About the cover:

From In Defense of Mary Baker Eddy, and the Remnant of Her Seed, by Paul R. Smillie:

In the Christian Science Sentinel of September 6, 1913 on page ten, Archibald McLellan stated three most important points about the cover of the Sentinel and a minor change made at that time on its cover. Speaking of this change he said, “Beyond this there can be neither desire nor occasion for change in the Sentinel, because,” he said, “Mrs. Eddy’s instructions forbid any change.” He explained this by saying, “Mrs. Eddy likewise gave instructions.” The word “instructions” is most important. Speaking then of the two women, the lamps and the inscriptions beneath them, he said they had been “preserved as expressive of our Leader’s thought. ...” Mrs. Eddy requested that the cover of the Sentinel be light blue in color.”

The Second Commandment

Christian Science Sentinel, June 8, 1929

A student of the Bible might say that the Second Commandment could have no special application to the civilized world of today. But studied in the light of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy asks, “Is civilization only a higher form of idolatry, that man should bow down to a flesh-brush, to flannels, to baths, diet, exercise, and air?” (S&H, p. 174)

In other words, is it any more idolatrous to believe that images of wood and stone have some supernatural power, than it is to hold to the belief that matter in any form can do more for them than can the one and only God? Therefore, any phase of materiality that tries to present itself to human consciousness, to the exclusion of God, would be a form of idolatry.

There is a similarity in the meaning of the First and Second Commandments; for if we are always acknowledging one God, one Mind, there can be no opportunity for other images to form in thought. Jesus realized clearly his oneness with the Father. The Bible tells us that he “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” The false images which sought to enter his consciousness were rejected before they had an opportunity to impress themselves upon his thought.

Mary Baker Eddy, through her pure and consecrated life, was enabled to receive and to give to a needy world a practical, demonstrable religion, equal to any emergency. As this revelation dawned upon her thought, she began to displace the false images of the human mind, and to replace them with the spiritual concept of perfect God and perfect man.

The Father-Mother God knows nothing of iniquity. The belief of heredity becomes invalid when it is realized that as Mrs. Eddy says, “The real man cannot depart from holiness.” (S&H, p. 475) God is continually bestowing good upon His children; or, as He is represented as saying in the second commandment, “shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Deut. 5:10)

What are the fruits of our labors? Are they peace, love, healing? Are we seeing good in all, and all in good? Are we replacing the false images of self with the understanding of God? If so, we are living in obedience to the second commandment; and as Paul writes in one of his letters to the Corinthians, we are thus learning to glorify God in our body, and in our spirit, “which are God’s.”

Christian Science Sentinel, June 25, 1921

The gods of today are not golden calves; are not Olympian deities, with more than the usual share of human vices; they are the vices taken from these deities and held as images in thought.

The plain truth is that anything which displaces obedience to Principle is an idol. Mrs. Eddy writes, “It is but a belief, that there is an opposite intelligence to God. This belief is a species of idolatry, and is not more true or real than that an image graven on wood or stone is God.” (Mis. p. 346)

The curious thing is that, though the Bible is full of warnings on this subject, from one end to the other, its readers are generally content to believe that they have escaped from idols by not worshiping graven images. They forget that their strong reasons are their idols, and that these strong reasons must be thrust out of consciousness and utterly destroyed.

It is very little good talking about Principle, while clinging to the image of the beast. Jesus made this extremely clear when he said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

It is only as the world learns that evil is entirely mental, that it is a hypnotic influence which endeavors to flood the human consciousness, that it can be overcome by the realization that its existence is purely supposititious.

Men and women of today read the stories of Olympus and wonder how people brought up on the great Greek philosophers, dramatists, and historians, could have accepted so debased and childish a theology. Yet, while they have rid themselves of the Zeuses and Aphrodites and all their company, they have retained their mental characteristics. The new Olympus is the catalogue of the lusts of the flesh, found in the human heart today.

Still, the world goes on bowing down to these passions and worshiping them, while congratulating itself that it is not breaking the Second Commandment.

As long as the generations of evil appear to exist, so long is evil banned by good. The only way, then, to keep the Second Commandment is by a zealous determination to adhere to Principle. As this zeal becomes stronger, the belief of evil gives place to an understanding of Principle so clear as to blot out all knowledge of evil. The victim of hypnotic evil then wakes up to the fact that he is being imposed upon by false suggestion. The moment the victim begins to wake up, he discovers that the zeal of good is so great that it knows nothing of evil, knows nothing of anything but itself, and that it is a refuge which can never be invaded.

Divine Principle shows mercy to those who love it and keep its commandments, loving to those who have been obedient to its demands, and have taken up the cross daily to crucify the lusts of the flesh in the endeavor to walk in the footsteps of the Christ.

Christian Science Sentinel, October 30, 1926

In a day when pagan idolatry dominated the thought of the world, our Master came bearing witness to the true worship of Spirit and Truth. He clearly discerned the obstacles that a sense of mortal personality places in the pathway spiritward, and commanded his followers to turn from the human to the divine, to the one who alone is good — God.

Centuries later, the revered Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, perceiving the world still in bondage to idolatrous carnal beliefs, emphatically denounced the worship of personality and plainly indicated the results of such delusion when she stated, “He that by reason of human love or hatred or any other cause clings to my material personality, greatly errs, stops his own progress, and loses the path to health, happiness, and heaven.” (Mis. p. 308)

A study of Christian Science lays bare the pagan blindness of human thinking that leads to dependence upon, or the worship of, corporeality. It reveals Spirit as all, and presents irrefutable evidence that in looking to human means for help or guidance, we reject our God and set up graven images for ourselves.

In the common daily round, how many graven images have we built by the wayside? Have we in our human affection bound another? Then let us loose him and see beyond this vain idol of finite love, the qualities of divine affection, which never restrict, withhold, indulge, or covet.

Do we look to personality as the dispenser of good? We must turn at once to the omnipresent Father-Mother, that we may be delivered from this evil.

Have we left another with bitter words or unspoken resentment in our hearts? Then let us destroy this false god, and behold the perfect concept — man in the likeness of his Maker. How quickly, then, shall we find ourselves returning to our brother in humble repentance and tender regard.

Would we govern or control another in even the slightest degree? If so, we cannot learn too soon that God governs man.

This graven image is an empty sham, for human opinions weigh not one jot in the scale of divine wisdom. Let us pray for that Mind to be in us “which was also in Christ Jesus,” and then any seeming obstruction or disagreement will be removed.

Let us begin today to turn from all these false gods, in whatever form they may appear, and consecrate ourselves anew to the one God. In such obedience we not only free ourselves from bondage, but also bring a stricken and personality-bound world a step nearer “the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

Christian Science Journal, October 1920

Moses, in the Ten Commandments, gives us instruction as to what is the very basis of Christianity. These commands were not given to us as arbitrary rules with a demand for blind obedience; but, on the contrary, they reveal to us the law of God which, when understood and obeyed, results in absolute freedom from all that claims to bind and oppress. This point is made very clear in the verse just preceding the First Commandment, which says, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt [darkness], out of the house of bondage.”

The fact that the Commandments were engraved on stone is an indication of their enduring quality and also of their importance as the foundation for righteous living.

Jesus presented a much higher concept of the divine law than did Moses, recognizing Love as the foundation of all true obedience. He says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34)

The first claim of idolatry is faith in matter. A graven image is always purely mental. We should never be willing to accept the counterfeit in place of the true. Anger, hatred, revenge, and so on, are all graven images and idols that we should avoid and cast aside.

The demand for obedience to the Commandments is not intended for the purpose of enforcing divine authority, but instead for the very opposite reason. Such obedience gives, in the name of God, authority over evil and discord of every nature. They are laws of protection and guidance in the acquiring and retaining of divine goodness.

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Items By and About Mary Baker Eddy

Excerpts from Fragments Gathered from Unpublished Items Ascribed to Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 24-26

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” — John 4:35

The text urges a strong claim on the power of mind over matter, and the immortal Mind’s sovereignty to rule and reign over all supposed material law and order.

To human reason guided by observation and the evidence of the five personal senses, it is unusual that four months prior to harvest man could behold the ripened grain. But let us remember the most meek and mighty metaphysician fettered not his sight to sense, or by seasons, and waited not for soil or seedling. He who knew that Mind, not matter, makes the golden grain, intended to quicken and invigorate the mental power, and cause it to germinate sooner, above materialism.

What appears a miracle to sense is but a latent mental power discovered or revealed through Science, the Mind of God. These hidden powers of Mind are seen only as we are suitably equipped with the understanding of the practicality of what would seem impractical.

Could not he who stilled the tempest of human passions, and stopped the supposed pains and pleasures of matter in a single moment, gather the ripened grain before its season, even as he had gathered the sweet sense of recovery from disease into the garner of conscious rest, peace and joy?

The beautiful and glorious traits of humanity, toil, meekness, truthfulness, love, form the steppingstones to man’s divinity, and we should clasp these jewels to the heart and never part with them. If thou hast them not, sell all thou hast, and purchase them, costly as they may be, pay the price of weary watches, privations, toil, self-denial, cross bearing, cheerfully, then shalt thou possess the Soul in peace and power, and grasp firmly the reward of a life made glorious.

The leading beauty of the text is the possibility it presents of the unlimited power of Mind, and its denial of any other law. Was the possible power peculiar to Jesus? Not if we admit his own words on this point. But had not he a divine nature? Yes, and so has every one who will accept it.

Course in Divinity and General Collectanea, ("The Blue Book") , pp. 12-13

September 25 and 26, 1903. You must watch, as Jesus said, if you would not have the house broken open; you think you are watching, but are you when the house is broken open? What would be thought of a watchman who let the place watched be burglarized? Would he be the right kind of a watchman? That is just why I named our paper, Sentinel and on it, “Watch.”

Now how should we watch? A guard who was watching on the side of the Union soldiers in time of the war, was walking up and down while on duty, when he suddenly felt the approach of the enemy — danger; so he began to sing, “Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to thy bosom fly,” etc., and the verse that did the work was, “Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on thee,” etc.; he gave up to God. He afterward talked with the man who said he approached with his gun to his shoulder to shoot the guard, and he said his arm fell and the rifle with it; he could not shoot. That was watching; we must feel the danger and lift our thought to God; He will save us.

If we do not feel the danger and go right on as though everything were all right, declaring you are all right, you cannot die, etc., when the seeming is all wrong, you will not be watching with God.

When we feel the danger then we earnestly turn to God.

Watches, Prayers, and Arguments, p. 70

Before you are ready to close your eyes in sleep, be sure you are not holding anything unlovely in your consciousness, anything unlike God; laying aside every fear, put yourself entirely in His charge. Quiet yourself with the thought that He who has all power will protect you, give you health, and all you need in abundance, and know that whether sleeping or waking, you are safe, because your life is hid with Christ in God. To declare that you are well, is the exact truth; you are not flesh, but rather the ray of divine light that, shining upon flesh, makes it appear alive. This you is spiritual, and cannot be sick. Remember, that power is exerted by merely stating a truth. All truth is the word of God. Assert it constantly, even though your so-called human mind screams falsehood. It is to acknowledge Him, to have your mind stayed on Him, to be directly benefited by the activity of good.

Christian Science Sentinel, June 25, 1904

All was lonely, dark, around us,
  Shadows black, and woodland deep,
  Shady dimness, dismal quiet;
  And the path was rough and steep.

Oft we slipped, and oft we stumbled,
  As that lonely path we trod;
  Till, at last, we reached the summit;
  Lo! we said, “The Smile of God.”

Through the woods of mortal life,
  Weary oft we grope our way.
  Climbing slowly out of darkness,
  Up to reach the immortal day.

Though the path be steep and slippery,
  We the worst of it have trod;
  And above us, in the sunlight
  Shining, lies “The Smile of God.”

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In Support Of The Upcoming Presidential Election

Christian Science Sentinel, September 17, 1927

Election time is a convenient opportunity for error to sow the seeds of bewilderment, confusion, and discord. Even in church elections, where members have some understanding that there is but one Mind, we find much consideration as to human qualifications, characteristics, and mannerisms. In all this pondering, let us not overlook the necessity to listen for the voice of God, and to use the thoughts of God rather than those of human deliberation.

In I Samuel it tells of the necessity to appoint someone to take the place of Saul as king over Israel, and Samuel was entrusted to do the appointing. It is made very clear that Samuel recognized that God had already made the choice and that his responsibility lay in listening for and being obedient to God’s voice, that he might select the one of God’s appointing. And what were Samuel’s instructions? He was to go to the place of appointing, and sacrifice there all human thinking and planning, and call the others to sacrifice, too. And then God would name unto him the one whom He had chosen!

It was not necessary for Samuel to know beforehand whom to appoint. Even then that false claim of minds many touched Samuel, for, as the sons of Jesse passed by, he started to choose humanly, and said of Eliab, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” But the Lord rebuked him, saying, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth.” And whom did the Lord choose? The youngest! He who was judged of such little importance that he was left out with the sheep. There was no thought-taking as to his own eligibility for this office, but just a humble obedience to the carrying on of the business at hand.

Let us make these lessons our own and come to the realization, as did Samuel, that we do not go to these elections to decide on persons for offices, but that we are gathered together to choose the man of God’s appointing, that our responsibility in the matter is to clear our thought of human opinions and thought-taking so that we can hear the Lord’s voice when He says, “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” Then would we find such unity of thought manifested that there would be no difficulty in making the right choice.

Christian Science v. Pantheism, pages 14-15

Pray for the prosperity of our country, and for her victory under arms; that justice, mercy, and peace continue to characterize her government, and that they shall rule all nations. Pray that the divine presence may still guide and bless our chief magistrate, those associated with his executive trust, and our national judiciary; give to our congress wisdom, and uphold our nation with the right arm of His righteousness. ...

May our Father-Mother God, who in times past hath spread for us a table in the wilderness and ‘in the midst of our enemies,’ establish us in the most holy faith, plant our feet firmly on Truth, the rock of Christ, the ‘substance of things hoped for’ — and fill us with the life and understanding of God, and good will towards men."

We must pray now to support the upcoming elections. Pray for one who will hear and do God’s will — and this includes all the world’s leaders. The government is on His shoulders, and right thinking can bring to pass one who is in tune with God. It is God who will raise him/her up and animal magnetism has no power to interfere with His plan. Put away all political views and pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Let us pray impersonally each day that Principle alone governs our nation, and every nation; and this government is not driven by person or party. One Mind, God, governs, and this divine government is founded on the rock, Christ, and can never be derailed! All the supposed forces of evil crumble before the almighty power of God!

Impersonal Principle — the law of God, divine Intelligence — governs the upcoming election, the voters, the candidates, and the future of this nation. Dishonesty, lust for power, and selfish greed are trampled underfoot — and honor, love for God, this nation and its people, are exalted! The love of God regulates and protects the peace and honesty of the voting process. Anything that would try to corrupt or interfere with the peaceful unfoldment of God’s good plan and purpose for this great nation is ground to a powder! The Word of God is quick and powerful, and it cannot be reversed. “No power can withstand divine Love.”

“Evil and lies cannot sway the judgment of the [people], and ... the judge of the whole earth will govern the [people] and they will do right.”

“The government shall be on his shoulder ... Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” — (Isaiah 9)

Let us know that God is in control of our nation, our elections and in control of all nations and all elections. No one can be swayed by animal magnetism (mesmerism) but all express the mind of Christ. Mrs. Eddy states in Lessons of the 7th Day, “Our President is divine Love. There is no law of monopoly or exclusion, no personal control. There is the influence of divine Mind. There is no mental malpractice or mortal mind government. All government is of God.” God’s will for His people reigns supreme. “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!” — (Rev.)

“All the power, action, intelligence, life, and government in the universe belong to God and have always belonged to Him. He is the Supreme Ruler and does not share His power with another.”

“Caesar’s government was over-thrown, based as it was on physics and political economy, whose foundations are matter, even the beliefs of mortal mind. But the government that Jesus supported cannot be overthrown, based, as it is, on divine economy, on metaphysics or immortal Mind. Friends, which of these two governments do we acknowledge, and conform to?”

A Republic based on obedience to the rule of law will stand unmoved by any effort to undermine or dethrone it, along with any element of its Constitution, including the Electoral College. The law of right is firm and unyielding, founded on Principle, and it cannot be circumvented — God will not allow it. Any attempt to limit the rights of each individual — whether in the majority or the minority — was guarded against when every word of the Constitution was so thoughtfully and agonizingly crafted under the watchful eye of Almighty God. The hand of God protects and defends this nation and its laws against intrusion by the human mind to undermine what God has established! It cannot be done! The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth now and forever!

Please work earnestly with the following for the Cause of Christian Science, and for the peace of our world.

“Be not afraid of the storms that beat against this rock. They can never overthrow the superstructures built thereon. The enemy is at work in Washington, and we have at last learned what the old dragon is and what he is not. He has not horns or hoofs, but he claims personality, for he is the error that says, ‘The “I” is a personal intelligence instead of the impersonal Good. And thus, I can go to minds mortal and breathe into their thoughts lies, temptations, and fears — and win them over to error.’

But, dear ones, ‘Resist this devil and he will flee from you. Draw near unto God and He will draw near unto you.’ A mental malpractice is this Satan unchained for a season. Watch that your house be not broken open. What I say unto you I say unto all: Watch.”

“You are to come only in the divine strength, and know that God will rule and does, and that hypnotism and evil minds cannot and do not control men or governments.”

Only the voice of Truth can be heard in the halls of Congress! Above all the din and tumult that seems to be going on, God’s law reigns supreme. Evil’s lies cannot hypnotize, cannot influence, cannot even be heard above the overture of angels that fills those sacred halls! God’s government and His law of Love overshadow all opposition and division, and bring God’s perfect plan to a proper and peaceful conclusion. This is the Word of God, and it goes forth with absolute power!

“Let Truth be heard above error and God will bless your efforts.”

“You worship no distant deity, nor talk of unknown love. The silent prayers of our [members] churches, resounding through the dim corridors of time, go forth in waves of sound, a diapason of heart-beats, vibrating from one pulpit to another and from one heart to another, till truth and love, commingling in one righteous prayer, shall encircle and cement the human race.”

Let us work with Mrs. Eddy’s definition of God (S&H p. 587, in bold letters below), and the accompanying comments given during a Roundtable discussion in Plainfield Church, to handle every fear surrounding this election.

GOD. The great I am; — The only power, the only agenda, the only representative, the only constituent, the only voter, the only vote

the all-knowing, — Running unopposed and meeting every need

all-seeing, — With nothing hidden, redacted, or omitted

all-acting, — The right word and action at the right time, every time

all-wise, — The only Law, the only Lawmaker, never confused or out-of-touch

all-loving, — The Comforter freely giving abundance and peace

and eternal; — True now, true in four years, true always!

Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence. — The complete and perfect government!

Mesmerism in the mass is to be mentally handled just as it would be in the unit. Ten thousand shadows are no more substantial than one. Let us suppose a political situation where a great mass of voters are mesmerized into supporting measures that are corrupt. If you want to give the situation the benefit of scientific treatment, your first move would be to declare the Allness of Spirit and the nothingness of matter, the power of good and the impotence of evil. Know and declare that no aggregation of evil can stand against the omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of divine Mind.

Enlarge on this line, and then proceed to make your treatment more specific. Know and declare that the welfare and progress of your nation cannot be hampered or blocked by any individual or group of unscrupulous politicians, for God is on the field when He is most invisible. Know further, that no matter how unpromising the outlook may be, God has infinite ways and means of foiling error’s most strenuous effort and of defeating its nefarious schemes. Further expand your treatment by declaring that one with God is a majority, and you are that one. Whether your mental work will be the little leaven that will leaven the whole lump, I cannot say. But I do know that your endeavors will not be fruitless, and will bring peace and protection to you and yours.

There is no truth in the thought of America experiencing lack or limitation of any kind. Over thought of lack and limitation in America, God waves the scepter of His Word, and the desert blossoms as a rose.

All decks on the ship of America are now cleared for divine action, and America’s own, as envisioned by her founding fathers, now comes to her, under grace and in perfect ways.

America now rises to the occasion to let go of worn-out conditions and worn-out things that she put up with in the past.

Divine order is established in all of America’s affairs. The Christ possesses America and she makes all things new.

As it was in the days of the Revolutionary War, America’s seeming impossible good now comes to her and comes to stay. The expected good and unexpected good now happens for America.

The four winds of success now blow to America her own from North, South, East, and West.

For America’s sake, Christ is now risen in a new and living way, and she now gloriously fulfills her destiny.

Endless good now comes to America in endless ways.

In the face of enemies outnumbering his troops, Jehoshaphat clapped his cymbals and rejoiced in the invisible forces of eternal Mind. Thus, infinite Intelligence in its unstoppable omni-activity goes before America to make easy and successful her way.

I give thanks for America’s whirlwind success. America successfully sweeps away all hindrances before her, for she works with the Spirit and follows the Divine plan of her glorious destiny.

America’s spiritual sporting blood is up. With God at her side, America is more than equal to any challenge, including the challenges of treachery, treason, and any other seeming hindrance she faces or will face in the future.

America is fully awake to her good and she gathers in the harvest of endless opportunities to generate and spread good universally.

America is harmonious, balanced, and magnetically aligned with the polar magnet of revelation that spawned her in 1776, the North Star that is Christ, the Word. Thus America cannot help but to draw to herself her divine own as never before.

As God’s idea, America’s power is God’s power and is irresistible.

Divine order is now established in all of America’s affairs, domestic and foreign. Omnipresent good now takes over all of America’s affairs, within and without.

As in the days of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the World Wars, heroes now arise in America to see clearly and act quickly under the inspiration of God, and, holding to the promises of God, their greatest expectations come to pass in what others might suppose as “miraculous” ways, but they come to pass in “supremely natural” ways, as it was with the founding fathers.

There is no competition on the spiritual plane. What is rightfully America’s is given to her, under grace.

America discovers and activates latent powers, revealed to her now, as demonstrated and exemplified by the Spirit of God in the life of Christ Jesus. And God speaks to America, “Behold, I have set before thee an open door” — the open door of destiny — and no man shall shut it, for it is nailed back.

The tide of destiny is turned and every good thing comes America’s way.

America banishes past compromises with evil, and now lives in the wonderful now, where happy events occur and happy surprises come to her each day, including endless opportunities for legal victories never known previously. For with every door that shuts, a greater, wider door opens.

Mind, the Genius that speaks from the secret place of the Most High, is now released as never before, and America effortlessly hears the instructions given to her as she now fulfills her destiny through these inspirations of infinitely significant, solemn import.

America makes friends with hindrances, and every obstacle becomes a stepping stone. Everything in the universe works together to bring America her own eternal good.

I give thanks that the walls of Jericho — the imprisoning walls of lack and limitation — fall down, and all lack, limitation, and failure are wiped out of America’s consciousness just as they are absent and wiped out in the mind of Christ Jesus.

America is now on the royal road of success, happiness, and abundance of good. All the traffic goes America’s way.

Americans will not weary of well-doing, and therefore America shall reap a bountiful harvest of righteousness that fades not away.

Divine Mind, ever active, goes before America, and the battle is already won.

All enemy thoughts — thoughts alien to and at enmity with Divine Mind — are wiped out. Thus, Divine Mind “puts to flight the armies of the aliens.”

All those fighting for American principles are as victorious as Christ was, is, and ever shall be.

There are no obstacles in divine Mind. Therefore, there is nothing to obstruct America’s good. All obstacles and stumbling blocks now vanish from America’s pathway. Doors of divine health are now open wide, banishing plague and pestilence. Doors of divine inspiration, divine understanding, divine authority, divine ability to help other nations, divine ability to establish the kingdom of God on earth — now fly open. Gates are lifted, and America enters the kingdom of fulfillment under grace, in perfect ways.

Divine rhythm, harmony, and equipoise are now established in all of America’s affairs, foreign and domestic. New fields of divine activity are open for America, and these fields are white with harvest.

Man’s will is powerless to interfere with God’s will for America.

God’s will is now done in all of America’s affairs, foreign and domestic.

God’s plan for America is permanent and cannot be budged, for America’s heroes are many, and they are true to their heavenly vision established by the founding fathers.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Romans 13:1)

Whatever the circumstances of your life or the decisions made in the global corridors of earthly rule, God is firmly and eternally in control, both of your life and over the governments of the world, and He has scheduled a time when He will put all principalities and powers under His feet.

Despite the policies of politicians, the regulations of religious leaders, and the dictates of both national and international dignitaries under whom we are currently placed, we have an assurance from the authoritative Word of God, that He is in control and has authorized every authority to carry out His eternal plan and purpose. He does this so that CHRIST is ALL, and CHRIST will be ALL and in ALL.

Down through history, we see that basest of men are often those the Lord sets in positions of authority. Let us never forget that it is the Lord Most High Who remains ruler over the realm of mankind, and He uses each one to forward His perfect purpose and plan.

And no matter what righteous or ungodly decisions are made in the elected establishment or any unelected shadow administration, God remains in sovereign control, and will only permit men to achieve their objectives when they forward His perfect plans and purposes in His redemptive program.

Paul’s instruction to “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,” can often be resisted by those who recognize the problems and corruption that are often lurking in the corridors of power, but even in those difficult times, we must never forget “There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God.” However difficult we find the circumstances of life, within our family unit, or our national boundaries, we must never forget that God uses the difficulties of life to hone and strengthen our faith, and to draw us into closer fellowship with and dependence on Him.

Father, I thank You that You are in control of all that is happening in my life, throughout the world and beyond. I pray that while I am here, You will take my life, and use me in whatever way You choose. May I be a faithful witness and bring glory to Your name, in my small corner of this world. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Excerpts from https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/romans-13-1 read during a Plainfield Church Roundtable Discussion

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History Corner

William P. McKenzie was born in Canada. His father and grandfather were both Presbyterian ministers, but even as a child he felt dissatisfied with the church’s explanations of God, and yearned for a better understanding of Him.

In 1884 Mr. McKenzie graduated from university in Toronto, Canada, and, as his family expected, he embarked on a path to theology. He attended Auburn Theological Seminary in Auburn, New York. After graduation, in his interview with the church hierarchy, he was honest, and told them his doubts regarding many of the church’s doctrinal points. Because of this they felt, regrettably, that they could not give him a church to pastor. So instead of the clergy, he took a position teaching English literature at Rochester University in New York State.

Around this time he was approached by a small church of liberal Presbyterians in nearby Avon, New York, who shared many of his objections to the tenets of the church, and who asked him to become their pastor. Teaching at the university during the week, he took up his pastoral duties each weekend.

Eventually, however, the mental conflict of unresolved issues regarding church doctrine and family expectations brought him to the point of a nervous breakdown, and he entered the nearby Dansville, New York, Sanatorium. While there, he experienced a revelation, an enlightened understanding of God as Love, and he felt that this was something he could use as a basis upon which to build. He left the sanatorium restored to health, and returned to teaching and pastoring the small church.

Soon after, in 1891, Rev. McKenzie was invited to a gathering at the home of a friend where a young woman, Daisette Dudley Stocking, had been invited to speak on her experiences in a new religion — Christian Science. After she spoke, they sat for hours talking about Christian Science. He said he had heard of Christian Science, but had rejected it. Daisette advised him to read Science and Health, and he bought a copy later that day.

The teachings contained in that book had a great impact on him. He found the answers he had been searching for, and an enlightened view of the Scriptures. He realized that, in order to make a full commitment to Christian Science, he would have to sever his ties with the Presbyterian church, which he did, and applied for membership in The Mother Church.

Not long after, Mary Baker Eddy read a poem Rev. McKenzie had submitted for publication in the October 1894 issue of The Christian Science Journal. As a result, although they had never met, she made him a “First Member” of the church, which was the precursor of the Board of Directors. Rev. McKenzie wrote many poems, seven of which were set to music and are included in the Christian Science Hymnal.

Also in 1891, Miss Stocking was invited to visit Toronto to start a church in that city, where she served as pastor. In 1895, when Mrs. Eddy ordained the Bible and Science and Health as permanent Pastor of all Christian Science churches, she served as Second Reader, with Mr. McKenzie as First Reader.

Miss Stocking returned to Cleveland in 1896 and helped establish the Christian Science church in that city, where she served a term as Second Reader and took an office for the public practice of Christian Science.

At Mrs. Eddy’s invitation, Rev. McKenzie came to Boston in 1896 to work as a member of the Bible Lesson Committee. In April of 1897, appreciating the steadfastness, willingness, and abilities of this kind and gentle man to serve where needed, and before attending Mrs. Eddy’s last class in 1898, which also included Miss Stocking, Mrs. Eddy also appointed him as a Director of The Christian Science Publishing Society. He then became, in January 1898, one of the three original Trustees to administer the property and run the business of the Christian Science Publishing Society. Furthermore, earlier that month she had appointed him to serve on the newly formed Christian Science Board of Lectureship, and he was appointed as one of the first five lecturers.

For eighteen years he traveled throughout America and around the world as a Christian Science lecturer. His profound knowledge of the Scriptures and religious history made him particularly suited to finding common ground on which to explain and illustrate understandingly, to countless people of varying traditions, the Science of Christianity, its biblical basis, and the practical nature of Mrs. Eddy’s discovery.

At Mrs. Eddy’s request, William McKenzie took up residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1899 to establish a Christian Science church in that community.

William and Daisette remained friends for many years, and became practitioners and teachers. On August 1, 1901, after a long engagement, they were married and became the happy parents of one child, a son they named Guilford Stuart. Their marriage of forty-one years was one of mutual respect and affection, in which they were ever supportive of each other, especially in their various activities in the Christian Science Church.

In late 1901, Mrs. Eddy asked William McKenzie and another of her trusted students, Edward A. Kimball, to assist her in the revision of Science and Health. They worked together daily, editing the marginal headings and text, correcting or verifying quotations, and selected testimonies for the chapter entitled “Fruitage.” Through these efforts and, having worked together during the Woodbury suit, they developed an enduring friendship.

In 1932 Rev. McKenzie was elected to the Board of Directors. During this time, Hugh StuddertKennedy wrote a biography of Mrs. Eddy in which he included a statement to the effect that material organization has no permanent place in man’s spiritual growth and, in fact, stifles it. When he presented his book to the Board of Directors for their approval, the directors were divided, and the Board of Directors’ overreach came to light. Rev. McKenzie was the only director who had the spirituality to see clearly and stand against the despotic control that handled the other directors.

William McKenzie was a man who had been present during some of the greatest triumphs and most difficult moments of the early Christian Science movement, during Mrs. Eddy’s lifetime and after. Yet he proved his constancy and faithfulness through years of healing, teaching, writing, and selfless willingness to serve in offices to which he was appointed.

Before leaving to lecture in the British Isles, Holland, France, and Germany in April of 1910, William McKenzie made a parting call on the members of Mrs. Eddy’s household. Although he had no expectation of seeing Mrs. Eddy at that time, she sent for him. They had a brief conversation about the welfare of The Christian Science Publishing Society, and of the work she was engaged in, and then she sent him on his way with her blessing.

He says of this meeting: “I know that as I sat quietly in Mrs. Eddy’s presence for the last time, I gained a new sense of the word patience as I realized her rich kindness to me and her love for mankind. In the sixteen years of our friendship she had revealed to me the Christianly patience of the mother guiding her child with happy friendliness and good humor, rebuking mistakes with a clarity which produced not resentment but enlightenment. But her teachings are an open book for the whole world, and those who in humility receive the teaching can prove it for themselves and others.”

Compiled from Longyear.org; Daystar Foundation and Library;

Christian Science Today by Charles S. Braden

The poem Rev. McKenzie submitted for the October 1897 Journal

Gently hath a sweet voice spoken:
  One thing needful must ye choose;
  O ye weary and heart-broken,
  Can ye still this call refuse?

Seeking good on earth nor finding,
  All your hope earth must defraud, —
  Thing of sense forever blinding
  Eyes whose light is seeing God.

Patient Love, so wise and tender,
  Standing mother-like apart,
  Waits till love awakened send her
  Each far-wanderer from her heart.

And that love, the one thing needful,
  Bringeth life and conquers death;
  Oh, let hearts be still and heedful,
  Hearing what the sweet voice saith.

“Some one said to me, ‘No one but a fool or a woman would have written Science and Health,’ and he was right; either a fool, who did not know the consequences of writing that book, or a woman who would have humility enough to go down and survive the persecution. A man would have been more apt to resist, and to resist would have been fatal. I had to learn the lesson of the grass. When the wind blew I bowed before it, and when mortal mind put its heel upon me, I went down and down in humility and waited, — waited until it took its heel off, and then I rose up.”

(Exodus 33:13)

“Shew me now Thy way,” dear God,
    For I have lost my own.
  It was not very good at best,
  And I want Yours alone.

My own too often led me far
  From what I know was right
  And left me in the darkness, when
  My heart cried out for light.

“Shew me now Thy way,” dear God,
  And let me start anew.
  I need unfailing guidance, Lord;
  So let me walk with You.

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Plainfield Church: The Early Days

After spending almost two months here in Plainfield, my husband and I head back to Australia next week. I would like to take some time to convey the utterly pure dedication, Love and Truth that I have witnessed in these precious Plainfield members at this dear independent church. It has been extremely powerful and wonderfully grand to be here at this church for the meetings, Roundtables, and Sunday services. There are many examples of the truthful love and dedication to God and Christian Science at this church.

Yesterday we had a small working bee where Plainfield members came together to do some maintenance at the church. Everyone was busy doing something. There was great energy and activity in all we were doing, but with a feeling of peace and purpose. I sat down for a small break to chat with two members who I do so love, and we started talking about the kinds of work that had been done by members of this church over the decades. And as has happened here so often, I couldn't help but feel great love for these precious people who care for God’s word, care for Christ’s word, and care for Mrs. Eddy’s word at this church. I teared up a bit as I listened.

It turns out that back in the 1980s, members of this dear church, using only hand tools, and at first accessing this area through a small trap door in the men’s room, dug down through several feet of soil to create a basement area below the foyer of the church, as there was extra space needed for church activities.

To get a sense of the dedication this must have taken, the basement is quite deep — today its ceilings would be around 13 feet — so wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of soil had to be carted out. Then, they needed to jackhammer through a 12-inch wall of poured concrete, to open the space up into the existing basement. So, night after night and on weekends, doing what they could after they had finished their daytime paid jobs, they came down here to this church to dig and carry and jackhammer their way through to clearing out the basement. This area now serves as additional Sunday school space, our print room, and kitchen for this dear church. Can you imagine that? Month after month of using handheld tools and wheelbarrows to clear out this lovely space which is now so useful and wonderful for this church.

Whilst I never met Mrs. Evans, from whom we all hear such powerful teaching, she had always told the members here that if they took care of God’s work, that He would take care of theirs. Every single one of these Plainfield members has witnessed this truth because they have been, and are now, so divinely looked after because they do indeed look after God’s work.

So I thank the members of this precious independent Christian Science church here at Plainfield — they work so hard and with such great love and diligence to look after God’s word in Christian Science. It has been extremely precious to meet the beloved people belonging to the voices that I have loved these years — you have each been such grand examples of living a life dedicated to God and Christian Science. I would also love to thank all the dear members who helped in looking after myself and my husband while we were here, you are each so very precious and you know who you are. I give great love and thanks also to all the members around the globe who are all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

For anyone who may be wondering, if you are ever able to get here to Plainfield, it will be a wonderful, wonderful blessing for you and for all involved. I offer my humble thanks to God, Christ Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy, and so much love to you all.

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From the Early Workers

Christian Science Journal, April 1918

In a city room stood a bowl holding three narcissus bulbs, propped up by pebbles in their little green lake. Within a day or two the bulbs began to send up slender green shoots, and the owner rejoiced in this quick growth, until a visitor told her, “If you want to get flowers, you must not let your bulbs sprout until they have roots. Put the bowl in a dark place until the roots grow strong enough to give stability to the whole plant; then place them in the sunshine.”

In accordance with this advice the bulbs were set away in a dark cupboard for ten days, and when they were brought back to the living room, the bulbs had grown a thick network of roots which held the bulbs firm and upright for their further growth. Day after day the slight yellow shoots turned green, swelled to sturdy size, and finally flowers appeared.

As the owner read her Bible Lesson, she noticed this selection from Ephesians: “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ... might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Are we as patient when the days come that seem to shut us into the dark? Mrs. Eddy says, “When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth;” (S&H p. 266)

We must grow roots at any cost, even if we seem to be set in dark places for testing and trial. When we are “rooted and grounded in love,” whatever process is needed to accomplish this, we will certainly be set once more in the sunshine to stand erect and show the results of spiritual growth.

Every dark hour may be a rooting hour, a growing down before we grow up. We need not fear the times that seem heavy and unfruitful, nor can we be made to believe that they are not growing times, for Christ, Truth, dwelling in our hearts “by faith,” assures us that “being rooted and grounded in love” we shall be “filled with all the fulness of God.”

Sometimes the longest waiting brings the deepest roots, capable of bearing the most perfect and plentiful flowers. We often hear testimonies expressing gratitude for slow healings, which provided more time for study. Those were the dark hours when the roots were growing strong and sturdy. Sometimes too quick growth produces the plant of the Master’s parable which immediately “sprang up, because it had no depth of earth ... and because it had no root, it withered away.”

At times we may seem to be longer in growing, but shall we not rejoice if, even through tribulation, we may be “filled with all the fulness of God” and bring forth fruit, thirty or sixty or an hundredfold?

Christian Science Sentinel, March 31, 1917

It is always a joy to see what children are accomplishing in Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy has called them “the hope of our race” (Pul., p. 9), and surely we may well rejoice if we find in our consciousness the same simple, unquestioning faith which characterizes the child thought and the child nature.

A mother who had been studying Christian Science for about two months, said to her little boy, who was manifesting a very discordant physical condition: “What shall we do, dear? Mother used to give you medicine for that, but we mustn't do that any more, must we?” “No,” said the child; “now that we are Scientists you must give me a treatment.” “But I don't know how,” said the mother anxiously. “I do,” was the unexpected answer. “I heard about it in Sunday school yesterday. You must always begin everything by remembering that God is Love.” He explained to his mother as best he knew, and then went off to play, perfectly satisfied. In less than ten minutes the ailment was overcome.

Christian Science teaches that “the vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love. Without this, the letter is but the dead body of Science, — pulseless, cold, inanimate.” (S&H, p. 113)

This “vital part” the child had quickly grasped and made his own. Might it not be well, when any problem presents itself, to ask ourselves, first of all, is any part of this in accord with Love and its perfect laws?

God is Love and God is All. This means divine Love is All, and there is no other power or presence.

From this, also, it logically follows that anything which does not accord with Love and its perfect laws is not true — it has no foundation, principle, permanence, life, substance, entity, or reality; therefore, it is not to be believed in, nor is there anybody to believe in it.

How quickly error melts away before the touchstone of the question, Did Love do it? For instance, if a thing is not right, it is obvious that Love could have had no part in it. If it is not just, Love does not uphold it. If it is not true, Love cannot support it, for Love maintains only that which is like itself. That which was ever supported by Love has always been supported by Love, and will continue to be throughout eternity.

“Love never faileth” (Rev. Ver.). Would it be in the nature of Love to start things going and then leave them to take care of themselves? Would Love give us work to do and then fail to show us how to do it? Would Love give us something beautiful and right, and then allow it to be snatched away from us just as we were about to take it? Would Love lead us part of the way and then desert us at the darkest place in the path? Would Love send us on some holy mission and then let us pay a penalty for going? Would not Love be less than Love if it sent a message of hope to a weary world and then failed to protect the messenger who carried it?

We are ready enough to say that God is Love, but do we really believe it? It is not those who simply say, “Lord, Lord,” that shall enter the kingdom. If we say that God is Love, we must prove it through demonstration. If God is Love, and man is God’s reflection, the only man there is, is the reflection, the expression, the manifestation of Love, and hence is loving, lovely, and lovable. How many of us by our every word and act prove that we honestly believe this to be true?

Yet how quickly the child thought proves what it believes by demonstration. A little boy telephoned his father that he had been bitten by a squirrel. “My hand hurts so, and the boys say it will all swell up,” he said. In the simplest words at his command the father told the child that all the ideas of God loved each other, that the squirrel did not really want to hurt him, nor could he be hurt by the squirrel, because he too was an idea of God. “But I want to see you,” begged the boy. “Won't you come home?” The father promised, telling the child to remember in the meantime what he had said.

When the father reached home about an hour later, the boy was gone and nobody knew where he was. About dinner time he appeared, and seeing his father exclaimed: “Oh, I forgot you were coming home early. I was out looking for the squirrel. I thought I would feed him some nuts, just to show him that I was sorry I hated him for biting me.” And the hand was well.

O Love divine, who carriest the lambs in Thy bosom, may we whom the world calls older and wiser ones, rejoice to sit at the feet of a little child like this, remembering in all humility the Master’s words, “Except ye ... become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Christian Science Journal, August 1886

The parable of the Prodigal Son furnishes a beautiful illustration of the truth of Christian Science. Man in Science, at home with his Father, has every necessity of his being met. He not only enjoys his rights as a son, but he is a partaker of all that belongs to his Father. Under the parental government, nothing is kept from him that could minister to his well-being.

Apart from this delightful state of man’s existence lies the supposition of error, that there may exist a condition outside of the harmony of being, that is capable of giving man more enjoyment than what he has.

Now I can imagine that when mortals first conceive an error of thought, it seems it might give them more enjoyment than they had before, just as when Eve is said to have looked upon the forbidden tree, until she believed it was good for food and pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise. Mortals take of the fruit of their own conceptions, and eat, and thus are caught in their own delusion, — that a higher state of being or happiness exists outside of God.

So it was with the Prodigal. He looked upon the mental mirage until it seemed to him a reality, and then his actions reflected his thoughts, and away he went into the far-off country, seeking in a variety of ways to realize what he supposed was a reality. Had it been a reality, and not a dream or illusion, he would not have sought happiness in vain; but the more he sinned, the farther he strayed from his Father’s house — the abode of Spirit — the nearer he came to the fact that he was deluded, that he had been walking in a “vain show;” until “he came to himself,” woke to the perception and consciousness of his former self, or true being, and the realization that all which had seemed real to him, from the time he left his Father’s house, was a delusion, a cheat, a lie.

I look upon the Prodigal in the far-off country (darkness, error), working in and out of his horrible nightmare, as illustrating the state of the human family, out of which the Principle of Christian Science, or God understood, logically explained and practically demonstrated, will alone waken men, and bring them back to the Father’s house, and to the consciousness that they are the offspring of God, made in His image and likeness, — which, being spiritual, is incorruptible, and cannot deviate from the divine order of being.

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Proofs of God’s love and presence do not necessarily have to be healings, they do not necessarily have to be solutions to problems, they can simply be a loving indication of the “I Am that I Am” or the “I am there” and “I am the living Principle, Love.”

I was recently sitting with my partner in front of the tiled stove, which I had completely filled with wood and then lit. Soon the kindling was burning brightly and the first larger logs had caught fire — a cozy warmth radiated through the front glass door.

Suddenly I spotted a butterfly on the inside of the glass door, its shadow standing out clearly like a silhouette against the bright glow of the fire behind it. It disappeared again just as quickly, so that I thought it had been an illusion, because the heat in the oven must have made it completely impossible for it to fly around without scorching its delicate antennae or wings. But then it fluttered back and forth against the pane again. I jumped up and opened the oven door.

The butterfly immediately fluttered across the room to the door. I opened the door, and it flew outside to freedom. It was clear to see that it was completely unharmed and its flight was powerful and fast. We were completely surprised, because it seemed to be a physical impossibility.

I couldn't help but think of the three men in the fiery furnace mentioned in the book of Daniel. I picked up the Bible and read the story slowly.

Just as matter had apparently set a trap for the butterfly when it had presumably looked for a place to hibernate under the firewood, jealous officials at Nebuchadnezzar’s court had set a trap for Daniel’s three companions. It seemed hopeless to escape this intrigue, and the three were thrown into the furnace. Because Nebuchadnezzar wanted to demonstrate the power of matter over Spirit, the furnace was fired seven times hotter than usual.

But Nebuchadnezzar saw the three men, together with a fourth, whom he diagnosed as an angel, walking around in the fire as if this fire was completely powerless. This cruel king, who wanted to perform a demonstration of power, was nevertheless wise and humble enough to stop the experiment immediately and let the three men come out of the furnace. They were completely unharmed and did not even smell of smoke.

This story was impressively re-illustrated and made conscious for us, and it showed us that we should never doubt the infinite, and perhaps incomprehensible, possibilities of divine Mind.

God may not speak to us as He did to Moses, but if we learn to look properly at the events in our lives and allow ourselves to be inspired by their meaning, then Mind has spoken to us in its own way after all, and this may be what it looks like when God asks us to go forward courageously and not to doubt.

We have been shown by example that there is always a way out, a solution in every situation. I would like to wish us all a good and inspired power of observation, because we can see, hear, and experience God every day. And therefore we can, may, and must be humble, courageous and strong.

As Told by Graeme D. P. Strang

There was once a young boy who loved attending his Christian Science church every Sunday without fail. His loving mother was known as a saint of Christian Science, always filled with the pure mother love that she graciously extended to all. Each Sunday this young boy’s family dressed in their Sunday best to faithfully attend their church.

Like many little boys his age, this boy was very energetic. He loved his Sunday school teacher, who taught him five words, one for each finger of his hand: “I. Am. God’s. Perfect. Child,” which he faithfully recited each day. He so loved his mother, who taught him Mrs. Eddy’s prayer “to the little children”:

“Father-Mother God, Loving me, —
  Guard me when I sleep;
  Guide my little feet
  Up to Thee”

This little boy would faithfully pray Mrs. Eddy’s prayer to the little children each night.

The story goes that after attending Sunday school one day, he climbed up on the roof of the church. Who can say why little ones do such things? ... but there he was atop a 40-foot building when his little foot slipped and over the edge he fell. Mid-air he shouted, “Father get under me” and he heard clear as a bell in his little ear, “I'm already here,” accompanied by the familiar sense of the divine Love he already knew from his dear mother and from his Sunday school teacher. He stood right up after this fall, without injury of any kind. A miracle for all the church community to rejoice over.

It was almost 70 years later that I had the honor of being told that story by a good and kind gentleman of ripened years, who always loved and adored his Father in heaven and always showed the many proofs that he lived throughout his life on this earth. “I'm already here.”

It was my joy to come to know this holy man as a most wonderful Christian healer — a truly dedicated, pure Christian Science practitioner. I was so blessed to learn from this practitioner, and I learned many wonderful truths about our dear Mrs. Eddy, about Christian Science and the healing power of the Christ, and about our loving Father-Mother God. I learned a lifetime of divine Love through the unfailing example of Christian faith and goodness embodied by this pure and Christly man.

Was this gentleman speaking of his own childhood and his own fall? He was too modest and gracious to say. But I have come to know that we each have a story like this within our soul, a moment when our loving Father-Mother God rends the veil so that we can see “through a glass darkly,” that it is always God who saves us. As Christian Scientists, it is our joy and our honor to so strive that we cultivate the pure Christ consciousness to be a fit vessel for God’s love, grace, and power, each and every day — that we may apprehend enough of the Christ consciousness, enough of the all-pervading divine Love that is ever-flowing and only waiting to be acknowledged — to know that God is already here! To know that His Kingdom has already come! And so we each do sing the song of Soul in our lives and we know as Mary Baker Eddy taught the little ones: “I. Am. God’s. Perfect. Child.” And so we go forth rejoicing as we live a life that is a continuous prayer to our loving Father who has given us everything, even the very stars in their orbit.

“We thank Thee and we bless Thee,
  O Father of us all,
  That e'en before we ask Thee
  Thou hear’st Thy children’s call.”

(Hymn 374, The Christian Science Hymnal)

Recently, I have been increasingly grateful for my truck. Every morning when I go out, it reminds me of something that’s very important, and yet very fundamental.

Have you ever noticed how much larger the windshield is, compared to the rearview mirror? This means to me, don't be too preoccupied about rehearsing things that happened in the past. Remember that you are here in the present, and in the present for a specific purpose. So let’s focus on what needs to be done here in the moment. That has straightened up my thought many times when I have given this honest consideration.

There was a time when I would be rehearsing things in the past, and a lot of it was troubling. It was just a waste of time. I'm here for a purpose, as everyone else is, and I need to be obedient to God, like everyone else.

Now, we do have a rear view mirror, and obviously it can't be ignored, but one thing that helped me immensely was the passage from one of our hymns which says, “For all the good the past hath had remains to make our own time glad.” (Hymn 238) That statement is very important because it tells me that it is the good that remains, and it remains for a purpose, and the purpose is to help us in the present moment today, what we're doing right here.

So, thank you for my truck, and for all the vital lessons that God has been teaching me all along. I am very grateful for it.

I am very grateful for all of the many life lessons that I have learned in Christian Science as a result of being a member of this church. I was remembering recently one of those life lessons. It began a few years ago, and it was when I was all of a sudden struck by a statement from the Bible that was in our lesson that week. It was from Psalm 27 where it says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

For a long time, and after I became a member of this church, I never thought of myself as being fearful. Not necessarily invincible, but certainly not fearful. It was shortly after I joined this church that a practitioner was helping me with some issues which really forced me to look deep into my consciousness; and as I did so, I was kind of shocked to realize that most of what I did every day was actually done out of fear. At work I worked long hours because I feared not being able to pay my bills. I went out of my way to help people, anybody, because I feared not being appreciated by people. I exercised a lot and worked out every day because I feared not being strong. There were other examples, and it was a real eye-opener for me to realize how much I was doing being driven by fear.

That was when I began to make some fundamental changes in my life. God helped me to change careers so that I could devote more time to church and to family. I began to worry less about whether I could pay my bills, and I became more interested in helping those who were truly working for God, and less concerned about whether anybody appreciated it or not. I guess I was beginning to understand what John meant when he said “Perfect love casteth out fear.” I began to fear less as a result of this, and trust that God would take care of me.

At about that time one of our members sent us a great article on “Confidence,” by Martha Harris Bogue, which I recommend and is on our website. One of the sentences in that article says “Fear is faith in evil; courage is faith in God.”

For me, this was an incredibly liberating healing, to be free of much of the fear that I had considered normal for most of my life. It helped me to deal with a lot of other issues that I had been dealing with that I thought were normal. I'm grateful for the help of that practitioner, and also for the writings and the life of Mary Baker Eddy that show us how to get out of fear, how to stop fearing, and to love more, and to love better. They have shown me that God is not only the strength of my life, but that He is my very life. That has healed me of much of the fear that I brought with me to Plainfield. I'm so grateful for it.

Having a pure, childlike trust in God is an imperative quality we must have, or cultivate in our journey Spiritward. If we trust God, we can be more confident in our reliance on Him. If we trust God, we can freely leave things in His hands, and know that He will only unfold what is good. If we trust Him, we will not be so shaken when we feel certain symptoms, when a medical verdict is given, or when things seem to be going wrong around us. If we trust God, our waiting on Him would be a lot easier.

I have found that we can have many years of just professing the truth without much trust in the power we declare while uttering the truth. We are advised to trust what we say. It’s no use just saying it. We can gradually gain this trust, or we can ask God, “Father, help me have more faith in You.” Saying the Lord’s Prayer, we do say, “Lead us not into temptation.”

All of these help us to trust God more, and we can rely on Him then. I often think of people who don't even have hospitals to go to, or medicine to take. What do they do? Is that same God not with them? Maybe this is how they develop their trust in God.

I am so grateful for learning this on my way, how to just trust God. Trusting means I am glorifying Him and I am obeying the First Commandment, I am honoring Him as the all power over all, and All-inall. I'm so grateful for Christian Science, so grateful for all that I have learned here and am learning still.

It’s wonderful to know that, in Truth, there are no chronic diseases or incurable diseases. Christian Science heals everything.

When I first came back to this church, after I had been away for a while, I had many chronic problems that just went on and on. They were physical, emotional, depression, as well as other things, and I began working with a really wonderful practitioner in this church.

The practitioner gave me many things to work with. One was to make sure that I was expecting healing. Sometimes you get to where you're not even expecting to be healed.

Another thing that she gave me was a statement from Science and Health (page 248): “Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.”

This is how many healings occur. I've always loved that statement. It was a statement we were encouraged to teach our children to say as a nightly prayer. I was told, instead of focusing on my problems that were going on and on, to focus on these qualities. Unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love, the kingdom of heaven. How much was I expressing those qualities? I needed to focus on that! And truly, as I did that, all these so-called chronic problems that had plagued me for a long time, one by one, did diminish, until they finally disappeared. It was a remarkable healing, and one that I'm so very grateful for. It’s the healing power of Christ, and it is available to everyone!

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Letters of Gratitude

I don’t know where to begin. How grateful I am that I have been hearing people giving heartfelt testimonies of gratitude here. I’ve been associated with Christian Science for fifty-three years, and I have finally “found” Science today! I heard of you all in 1987, but it was like, no, don’t go there. I never even thought of looking at what you were doing. Recently feeling I’m not a healer, and asking myself why I’m not understanding—a lot of the ideas that were coming to me have been validated through you all. I was ready to hear what you have to share.

This morning I was sitting on the side of my bed reading the lesson. It was so full of life. I have never experienced that while reading the lesson before. Every word was weighted with truth, and validating what I had been struggling to call my own. I began to cry, and just felt so light and joyful, that now I know how to heal. I’m so grateful for you, and I will be sticking with you, and studying with you, and joining you. Thank you all.

Dear Plainfield CS,

I just listened to your testimonies and am beyond thankful for the lift I feel in my mind. I rejoiced when someone from Australia spoke about how they used the lockdowns and hardships to shut down their ranting and complaining. I'm totally on board. God governs His universe perfectly, and when I rant, I suggest otherwise. What an eye-opener and what beautiful testimonies, all in all. Thank you.

I just wanted to send a sincere thank you for a recent testimony about family members—that no one “owns” another, and that we are all children of our heavenly Father, rather than our human parents. This was such a welcome reminder that we do not need to feel any false sense of responsibility for family, and the same Truth means that we have not “inherited” any defects, problems, or traits from family members either. I was very grateful for this, which will inspire my prayers for members of my wider family, and when praying for myself about health challenges.

I was also interested to hear about the idea of the “shorts” that can be viewed on YouTube. I think these are a really nice idea, especially if some could eventually be in some different languages too.

Much gratitude and love to you all.

Last Sunday's Roundtable, discussing the importance of reading Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy was particularly meaningful to me. In the past, I had tried a number of times to read through Science and Health, but I just couldn't do it. I would devour the writings of the early workers, but not Science and Health. I knew it contained the Truth, but I didn't like the writing style. I found the writing to be disjointed and the sentences too dense.

Then, about a month ago, I felt a prompting to try it again, and this time, I had a totally different experience. The pages were alive, and passages I had often read before were suddenly illuminated.

What is more, I knew that every time I would come back to these passages, they would hold ever deeper meaning. It's like a masterpiece in music—every time you listen, you hear something you didn't hear before. I now read Science and Health first thing every morning for an hour, even before I've had my breakfast. It's become my favorite hour of the day. I never get through more than three or four pages, and often it's only two. Yes, the sentences are dense, but I take every sentence and glean from it everything I can at this stage of my growth. It's a wonderful breakthrough for me in what is not an easy journey, and an incredible blessing. I revere Mrs. Eddy for her purity of consciousness that enabled her to be a transparency for this healing truth.

I'm so grateful to this Plainfield Church for the many avenues it offers for spiritual growth. And a special thanks to my practitioner for her ongoing support and encouragement on this pathway from sense to Soul.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your outstanding website. I live in an area where I don't have a Christian Science church or Reading Room anywhere nearby, and although I have accumulated a fair number of published items, I have found your site extremely helpful. The thought and care that is reflected in your site is very evident in the wide variety of articles and authors you have.

There is plenty of illumination for all seeking the Truth, from the "newbie" to the long-time Christian Scientist. Sharing such powerful and enlightening articles, along with the weekly lesson, has certainly been a blessing to me, and your efforts are appreciated beyond measure. I have read and re-read many articles; and every time I read a new one, I find more to be grateful for. I am certain that your efforts have enlightened many around the world about the Love expressed by Christian Science.

I thank you.

Dear Plainfield Church Independent,

I am very grateful for being a part of the Church's translation team for the German version. This work brings me closer to God and gives me a better understanding of Mrs. Eddy and Science and Health.

I am grateful for the insights from the Sunday Roundtable and the Bible Studies, as well as the help of my Plainfield practitioner, who is steadily supporting me with mental and physical issues. I understand that a slow healing is still healing, and we keep praying and praising God for all the good that has already happened.

Thank you all for making these meetings possible internationally and for sharing the published works of early workers on your website.

A short message to say thank you to Plainfield.

I so loved, in the early morning hours this last Sunday, listening to the prior Sunday's Roundtable, reminding me of the blessings of Life, Truth, and Love, and that I must always be grateful for such presence.

I tell myself that, in the predawn moments of the day when I enjoy the happy bird songs, the cloud formations, and the presence of the growing and budding flowers and trees, they remind me to be grateful for God's presence.

I find the watches to be spot on with helpful insights, too.

Thank you, Plainfield, for your strong support in acknowledging and presenting the Comforter.

I love this week's Lesson Sermon on Christian Science, and the strong message in it to “obey the holy evangel” and read, study, and ponder our precious textbook Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. This is a divine mandate from God. During our Roundtables, too, we are reminded to read from the Bible, Science and Health, and Prose Works each day.

Thank you to the lesson writers, for the leadership, and for all the work that goes on from this holy church to bless all mankind. I am truly grateful to be a member here. I thank God for pointing me to the Plainfield Church.

Your last two roundtables were absolutely amazing and so inspiring to me! I’ve never read Science and Health from cover to cover, but because of all you shared on Sunday, I've now begun that project. I can already feel the benefits of this obedience that I've resisted my entire life.

Thank you very much for a lively Bible Study on Saturday. There was a great lesson in Bible history and a divinely intelligent conversation on the lesson of “the woman at the well.” So much good comes out of these Bible lessons. This church truly illustrates the correct and pure teaching of Mrs. Eddy’s Christian Science. This saves us from being carried about with every wind of doctrine and gets us centered in Truth. Thank you, Plainfield Independent Christian Science Church, for all that you’re doing to heal, bless, and save all mankind.

I want to express gratitude for the Plainfield Christian Science Church's independent weekly Bible Lessons. From these inspired Lessons come inspirations, understandings, and occasional little angel thoughts, that come and direct me to share something with someone else. I have learned since attending church at Plainfield, to follow through with these thoughts, not knowing another's circumstances, but only that they have come to me to be communicated.

Recently I was compelled to share a thought from our Lesson on Truth with my 21-year-old grandson in Arizona — that nothing is hidden, that won't be revealed by the light, the light which is his everpresent guide. He called a few days later to thank me for the message and to say that he had seen the truth of it unfold in some volunteer work he has been doing this summer at a church, feeding meals to the hungry. He was grateful for the message and I was grateful to hear how he experienced it. He told me to feel free to share anything with him. He welcomes it.

I am so grateful for this Plainfield Church and its teachings from Mary Baker Eddy and the early workers in Christian Science. Since becoming part of the Church, my understanding of Christian Science practice has forged ahead. It is such a special place, a heavenly place. Not a day goes by that I don't feel gratitude to have found this independent church, its supportive Practitioners, and its congregation.

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Testimonies of Healing

from C. H. in New Jersey

Oh, give thanks!! I give thanks to God, His Christ, Christian Science as taught by Mrs. Eddy, and my faithful practitioner. It is because of this embodiment of Truth that I have been healed and, for the first time in 14 years, can now smell and taste, and my breathing is improving every day. I lost interest in food and lost a considerable amount of body weight, which brought me to a very low state. But here I am, coming back with vigor, more love for God and man, more diligence with watches, prayers, and daily church work, and eating lots of peanut butter. As I continue to heal, I am very careful to be grateful, humble, and obedient, as never before.

I would like to share something Mrs. Eddy put in Miscellaneous Writings on page 51:

“When from the lips of Truth one mighty breath
  Shall, like a whirlwind, scatter in its breeze
  The whole dark pile of human mockeries;
  Then shall the reign of Mind commence on earth,
  And starting fresh, as from a second birth,
  Man in the sunshine of the world’s new spring,
  Shall walk transparent like some holy thing.”

from C. T. in New Jersey

My grandparents were tenant farmers in the South. They were very self-sufficient people. After I joined this church, I found out that my grandma had been praying that I'd be close to God. I didn't know it until she came to visit us. It made her so happy to see me active in Plainfield Church.

My grandma got very sick some years later, and everybody in the network of our family was saying she was dying. But I knew that wasn't God’s plan, so with practitioner support, I went down to see her.

We've been taught in this church that man is God’s idea, beloved and perfect. I just took the love that God has given me and told her, “Grandma, God’s going to show you how much He loves you.” She could hardly move, but I felt she heard me, and I left after a day and came back up North.

Several weeks later I heard from my relatives that Grandma was up and so happy. Everybody was saying that a miracle had happened. First, she used a walker, threw away the walker; then used a cane, she threw away the cane. Her friends would come in and, to my joy, she would tell them that “God wanted to show me how much He loved me.” I knew she had heard me.

God is Love, and as we love, learn, and practice Christian Science, we can use our God-given dominion, and the world is benefited by realizing more of God’s love and power.

from New Hampshire

I was working in the kitchen while listening to the weekly testimony meeting. I was using a long knife to take out lemon seeds and it slipped and cut me right between my fingers. I grabbed a towel and stood listening to the meeting. What a perfect thing to have on at that moment. The inspiration from the testimonies lifted my thought and gave me even more confidence in God’s protection.

I refused to believe there was an accident and also refused to look at my hand. Soon, I felt no pain, and I continued to do my work. I never checked my hand because I knew all was well — and it was.

I am so grateful for every proof of God’s care and to have perfect demonstrations like these.

from L. M. in Georgia

Recently we have had some testimonies and Roundtable discussions regarding handling depression and overcoming a desire to die — to leave our struggles and this world behind, so I wanted to add my testimony as well, since the claim of depression and despair seems so prevalent in our world right now.

After our young son passed on, I often felt like I couldn't care less if I lived or died. There were a lot of times I struggled with grief so bad that I thought to myself that this must be what it feels like to be going insane.

But, we had recently found the Plainfield Church and independent Christian Science, and both my husband and I were working with practitioners at this church. One of the things that the practitioner told me was that I had to demand a blessing from this experience. That was hard at first because I didn't understand how there could be a blessing in it. I didn't know how that was possible because death seems like the period at the end of that sentence. But the more I thought about this and worked with the practitioner, I realized that I needed to not accept what happened as the conclusion of my experience, and I came to realize that I could, and had to, insist that something good blossom in my thought and in my life.

Some of the things that helped me during this time were that the practitioner assured me of the Bible’s promise that the Lord “will restore to you the years the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2: 25) and she also shared with me a beautiful letter from the Herbert Eustace files that the church had been entrusted with — a letter from a woman whose husband had passed but he had come back briefly to bring her a message of peace and love and the assurance that all was well. All these things were so helpful to me — it’s almost hard to put into words — but they were all cornerstones that helped build this foundation of healing.

One of the other things I also started doing at that time was to start looking up everything Mrs. Eddy had to say about death. There was a passage I found in the Blue Book that also struck a chord with me and helped me get past this feeling of not caring if I lived or died: Mrs. Eddy says: It is not of any use to want to die to get out of this constant struggle; for if you should do so, you would still have to keep at it until

accomplished, and even more so because you would have to overcome not having done it when you could — a lost opportunity."

I still love that statement — it is what I think about any time I read articles about the problem of depression or hear of people who have a desire to end their lives. This was such a clear message from Mrs. Eddy that you can't kick the can down the road.

Everything I didn't want to face would just be waiting for me, so I should not be wasting this opportunity to grow Godward, and I might as well get busy and demand that blessing! So that’s what I did, with the help of this church and with the support of these dedicated practitioners who are unlike any practitioners I've ever worked with before. They helped me to come through something I never thought I would ever be able to get beyond — I'm grateful for that every day!

from B. N. in New Jersey

A few nights ago I heard my son in his room crying and my wife and I went in to check on him. He told us that his right ear was hurting. When we looked closer it was actually swelling. We asked him what had happened to his ear and he didn't know. We were surprised because he was fine all evening prior to bedtime. We thought maybe he bumped into something while playing with his sister and didn't remember it.

So I gently calmed him down and let him know that he would be fine. I told him how much God loves him and that He would never let anything hurt him. After he had calmed down I said a little prayer for him, telling him “may God keep you in perfect peace” and I told him to go back to sleep and by morning the pain would be gone. His mom stayed with him for a little while as he fell asleep. By now the pain had gone and he didn't cry again.

In the morning when he woke up he had forgotten about it. When I checked on him the swelling was completely gone. He was happy to know that the swelling had gone and would never come back. I am very grateful to God for the quick healing and for taking care of His little ones.

from L. T. in New York

I am so grateful for the Roundtable discussions, here at Plainfield Church. They certainly have been nourishment for me the last few weeks. We talked about hope and keeping your joy amidst turmoil. Thank God for my practitioner who prays and keeps me on track, turning me to the love of God, so that I can remain of service to Him.

Before I started with Christian Science, I would never have believed that my life would ever change or that I could have a relationship with God. Life back then was total chaos and painful. But, today I have hope and I can find my joy in all that God is. My gratitude runs deep for all that God, this church, my practitioner, and Christian Science have done for me. The many healings, the teachings, the incredible love and compassion, lifted me up when I couldn't find the light, and helped me to stay in its presence when everything inside of me was telling me to run.

Life is not easy and I still struggle to understand but I will never quit seeking the Lord, because of what I have learned here. I know that there are so many people out there searching for the truth, or in the very least, a tiny bit of light, hope, or a moment’s peace from the pain of the past. I remember telling my practitioner one day, when my human thoughts were pressing, “All I can do is breathe.” She said, “Good.” And I knew it was enough for that very moment. Breath after breath, the darkness left and I became grateful for Life.

This Church, this Science is indeed the Comforter that Jesus promised. So never quit holding on to this Truth and the pure teachings of Christian Science! It has saved my life in such a lasting way.

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Announcements

When Plainfield Church first became independent, we were asked, “How will you survive? What will you read?” As you can see below, through the grace of God, we have survived very well, thank you — and flourished!

We began by writing our own Bible Lessons, and then Independent Christian Scientists from all over the world began sending us writings by early Christian Science workers that were not available anywhere else. And we grew from there — and continue to grow.

Our Website

Our church website, plainfieldcs.com, has a wealth of inspiring and healing items to read and listen to, including recordings of past services, Bible Studies, and Roundtable discussions.

You will also find a treasure trove of articles and other literature by early workers in Christian Science, including Bicknell Young, Martha Wilcox, Herbert W. Eustace, and many others. There are also audio recordings of many of these articles and books. Audio recordings of the current week’s Bible Lesson, and a Forum to post comments relating to the Lesson are available, and also a Bulletin Board where you can post comments of a more general nature.

YouTube Channel

Our YouTube channel has over 3,000 videos of church services, classes, readings of books and articles, hymns, and music from our services, which are visited regularly by people from all over the world.

Check out all that we have to offer by going to:

YouTube.com/PlainfieldCS

Our Church Publications

Our church publications are available free on our church website, but sometimes it’s nice to have a copy in your hand to refer back to at your leisure, or during the night when there might be a need for comfort. Descriptions and subscription prices are included below.

Newsletter

In alternate months, our church publishes our church Newsletter, “Plainfield Independent.” This publication contains news about church activities, miscellaneous writings, and other fun things that will make you smile, laugh — and think.

Books by Early Workers in Christian Science

Plainfield Church is the source for many books and writings by early workers in the Christian Science movement, many of whom worked in Mrs. Eddy’s home and were taught by Mrs. Eddy herself. These priceless writings are available for purchase at very reasonable prices, and are listed, along with ordering information, on our church website, plainfieldcs.com. Many articles on our church website are excerpts taken from these books, so to have the complete works is a real privilege!

You can find a list of books we have available for purchase by clicking “Store” on the top menu of our website.

Church Membership

“When one sees that Christian Science is the only way, he is ready for church membership, and there is no other requirement.” — Mary Baker Eddy

This is the only requirement for membership in Plainfield Church. We welcome everyone who wishes to become a member and work for God to send in an application, which you can find under the “Members” tab on our website. Or send an email to our clerk at: clerk@plainfieldcs.com.

Websites in Other Languages

Our missionary work is expanding. We have recently launched websites in the languages of Hungarian, Ukrainian, Russian, Marathi, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Sindhi, and Tamil, which join with our existing Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu — that makes seventeen languages other than English!

Much gratitude to all of our translators for their individual demonstrations which are working to bless every corner of the world!

We recently received the following email from someone new in Pakistan:

Accept my greetings and salute for the lovely way to produce your unchallenged true teachings about God, as our Mind, we as His ideal creation and making it clear what the Christian Science Church is giving to the spiritual-thirsty like me. The great work you and your Church is dealing regarding foreign languages is amazing and fruitful. I am having great blessings since I have started learning the Word of God through your website and YouTube channels. Especially Pashto, Sindhi, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil and Marathi languages are doing great things spiritually in my life when I read and listen to the YouTube lessons.

I greatly appreciate it and ask my Lord for the unstoppable blessings for the whole church worldwide. May you always please my heart and soul by producing these lessons and other great material in all the languages of the world especially for my Pakistani and Indian people. Amen.

I thank you and the whole church again for all of this.

Our goal was, and still is, to get the Word of God out to people all over the world who need this pure, unadulterated Science, as we did, and still do. So you will see that much of what we provide on our website, plainfieldcs.com, is free. Please feel free to browse through all that we have there. You don’t even have to tell us who you are — we warmly welcome everyone!

But there are expenses involved in maintaining a website, and in maintaining our church home and our church services. So if you are helped by what you find here, and you wish to show your gratitude, please use the “donate” button on the website. It would be greatly appreciated!

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Tenets of Christian Science

A note about the lighthouse sketch by Luanne:

Boston Light — little Brewster Island (outer Boston Harbor), Massachusetts

Boston Light was the first light station in North America and is the country’s oldest continuously used lighthouse site. The original structure, built in 1716, was destroyed during the Revolutionary War. Rebuilt in 1783, it has been called “the ideal American lighthouse.” Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964, it is the only manned lighthouse in the United States.

“Publish the Word”

Broadcast the Truth

“Freely ye have received, freely give”