Articles

Have you ever thought about how a symphony orchestra is like a church membership? Well, I certainly had never thought of it in that way, until driving home one night. I had been praying for some fresh inspiration when the thought came to turn on the radio and listen to a classical station.

Editor's note : Both the report of the Annual Meeting of The Mother Church in the July Journal, and the article "Why now?" in August raised three essential demands for the Church of Christ, Scientist, today. First, as it was made clear, this must be a Church that remains awake and active in facing head-on the impositions that would try to distance humanity from the saving Christ, Truth, which Christian Science is here to reveal.

Because I love what the periodicals stand for. I value them as an integral part of Mary Baker Eddy's demonstration of Church.

When Christ Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"   John 21:15 could he not have meant, "Simon, lovest thou Christliness more than worldliness?" This illustrates the need to gain a love for the things of Spirit and to base our love, not only for the Saviour but for everyone, on a spiritual foundation. The Leader of the Christian Science movement is Mary Baker Eddy, a devout follower of Christ Jesus.

One hundred years ago this month, the construction of the Original Edifice of The Mother Church in Boston was nearing completion. The author of the following article has spent a good deal of time in the Church History Department researching various aspects of this building project for a master's degree thesis in Historic Preservation.

Reading about Paul, what he endured and what he accomplished, one stands in awe that through all his distresses, setbacks, and tribulations, he stayed faithful to the vision of the Christ he had beheld on the road to Damascus. Throughout the world there are people wonderfully faithful to the vision of the Christ that has come to them at some period—perhaps in a crisis in their lives.

As members of The Mother Church, we are asked by our Leader to do special daily praying for ourselves. In the Manual of The Mother Church, Mary Baker Eddy says, "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind.

" Lighten up!" Could that be what God says when He creates the world? And the serpent who tempts Eve—is he "one bad dude"? This might sound light-years away from the Renaissance English of the King James Bible. And it is.

How many times have we wished we could take back words we've said, cancel reactions, perhaps even start a relationship over again? Most of us can probably think of quarrels we could have prevented by more patience, compassion, understanding, humor, or humility. While some believe that letting anger out is therapeutic, most people would probably agree that the genuine exercise of these gentler qualities is more likely to bring peaceful relations with others.

How often we hear it said that something is "just too good to be true" or that because things are going so well, something bad is bound to happen. And who can deny that one's experience and health are directly influenced by such expectations? As Job put it, "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.