KA2024 Closing
LIVING for all MANKIND at a time of GREAT OPPORTUNITY
A friend was discouraged by the diminishing number of church members and concerned that fewer people have even heard about Christian Science. He surmised that it is just a hard time to be a Christian Scientist now.
Hmmmmmmm. I had just the exact opposite view. Why would it be hard? Maybe if one was thinking of a glorified past, that would make it a hard time to be a Christian Scientist. There is nothing overtly wrong with wanting fuller churches, of course. But the subtle danger of it is that it can bring a complacency and a stifling nostalgia.
One spiritual thinker states: “Complacency has killed many institutions. Pursuing vibrant, thoughtful, energetic, and dynamic participation in a community leads to a deeper pursuit of mission and a deeper awareness of the possibilities that exist to make an impact where you want to make an impact.” https://douglaskwilliams.com/2018/07/30/the-spiritual-discipline-of-learning-a-language/
And I think it is this view of a Christian Scientist and the world today that makes this a dynamic and thrilling time to be a Christian Scientist.
It's about more than just attending church services; it's about being actively involved in the healing of ourselves, others and our communities, constantly seeking to deepen our understanding of God and Christ’s teachings.
To be a Christian Scientist is to really understand what we are doing—to do the work Jesus taught his disciples to do—with a pure heart, willingly, expectantly, and, yes, joyfully. It is like Christ has given us the teacher’s answer sheet and we know how to work out any problem.
In other addresses and in PC, we talked about our CSPS products’s mission as a way to frame the profile of a CSist today
These products - inspired, groundbreaking, and award-winning sources whose consistency has fed the spiritually curious and healing activist for decades - and the enabling by-laws of our Manual continue to point us in directions that build the momentum of a radical philanthropy and a transforming theology. “This movement of thought must push on the ages: it must start the wheels of reason aright, educate the affections to higher resources, and leave Christianity unbiased by the superstitions of a senior period.” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 235:21)
One of the most rewarding experiences has been reaching out to others in need of healing. Whether it's through reading groups or participating in community initiatives, setting up a part-time practice - or full time - or caring for others at church and individually – the demand for spiritual healing is real, and it's something we can be deeply passionate about addressing.
"Never was there a more solemn and imperious (ie. domineering) call than God makes to us all right here, for fervent devotion and an absolute consecration to the greatest and holiest of all causes. The hour is come. The great battle of Armageddon is upon us." Mary Baker Eddy writes in (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 177): it concludes: 'What will you do about it?
How do we answer that solemn question? The foundation of that answer is an answer to another question - What cannot God do? God is omnipotent Love, omnipresent Truth and it follows that those things that are not of Love and Truth, have no power, so no substance or authority. Thus, with God, all things are possible. As we reflect God, we also can experience the infinite possibilities to be and do good.
So, what we do in times of great unrest is to lean on God, trust God, and act in accordance with God’s leading to love one another earnestly and fervently, and to do good works –especially in the face of the most seemingly insurmountable evils.
“This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. ... The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 96)
Waking up from the dullness of feeling helpless and overwhelmed by actions that scramble and hypnotize thinking, we find Christ’s way to be a clear and distinctive force for good in the world. Here are three ways:
Lean on God
We can be a witness to the fact that God is one God: all-powerful, universal, ever-present, and omniscient. To understand God as the only power is to refuse to give power to evil by fearing it or feeding into it. “ In Science, you can have no power opposed to God, ... Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. The good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 192)
We affirm the supremacy of good, one God, in whom all things are possible. We consent to seeing the effect of one harmonious, universal God in the end of wars, to establishing human justice and social codes that pattern the divine, and to supporting systems of governance facilitating equality and equity.
Loving one another earnestly and fervently
There is a boldness in following Christ Jesus, who taught that to love your neighbor as yourself is a radical act. Loving one another - including loving one’s enemies- is sourced in the foundational element of being, which is divine Love. Because we love one another, we are awake to the mental nature of these “conflicting forces” and can witness and affirm that Love is a powerful neutralizer of evil. Like light, it shines on some of the darkest places of fear, exposing darkness and dissolving it. You cannot fear at the same time you love, as love and fear are incompatible. Loving your enemies removes the fear and makes room for reform.
Revolutionary philanthropy
Philanthropy is revolutionary as it breaks through complacency and apathy with an unselfed love that dares to care for others in the face of lack, injustice, and war. It brings us into engagement. “God gives the lesser idea of Himself for a link to the greater, and in return, the higher always protects the lower.”It is this link that impels human action. “The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.” ( Science and Health, p. 518:13)
Love for God and for one another leads to the right and effective human footsteps. Giving of our prayer, time, and resources comes from the abundance of God’s love in which we are enriched, not depleted, as divine Love provides the ideas and opportunities to meet every human need.
And because all things are possible under God’s supreme governance, we can answer the question, “What will we do about it?” WE WILL LOVE - and we’ll do it with a heartfelt and earnest devotion to the divine Principle of Love. Every effort to do good, no matter how small or big, has behind it God’s infinite, inexhaustible, and triumphant love.
Now is the time to pray and act with humility, courage, and conviction.
Now is the time to take on Mrs. Eddy’s words:
“As you journey, and betimes sigh for rest “beside the still waters,” ponder this lesson of love. Learn its purpose; and in hope and faith, where heart meets heart reciprocally blest, drink with me the living waters of the spirit of my life-purpose, — to impress humanity with the genuine recognition of practical, operative Christian Science.” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 206:32) SLIDE 28
And now is the time to recommit to loving God wholeheartedly, loving ourselves consistently, and finding satisfaction and adventure in living for all mankind!
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank you all for this most honored privilege of being here together with you all!
LIVING for all MANKIND at a time of GREAT OPPORTUNITY
A friend was discouraged by the diminishing number of church members and concerned that fewer people have even heard about Christian Science. He surmised that it is just a hard time to be a Christian Scientist now.
Hmmmmmmm. I had just the exact opposite view. Why would it be hard? Maybe if one was thinking of a glorified past, that would make it a hard time to be a Christian Scientist. There is nothing overtly wrong with wanting fuller churches, of course. But the subtle danger of it is that it can bring a complacency and a stifling nostalgia.
One spiritual thinker states: “Complacency has killed many institutions. Pursuing vibrant, thoughtful, energetic, and dynamic participation in a community leads to a deeper pursuit of mission and a deeper awareness of the possibilities that exist to make an impact where you want to make an impact.” https://douglaskwilliams.com/2018/07/30/the-spiritual-discipline-of-learning-a-language/
And I think it is this view of a Christian Scientist and the world today that makes this a dynamic and thrilling time to be a Christian Scientist.
It's about more than just attending church services; it's about being actively involved in the healing of ourselves, others and our communities, constantly seeking to deepen our understanding of God and Christ’s teachings.
To be a Christian Scientist is to really understand what we are doing—to do the work Jesus taught his disciples to do—with a pure heart, willingly, expectantly, and, yes, joyfully. It is like Christ has given us the teacher’s answer sheet and we know how to work out any problem.
In other addresses and in PC, we talked about our CSPS products’s mission as a way to frame the profile of a CSist today
- Well grounded in the Bible Lessons, we are learning from our Pastor every day, with a lesson that is the bedrock of the prosperity of our movement.
- With the credibility of our trade journal—The Christian Science Journal—and the watchful relevance of the CS Sentinel, we are additionally charged with ensuring Christian Science's universal accessibility through the mission of the Heralds.
- We are held to the proof of what we are learning and the effect of our prayer on all mankind by keeping abreast of the times, engaging with the issues of the day, praying for them, and expecting to see and support humanity’s points of progress with the help of our Christian Science Monitor.
These products - inspired, groundbreaking, and award-winning sources whose consistency has fed the spiritually curious and healing activist for decades - and the enabling by-laws of our Manual continue to point us in directions that build the momentum of a radical philanthropy and a transforming theology. “This movement of thought must push on the ages: it must start the wheels of reason aright, educate the affections to higher resources, and leave Christianity unbiased by the superstitions of a senior period.” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 235:21)
One of the most rewarding experiences has been reaching out to others in need of healing. Whether it's through reading groups or participating in community initiatives, setting up a part-time practice - or full time - or caring for others at church and individually – the demand for spiritual healing is real, and it's something we can be deeply passionate about addressing.
"Never was there a more solemn and imperious (ie. domineering) call than God makes to us all right here, for fervent devotion and an absolute consecration to the greatest and holiest of all causes. The hour is come. The great battle of Armageddon is upon us." Mary Baker Eddy writes in (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 177): it concludes: 'What will you do about it?
How do we answer that solemn question? The foundation of that answer is an answer to another question - What cannot God do? God is omnipotent Love, omnipresent Truth and it follows that those things that are not of Love and Truth, have no power, so no substance or authority. Thus, with God, all things are possible. As we reflect God, we also can experience the infinite possibilities to be and do good.
So, what we do in times of great unrest is to lean on God, trust God, and act in accordance with God’s leading to love one another earnestly and fervently, and to do good works –especially in the face of the most seemingly insurmountable evils.
“This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. ... The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 96)
Waking up from the dullness of feeling helpless and overwhelmed by actions that scramble and hypnotize thinking, we find Christ’s way to be a clear and distinctive force for good in the world. Here are three ways:
Lean on God
We can be a witness to the fact that God is one God: all-powerful, universal, ever-present, and omniscient. To understand God as the only power is to refuse to give power to evil by fearing it or feeding into it. “ In Science, you can have no power opposed to God, ... Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. The good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 192)
We affirm the supremacy of good, one God, in whom all things are possible. We consent to seeing the effect of one harmonious, universal God in the end of wars, to establishing human justice and social codes that pattern the divine, and to supporting systems of governance facilitating equality and equity.
Loving one another earnestly and fervently
There is a boldness in following Christ Jesus, who taught that to love your neighbor as yourself is a radical act. Loving one another - including loving one’s enemies- is sourced in the foundational element of being, which is divine Love. Because we love one another, we are awake to the mental nature of these “conflicting forces” and can witness and affirm that Love is a powerful neutralizer of evil. Like light, it shines on some of the darkest places of fear, exposing darkness and dissolving it. You cannot fear at the same time you love, as love and fear are incompatible. Loving your enemies removes the fear and makes room for reform.
Revolutionary philanthropy
Philanthropy is revolutionary as it breaks through complacency and apathy with an unselfed love that dares to care for others in the face of lack, injustice, and war. It brings us into engagement. “God gives the lesser idea of Himself for a link to the greater, and in return, the higher always protects the lower.”It is this link that impels human action. “The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.” ( Science and Health, p. 518:13)
Love for God and for one another leads to the right and effective human footsteps. Giving of our prayer, time, and resources comes from the abundance of God’s love in which we are enriched, not depleted, as divine Love provides the ideas and opportunities to meet every human need.
And because all things are possible under God’s supreme governance, we can answer the question, “What will we do about it?” WE WILL LOVE - and we’ll do it with a heartfelt and earnest devotion to the divine Principle of Love. Every effort to do good, no matter how small or big, has behind it God’s infinite, inexhaustible, and triumphant love.
Now is the time to pray and act with humility, courage, and conviction.
Now is the time to take on Mrs. Eddy’s words:
“As you journey, and betimes sigh for rest “beside the still waters,” ponder this lesson of love. Learn its purpose; and in hope and faith, where heart meets heart reciprocally blest, drink with me the living waters of the spirit of my life-purpose, — to impress humanity with the genuine recognition of practical, operative Christian Science.” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 206:32) SLIDE 28
And now is the time to recommit to loving God wholeheartedly, loving ourselves consistently, and finding satisfaction and adventure in living for all mankind!
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank you all for this most honored privilege of being here together with you all!
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