METAPHYSICAL MEETING, September 20, 2010
Topic
The permanence of church
Call to the meeting
Our subject for the metaphysical meeting on Monday, September 20, is "The Permanence of Church." The first part of the definition of Church in the glossary of Science and Health conveys the permanence of divine Principle:
CHURCH. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle.
Here, we have an immovable and unchangeable foundation from which to act. The basis of law, spiritual, moral, statutory, is the concept developed in an article by DeWitt John, titled "Our Leader's Continuing Leadership." The article can be found in the 1985 edition of the pamphlet, The Permanency of The Mother Church and its Manual, and the original source of the article is the April 25, 1983 issue of the C.S. Sentinel.
"O Lord how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day," we read in Psalms. So, is it the law, the divine Principle underlying Church that we love?
1) How would you describe this law and what do you love about it?
In the second part of the definition of Church, we find the action of this law being manifest in our local churches, families, and communities:
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 a prehension of spiritual ideas and the emonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.
This portion of the definition has much to do with change and we need to ask ourselves:
2) What is it that makes us uncomfortable about change in our church?
and
3) What would make change easier?
You may find it helpful to study the DeWitt John article as well as the other articles in The Permanency of the The Mother Church and its Manual. There are three editions of this pamphlet and the Reading Room will make a few copies available as well as a few copies of the DeWitt John article. You may also like to explore these concepts using concordances or Concord in order to answer the three questions raised.
See you on September 20. Joyful studying!
P.S.: Additional articles recommended for study in preparation for this meeting:
1. William E. Moody, “Church: The Form of Change and the Continuity of Structure”, C.S. Journal Vol. 110, July 1992, page 18
2. J. Thomas Black, “God's Winds of Change”, C.S. Journal Vol. 115, June 1997, page 4
3. Nathan Talbot, “Structure and its eternal renewal”, C.S. Journal Vol. 101, April 1983, page 227
Also see the Wednesday readings for September 8, 2010, on the subject: The active permanence of church
Readings
(1) Ps 102:25-27
(2) Ex 20:16
(3) Is 1:11 (to?), 13,17,18
(4) Matt 5:20 I say
(5) Matt 6:16-18
(6) Heb 12:1,2 (to;),26-28
(1) 224:22-28
(2) 540:9-18
(3) 354:14
(4) 37:25-4
(1) Mis. 98:25-2
(2) Mis. 91:13
(3) No. 33:23-13
Member contribution A
1) How would you describe this law and what do you love about it?
What makes the Church of Christ, Scientist, so radically different from other churches is that it promotes the spirituality that is divine Science, Christian Science. This is the Holy Ghost defined in the Glossary of Science and Health as: “Divine Science; the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love.” This understanding of eternal Life obliterates the mortal sense of time, with its basis of material growth and decay, the counterfeit of Spirit’s substance, Soul’s unbounded blossom, and Truth’s joyous, constant nowness. And counterfeits have no worth;there is true value only in the genuine article.
The point about divine Science is that it is practical, it is what we learn in Christian Science as the way to think about everything we perceive, everything we decide, and everything we value. There is no corporeality in this divine law of Life, Truth, and Love, but just an ever-present glow of absolute Spirit.
Realizing in divine Science these laws of substance and Life, we are safe, we have the permanency of Principle supporting our being and activities, and we have the grandeur of immortal Mind to intelligently direct our experience. This going forward consists of the eliminating of material beliefs and their earth-bound shackles, and thereby proclaims and uncovers our spiritual freedom, our divine dominion, which rest for ever in the harmonious satisfaction of God’s law.
2) What is it that makes us uncomfortable about change in our church?
The wording of this question warrants careful consideration. Science and Health states: “For this Principle [divine Science] there is no dynasty, no ecclesiastical monopoly. Its only crowned had is the spiritualized man.” (141:17-19). In Hymn 64 we sing: “From sense to Soul my pathway lies before me.”
The only true change is the increasing manifestation of divine law in response to spiritual growth. Today Christianity is under attack from a materially oriented world trying to proclaim the arrival of a post-Christian era. This type of material thought indeed finds relief from some of the less helpful concepts of what we know as traditional Christianity, but an understanding of man’s purely spiritual nature is a higher calling that requires a fundamental change of thought.
The truly needed change is increased spirituality, based on divine Science, not a whimsical mental phenomenon that leaves us steeped in material constraints. The human mind so easily finds itself satisfied with the comforts of its material circumstances, where it even feels a safety that masks its limitations. Each of us needs to become less satisfied with our material status quo, and become more adept at applying the rigors of Science to every expectation and each step we take. Then we open the door to new opportunities as we realize the expanse of Spirit and the comfort of divine Love, a permanence that is foundational in our church.
3) What would make change easier?
Bearing in mind that the only real change is a growth in spiritual understanding, it is helpful to see that we cannot remain in a material mentality and progress. It is normal and necessary for everyone to progress to a higher understanding and demonstration.
Science and Health states: “If mortals are not progressive, past failures will be repeated until all wrong work is effected or rectifies … If at present content with idleness, we must become dissatisfied with it” (240:18-24).
That idleness that so easily consumes the human mind — both innocently and ignorantly — is not our true being. It’s also not true about our community, including those for whom our church is a fine spiritual home. Yes, there is work to be done, and it is always in our own thought, to be conscious increasingly of our sonship with immortal Mind, the ever-present embrace of divine Love. Seeing the absolute presence and goodness of Spirit involves awareness of the clarity and exactness of spiritual perception, the faculties of Spirit that are never dormant and always functioning with precision. We each reflect this divine working, and our church is evidence of Truth, Live, and Love manifest within and for God’s children.
Increased spiritual growth always occurs as we give up the imperfect view of ourselves, our church, and our community, and perceive mankind as the spiritual man of God’s creating, — which he always is, and always has been. That is the permanency reflected from “The structure of Truth and Love.”
Member contribution B
1. How would you describe this [God’s] law [divine Principle underlying Church] and what do you love about it?
God’s law is immutable, unchangeable. The Ten Commandments are a concise summary of His law and are today a standard of rules by which to live. When obeyed completely, they not only keep us out of trouble, but they heal through the understanding that there really is only one God. The appearance of the Messiah as Jesus is the fulfillment in the New Testament of the Old Testament Law. He taught and demonstrated how obedience to God’s law heals. He also taught the added dimension of love in his two great commandments, which summarize the Old Testament Ten: love God, love your neighbor. I can give plenty of examples where things would have gone more smoothly if I had first asked myself how a particular action demonstrated my love for God and my neighbor.
Today, we see God’s law fulfilled through Christian Science, as was promised by Jesus. Mrs. Eddy makes many references to Science being the unchangeable law of God, of Life, Truth, and Love, in which the “supposed laws of matter yield to the law of Mind.” (484:9-11)
Material laws, on the other hand, are changeable, subject to mortal opinions, and try to impose themselves on the real man. For every “good” material law, there is a spiritual counterfact. An example might be traffic laws. The spiritual qualities they represent are things like safety, orderliness, obedience, respect, courtesy, and so on. For so-called “bad” material laws, we need to see the truth, as in, for example, health laws, heredity, little “s” science in may respects (e.g. with respect to the environment), economic laws, ecclesiastical law, to name a few. As Christian Scientists, we vehemently defend ourselves against the effects of every so-called material law.
So, what do I love about the divine Principle underlying Church? That it is unchangeable, yet always fresh in its originality; that it is universal and is accessible to God’s entire creation; that it heals.
2. What is it that makes us uncomfortable about change in our Church?
3. What would make change easier?
I’m going to change these two questions to be, “How does a more dedicated effort to obey God’s laws free us from mortal strictures?” I don’t have a so-called problem with change if it is in accordance with God’s law - love God, love your neighbor. I’m not uncomfortable with it, but I try to be mindful of others and their demonstration. When I think about what some have said we need in our church services and want to effect through change in their physical enactment, I like to take it back to the spiritual. It seems to me that if I were to identify the qualities that I think are lacking in our services and made a concerted attempt to express these qualities in every part of my life, that I’d see these qualities reflected in our services, too. What is my demonstration of church? It’s a quality of thought that needs to be continually uplifted, continually recognizing God’s unfoldment of His creation through the structure of Truth and Love, a continual adherence to divine Principle as the foundation. I don’t now walk into church thinking, “What another boring service. It’s always the same. How can we make it better?” Why not? Because it’s not boring! Every time I attend church on Sunday, I get something new out of the Bible Lesson or the other parts of the service. Same for Wednesdays. I look forward to attending. Why? Because I walk out spiritually uplifted, usually with a better insight into one of the passages that will help bring healing. The universal laws of originality and freshness never change. They are always expressed and unfolding.
“Love fulfills the law of Christian Science, and nothing short of this divine Principle, understood and demonstrated, can ever furnish the vision of the Apocalypse, open the seven seals of error with Truth, or uncover the myriad illusions of sin, sickness, and death.” (572:12-17)