Editorials

“May we sing hymns accompanied by guitar?” “Why do you still use the King James Version for the Bible Lesson?” “Why does the Church occasionally use other translations than the KJV?” We regularly receive such inquiries, together with requests that the Board of Directors either issue clarifying policy statements—or reprint Board statements from the 1950s or ’80s, or even the ’20s.   As to Christian Science church services, we value branches finding innovative and interesting ways to follow the “present order of services” in the Church Manual.

Only a year ago the revolution known as Arab Spring began when a Tunisian martyr ignited a freedom movement that has rallied hope and support around the world. The Christian Science Monitor reported that the act jarred Tunisians and others to break out of the belief that Arab culture isn’t compatible with freedom and democracy.

Just before his martyrdom, according to tradition, the Apostle Paul implored his student Timothy: “Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” ( II Tim. 4:5 ).

The only alternative most people see is an effort to stretch out this material life a little longer. A giant amount of society’s resources and energy goes into this effort.

Many people today think of Jesus as the best man that ever walked the earth. That’s easy to understand.

What would you call someone who travels in expedition gear to a remote part of our planet? Or someone who conducts a research project with as yet unknown results? And who brings news back about the findings? Maybe an explorer, or a discoverer. Lewis and Clark exploring the American West are rightfully called discoverers.

Think about it. No matter how much happiness human life may include, who wants the downsides of being mortal? Danger, disease, broken relationships, decline, death—no thanks.

It was both a vivid lesson in spiritual calm and a harbinger of workplace issues for senior workers. In an opening question to someone who had worked under considerable stress in a senior administrative position, I had asked, “What was it like to work in such intense times?”  After a pause he said, “I don’t live intensely.

When I was a kid we lived on a farm and it was my job to take care of the animals. There was one little rooster who was sure he was a terrorist (but he really was a chicken!) He would ruffle up his feathers so that he thought he was the size of a giant, put his head down, raise his wings just a little, and then charge me.

A friend of ours many years ago— “Mr. Schmidt”—was the only person I ever knew who’d actually met Mary Baker Eddy face to face.