The first book of Vicki Jones Cole’s trilogy on the “first lessons” taught to Christian Science Sunday School students focuses on the foundational teachings of the Ten Commandments. There are over 100 daily lessons suitable for a wide range of ages, with two very simple lessons on each Commandment aimed at very young children.

Here’s an example of a two-part lesson for very young children (this does not reflect the format or font used in the actual book):

The Third Commandment:
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”

means that we should not use God’s name as if it had magical powers, for good or bad, just by being spoken. For instance, it is wrong to call out the name of God if you are angry at something or someone. That is called “swearing” or “cursing,” and it not only dishonors God, it is also unloving and impolite to others. We do not use God’s name lightly or jokingly. We do not speak certain favorite words about Him over and over again, thinking that just saying the words will help us or heal us. Our goal is to have what we think, what we feel, what we say, and what we do, all flow from the same truth.

The Third Commandment:
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”

helps us to grow in our usefulness to God and to mankind. Why? Because we would only speak of God when we are ready to speak from our heart. Our words would come from the truth we really know and use, and would bring joy and healing to all who hear us. Our lives would be like trees that give good fruit, providing nourishment to all who welcome what we have to offer.

Here is an example of a Third Commandment question-and-answer for older children:

Question: What does taking God’s name “in vain” mean?

Answer: Vain describes something that is worthless, empty, hollow, unsuccessful. If we do something “in vain,” our actions would be a waste of effort.

If we find ourselves speaking God’s name in a way that is disrespectful to God, such as when someone curses or swears, we are using His name “in vain.” If we try to use God’s name, or words about Him, to cover up evil or impure thoughts in our heart, we are taking His name “in vain.” If we promise to do something in “God’s name,” and then we break that promise, we are taking His name “in vain.” In order to be obedient to this commandment, we should habitually express God-like qualities, such as honesty and trustworthiness, before we speak or preach to others about God.

“Simply asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the Science of Christianity through demonstration of the divine nature; but in this wicked world goodness will ‘be evil spoken of,’ and patience must bring experience.” (S&H 4)

Practice: “Demonstration of the divine nature” means to use in your daily life the spiritual qualities and ideas that God gives you. We don’t just sit around and think about them — we do them! Today, practice expressing the quality of joy. See if you can get others to smile!

Each commandment has similar introductory material, and follows with a variety of other questions suitable for various ages. For example, here are the rest of the Questions relating to the Third Commandment:

What can we do to make God’s name special?
What is wrong with just saying prayers? After all, we say the Lord’s Prayer out loud at church services.
How did Jesus teach the Third Commandment?
How can we get rid of hypocrisy in our prayers, so that they will be worthwhile and not in vain?

How can we improve our obedience to the Third Commandment?
Is it wrong to take an oath, or swear something, in God’s name?
Would obeying the Third Commandment help you to heal?

The second book of Vicki Jones Cole’s trilogy on the “first lessons” taught to Christian Science Sunday School students focuses on the Beatitudes found in the Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew. There are over 100 daily lessons suitable for a wide range of ages, with two very simple lessons on each Beatitude aimed at preschoolers.

This volume on the Beatitudes contains additional background material to aid parents and teachers in understanding the Beatitudes overall, before getting to the lessons on the individual lines. The titles of the sections are:

From the Ten Commandments to the Gospel of Christ
The Book of Matthew
The Sermon on the Mount
The Beatitudes
Structure of the Beatitudes
Introduction to the Beatitudes
Explaining Concepts of the Beatitudes to Children
What Mary Baker Eddy has written about the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount

Here is an excerpt from the section on “Explaining Concepts of the Beatitudes to Children:”

Another way to explain both the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes is to liken them to traffic signs. The Ten Commandments are like the traffic signs that tell us when to stop and go, or yield. They are there to protect us, and provide a way for people to be treated fairly. If you are a parent, you might take your children to an intersection of roads that has either stop signs or a traffic signal. Have them observe how useful the signals are. Ask them what might happen if someone did not obey the signs. In a way, the traffic signs are expressions of Love, as well as Principle, since they protect everyone and provide fair access to the intersection. Tell them that the Ten Commandments are like that. However, the Beatitudes might be said to serve as our direction signs, or guide posts, along the way of our spiritual journey. Just as local street name or highway signs do, the Beatitudes let us know where we are, and if we are heading in the right direction. If we find that we are successfully demonstrating those qualities and attitudes that Jesus recommended, then we know that we are taking the right spiritual path.
Below is an example of a two-part lesson on the first Beatitude for very young children (although this does not reflect the format and font used in the actual book):

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

means that we will be filled with great joy whenever we find that we need God’s help. When we see that we are poor in spiritual things — such as pure thoughts, good ideas, a feeling of being loved and wanted, or a sense of purpose in life — we have no place to turn except to God. God is the divine Mind, and is rich in wisdom. Through our sincere prayers, we reach out of the darkness of our fears, for the light of divine Mind. We will then be able to see that God has already provided us with what we need. We just forgot He was there! Some people do not look to God for help until all else has failed them. They suffer because they feel separated from God’s goodness. But we can all expect much joy when we pick ourselves up and return to the open arms of our Father-Mother God. In this home — the kingdom of heaven — we are greatly loved and showered with blessings. We no longer feel poor in spirit.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The kingdom of heaven is a special place filled with the light of wisdom and Love, where all of God’s spiritual children get along with each other in perfect harmony. There is no evil there, no sadness, or sickness, or loneliness, or things to frighten us. God rewards us with this kingdom, when we prayerfully look to Him for all our needs. We find that heaven is within our own thinking! It is right here with us on earth, not a place far away in the sky. We can never be separated from the kingdom of heaven, as long as we accept the ideas that God gives to us. This is the wonderful reward promised to those who see they are “poor in spirit.”

Here’s an example of one of the Question-and-Answers for older children on the same Beatitude:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Question: What does “poor in spirit” mean?

Answer: If we do not have enough of something we need, we might think of ourselves as poor. It means “to lack.” We might feel poor, or in poverty, if we do not have enough money, a job, a home, nice toys, gadgets, or friends.

However, this first Beatitude does not speak of material poverty. It speaks of the poverty of the things of spirit. If we lack spiritual substance — those qualities and ideas that come from God — we are truly poor. Often, we do not realize that we are “poor in spirit” until something happens in our lives that we cannot handle alone, or in our usual way. We are forced to turn to God for help. That is good. It brings a reward!

People often spend their lives putting their faith in things besides God: money, family ties, personal intelligence or abilities, popularity, bodily health, pride of race, or personal possessions.

But, is this what Jesus taught? No. He taught us to look to God first for our happiness, and not to depend solely on our personal resources: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Mary Baker Eddy gives us an idea about what some of those riches are: “What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love and good deeds.” (S&H 4)

Practice: Think about what you have been wishing for lately. Is there a spiritual gift that would be better for you?
Each Beatitude has similar introductory material, and follows with a variety of other questions suitable for various ages. For example, here are the rest of the Questions relating to the first Beatitude:

What is the “kingdom of heaven”?
Why do people become “poor in spirit”?
What is “pride,” and why does it make us “poor in spirit”?
How do we get rid of pride?
Why did Jesus teach that people should become as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven?
How can grown-ups become “as little children,” as Jesus taught?
Why is being “teachable” so important to being “poor in spirit”?
What about people who just do not care about God, or may be ignorant of the true facts about Him?
How will people who do not know they are “poor in spirit” find God?
Was Jesus “poor in spirit”?
Why is “the kingdom of heaven” the immediate reward for those who are “poor in spirit”?

This volume on the Lord’s Prayer contains additional background material to aid parents and teachers in understanding the Lord’s Prayer overall, before getting to the lessons on the individual lines. The titles of the sections are:

Historical Context
Two Versions
The Structure of the Lord’s Prayer
The Doxology
“Debts” versus “Trespasses”
The Spiritual Interpretation
Citations
Ideas for Exploring the Lord’s Prayer
Here is an example of the one of lessons for very young children, which comes in two parts – the original line and then the spiritual interpretation as given by Mary Baker Eddy (this does not reflect the format and font found in the actual book):

“Our Father which art in heaven,”

Jesus taught us to pray that God is the heavenly Father of all. He is the Maker of heaven and earth and everything. What is heaven? It is God’s kingdom where His children live. Everyone is included in God’s family, even those of us who are on earth. We are all brothers and sisters. We are all taken care of by God, just as our earthly parents take care of us when we are young. But we never grow too old for God to take care of us! He is always our heavenly Father. He will never leave us.

“Our Father-Mother God, all harmonious,”

God is not just our Father. God is also our heavenly Mother, who loves us tenderly, and watches over us. Because God is the Father-Mother of us all, He makes sure that everything is good, and that everyone has all they need. No one needs to fight over who is loved the most, or worry about bad things happening. When things go well, that is called “harmony.” Because there is always harmony in God’s heaven, we say that God is “all harmonious.” We feel loved and safe when we remember God is Father-Mother, and that His heavenly kingdom is all around us. God has created a wonderful, spiritual universe for everyone to enjoy. When we pray, we must thank Him for all that He has made and for taking care of us. We might say each day: “Good morning, God. Thank you for being our Father-Mother!”
Here is an example of a Question-and-Answer for an older child on the first line of the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father which art in heaven,
Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious

Question: Who is “our Father”?

Answer: God, the Supreme Being, is our Father. We learn this from the Bible. In the Old Testament, God was called the Father of the nation, Israel: “Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn.” (Ex. 4:22)

“Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.” (I Chron. 29:10)

Many years later, Christ Jesus came to show mankind that God was the Father of each and every one of us, not just the nation of Israel. He also explained to us that God is our only true parent. He said: “Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” (Matt. 23:9)

In the “Glossary” of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy gives us a definition of the term father, as used in the Bible. It reads: “Eternal Life; the one Mind; the divine Principle, commonly called God.” (S&H 586:9-10) So we see that God is also called “Father,” because He is 1) the source of all Life; 2) the one and only Mind that creates; and 3) the Principle that governs all.

What about our earthly parents? We know from the Ten Commandments that we are to honor our fathers and mothers. They are our special caretakers when we are young. But Jesus came to teach us that we are more than what we seem to be. We are not mortals, created materially. We are, instead, the perfect spiritual offspring of a perfect heavenly Creator.
Each line of the Lord’s Prayer has similar introductory material, and follows with a variety of other questions suitable for various ages. For example, here are the rest of the Questions relating to the first line of the Lord’s Prayer:

What does it mean that God is our Creator?
Did the Hebrew people of the Bible believe that God was their Creator?
What did Jesus teach about the Fatherhood of God?
If God made everything, did He also create evil?
What does it mean that man is an idea of God?
If the Bible calls God our “Father,” why does Science and Health call God our “Father-Mother”?
How does God show us that He is our Father-Mother?
If God, our Father-Mother, is perfect, is man also perfect?
Does man ever become separated from his Father-Mother God?
Did the Apostle Paul and the disciples of Jesus, believe and teach that God is our Father?
Does Christian Science teach that God is our Maker and Creator?
Why is it important to know there is only one Creator?
If God is “Our Father,” does that mean we are all part of one really big family?
Did God create Himself?
If our Father is “in heaven” how could He be the Parent of those of us on earth?
What is man’s true nature as a child of God?
How do we see ourselves and others as God’s spiritual children, when we seem to be surrounded by mortals and a material world?

Book I contains stories from the Old Testament. The stories were written in the light of Christian Science. The illustrations were selected for their accurate rendering of realistic figures that resemble the people who lived during Bible times.

Book II contains stories that were taken from the New Testament. The stories, a total of 41 in all, are about the life of Jesus. The many illustrations help a child get a clearer image of what Jesus might of looked like as a boy, and then later as a young man. The illustrations also show images of many events in Jesus life that might not be available to children.

Book III contains 5 separate stories. Each story is complete in itself, but it has definite spiritual ties to the other stories in the book. The first story in Book III is about the Creation. It is solely based in Chapter I of Genesis. The illustrations enhance the understanding of the Creation. The second story is called “God + You = 1”. The story explains, in simple terms, about a child’s oneness with their Father. The many enjoyable illustrations are photos of children today. The third story is about the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. It is written so that a child will find it interesting and educational. The illustrations are many and depict Mrs. Eddy’s life as a child, her discovery of the healing Science of Christ as an adult, and how it lead her to write Science and Health. The fourth story in Book III is about King James and how the Bible came to be assembled through his hard work. It is full of many interesting facts about our precious Bible. Finally is the story of Noah Webster and how his American dictionary opened up the spiritual meaning of the words that are found in the Bible.

The following 4 pages were taken as random examples of content from the three books:

First, there is an example of the “Suggestions for Use” page taken from Book I. A similar helpful page appears at the beginning of each book in the series.

Next, there is a sample page taken from Book I, the story of Noah and the Ark, where the animals are entering the Ark.

Then, there is a sample page taken from Book II, the story of Jesus in the temple as a boy.

Finally, there is a sample page from Book III, the story of “God + You = 1”.

Suggestions for the use of
Book One of the
“Lets Learn About” Series for Children

The suggestions for the reading of these stories have been divided into three groups. They are grouped as the preschoolers, the beginning readers, and the independent readers. The illustrations for the stories have been selected to help with the flow of the story and also to assist the many children who learn best from pictures that accompany words. For the most part, the pictures were selected for their accurate rendering of realistic figures that resemble the people in Bible times.

Preschoolers – In preparation to read to the child, it would be advisable to read the story to yourself, noting any words that will need clarification as to the meaning. A familiarization with the illustrations would be good since they can be a focus of discussion during the story. It also might be helpful to think about a couple of simple comprehension questions prior to reading the story to the child. These could be brought in at the end to help tie it all together. Ideas for the questions might be taken from the last page of the story called “Find and Read”.

Beginning Readers – Both the adult and the child, working together, can read the stories. When it is the child’s turn to read a sentence or two, the adult can assist with the difficult words to keep the flow of the story going. Discussion of the illustrations and the message of the story will be part of the reading process both during the reading and at the end of the story.

Independent Readers – The independent reader can read the story by themselves but an adult could be sitting with them as a listener. A discussion of the illustrations can be done to further enhance comprehension of the story. This group, when ready, will begin the transition into the “Find and Read” page at the end of the Bible story.

The “Find and Read” section at the end of each story is a section that will enable the independent reader to transition into reading directly from the Bible. A familiarization with difficult words could also precede the actual reading. An activity might be to have the child, when ready, learn how to read the citations listed on the Find and Read paper, and then learn how to mark them in the Bible. The adult will be a partner in this whole process and hopefully the effort that is made will establish the Bible as a beloved guide and friend in the child’s life.
Excerpt from story of Noah and the Ark:

Most people laughed at Noah. They did not understand why he was building a boat because he lived in a desert where there was no water. But Noah didn’t listen to them. He only listened to God.

God told Noah that the Ark was to have 3 floors in it with one big door and one window. There were to be parts of the Ark that were just for the animals and parts of the Ark just for the people.

When it was finished, Noah and his family gathered up baskets full of food and lots of water for them and for all the animals. They put it inside the Ark and onto the shelves that had been made for it.

Now it was time to go out and look for all the animals and birds and bring them to the Ark. This they did and they lined them all up beside the Ark. It looked just like a parade as they marched side by side in through the big door and into the boat.

When all the animals were safely inside, Noah called his wife, his sons and their wives. He told them that it was time to go inside because the rain was going to start. So they all went in and shut the door. That, night the rain began to fall. They could hear it on the roof, but Noah and his family felt safe in the Ark because they knew God was right there with them. They all thanked God for taking care of them. The animals were peaceful too because they also felt God’s love for them and they were not afraid.
Excerpt from story about Jesus in the Temple when he was twelve:

Jesus was in the middle of a group of wise men and teachers. He was answering all their questions about God. The men were surprised at how much Jesus knew about the kingdom of heaven because he was only 12 and had never studied these things.

Jesus’ Mother asked him why he had not returned home with them. He told her that she should not of been worried. Didn’t she know that he was doing what his Father in heaven wanted him to be doing?

Jesus knew that God was his Father. He listened to God and did what God told him to do. We are also God’s children. Just as we are obedient and listen to our parents, we also are obedient and listen to our Father which is in heaven and obey him.

Jesus went home with his parents and he stayed with them until he grew to be a man. During this time he became more loving and understood many things because he listened and obeyed God in everything that he said and did.

Excerpt from story God + You = 1:

Oh dear, is that added wrong? 1+1 is supposed to equal 2. But this is not about adding numbers; it is about you and God.

You and God are one, not two. Jesus told us that he and his Father were one. So are you one with God, who is your Father and Mother.

Because you and God are one, He is near you always. There is no place you can go that he is not there.

Okay, pick some places where you might be in a day. You might be in your room at home, in your school, outside in the yard, in the swimming pool, at the soccer field, at the store, or up in a plane. He is in all the places that you picked. Why? Because YOU are there.

God is everywhere that you are because you and He are one. Wherever you are, he is right there. He is with you all day, everyday, always there when you want Him. You can never be separated from him. Nothing in the whole world can ever take God’s love away from you.