MANY branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, are concerned with the need of expanding and improving their accommodations. In one of these churches an inspirational meeting was held on the subject: Expansion versus Limitation.
In working metaphysically for this meeting, the author looked up in Webster the word "expansion" and found under the heading "mathematical" these words: "The developed result of an indicated operation." As she read this, she reasoned: Surely expansion is a natural concomitant of any Church of Christ, Scientist, which develops through the operation of love and healing among its members.
Our Leader tells us in Science and Health (p. 35), "Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love." We know that anything built on Love must be mental, a structure of consciousness—a continuous unfoldment, or expansion, of spiritual ideas, which alone bring healing. Then only in the measure that Truth and Love are demonstrated in the actions and lives of the individual members will a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, exemplify the spiritual idea of Church, referred to in the first part of the definition of "Church"' in the textbook, as, "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle" (p. 583). This structure is already complete. In proportion as love and healing prevail among the individual members of a branch church less limitation will be in evidence and visible expansion will take place.
