Daily to become increasingly aware of the true meaning of Church is a wonderful experience. To some new students of Christian Science, church is simply a house of worship, where those who study Christian Science attend Sunday services and Wednesday meetings. Although the writer was reared in a Christian Science home and attended Sunday School and church services regularly, she entertained this concept of church until circumstances necessitated deeper study.
When one believes that church is a building, an organization, a service only, he may not feel any particular compunction to assume his responsibility in its behalf. Material-mindedness may suggest that there will be plenty of time at a later date to do church work or that others really like to work in church, so why not let them carry on? When one believes that church is material, then other so-called material beliefs such as geographical location, opposition in the home, family responsibilities, and the desire to have fun while one is young seem more real and necessary to one's happiness than does church work.
But the awakening comes when one begins to discover the deep, illuminating truths given by Mary Baker Eddy in her definition of "Church" in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." The definition is composed of two parts. The first one reads (p. 583): "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle." "The structure of Truth and Love" is a spiritually mental concept, for Truth and Love are names for God; and God, Spirit, Truth, Love, could not constitute or build anything unlike Himself—unlike Spirit. Through Mrs. Eddy's inspired definition we see that Church, or "whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle," is inviolate, indestructible, triumphant, and is not waiting to be built; it is a spiritual concept, simply awaiting our acceptance.
