1. Subject: Is the activity of a clerk in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, merely clerical, or is it basically spiritual?
2. Purpose: We should never underestimate the healing power of divine Love. Surely the clerk's role can be an important harmonizing element in the church. With God's love for man as his or her motivation, every telephone call, every letter, every personal contact, can be made to be a blessing in some way. "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"Prov. 15:23; Think of the impact of a clerk's activities, when he or she remembers divine Love's motivation of man!
3. Elevation: Is the clerk working from an inspirational viewpoint? If so, the work will be unstrained. I once watched a helicopter lower a radio mast onto the roof of a very high building. How much easier, I thought, than trying to carry it laboriously up fifty floors, piece by piece!
To work this way, expressing God-given dominion, is the clerk's privilege. Only material sense classifies any church work as a tedious, laborious process. It doesn't have to be, and it's really not much benefit to anyone if it is. Each member needs to let his thought of the work rise to the proper sense of its healing import and underlying pure purpose. As he does this, the thrust of his efforts will inevitably be refined, elevating even the humblest task, and others will feel benefited.
4. Responsibility: Christ Jesus, who must have felt he had very responsible work, left clear guideposts: "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."John 5:30; The New English Bible puts it like this: "I cannot act by myself; I judge as I am bidden, and my sentence is just, because my aim is not my own will, but the will of him who sent me." Each church member—each officer—can listen for God's directing and act in response to it. Instead of pushing his way of doing things, he can feel the divine impulsion of God's will outlining each step. False responsibility and heavy burdens cannot weigh one down when unselfed purpose and spiritual sense are uppermost.
5. Communication: A member can utilize this office to bring the Christ-spirit to many not at present in the membership. A clerk is appointed or elected by an individual branch and aids it in its spiritual embrace of all mankind, far and wide. What scope for true communication! Such broad communication represents the action of infinite Truth and its ever-present, universal manifestation.
Proceeding from this basis, the clerk will make the church's messages courteous. Arrangements will represent the law of harmony. The substance of the correspondence will reflect the helpfulness of intelligent Mind. A clerk's work evidences the latter half of the definition of "Church" by our Leader, Mrs. Eddy: "The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick."Science and Health, p. 583;
6. Confidentiality: Ethics spring from Principle. Based on God's law, they are rules and guidelines whose motive is love. When attending meetings where discussions take place, the clerk can be a witness to the omniaction of Principle in operation. Accordingly, the clerk will be able to distinguish between what can be shared and what needs to be kept confidential.
7. Persistence: It takes persistent prayer to keep firmly in mind that church activity is primarily a spiritual demonstration, and not just routine efficiency. Let's ferret out the qualities that are the foundation of a clerk's work: diligence, thoughtfulness, attention to detail, care, and Christliness. These add to the vitality and healing impetus of the church. A clerk should know himself to be God's complete idea, His beloved child, expressing His qualities continually. The man of God's creation can't be rich in some qualities and short on others.
Mind reveals itself in perfect wisdom, unerring direction, clarity of thought, and strength. In this unity of Mind and its idea, man is continually sustained. In the midst of busy schedules, we can remember man's oneness with Mind. It takes only a moment to become conscious of Mind's presence, right here.
8.Protection: The mission of the church is central, and each member, including the clerk, supports it. He prays for himself and for the work in humble obedience to Mrs. Eddy's requirement in the Manual of The Mother Church: "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."Manual of The Mother Church, Art. VIII, Sect. 6; So a correct concept of Church as, in Mrs. Eddy's words, "the structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle,"Science and Health, p. 583; is more vital than the minutes taken. No appearance of limitation, no evidence that workers are unwilling or uncooperative, can separate the substance of Church from its infinite source in Life, Truth, and Love. Mrs. Eddy posed and answered this question in regard to defending our heritage: "How can we do this Christianly scientific work? By intrenching ourselves in the knowledge that our true temple is no human fabrication, but the superstructure of Truth, reared on the foundation of Love, and pinnacled in Life."Pulpit and Press, pp. 2-3;
Often the clerk, just as other members, can be a "practitioner" to a business meeting. The office of clerk requires every bit as prayerful an approach as that of chairperson or president. Animal magnetism would sometimes parade as conflicting personalities, apathy, or confusion. But evil suggestion has no power and has never had any. God is forever omnipotent good. Knowing this is each member's privilege and protection from believing in illusion. God is All, all power, always present, whatever the occasion.
9. Reward: One might well ask himself: Do I, as clerk, claim the reward for myself, and for my church?
My first experience as clerk was during the time when my family was very young and I had many commitments. But holding fast to the promise "The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust"Ruth 2:12; eliminated the temptation to believe in lack of time. The reward—for infinite Love, God, always blesses those who are in His service—was an increased awareness of previously unused God-given talents. Later this led to useful employment.
A clerk who sees the office in its spiritual significance will not make the mistake of accepting a superficial, limited potential for the job. Every aspect of our healing and saving church is designed to strengthen righteousness and holiness, individually and collectively. The clerk's position is no exception. "You have simply to preserve a scientific, positive sense of unity with your divine source, and daily demonstrate this," Mrs. Eddy tells us. "Then you will find that one is as important a factor as duodecillions in being and doing right, and thus demonstrating deific Principle."Pul., p. 4.
For your immediate attention.
