‘The majesty of Christian Science’ and its imperatives for our time

One master, three imperatives

Mrs. Eddy was keenly aware of the danger that any distractions from this spiritual demand would pose to her followers, to the Cause, and to humanity. For example, in the last decade of the 19th century, several of her students sought to acquire the house she had occupied in Lynn, Massachusetts, where she completed and published the first edition of Science and Health. At first Mrs. Eddy encouraged them. But later she changed her mind and telegraphed William B. Johnson, a Director and the Clerk of The Mother Church: “Ask members[—]through Lynn Estate [i.e., Lynn house] are you worshipping matter or spirit[?] you cannot serve two masters.” ⁶

Today, as we consider the implications of her admonition, we are convinced that this Church and its Cause—that of Christ-healing, which demonstrates the majesty of Christian Science so convincingly—will prosper in proportion as our Movement fulfills three imperatives that are foundational to the service of Spirit, God, alone:

• To grow into a fuller understanding of the might and majesty of Christian Science;
• To awaken to, and nullify, the carnal mind’s hatred of the Comforter; and

• To deepen our appreciation of Mrs. Eddy as the Discoverer of the Science of Christ, author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and Founder of the Church that shares this healing truth with humanity.

Implicit in all three of these imperatives is the rousing requirement that we recognize, and act on, our individual roles as healers in fulfilling the mission and destiny of this, the greatest and noblest of causes. Indeed, there is no life more exalted than a life in service to the one master instead of two.

It may seem that such a life is in constant conflict with the endless demands of modern existence. But our ability to sustain this consecration is deeply rooted in God’s tender care for each one of us. The Apostle Paul gently assured us, “. . . all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ⁷ Certainly the lives of many Christian Scientists humbly bear witness to this promise.

Where do we go from here?

This commitment to healing and to alertness has prompted the Board of Directors to take a closer look at the full range of Mother Church activities. What, we ask, should be continued because it is at the core of our mission, and what should be set aside? How can we utilize the members’ energies, devotion, and financial resources more efficiently, thoughtfully, wisely?

During the past year, our prayers over these questions have impelled us to take several important steps:

• Deepening our support of the vital healing activity of Christian Science practitioners;

• Supporting teachers as they daily recommit themselves to their Manual responsibilities of healing, teaching, and caring for pupils;
• Ensuring that every Mother Church activity and program actively supports spiritual healing.

As part of this renewed focus on the Church’s healing mission, we have also been giving careful thought to the 14-acre Christian Science Plaza in Boston. Currently, about 25 percent of the Church’s budget is consumed in caring for property. Over the next two years, we will consolidate the administrative offices and consider alternatives for vacated space, while retaining control over the entire Plaza.

This healing focus has also made us increasingly mindful of the importance of a right apprehension of Mary Baker Eddy as the Discoverer of Christian Science, as the one through whom this revelation of Christ-healing was given to the world. Mrs. Eddy herself repeatedly exhorted her followers to turn their focus away from her human experience and toward the spiritual import of her life’s work. In a letter to a clergyman, she wrote, “Those who look for me in person, or elsewhere than in my writings, lose me instead of find me.” ⁸

In light of this statement, we have asked ourselves, What priority should be given to repairing and maintaining Mrs. Eddy’s former homes in Chestnut Hill and Lynn, Massachusetts? How do those multi-million-dollar expenditures compare with spending that directly supports—and, in fact, advances—the Church’s core mission of healing? Is preservation of the homes the most obedient use she would have us make of Church resources?

As we’ve seen, our Leader’s own thought about her Lynn home clearly shifted over time. In 1901, she again expressed interest in the preservation of the home. By 1910, however, when she was asked by the home’s owner if she wished “to take any action with regard to the future of this house,” a secretary scrawled across the envelope: “Mrs. E is not interested.” ⁹

It’s also useful to consider that in 1917, a Christian Science Board of Directors comprised of five individuals who had served directly under Mrs. Eddy, elected to raze “Pleasant View,” the one home she truly loved, in Concord, New Hampshire.

An important step

We all understand that not a single carpentry tool, not a single thread of clothes, remains from Christ Jesus. Yet his life and teaching are the most vital on earth today. If in the millennia to come, no artifact from our Leader’s human career remains, her teachings and life-purpose will still resonate through human hearts to the degree they are spiritually understood and interpreted.

Dear friends and fellow laborers in this most vital Cause on earth, we encourage you to join us in prayerfully considering this key question: If these former homes will not, in the future, be necessary to salvation, and if they are not now necessary to salvation for millions in the world who never will travel to New England, are they, or will they ever be, essential to the core work of this Church that is so inseparably bonded to the pure spirituality that underlies Christly healing?

After thoroughly considering this fundamental question, we have concluded that the most obedient and progressive step is to sell our Leader’s former homes in Lynn and Chestnut Hill. This has not been an easy decision. It has evolved over an extended period and with tender sympathy for those with affectionate attachment to the residences. Issues involving their contents and Mrs. Eddy’s other artifacts will be sorted out step by step over time according to curatorial standards.

In accord with provisions of her Deed of Trust and the Manual of The Mother Church, neither the Church edifices on the Plaza nor the First Reader’s residence at 385 Commonwealth Avenue, which is a former home of Mrs. Eddy, will ever be considered for sale.

Leaving all for Christ

Mrs. Eddy indicated that “we are not Christian Scientists until we leave all for Christ.” ¹⁰ Is this an unrealistic call? Not at all. She assured us, “. . . whosoever layeth his earthly all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ’s cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing.” ¹¹ As a Movement, we are reawakening to more active steps in this direction. Over the past year, for the first time in decades, more Christian Science practitioners have begun advertising in The Christian Science Journal than have left it.

We expect more signs of spiritual progress as each of us sacrifices material states of thought (and sometimes the “things” they represent), and discerns more fully the enormity of what this revelation of Christian Science means to each individual and the world. Two of those signs surely will be “a great revival of mutual love, prosperity, and spiritual power” ¹² in our Cause, and “a higher humanity.” ¹³

Mrs. Eddy sensed humanity’s perpetual desire for good, and its intuitive awareness that good is a universal divine right. “This age is reaching out towards the perfect Principle of things . . . ,” ¹⁴ she wrote. And she did not hesitate to assert that her discovery, Christian Science, was exactly what mankind was reaching for, setting it boldly before humanity as “the greatest and holiest of all causes.” She charged her followers to heed God’s call to give it “fervent devotion and an absolute consecration . . . .” ¹⁵

Without question, Christian Science is great beyond words. It has sovereignty from God Himself, with authority and power expressed through authentic Christly healing. It is magnificent beyond any man-made theology or institution. Again, Mrs. Eddy proclaimed, “. . . the majesty of Christian Science teaches the majesty of man.” ¹⁶ Its destiny is to encircle the globe and embrace all men, women, and children with genuine spiritual healing. Our willingness to leave all for Christ imbues us with the spirit of greatness that immeasurably advances the fulfillment of this destiny.

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

¹ Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 177. ² Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 55. ³ Ibid., p. 107. ⁴ The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 188. ⁵ Manual of The Mother Church, Art. XXX, Sect. 7. ⁶ Mary Baker Eddy to William B. Johnson, March 16, 1896, L01156, The Mary Baker Eddy Collection. ⁷ Romans 8:28. ⁸ Miscellany, p. 120. ⁹ L18084, The Mary Baker Eddy Collection. ¹⁰ Science and Health, p.

192. ¹¹ Ibid., p. 55. ¹² Retrospection and Introspection, p. 44. ¹³ Science and Health, p.

571. ¹⁴ Miscellaneous Writings, p. 232. ¹⁵ Ibid., p. 177. ¹⁶ Miscellany, p. 188.

4/16/06