Our great Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, constantly listened for the still small voice of Truth, and when this voice told her to establish Christian Science lectures, she recognized the message as emanating from God, infinite Mind. Whatever emanates from Mind has a spiritual origin; it is clothed with inspiration and power and operates under Mind's directing.
Because it was divine guidance which Mrs. Eddy followed in establishing Christian Science lectures, we may consider each and every lecture as our opportunity to support and forward, protect and cherish, our Leader's demonstration. We must love our Leader's demonstration in order to forward it from the foundation on which she established it. Love for God and man, love for every divine idea which God revealed to her, was the basis of all our Leader's work. Without love for a Christian Science lecture, one would lack the very quality which had so big a part in Mrs. Eddy's demonstration. Love for a Christian Science lecture makes no efforts to forward it too great.
The Master recognized the ever-presence and omnipotence of divine control, and accepted no other. Knowing that he was subject to this control, he always was where Mind directed him to be; he always did that which Mind inspired him to do; and he always said what Mind guided him to say. Mrs. Eddy proved that no phase of error could come between her demonstration of establishing the Christian Science organization and Mind's divine control.
Now it is our work to prove that no argument of error can separate a Christian Science lecture or lecture preparation from this divine control. Christian Science teaches that there is only one Mind and gives no power to the belief that mortal mind, a suppositional mind with no intelligence to operate, can through any argument or activity interrupt divine control.
In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 199), "The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible." By our devoting consecrated thought to lecture preparation and identifying this activity with the potency of Mind and the all-power of Love, we shall achieve success in this work, and we shall forward our Leader's demonstration with the same fidelity and love that we would if she were personally watching our work. Paul counseled his followers to let their obedience be much more in his absence than in his presence (Phil. 2:12).
A Christian Science lecture is founded on the Rock, Christ, and this foundation cannot be undermined by any phase of evil, or animal magnetism. Hatred of Truth, the anti-Christ, cannot block its holy work. Divine control cannot be interrupted by mortal mind's misconception of control. Lecture preparation is inspiring work because the idea which it unfolds is a divine idea, just as loving one's neighbor as oneself is a divine idea; and a divine idea cannot be blocked in its activity and accomplishment. What if spiritualism, hypnotism, and other activities of the carnal mind, antagonistic to the Christ, do claim power to block the progress of lecture preparation? That claiming does not give them power or presence. It is the attraction of Spirit which draws people to a Christian Science lecture, and in preparation work this fact should be mentally stressed, and the belief that apathy, lack of interest, and counterattractions can check spiritual attraction should be denied.
It is natural for the spiritually-minded, who wish to know more about God and His Christ, about Love and its blessings, to seek new lines of thought. It is natural for those discouraged by failures, disappointments, and lack, and those burdened by material possessions and weary of material pastimes, to become dissatisfied with life as they know it and to welcome the liberating messages which a Christian Science lecture brings. It is the Christ which leads to our lectures those seeking the Christ.
All human footsteps necessary for constructive lecture preparation, such as sending out invitations, personally inviting friends and acquaintances and perhaps bringing them with us to the lecture, newspaper and radio advertising, and the like, should give proof of the Scientists' having placed themselves under the control of infinite intelligence, wisdom, and Love. Under wisdom's control no unwise decisions will be made, no personal opinions will hold sway, and every detail will be divinely directed. Each Christian Scientist can aid in this work by refuting all arguments which would bring inharmony to a lecture, such as coughing and sneezing, late arriving, delays, and other suggestions of mortal mind. No point is too small or too great for the one Mind to control harmoniously. What more could one ask than the opportunity of placing the entire event under the control of infinite wisdom and ever-present Love?
The purpose of a Christian Science lecture is to lead mankind out of the darkness of human beliefs into the light of spiritual facts, to set forth the perfect man of God's creating, his holiness, his immortality. Every activity functioning under the Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy was established for the purpose of bringing the healing truth to mankind. Spiritual healing is the greatest work there is and was demonstrated supremely by the Master. Mrs. Eddy says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 370): "In different ages the divine idea assumes different forms, according to humanity's needs. In this age it assumes, more intelligently than ever before, the form of Christian healing." Then she counsels, "This is the babe we are to cherish." Our mental work should be so well done that not one will leave the lecture unsatisfied. Let us expect that the blind will go out seeing, the deaf hearing, the sinner reformed, and the sick well.
Paul, in the presence of King Agrippa, asked (Acts 26:8), "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" Let us ask, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with us that God should heal everyone?"
Each and every church member has the opportunity to do his share of prayerful work for the lecture. Many loving, loyal hearts working to forward our Leader's demonstration will add to the success and healing fruitage of the lecture. Let us not wait until the day of the lecture to handle the belief that the weather may keep people away. We all know that in Christian Science we do not work for fair weather or foul, for warm weather or cold, but for God's divine control to be made manifest. In our work for the lecture we need not outline how God is to work. We need only to see clearly enough that He governs. Then the conditions will be right and the fruitage not limited. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 544), "All is under the control of the one Mind, even God."
When lecturing, I once found myself in a situation where because of a blizzard no trains were running, no planes had taken off for thirty-six hours, and from every human aspect it looked as if I would not be able to reach my destination. In the lobby of the small hotel where I was staying there were about fifteen people gathered, hoping for transportation. In the middle of the afternoon a report came over the telephone that no trains would run, no planes would fly, until the following day—and the lecture was to be held that evening. I sat in the lobby working to the best of my understanding, mentally declaring that the lecture was under God's divine control; that Mrs. Eddy was God's messenger to this and all ages to come; that the establishing of Christian Science lectures was her demonstration; and that I could not be made to believe that God could not or would not take me to my destination.
At this point an individual wholly unknown to me turned to me and said: "Although I have lived in this town all my life, and for the last twenty-four hours have been eager for transportation, I have only just this minute remembered a very small local airway company. If I could get you a reservation on a plane, would you like to have it?" Of course I recognized this as God's way of enabling me to deliver the lecture, and I was not surprised when this person brought me a reservation. Although there were others to whom this person might have spoken about a reservation, he spoke only to me, showing that he had responded to the truth which I had been declaring.
When I arrived at my destination and telephoned the clerk of the church sponsoring the joint lecture and said, "I am here," the clerk replied, "I knew you would be here." To many people who had telephoned during the day and said, "Isn't it dreadful that the lecturer is marooned by a blizzard?" this clerk, holding to the fact that the lecture was under God's divine control, replied, "She will be here." I know that God did the work; but I was grateful that I had identified the lecture and trip with Mind's divine control.
Perhaps it may be said that the most important part of lecture preparation is to listen for the still small voice, that the work may be done so well that our Leader's demonstration in establishing Christian Science lectures will be protected and forwarded.
