OCCUPY God's Kingdom (OGK) 2012!

CedarS 2012 theme is: “OCCUPY God's Kingdom” (OGK --inspired by Matt. 5 & Larry Groce’s ‘Beatitude Song’ about it on CedarS Around the Clock CDs). This OGK or "Inner Occupy" (Luke 17:21) Movement  will actively promote DAILY DEMONSTRATIONS on how to 100% OCCUPY, or Make Your Own, the ‘Inner Kingdom Joys’ of:
1) a ‘free-from-pride’ "fellowship, in which one mind (or class) is not at war with another" (S&H 276);

2) “the kingdom of God…within” (even when ‘hurt inside’) and how you can freely give its Comfort (Luke 17:21);

3) being ‘patient, kind and meek’--"constantly accentuating harmony in word and deed" (Mis. 206); 

4) hunger to grow the good in whatever ‘lot’ we’ve been given, like “good & faithful servants” do (Hymn 160, Luke 19:13); 

5) being ‘quick to forgive’ the mistake of ‘living to GET’ by ‘living to GIVE’ "truth, health, and happiness" (My. 165);

6) being ‘pure in heart children who walk in the light’ of gratitude to God like 10% of the lepers healed! (Luke 17:12-21)

7) ‘winning without a fight’ as peacemakers “in one grand brotherhood … seeking … another's good." (S&H 518); 

8) a ‘sheepish’ prophet’s mindset to “listen, … follow and ‘rejoice’ all the rugged way” (Hymn 304) (Matt. 5:3-12)

 

This "OGK" theme is a timely reminder given the prevalence of the "OWS" Movement that's occupying media attention.  CedarS reinforcing of spiritual priorities in the thinking and actions of Christian Science youth seems even more important today than when this precious idea of CedarS was first brought into being in 1961 by Ruth Huff' in obedience to her divine guidance to love into view "the cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted." Ps. 104:16  CedarS most unique contribution to young Christian Scientists and the world will always be in fulfilling our published purpose: "to give each camper an appreciation of spiritual sense and an abundance of wholesome, joyous activity."

The fact that spiritual growth is the main event at CedarS can be seen in the hourly Mets that begin every CedarS activity to establish each one of them on a spiritual basis with God-centered goals. Our spiritual focus is also very apparent in our weekly series of emails to camp families, Sunday School teachers and friends, to make each Christian Science Bible Lesson as applicable year-round as it is at camp.

 

Expect fruitage as you join us in monitoring thought "to spread undivided the Science (of dwelling in the consciousness of divine Love) that operates unspent".  (My. 353:10)  Let's work together to spread the OGK or (Inner OCCUPY) Movement both at the "thought-roots level" and at "the grass-roots level" --letting it pre-occupy us and forever spread across the globe, one dwelling or "consciousness of Love" at a time! (See Science & Health 578:17)  We intend to expand our preoccupation with living in the now and with the individuals and situations at hand: "ONE LOVED-FILLED THOUGHT AT A TIME: 1 DEED; 1 CHILD; 1 FAMILY; 1 CAMP; 1 CHURCH; 1 COMMUNITY; "ONE NATION UNDER GOD: AT A TIME!" (Send $10 to have an "OGK" theme T-shirt mailed to you.  Specify size as Youth or Adult in Small, Medium, Large or XL.  A link to an image of the design will be posted within the week.) 

Since God’s Kingdom is already Within, we are so Pre-Occupied with all the joys that come living to share our divinely-favored position and privileges that come to us by grace rather than by human contrivance, that we are not distracted by the temptations to be jealous of limited commodities that need to be warred for and angrily occupied.  A framed quote in beautiful calligraphy from CedarS 1983 staff is a Mary Baker Eddy admonition to be properly preoccupied: “Beloved Christian Scientists, keep your minds so filled (preoccupied) with Truth, Life, & Love that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them. It is plain that nothing can be added to the mind already full.” My. 210

While occupying "the kingdom of God ... within" (Luke 17:21) seems to be primarily an individual effort, at CedarS (like at Sunday Schools and churches across the globe) we are always seeking the blessings of working collectively on this goal as well.  Here is a group "OGK" exercise aimed at keeping our camp community focused on the daily demonstration of of our "OGK" goal.  I plan to try it at camp this summer:  Whenever staff or campers sense an attitude that would undermine or kill our full expression and employment of God's kingdom within, they will hopefully to chant aloud as a reminder rallying cry: "All friends, come on!  All friends, come on!" (This will be ideally in the sing-song tones of CedarS horse call: "Horses, Come on." with 5 notes rising from low to high and back to low.)  This Biblically-based rallying-cry reminder is a distinct one like what a Good Shepherd calls out when he detects a wolf or other predator in this midst of his flock so that they unanimously obey the command and quickly  eliminate the danger.  Our little "flock" will also "hasten to follow" and study Mrs. Eddy's article on "Obedience" (Mis. 116-120)  and William Knight Allen's "Song of our Syrian Guest" in which he says: "Sometimes, in spite of all the care of the shepherd and his dogs, a wolf will get into the very midst of the flock. The sheep are wild with fright. They run and leap and make it impossible to get at the foe in their midst, who at that very moment may be fastening his fangs in the throat of a helpless member of the flock. But the shepherd is with them. He knows what to do even at such a time. He leaps to a rock or hillock that he may be seen and heard. Then he lifts his voice in a long call, something like a wolf’s cry: ‘Ooh! Ooh!’" On hearing this the sheep remember the shepherd; they heed his voice; and, strange to tell, the poor, timid creatures, which were helpless with terror before, instantly rush with all their strength into a solid mass. The pressure is irresistible; the wolf is overcome; frequently he is crushed to death, while the shepherd stands there on a rock crying, ‘Ooh! Ooh!’, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

 

Once our group has come together (where physically or metaphysically in spirit across oceans of love) we can go to Stage 2 of the treatment and chant to the same tune: "Stomp i.t. out!, Stomp i.t. out!) while seeing the ineffective trait as nothing and stomping on it in an imaginary stomp, like the horse Clarence did when he fell in the well and was being buried by shovel-after shovel of dirt.  (Corde Hanzlik shared this in an audio Practitioner talk in 1990.) Clarence would just shake each load of dirt off and stomp on each till he was able to walk out.  After each ineffective trait (i.t.) such as pride, greed, gossip, criticism, selfishness,... has been stomped under foot, it will be time for a call to go back to work.  Our Stage 3 chant is the affirmation part of this treatment to go back about our life purpose with renewed love, vigor and joy: "Live to Give!  Live to Give!"  This way to live out our theme is spelled out on our tee shirt sleeve imprint that defines the number 12 (for 2012). The number 1 is hatched in with 9 stacked lines of LIVE 2 GIVE! And the number 2 is hatched in with 3 stacked repeats of the 3 commodities (‘TRUTH, HEALTH, HAPPINESS!”) that we are able to “impart” in order to fulfill “our rock of salvation and reason for existing” (My. 165) Such unselfed “love alone is life” --the open secret, the lifetime key--to God’s kingdom that enables fully OCCUPY it “Day by Day”. A song by this title in CedarS 2012 Musical Theater Production of “Godspell” and all of Jesus’ poignant parables in the book of Matthew acted out in it will give the whole camp tuneful and playful ways to bring this message to life in each of our lives.