the wind
came and blew it off. This customer had passed on years ago, but the dream Seemed
so real. I was looking everywhere and could not find this check. I woke up and realized
how foolish and unreal this dream was. We need to “wake up” to what the material
senses Seem to be telling us or trying to influence us with.
Material senses trying to grab our attention are nothing but suggestions…aggressive mental suggestions at times….and we always have the power and authority to say, nope, not today. ❣️
Here is what Mary Baker Eddy says about this topic:
“Never breathe an immoral atmosphere, unless in the attempt to purify it.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 452:14–15)
And here is a link to a conversation about films that may be not pleasant to watch.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/vxejiw5zi?s=copylink
Thank you, Maggie, for this interesting article. I hadn’t realized how subtle the manipulation can be from watching a film. The larger manipulations of thought are obviously recognizable. But the subtle suggestions? Those we must be alert to!
I very much appreciate the “walking out of the theater” analogy. It is so helpful! Thank you, Evan, and all for today’s pondering of spiritual existence vs the nothingness of the material. Here is an article I would like to share in this discussion. It is a February 11, 2013 Sentinel article by Mark Swinney: “Genuine substance — exclusively spiritual” :
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/2kgjgpt11gu?s=copylink
Excellent article Cheryl, thank you so much for providing a link for it. Very thought-provoking!
What a wonderful treasure trove of spiritual ideas and lessons today. Thank you to Evan and to those sharing the wonderful articles and your own inspirations- always a joy to read.