IN a letter addressed to First Church of Christ, Scientist, Cleveland, Ohio (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 195), Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, has written, "The praiseworthy success of this church, and its united efforts to build an edifice in which to worship the infinite, sprang from the temples erected first in the hearts of its members—the unselfed love that builds without hands, eternal in the heaven of Spirit." An examination of this statement shows clearly that Mrs. Eddy considered church building in Christian Science not only as the work of a collective unit called church membership, but also as an experience of each individual member. With a multiplicity of pressing questions confronting the members of a church that is contemplating building its own church home, —questions of finance, the selecting of an architect, the choosing of the type of structure,—the truth of Mrs. Eddy's statement as quoted above may not always be immediately apparent. Yet our Leader knew whereof she spoke; and many a worker in Christian Science has come to see the wisdom and correctness of her words.
An understanding of her statement is of far-reaching importance to all members of a Christian Science organization; for it enables them to place the responsibility, so far as they are concerned, not alone in the board of trustees or the building committee or the finance committee, but primarily in their own thinking and living. The responsibility therefore consists not, primarily, in paying one's quota of contribution into the exchequer, or in helping to select the right architect, or in assisting to determine the type of structure. Important though these tasks be, it will be found that they are readily, normally, and logically performed when, and as soon as, the prime responsibility has been fulfilled, the responsibility, that is to say, of first erecting the temple in one's own heart.
What does it mean, then, to erect the church in one's own heart or consciousness? It means the exemplification by each member of the true concept of Church, as defined, in part, by Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 583): "The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick." The import of this exemplification may become clearer by following mentally the process of building.
The first task is that of excavating. Our duty is to excavate or remove from our consciousness any obstacle that may hide from our vision the true concept of Church, as further defined by our Leader as "the structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle" (ibid., p. 583). There is plenty of work here for most of us. It often requires perseverance and untiring effort to dislodge the roots of worldly ambition, fear, and other faults of character; work, sometimes hard and unremitting work, to lift and cast away the stones of self-love; and much patience, unselfishness, and love to bear the earthy burden of seeming wrongs, of persecution or ridicule. The beauty of this process of building is that we do not have to wait until all error is excavated before we can begin with the foundation. It is well to remember that it is futile to attempt to build on error; but it should be equally clear that we can always keep on building wherever there is a firm and sound foundation.
Some of the materials to be used for the foundation of our temple are loyalty to our Leader's teachings and conformity to the Rules and Bylaws of the Manual of The Mother Church. Without these no lasting foundation is possible. They help us to build a foundation consisting of the firm and abiding masonry of spiritual understanding. When Peter had gained the spiritual perception wherewith he could discern the Christ, or true Messiah, Jesus said to him, "I say ... unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Christ Jesus is the Way-shower, and we must strive to acquire the same understanding of God and man which he possessed. This is not presumptuous; for did not he enjoin us to do the works which he did, and did he not say that we should know the truth and the truth would make us free? To know the truth and to gain spiritual understanding are the same thing. As Jesus intimated, against that which rests foursquare upon the rock of spiritual understanding, the waves of error beat in vain.
After we have a foundation, we are ready for the superstructure. Here again we look to Christ Jesus, the master Builder, as our Example. In the whole structure of his ministry he exemplified, as no one ever did before or has done after him, the true concept of Church in his daily living. No one will question the utility of his work, or dispute the elevating influence of his teaching. His healings were not merely physical healings. In every instance they must have been accompanied by some degree of moral regeneration. Thus he roused "the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas." He demonstrated divine Science, "thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick." The superstructure, therefore, which we are to erect is not a cold, inanimate edifice of stone, brick, and mortar, but a beautiful, living temple, filled with the light of spiritual understanding and the warmth of love. Its walls are the ennobled and useful lives of regenerated men and women; its pillars their good deeds and healing works, the whole crowned with service to mankind.
We should guard against the temptation to think that the building process is at an end when the material edifice is completed. Jesus has given us a definite standard, and the spiritual temple will not be finished until that standard has been completely attained. It is the standard of perfection. Spiritual building, therefore, will continue until all error is destroyed and Jesus' command is fulfilled, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
