The objective of those who agree to form what is called an organization is to advance a common purpose by collective action.
The Christian Science church is such an organization. The objective of our great Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, in first forming it is thus stated by her: "At a meeting of the Christian Scientist Association, on April 12, 1879, it was voted to organize a church to commemorate the words and works of our Master, a Mind-healing church, without a creed, to be called the Church of Christ, Scientist, the first such church ever organized" (Retrospection and Introspection, pp. 43,44).
The verb "commemorate," which she here uses to define the organization's purpose, means "to call to remembrance." Christ Jesus used the phrase meaning "to bring to remembrance" in his prophecy of the coming of Christian Science. Said he, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).
The common purpose of The Mother Church and its branches is, through intelligently ordered collective action, to bring to the remembrance of the world today the vital scientific truths of being which the Master taught and to prove by healing works that the Mind-healing he practiced is Truth's way for freeing mankind from mortality and all its woes.
Human organization is not a spiritual idea. It is not a concept of divine Mind; it is a concept of the human mind. But in the present state of human thought, which is only beginning to discern the perfection of the divine order and is taking the first steps toward demonstrating it, human organization, when subordinated to the divine purpose, becomes a useful means of advancing that purpose. Indeed, at this stage it is essential for the advancement of the teachings of the Master and of Christian Science and for the fulfillment of God's purpose to enlighten and heal mankind. Our organization, evolved through the revelation and inspiration which came to Mrs. Eddy, through prayer, as the human method best suited to serve the divine intent, disseminates by orderly and the most effective human means the truths of divine Science and protects these truths from adulteration.
In all collective human effort there must be some surrender of personal prerogatives and preferences. Nations are beginning to see that the desire of most of them for a more stable world order can be accomplished only by some sacrifice of national sovereignty to a world authority acting for the common good. So in our organization we recognize that the accomplishing of our purpose calls for the willingness of each individual member to abide by the orderly methods adopted in the branch churches by the majority and defined for The Mother Church in its Manual.
The organs of the human body function more and more harmoniously as the individual's thought realizes more clearly the allness of God, Mind, and His manifestation and the consequent nothingness of mortal mind and its material concepts. Material belief is subdued, subjugated, and controlled by the individual's measurable understanding of the almightiness of God and His absolute control of man. The subjugation of matter is a necessary prelude to its annihilation.
So with a human organization, it, like the human body, becomes increasingly subservient to a worthy objective as all individuals in it realize the spiritual fact as to order, law, action, and relationship. The argument of error, mortal mind, that there are conflicting wills, hurt feelings, unfair viewpoints, must be seen as no part of the divine order or of God's man and without place in an organization raised up to serve the divine will.
The truth should be realized by each individual that the only real life of all is spiritual; that God, infinite Mind, is the source of all true consciousness and identity and unites in harmony all individual manifestations of Life, holding all in that perfectly ordered relatedness and co-ordination of thought and action which is based on the God-constituted oneness of being. Not many wills have place in reality's realm or in Truth's Church, but one will only, the divine will. Its control is absolute; its direction and management are unerring.
There is no rivalry, no personal ambition, no reaching for place or power, in God's kingdom or God's Church. One idea is not controlled by, nor are its opportunities for infinite progression dependent on, another or others. God is over all, and to all God is ever giving loving recognition, right activity, and harmonious relationship. In proportion as these spiritual facts about the one true Church are realized, increased harmony appears in our human organization.
If one wishes to serve God and his brother man, he can best do so by aligning his thought and life with the most important human organization in the world, The Mother Church. His decision to support and be active in furthering its purposes is an index of whether he sees our Leader's great vision for human salvation. She made the organization formed at her command and governed by the Manual of God's revealing to her the vehicle to accomplish the most constructive purpose of human history, even the spiritualizing of the consciousness of all mankind, thereby establishing health, holiness, immortality— the kingdom of God on earth.
Every individual member of The Mother Church and a branch church has an important contribution to make to the harmony, unity, and progress of the organization. It is not merely for the officers and employees, but equally for every member, to contribute the prayerful realization of those spiritual truths which will make the organization in every detail God's instrument of righteousness and subordinate to His will.
Having one's name on the roll, giving financial support, serving when called on, are all ways of aiding. But systematic, prayerful thought for our organization, realizing that it exists to fulfill the divine purpose and that God is over all, directing, judging, seeing, hearing, and acting in and through all its officers, employees, and membership, is a mighty power to bring to it the protection and direction of the Most High. As a hymn puts it:
"One holy church, one army strong,
One steadfast high intent,
One working band, one harvest song,
One King omnipotent."
