From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy
The Christian Scientist keeps straight to the course. His whole inquiry and demonstration lie in the line of Truth; hence he suffers no shipwreck in a starless night on the shoals of vainglory. His medicine is Mind—the omnipotent and ever-present good. His “help is from the Lord,” who heals body and mind, head and heart; changing the affections, enlightening the misguided senses, and curing alike the sin and the mortal sinner.
from Miscellaneous Writings, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 268
The Government Is Upon His Shoulder
March 2016
from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, pages 286, 278
For many years I have prayed daily that there be no more war, no more barbarous slaughtering of our fellow-beings; prayed that all the peoples on earth and the islands of the sea have one God, one Mind; love God supremely, and love their neighbor as themselves.
National disagreements can be, and should be, arbitrated wisely, fairly; and fully settled. It is unquestionable, however, that at this hour the armament of navies is necessary, for the purpose of preventing war and preserving peace among nations.
To coincide with God’s government is the proper incentive to the action of all nations. The government of divine Love is supreme. Love rules the universe, and its edict hath gone forth: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Let us have the molecule of faith that removes mountains, — faith armed with the understanding of Love, as in divine Science, where right reigneth.
Unity and power are not in atom or in dust. A small group of wise thinkers is better than a wilderness of dullards and stronger than the might of empires.
from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 162
by Mary Beth Singleterry
I was reading recently about our Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia, in May of 1787. At that time there was quite a bit of arguing and contention, with states divided instead of united. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin both attended it. During this disruptive time, they were deadlocked and some of the New York delegation went home in disgust, and others were preparing to leave as well. But an elder statesman, Benjamin Franklin, rose to his feet, and he calmly said, “At the beginning of the war, we prayed for divine protection. Our prayers were answered. I have lived a long time. The longer I live, the more I see that God governs in the affairs of man. If a sparrow cannot fall without His notice, can an empire rise without His aid?” Franklin wiped his glasses and continued talking. “The Bible assures us that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. We can only build our house in America with His help. I therefore move that from now on, we begin each session in prayer, asking for assistance and blessing from Heaven.” It was said that that speech marked the turning point for the convention. After that, and when this prayer was adopted, the states began to come together; and they wrote our Constitution, which is an incredibly God-inspired document.
So, we know today that there are many in our government who do believe in the power of prayer, and we of course do, as well. We can uphold them and uphold our nation and every nation with this power of prayer, to know that God is governing and that all will listen to His voice and not be led astray, but will be one nation under God.
I am so grateful to be learning this, and to live in a nation where we can worship freely, and a nation in which Mary Baker Eddy was able to discover Christian Science. Let our prayers go out to bless all people of all nations with this Truth.
from the Christian Science Journal, November 1902, by W. M.
Too much government, civil, ecclesiastical, and personal, is the curse of the centuries. The human mind's desire to control something or somebody besides itself results in countless forms of mesmerism. From the standpoint of Christian Science, it becomes evident that all the distress of government comes from the intrusion of the human, or personal element, in the divine equation of God and man.
How much one may govern another, how much individual freedom of thought and action each of us has by divine right, are questions still unsettled in practice. Anarchism, socialism, and all other isms of human origin, pretend to have discovered a way out of the difficulties of government. I am confident that Christian Science alone promises any satisfactory or genuine remedy, for the reason that, as with all other forms of error, it deals its chief blow at the cause, while all other efforts confine their energies to the abatement of specific effects, leaving the general cause still operative.
The first President of the United States said: “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, — it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant, and a fearful master; never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” Speaking of the more intimate relations of men, and the deplorable habit of minding anybody’s business but our own, Thoreau says: “The man who goes alone, can start to-day; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off.”
We find in Scripture a scientific statement of the divine method of government. "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Think of the individual integrity which is as free as the air, unfettered, and unharnessed by mortal cruelty or control!
Christian Scientists naturally turn to their text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, for a satisfactory interpretation of the Scriptures, and the life and teachings of that great teacher, Christ Jesus, who founded no religious government, propounded no creed, and who emphasized man's unity with his Maker. "God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly, and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love. Man's rights are invaded when the divine order is interfered with. The mental trespasser necessarily incurs the divine penalty due to this crime" (Science and Health, p.106).
Thus, in Christian Science we find the consummation of all Scientific teaching as to government, and the responsibility of the individual; for Love alone is the Governor, and no human can interfere or intervene.
by Sharon Welsh
Mrs. Eddy states in Lessons of the Seventh Day, “God alone is capable of government; you are not, I am not, but God has governed through His anointed and appointed one in the way of divine Science, — not politics, nor the making or breaking of the national laws or institutions. He, God alone is capable of this.”
It is not our decision or a political party that elects, but it is God alone. Our work is to know that “The government is upon His shoulder.” We need to clear our thought to hear what God is telling us. We also must handle wrong influences that would prevent voters from hearing God’s voice. Animal magnetism would try to influence people's decision.
Mrs. Eddy also says, “Our President is divine Love. There is no law of monopoly or exclusion, no personal control. There is eternal and perfect influence, it is the influence of divine Mind. There is no mental malpractice or mortal mind government.” “All government is of God.” “In unity there is strength. Unity of thought and action. God’s ideas are equal, each in his right place.”
Because God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, animal magnetism cannot interfere with or hinder this election. There is no personality, money, family, position, or power that can influence anyone’s vote. These are signs of error trying to operate. Animal magnetism is powerless and will be annihilated by the power of our united prayers. Let us pray to know that God’s plan is in operation and His idea will be elected.
from the Christian Science Sentinel, March 26, 1904, by Marian W. Hering
"The Christianly scientific man reflects the divine law, thus becoming a law unto himself." (S&H p. 458).
The above statement from Mary Baker Eddy describes true government, government not by one mortal over others, but of individual man by divine Principle in accordance with Christ's demand, "Deny thyself."
The strength of a nation or of any body of people resides in the character of its members, and the strength of individual character results from obedience to divine law. This obedience is possible only through the overcoming of that mortal-self mind which is enmity to God.
True government is established among men through growth in Christian character and in no other way. God does not work through force, personal opinion or undue influence, and therefore these means are not to be commended. Their tendency is toward disintegration and weakness, rather than toward that unity and strength which is secured through individual freedom, patience, and brotherly love. These will enable us to work for the common good, to keep pace with our neighbors, neither crowding them nor falling behind, but walking in that charity which "suffereth long and is kind," and which is not "puffed up."
by Florence Roberts
“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Psalm 127:1. This verse from the Bible assures me of God’s supreme power. I have also learned through Christian Science that He is Love, infinite, divine, eternal.
In my daily living, I see clearly that as I live, desiring to obey God’s laws, as best I can, and seek His guidance in all areas of my life, I gain a sounder, peaceful, and more harmonious means of self-government. Here are some thoughts I go over often to make sure I am allowing the All-seeing power to govern me:
Who am I trusting, what am I leaning on; since to trust and rely on God brings blessings every day.
What He wants me to have, I will have, because He gives to all His children.
What He wants me to know, I will know, because He is the source of intelligence.
Where He wants me to be, I will be, because He knows where I should be.
What He wants me to do, I must and will do, because He has given me talents that He knows how and where I can best use them, to glorify His name and bless mankind.
There is no other government that can lead us to a higher sense of our individuality and dominion, our true freedom, than the government of Truth of which Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health, page 180: 25-27: “When man is governed by God, the ever-present Mind who understands all things, man knows that with God all things are possible.”
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. … The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:7
Excerpts from Mary Baker Eddy, Her Spiritual Precepts, by Gilbert Carpenter
There is no place in which Science is needed more than in the seat of our government. This country belongs to its citizens, and the government of country, state, and city functions solely for the benefit of the common citizen. The correct government of any great nation is important for the peace of the whole world.
Mrs. Eddy wanted the world to know that Christian Scientists are a peace-loving people, and also appreciative of all human attainment. Animal magnetism would try to make it appear that Scientists are interested only in spiritual matters, and that they neglect or overlook the material, no matter how important it is. It should never become a byword that Scientists do not give to charity, that they are not interested in civic affairs, but that they are concerned only with the progress of their Cause.
Mrs. Eddy did much to show the world that she was a broad and charitable person, and had an interest in people who were not of her faith. The very prosperity of Concord can be traced to the fact that Mrs. Eddy lived there, and was the reason for thousands of persons visiting the city every year. She was full of public spirit, and spent her own money to have many city streets paved.
We are self-governed only when guided by no other Mind than our Maker’s. There are no conflicting, ignorant motives. There is no mortal mind to conflict with, or to interfere with, another. The false claims of the world must be met in ourselves and others.
It does not follow that power must mature into oppression; indeed, right is the only real potency; and the only true ambition is to serve God and to help the race. Envy is the atmosphere of hell. According to Holy Writ, the first lie and leap into perdition began with “Believe in me.” Competition in commerce, deceit in councils, dishonor in nations, dishonesty in trusts, begin with “Who shall be greatest?” I again repeat, Follow your Leader, only so far as she follows Christ.
The need of divine wisdom and Love — Christ’s assurance of prayer answered — and the absolute Science of God’s Allness, moves the Christian Scientist to pray for the peace, prosperity, and brotherhood of all nations and peoples. No willpower is used in the Scientist’s prayer, since human will must be lost in the Divine, for prayer to be efficacious. In the words of Zechariah, “not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
I would ask that all Christian Scientists unite in prayer for the cessation of sin, - the oppression of the weak, — the accession of power at the sacrifice of individual rights; and especially that divine Love shield the innocent from the wrath of the guilty, and cause it to praise Love.
The love that is going out to the world through Christian Science is the greatest power there is and the only thing that will change that thought.
Excerpts from Mary Baker Eddy, Her Spiritual Precepts
Mrs. Eddy instructed every member of The Mother Church to pray for the amicable settlement of the war between Japan and Russia, and for God to bless both nations with peace and prosperity. This request was dated June 17, 1905. On July 1 we find her requesting them to cease special prayer for the peace of nations (Miscellany, 280). It is probable that she was able to detect that the members were praying for peace with hatred or resentment in their thoughts, thus unwittingly praying the prayer of the unrighteous.
Efficacious prayer does not arise from a thought that is harboring unrighteous elements. Impartial prayer and universal love alone fulfill the demands of both Christianity and Science. If one felt that one nation was the aggressor and so deserved punishment, that would not be impartiality, whereas Mrs. Eddy was so careful to call for an impartial thought, since she asked the members to pray for the peace and prosperity of both nations.
Where two nations are fighting, the world usually takes sides. Such an attitude personalizes error. In Dr. Baker's notes we find Mrs. Eddy giving him this simple rule, which in reality covers all strife and sin. She said, "Adam will again accuse Eve of being the tempter. John Smith did not tempt wife, or wife tempt John Smith. Error is always the tempter.”
The Bible's admonition is to hurt not the oil and the wine. Oil is consecration and wine is inspiration. The lesson would appear to be that when we are handling error, we must never hold hatred or resentment toward the channel for the error, lest in so doing we hurt the channel. In reality our work is to bless the channel, and that can only be done through love.
Each day I pray for the pacification of all national difficulties, for the brotherhood of man, for the end of idolatry and infidelity, and for the growth and establishment of Christian religion — Christ’s Christianity. I also have faith that my prayer availeth, and that He who is overturning will overturn until He whose right it is shall reign. Each day I pray: “God bless my enemies; make them Thy friends; give them to know the joy and the peace of love.”
From Divinity Course and General Collectanea, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 27
March 31, 1907We must be resurrected; must put off the old man and put on the new. If you dress for Easter, your clothes are all in keeping — are clean. You do not put on some clean ones and some soiled ones. Neither can you put on part of the new man and part of the old; you must put on the whole of the new man — the spiritual idea.
If you put a new patch on an old garment, you still have the old garment. There is a time when you take off your old garments before you put on the new. Now if we patch up this body, try to make a better eye, a better limb, etc., we are not putting on the new.
We want to say: eye, you cannot talk to me, I have put you off. Rise to the spiritual sense, then your body will respond; then take no thought what you eat, your clothes, etc., for your heavenly Father knoweth ye have need of these things. This is the resurrection.
The resurrection is not to be resurrected from matter — dust. There never was any life in matter to be resurrected. The resurrection is seeing the real man that was never in matter; he never was sick to be made well. That is the way I did the healing. I never saw the material man before me, but the real man, perfect, and this healed instantaneously, and no relapse. This is the way Jesus healed, as in S. & H. it reads, “Jesus beheld the perfect man,” etc. This is the resurrection.
by Oscar Brown
Inspired by Aesop’s fable of The Farmer and the ViperOn her way to work one morning,
Down the path alongside the lake,
A tender-hearted woman
Saw a poor half-frozen snake.
His pretty colored skin
Had been all frosted with the dew.
“Poor thing,” she cried, “I’ll take you in
And I’ll take care of you.”
“Take me in, tender woman,
Take me in for heaven’s sake.
Take me in, tender woman,”
Sighed the vicious snake.
She wrapped him up all cozy
In a comforter of silk,
And laid him by her fireside
With some honey and some milk.
She hurried home from work that night
And soon as she arrived,
She found that pretty snake
She’d taken to, had been revived.
She clutched him to her bosom.
“You’re so beautiful,” she cried.
But if I hadn’t brought you in
By now you might have died.
She stroked his pretty skin again,
And kissed and held him tight.
Instead of saying thanks,
The snake gave her a vicious bite.
“I saved you,” cried the woman,
“And you’ve bitten me, but why?
You know your bite is poisonous,
And now I’m going to die.”
“Oh, shut up, silly woman,”
Said the reptile with a grin.
“You knew damn well I was a snake
Before you took me in!”
This story is a good reminder to never let our guard down and permit error to gain entry into our thoughts, our homes, our nation, our world. Anything can be healed when there is receptivity and a willingness to be healed and to change, but we must also be awake to evil’s wily methods of getting us off guard and gaining entrance.
Mary Baker Eddy writes in Watches, Prayers, and Arguments, “You must remember, that now is the time to be wise as serpents. The demons of envy and hypnotism and theosophy, M. A. M. — have as subtle and various ways for getting prestige and revenge, ... the mental field of work is at war.”
As Gilbert Carpenter says in Mary Baker Eddy Her Spiritual Precepts, “The explanation of how to handle animal magnetism is never as important as the necessity to awaken thought to its activities and the recognition of its claims, since that is its automatic destroyer.”
from the Christian Science Sentinel, March 22, 1900
George Washington was “first in peace” as well as in war, and was twice President of the infant Republic. His position as such was one of the most difficult that ever fell to the lot of man, and he held it with remarkable wisdom. He was one of the first to see that the old Confederation, which had carried on the war, was impossible to direct the Republic's affairs, and he summed up the essence of the situation in one pregnant sentence: “Influence is no government.”
To make a real and effective government which should bind the young and errant states together was his first aim, and he presided over the Convention which made that constitution which, with all its faults, has lasted over a century and has seen the dissolving wrecks of many a European structure. That, we take it, was the fundamental political service rendered by Washington to his people, and only those who have sufficient political imagination to realize the immense problem of meeting the needs of a new nation can estimate the value of that service.
— Spectator
The following are some quotes from United States Presidents, a founding father, a Supreme Court Justice, and some interesting Supreme Court decisions.It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.
George Washington
We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams
Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe.
James Madison
An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! … Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. … Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. … Is life so dear, or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
Patrick Henry
The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate our life by its precepts.
Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.
John Jay, First Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court
(Unanimous Decision Declaring America a Christian Nation.)Significantly, the U.S. Supreme Court cited dozens of court rulings and legal documents as precedents to arrive at this ruling; but in 1962, when the Supreme Court struck down voluntary prayer in schools, it did so without using any such precedent.
(Unanimous Decision Commending and Encouraging the Use of the Bible in Government-Run Schools.)Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament, without note or comment, be read and taught as a divine revelation in [schools] - its general precepts expounded, its evidences explained and its glorious principles of morality inculcated? … Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?
It is impossible to enslave, mentally or socially, a bible-reading people. The principles of the bible are the groundwork of human freedom.
We are a Christian people … not because the law demands it, not to gain exclusive benefits or to avoid legal disabilities, but from choice and education; and in a land thus universally Christian, what is to be expected, what desired, but that we shall pay due regard to Christianity?
At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged. … In this age there can be no substitute for Christianity. … That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.
by Louise Knight Wheatley
Much of humanity appears to be victimized by memories of the past. What we are today, we are told, is the result of the past: our human parentage, our childhood, our home environment, and our education. All are said to leave an impression on us.
We appear to be the composite result of what we have been in the past, and of what we’ll continue to be — until we learn through the blessed teachings of Christian Science, that, “Now are we the sons of God.” (I John)
In view of this, shouldn’t we make a more persistent effort to eliminate thinking that is plainly destructive to our health and happiness? One of the things we most need to let go of, is the belief of the past. The average human mind is much like the average storehouse, full of all sorts of useless and discarded things, so worn-out, faded and dusty, that they should have been thrown out long ago. Yet, how we cling to these memories of the past, rehearse them, and store them again in consciousness, when we should be forgetting them, and getting on with the good life God has prepared for us.
Let’s bring out all these hidden things from their dark corners, in this mental storage house of ours, and make an end to them. Let’s bring them all, without one single reservation, even to the remembrance of the very worst thing that ever happened to us, and which has darkened our lives; let’s bring them out and dispose of them!
It may not be possible with a wave of the hand, to entirely forget these things. But, we can destroy today, and forever, the sting of them, realizing that we have lost nothing but a false concept that was never real, and only remember the good which came from the experience. Then we see, as a loved poet wrote:
“That all of good the past hath had,
Remains to make our own time glad.”
by Herbert W. Eustace
We have work to do ourselves; we cannot expect God to do our work. He cannot hear that kind of prayer. He hears only the prayer of being active about His business. As Mrs. Eddy says, in Miscellaneous Writings, “Be active, and, however slow, thy success is sure: toil is triumph.”
If you succeed in making your mind a blank, thinking that by thus doing you can place yourself in a listening attitude to hear God’s voice, you have let the bars down and opened your house for the devil’s entrance. That idle, listless mood is exactly the opportunity evil desires, and Satan will quickly find something to fill idle minds.
Keep active and no matter how slow your progress may seem to be, success in the end is assured.
I can dimly see what she (Mary Baker Eddy) was thinking, — that malicious mental malpractice would so beguile the Christian Scientist with a false sense of peace, that he would be robbed of all his opposition to its subtle arguments, and so, little by little, darkness would take the place of light and the world would sink back into blackness.
This will inevitably take place if we become indolent and imagine that all we have to do is to listen for God’s voice. We need to be the voice of God, and to be about His business every instant. We cannot rest. Malicious argument is always trying to lull us to sleep. To be on guard continually is our only protection. As Longfellow’s Psalm of Life states it,
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor, and to wait.
The waiting is while you are laboring, not while you are inactive. And is it not, also, exactly what Christ Jesus meant in his Revelation to John when he declared after he had opened the seventh seal, “there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” Is not this silence the active silencing of all evil suggestion through the realization of God’s eternal allness?
Cast out the siren of indolent peace, and demand that your peace be a conscious, ever active peace; the understanding of what peace really is. — Page 531
by Luanne Tucker
In a recent Bible Study and Roundtable, we talked about the story of Joshua and his men breaking down the wall of Jericho. That wall was very big and imposing, and seemingly could not be broken down — much like the mental wall I had built to protect myself.
After being abused as a child, I didn't want anyone around me that seemed like they may care about me, because they would just end up leaving or hurting me. I became indifferent and kept everyone at arm’s length. I carried around such a persona that, when I was in school, the other kids would walk on the other side of the hallway to avoid being near me. But inside, I was scared and alone. I wanted to know love and to trust love, but I didn't know how. In my mind, I needed that wall for protection, and no one was getting in.
But when I found Plainfield Church, I began getting help from a practitioner who could see right through that wall. She continued to apply the Truth, even though I was holding on with both hands and testing her often to see if this love was real and lasting. Gradually I was able to let Love in and began to feel safe in the hands of God. Just like with Joshua, that wall came tumbling down.
I am thankful that she was persistent. It was a healing that opened the door to my acceptance and trust in divine Love, and paved the way towards understanding and forgiveness. I am so thankful to be free of that prison that was keeping me from knowing God and reflecting His nature. Divine Love carries with it the power to destroy anything opposed to God, good. It is very real, and it lasts.
Christian Science has given me back the life God intended me to live — a life filled with joy, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and love, which I am now able to share with others naturally, without fear. I am so grateful for this healing and all the work my practitioner does to help me to understand my relationship with God and reflect Him in all that I say and do. It has been a tremendous blessing, not only to myself, but to my family and friends as well. I am deeply grateful for all that I have been given.
by Joseph McTaggart
One thing that makes Christian Science different from other religions that I have learned about is that the others talk a lot about journeys. But when I came to Christian Science, I finally realized that the only journey is the growth out of materiality!
To think of a journey is a bit like waiting to arrive at a destination; but the beauty of Christian Science is that we have already reached our destination — and it’s life in God.
Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus tell anyone that they had to wait for a healing or that they would grow out of some disease — he simply healed them by showing them their true relation to their Heavenly Father.
Mrs. Eddy says, “Neither evil, disease, nor death can be spiritual, and the material belief in them disappears in the ratio of one’s spiritual growth.” (S&H) Spiritual growth is about learning to see the nothingness of our fear, anxiety, or hate, and casting them out — and we can let them go right now. We are wrapped wholly and completely in the arms of our Father-Mother God, right here and now, and nothing can change that, not even a false view of who we are. We just need to be open to that — and that doesn’t mean just declaring “there is no disease.” It’s just the opposite — a kind word, a good deed, a selfless act of Love — a turning away from self. We do not spiritualize disease until it vanishes; we see it for what it really is — nothing. We simply need to embrace our true identity in God, our All. And it’s here, now!
by Melissa Johnson
Recently while waiting for a train, the above words on the platform came to my attention. I had seen these words many times before — they were put there as a protective measure for commuters, referring to the gap between the train and the platform. However, this day they had a different meaning. I thought, “watch” the gap.
I could see that the purpose of watching was to maintain our oneness with God, while the gap was the suggestion that would claim separation from God! By keeping alert to one’s thinking and “standing porter at the door of thought,” as stated in Science and Health, we are expressing dominion and can prevent thoughts of division or separation.
Isn’t Mind always watching, and doesn’t watching ensure our protection and maintain our harmony? Doesn’t this suggest omnipresence?
Watchfulness (right thinking), maintains our balance and harmony. Wrong thinking (not watching) entertains all kinds of destructive scenarios, whether they be thoughts of sickness, lack, selfishness or fear. To indulge this line of thinking brings the belief of separation, breaking the First Commandment, and denies our good.
In Martha Wilcox’s 1947 Address, “The True Relationship of God and Man,” she states: “Christian Science reveals to us what God is eternally being, and this being is forever one with Him. Creation, when correctly understood, is God’s infinite good expressed.” She continues: “This good is a finished kingdom, and this finished kingdom is expressed in you and in me in all its fullness and completeness.”
Our life experiences are the outcome or manifestation of thoughts cherished within our consciousness, be they constructive or destructive, conscious or unconscious. We must watch and discern if the substance of our thoughts is divine or human and check our thoughts and feelings continually.
So now when I am waiting at the train station and read “mind the gap,” I am reminded to “watch” that there is only God’s infinite goodness, and to know, as Mrs. Eddy states, “All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all.” In this ever presence of good, is it too much to watch our thoughts? It seems such a small price to pay in order to experience our “finished kingdom.”
God’s angel messages are always speaking to us, even at the train station.
by Jeremy Palmer
The Bible, in Acts, tells the story of Saul of Tarsus, on the road to Damascus, when he was made blind. It says, “And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”
What a time those three days must have been for Saul. In a very short time he had his false beliefs about Jesus, his role and identity as Christian hunter, and his eyesight taken from him. And after all that, he was praying. What proof that Saul was a worthy “chosen vessel,” since he didn’t spend those three days weeping or complaining or depressed. He prayed!
The entire story of Saul becoming Paul is uplifting to me, as it shows that God gives up on no one. This little portion of it, though, with Saul in prayer, shows he didn’t give up either. There have been a few times in my life I wanted to give up, after feeling like I lost everything, yet finally I was shown here at this church that God was and is always with me. I’ve been learning that when adversity comes, I can’t cope by escaping into movies or books anymore — I need to pray to God and ask Him to show me the path through. Any other move is just delaying that. I am so grateful to be a member of this church, and learning how to actually live!
by Gary Singleterry
"For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve." (Acts)
It is a huge challenge for us to have the humility to consistently be in service to God and to mankind, as was Paul. Paul was a dedicated servant of the Jewish hierarchy before he was transformed on the road to Damascus. Then, his dedication and humility were put to great use by God. It was the source of his healing power and influential teaching. It was not his elite education or family background, but his humility and desire to serve God's purpose that gave him the power for accomplishing great good.
When Saul was first struck with blindness, and heard the voice of Jesus, whom he had persecuted, he immediately asked, “What wilt thou have me to do?” He was ready to serve.
Then, after his conversion, Paul did not need to remind himself who he belonged to or whom he served. It was so ingrained in the fabric of his being that nothing could distract him from his mission. He is indeed an inspiration and encouragement for all of us. It is no wonder that Mrs. Eddy had so much respect for him and that his writings comprise such a large part of the New Testament. He knew who he belonged to and whom he served, and he did it faithfully.
by Carol Conroy
In the book Watches, Prayers, and Arguments, given by Mary Baker Eddy, Gilbert Carpenter, writes, “The task of the working Scientist must include correcting the weather, if it violates the law of harmony, as well as to work on whatever else comes to his notice in the world that calls for divine help. On page 427 of the textbook we read: 'Immortal Mind, governing all, must be acknowledged as supreme in the physical realm, so-called, as well as in the spiritual.’”
On a recent Wednesday evening, as I was preparing to leave for church, I heard that a tornado warning had been issued for our area until midnight. There had been several strong thunder storms with high winds, so I e-mailed a Plainfield practitioner to ask for help, because I was pretty sure she hadn’t heard about the warning. She got to work on the situation right away.
In less than five minutes, as I opened the door to go to my car, I thought, “What happened? Where did it all go?” It was that dramatic a change! From raining buckets just a few minutes before, there was just a gentle rain; and from heavy winds, there was a soft breeze. I drove to church, thanking God for His love and protection. We had a beautiful service, and the weather was peaceful and harmonious.
In speaking with the practitioner later, she said she knew it was opposition to our church service, and she handled it as such, and everyone who attended in person or electronically, was greatly blessed.
Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health, “There is no vapid fury of mortal mind — expressed in earthquake, wind, wave, lightning, fire, bestial ferocity — and this so-called mind is self-destroyed.” That sure was proved that night!!
by Benjamin Ndukwe
God does not only provide opportunities to do good, he provides the strength. Sometimes we hesitate to step up to help someone in need, or give a cup of cold water to a stranger, because we are afraid of what will happen to us, or fear that we lack the strength and wisdom to stretch forth our hands.
If you are not finding the opportunity to stretch forth your hand to someone in need, it is because you are not praying. The world has need of us, all of us. So it is almost impossible not to see it. Jesus refers to it as the “harvest,” where the workers are few. There are more Christians and Christian Scientists today than in Jesus’ time, yet there are fewer workers today than there were two thousand years ago. Followers of Christ are the ones who act like him, not so much the ones who only talk like Christ. “Feed my sheep” was the demand of the Master to Peter. Today, if we are following the Master, there is no lesser demand.
Sometimes we don’t know how good the opportunity is until it was missed and gone. Never miss the opportunity to do good. It may be the last opportunity that person would have to be a better person. Never say, if I don’t do it, someone else will. You may be the last person to walk that way at that hour of need. Every help must proceed, first from our heart and thinking, before it can bear any fruit. All good work must begin within us, correcting our thinking of the environment, person(s), or thing in front of us that needs help; knowing that there is no place, space, person(s), or thing that is outside of God’s love and care; that God governs and provides for all His creation and no one can be missing from His everlasting care and love. When this principle is already in place, established in our thinking, then our outstretched hand can finish the work. Don’t be concerned about what you should say or do, for God will speak through you. “Behold, I send an Angel before thee,” He promised, and abundant strength He will also give you. Unlike the priest and the Levite, the Good Samaritan was able to establish God’s relationship with man in his thinking, and he was able to carry the wounded, all by himself, to a safer place, clean him up, care for him, and basically heal him before the treatment even began. His understanding of God and His loving relationship with His creation, which was lacking in the priest and the Levite, made the work effortless, and graceful, and eventually brought about the healing.
The last blizzard in the East Coast this winter provided me the opportunity to experience God’s abundant strength in action. After spending all day shoveling two-and-a-half feet of snow around my house, I decided to walk down the street to a grocery store. Right there was a car and the driver suffering. Humanly speaking, how could I make a difference? But I walked over and gave him a couple of instructions, then with me giving a small push from behind, he and his car were on their way home. I used the same principle for two more cars before I made it to the grocery store, that is less than two blocks from my house. God not only provides opportunity to do good, He gives the strength and the wisdom to accomplish it. If so, what is there to be afraid of? Open your heart and arms, be receptive of His message, and stretch forth your hands. The world has need of us!
by Florence Roberts
Christian Science has saved my life. Before finding Christian Science, I had so much trouble with anxiety and unhappiness. After the initial healings and the calm that came, there was a period where everything appeared to be going wrong. I had a severe sense of lack, dissatisfaction at work, and disharmony in my relationships. This made me question if I should go on with my study, since my friends and others I knew, who were not students of Christian Science, seemed to be doing better in life than I was. But the more pressing question was: what did I know that I could go back to? I learned then that something else was being required of me.
Through my study and the practical instruction I learned from this church, I realized that God’s love is my salvation, it is what I needed to seek, and know that it is ever present as my shield (protection) and my staff (what I could lean on). I needed to understand and feel God’s love. I learned how to discipline my thinking by letting go of those fearful, sinful thoughts of revenge, disappointment, regret, and discouragement, and started to dwell on thoughts of integrity, compassion, forgiveness, humility, and love.
I learned that just as in the Bible stories of Daniel and the seven hungry lions, David and Goliath, and others, I too can turn away from the so-called human troubles to seek the ever-present comfort of God’s Love.
Our promised Comforter is here now, present with each one; we only need to turn to it for our salvation, freedom, and joy.
from the Christian Science Journal, July 1914, by Louise Knight Wheatley
The time once came when the children of Israel had urgent need to learn a lesson. Left without a leader after the passing away of Joshua, they so lapsed into evil ways that they found themselves fugitives in the land of Midian, hiding in dens and caves in the mountains, in fear for their lives. They endured this for seven miserable years; then, as had so often happened, in their dire extremity they "called upon the Lord," and He sent them a deliverer.
When Gideon, at the divine command, left his father's threshing field to become their leader, he was confronted with a somewhat unique situation, for he found that the thirty-two thousand unhappy, frightened fugitives so far outnumbered the Midianites, that at any time — except for their fear — they could easily have asserted their freedom! Even under their new leader, however, they were not to depend upon numerical supremacy for their ultimate release. Mere numbers weighed not one whit in the balances of God; and that was the lesson which they needed to learn, lest in their newfound courage following Gideon's appearance they should "vaunt themselves," and say, "Mine own hand hath saved me." And the way in which they were taught this lesson was indeed a strange one.
The decisive hour had arrived. On one side of the hill were the Midianites, and not far from them the camp of Israel, "beside the well of Harod"; but before the fighting was allowed to begin, those of the Israelites who were afraid were told to go home, and twenty-two thousand of them left. The remaining ten thousand were then told to go to the water's edge and drink. "And the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you."
Those who were chosen were those who, in their eagerness to hasten the attack, quickly dashed up the water with their hands and hurried on. No wonder the host of Midian fled! Gideon's "three hundred" stands for that high quality of mental alertness which always wins. Not by the twenty-two thousand who were afraid, nor by the ten thousand who were indifferent, but by the three hundred who rushed on to meet the foe, were the Israelites delivered.
There is a subtle mesmerism in numbers to which the Christian Scientist has constant need to keep himself awake. One cannot afford to be lured into the belief that in numbers there is strength, nor into the opposite and equally erroneous belief that in lack of numbers, there is weakness. One right thought has more activity, power, and impulsion than any number of wrong thoughts, no matter how often or how vehemently expressed.
If everyone in the world were to shout at the same moment, "The world is flat," it would not make it flat. One single voice replying, "The world is round," would have more power, because it has more truth than a whole world's mistaken impotence. The remembrance of this should surely inspire all of us with fresh courage, but especially those students of Christian Science who happen to be living in small places, where the workers comprise but a handful.
Someone has defined the need of the moment as "not more Christian Scientists, but better ones." Then let us look up and rejoice. The little room where "two or three are gathered together," may be the very chrysalis from which some radiant butterfly will one day rise to find its wings. Have not wonderful things grown from just such modest beginnings? Do we not all know of "an upper room" where a little company once gathered to sup and talk together? Those who met there were but twelve in number, yet there went forth from that memorable meeting a message which has revolutionized the world.
In the small town the adversary whispers, "There are so few, how can you do anything?" In the large town he says, "There are so many, why do you need to do anything?" But it is the same adversary, and we need to recognize it in whatever outward garb it comes to us, for its purpose is ever to beguile us into the inaction which would tend to check the steady progress of our cause.
There is no simpler way to put a man to sleep, figuratively speaking, than to make him think that there is no particular reason for him to keep awake. Even the disciples once listened to this suggestion. It was in the garden of Gethsemane, and although Jesus had asked them to watch with him "one hour," as soon as he had left them they were straightway overcome with slumber. Is it not possible that each man allowed himself to fall asleep partly because he was so sure that all the rest would keep awake? Yet it ended in all quietly sleeping at the very time that their help was most needed; for just a step away, in the purple shadows of the moonlit olive trees, their beloved Master was kneeling, in lonely agony, "his sweat ... as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
Gideon's "three hundred" is here today, for it simply means a condition of thought expressed in fidelity, in love, in earnestness, in consecration, in steadfast devotion. It is quality rather than quantity. It is that for which Mrs. Eddy once sent out an imperative call, as found in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 176): "Are we duly aware of our own great opportunities and responsibilities? ...Never was there a more solemn and imperious call than God makes to us all, right here, for fervent devotion and an absolute consecration to the greatest and holiest of all causes. The hour is come. The great battle of Armageddon is upon us. ...What will you do about it? ... Will you doff your lavender-kid zeal, and become real and consecrated warriors? Will you give yourselves wholly and irrevocably to the great work of establishing the truth, the gospel, and the Science which are necessary to the salvation of the world from error, sin, disease, and death? Answer at once and practically, and answer aright!" And Gideon's "three hundred" answered.
I wish to express my sincerest thank you to all of you involved with Plainfield. Although I have not met any of you, to my knowledge, I feel like I know many of you as a result of the Roundtables and other online services that I am now listening to daily, and your voices are a comforting and familiar presence.
Thank you for your actions many years ago in breaking away from the “mainstream” organization. I appreciate your website that is impeccably maintained and updated, and your daily e-mail of the calendar statement, and the weekly Bible Lesson. The online services allow everyone to participate, wherever we may be in the world.
Thank you for using modern technology for its divinely inspired purpose, to reach and unite all earnest seekers of Truth. I am grateful to the practitioners, past and present, and each of you endeavoring to exemplify true Christian Science, and for your love of God, the Christ principles, Mrs. Eddy, and all creation.
Your honesty in the need to handle animal magnetism is much appreciated, and also removing the candy coating of its peril if we do not. Thank you for answering your call to duty, and in turn, calling others to join you, since even “one with God is a majority.”
MissouriI am very grateful to be a member of the Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent. This church changed my life. I have received so many blessings and healings over the years.
One of the things I am very grateful for is the Plainfield Church calendar and for all those who contribute to it and publish it. Each message is so perfect for its day. They are the perfect size to take with you and look at all through the day. They are perfect for gifts — to lift thought. I even have several statements taped to my computer. Please keep up the good work!
Enclosed is a check for my monthly contribution.
CaliforniaI enjoy everything from the Plainfield Church - music, readings, singing, and services. There is a special atmosphere emanating from this Church which is hard to find anywhere else. It brings the not-so-easy teachings of Christian Science to life and clarifies them.
Costa RicaThank you for the wonderful year of being a member of this vibrant and beautiful church. We are grateful as out-of-town members to be able to have a church home across the miles through online and teleconferencing services. We are grateful for the dedicated practitioners and the clear and strong teachings of Mary Baker Eddy’s pure Christian Science. And we are grateful for the consistently superb musical offerings that often leave us in tears, as they are beautifully moving. In short, we love everything about this church! Thank you everyone, and please accept the enclosed check as an expression of our gratitude.
VermontThanks to all who participate in the wonderful Wednesday service. Some of the testimonies were especially instructive in areas where I need help. I am so glad the services are made available soon after, so I can listen to them again.
Thank God for the Plainfield Church, especially for helping me to begin to get straightened out a bit after decades of misunderstanding about the nature of Christian Science and what it means to be a Christian, and more.
PennsylvaniaI was so moved over and over again Wednesday night as I listened via teleconference to each of the beautiful expressions of gratitude for Christian Science healing, given by the members. The testimonies last night were so sincere, healing and heartwarming. I want to put my arms around all of you!
Such deep gratitude and love was felt by me right through the phone lines. The effect of each wonderful testimony has lingered all day. I know I will want to listen to the recording of it on a regular basis. Thank you for all the sharing, and may God bless Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent!
MarylandIt was so good to listen to the Roundtable and the service. Thank you. We are one family, helping each other to go higher and higher.
Costa RicaI am grateful for the January issue of “Love is the Liberator.” I am using it every day during my independent watch. It has given me inspiration and more confidence. I feel my watches are much more effective. It is a wonderful guide, and I am so grateful to all who contributed.
GeorgiaThank you for all the wonderful and inspiring items to work with on the website. What an encouragement to know, as we are told in “The Master Silversmith” “. . . God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.”
VirginiaThe Wednesday service, with its beautiful music, readings and testimonies was superb, truly heart-felt. I thought, well, you can’t get much better than that. Then you followed on Thursday with a Unity Watch that was absolutely perfect. It just keeps getting better and better! Thanks Plainfield for sharing genuine Christian Science with the world.
Australiaby Luanne Tucker
Lift your thought from earthly things, rise above the haze. Look upon the spiritual cause, give to God all praise.
Mountains high ascend from rock, not formed upon the sand, give a glimpse of our dominion, over the creatures, the sea and land.
Flowers bloom in Love’s pure light, long before the seed, multiplying Divine ideas, perfect in form and deed.
Boughs holding warbler's nest, amid the breezes, sway. Fret nor worry crosses brow, its needs are met each day.
With dewy crowns, christened, grasses green and sweet, whisper in the listening ear, 'tis righteous to be meek.
Dreamer, see with truer eyes, a world that is complete. Every detail organized, for every need it meets.
“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Christ Jesus) As a parent of a young boy, our church lightened my burden several times.
Recently my son had an accident while playing. He fell, received a deep cut just below his eye, and crushed his right eye socket. I immediately called a practitioner in our church, and the practitioner reassured me that God loves him and God cares for him. The practitioner supported the reconstructive surgery and his healing. Last week, his eye doctor examined him and exclaimed, “In 20 years I have never seen a lower eye lid return to its correct position after such an injury.” I immediately told him thanks, and thanks to God.
I thank God, Mary Baker Eddy, the practitioner, and this supportive church family.
from C. T. in New JerseyI would like to express my gratitude for all that is shared freely from this church—from discussions, literature, testimonies, and on the forum. It is a great blessing that is encouraging, helpful, supportive and inspiring.
The other day I was out shoveling snow after a big snow storm that left two feet of wet, heavy snow. While I was mindful to pace the work, by early evening I was experiencing back pain and could not get comfortable. I started to feel fearful, especially since my work requires me to be active and flexible.
I firmly turned my thinking to God and His messages found in the Bible and in Science and Health, by Mary Baker Eddy. While praying I realized that while out on errands earlier the same day, I had been listening to conversations about the dangers of snow and shoveling. We are taught here to watch our thinking, and what we are taking in. I saw that I had allowed thoughts of accident and danger to take my thoughts from God and His care. I needed to be firmer on the side of God.
In Isaiah 41 we have the promise, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.” This is a quote my practitioner encouraged me to commit to memory and which I turn to often. This means I can trust God as the source of my strength, movement, and activity. I had been consciously feeling joy and gratitude while shoveling and it was to help others, so I trusted this good to continue to bless me. I persisted in prayer, with all that I am learning about God and man at Plainfield, rather than focusing on the problem and worrying. By night I was free and comfortable. The next day I was able to be active at work and had no further problems with my back.
I am also grateful for the practitioner support I was getting, for I know her work extended beyond what I had called about earlier that day.
from L. S. in PennsyylvaniaMy 19-year-old grandson had injured his knee and had surgery. He does not practice Christian Science, but he has listened to our website with me several times.
During the winter, it seemed as though he would need another operation on the same knee. My practitioner had said, "God is the only surgeon and Love is the only operation." I knew that she had been praying for me to understand these truths.
One day as my grandson was going out the kitchen door, he announced that he was going to see the knee surgeon. When he returned later he said, "the surgeon told me to jump rope!"
What wonderful news --I couldn’t stop smiling! He has been using jump ropes, along with other exercises. He is stronger now and does normal chores that he hasn’t been able to do for months.
I thank God for Christian Science, and for the practitioner’s faithful support!
from C. H. in PennsylvaniaI am very grateful for the invaluable teaching of true Christian Science that goes on at Plainfield, with the Bible Studies and Roundtables every weekend, and with my ever-available practitioner, for the input of questions for the Bible Study from fellow members, as well as their testimonies of healing.
After being at Plainfield now three years, among other healings that I have had, I have recently recognized that a habit of anxiety that had been with me for a number of years has gradually been going away. At some point in the years leading up to finding Plainfield, I had begun to check and recheck everything overly much, so that family members noticed. I would check the stove to be sure it was off over and over again. When I went in a closet and pulled the chain to turn on a light, after I closed the door I would open it again, just to make sure the light was out, the same with locking my car. This was true about lots of small things, but in this past year I have recognized this habit as an anxiety that I do not need to have. I have been praying to God to free me of it.
Focusing on this habit began some months back when I heard a testimony by a fellow member about having a tendency of racing for the phone when it rang and being able to overcome that. I began to practice that first, since I always raced for the phone; then I moved on to the other small anxious behaviors, which I am becoming free of now. For this advancement, I am grateful to God, to Mrs. Eddy, my practitioner, and all at Plainfield.
from F. M. in MarylandI’m grateful for a healing I had from reading just one section of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Several years ago, I was suffering from the growth of a wisdom tooth. The pain was so severe at moments that I was unable to sleep at night, and at one point I gave up trying to do so altogether. I asked a family member to call a dentist because I felt desperate for relief and I thought that having the tooth removed was the only answer, but it turned out that I couldn’t get an appointment with anyone, even after calling several emergency numbers.
Feeling helpless, I attempted to sleep again, but was awakened suddenly by increasing pain. After praying for as long as I could, I finally grabbed my Science and Health and was led to a paragraph on page 495 which begins, “When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea.” After reading the paragraph in full, I began to repeat the first sentence over and over, and it became a great comfort. Rather than giving in to the pain, I did my best to think of God and anything good, as much as possible. I continued to repeat the line until the word illusion stood out to me. This finally helped me to realize that the pain wasn’t real, but rather a belief that had resulted in great fear. After going over this idea mentally, I began to laugh at the pain. This broke the mesmerism and I knew there was nothing to be afraid of. The pain eventually stopped, and the wisdom tooth never grew in. As a result, I became more interested in sincerely understanding Christian Science.
I’m so grateful for this tremendous healing and the challenge it enabled me to overcome in order to gain a deeper appreciation for understanding God. I’m so thankful to God for bringing me to Plainfield to learn more about the significance of the Bible and Science and Health and their healing power. I’m thankful for the weekly readings from Fruitage that reminded me of this healing.
from D. R. in GeorgiaI am grateful for a wonderful healing that has been unfolding over the past month. I had a bad resurgence of asthma about nine years ago, which culminated in my almost dying. At that time I was put on some powerful medication, which I have relied on for the last nine years to keep my breathing stable, but at great personal and financial cost, with a number of unpleasant side effects.
I have also tried unsuccessfully several times to wean myself off this medication, with consistent failure and a couple more scary trips to the hospital. Several physicians told me I would probably be on this medicine the rest of my life, but the practitioner at Plainfield told me that healing was possible and I would know when I was ready to get off it.
A month or so ago I realized I needed to order more medication and that it would not arrive in time before running out of the current supply. In order not to risk yet another crisis, I cut my already half dose by half again, with little discernible impact on my breathing.
However, there was clearly another lesson I needed to learn. I have always been driven, and I can see that God also wanted me to be healed of this larger problem, rather than simply the asthma.
I stopped taking the medicine, and promptly got quite sick with lots of breathing problems, and got into a bad car accident from falling asleep with exhaustion when I never should have been driving in the first place. If there were ever a time when stress would have precipitated and another attack, this would have been it, but God in His mercy did not allow that to happen. I continued to breathe normally and sought help from a practitioner on all these issues rather than simply focusing on avoiding another asthma attack. I see now that not being able to breathe has been as much a product of my congested spiritual condition as anything else.
It has been a month now and I am rejoicing that I can smell coffee again, while taking more time to slowly drink a cup as well. I am taking more time to be at home with my wife, am learning to drive without speeding and taking needless risks from always being in a hurry, and am literally and metaphorically taking time to “smell the roses,” which I have sadly missed the last nine years.
Wondrously, God never gave up wanting to bless me, even when I was too driven to imagine that. I am grateful to be breathing so freely again, but even more so that this is a small reflection of my newfound, and still developing freedom, to become whole, learning to walk with and in Him as opposed to running alone.
I am grateful for the wise and tender counsel I have received from my wife and the Plainfield Church, who never gave up on me during these hard years. Thanks be to God for His infinite grace.
from G. A. in VermontGive ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. … We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
Psalm 78: 1, 4
We of this generation will be faithful in handing down these truths to future times. We stand between past generations and the generations to come. We are entrusted by those who have gone before us with great and important truths; truths to be preserved and transmitted in their purity to future ages. That trust committed to us we will faithfully discharge. These truths shall not suffer in passing from us to them. They shall not be stayed in their progress; they shall not be corrupted or impaired.
“This is a mental age. Malpractice would dominate, and unless Christian Scientists are awake to it and alert, it would hold back Christian Science for centuries.”
from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “blue book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 225
Men give counsel; but they give not the wisdom to profit by it. To ask wisdom of God, is the beginning of wisdom.
Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, page 359
The advancing stages of Christian Science are gained through growth, not accretion; idleness is the foe of progress. And scientific growth manifests no weakness, no emasculation, no illusive vision, no dreamy absentness, no insubordination to the laws that be, no loss nor lack of what constitutes true manhood.
Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, page 206
By its own volition, not a blade of grass springs up, not a spray buds within the vale, not a leaf unfolds its fair outlines, not a flower starts from its cloistered cell.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy