METAPHYSICAL MEETING, October 18, 2010
Contents
| - Topic | |
| - Call to the meeting | |
| - Readings | |
| - Member contribution A | |
| - Member contribution B | |
| - Member contribution C | |
| - Member contribution D |
Topic
Realizing Mrs Eddy's vision for the Church Manual
Call to the meeting
Our next metaphysical meeting, to be held October 18th, will focus on the Church Manual, and especially how we can realize Mrs. Eddy's vision for it as stated in her article “Mental Digestion” in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany:
“This church is impartial. Its rules apply not to one member only, but to one and all equally. Of this I am sure, that each Rule and By-law in this Manual will increase the spirituality of him who obeys it, invigorate his capacity to heal the sick, to comfort such as mourn, and to awaken the sinner.” (My. 230:9)
Before the next meeting, you are encouraged to study our Church Manual. Consider:
1. How did Mrs. Eddy intend that these bylaws apply to me as an individual member? How has my spirituality been increased; my capacity to heal, comfort, and awaken been invigorated?
2. Pick a particular bylaw that has been especially meaningful to you and tell us why.
3. Share new insight you gained about our Church and its Manual as you prepared for the metaphysical meeting.
For historical background on Mrs. Eddy's development of the Manual, you may want to refer to Robert Peel's Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Authority, pp. 225-229.
Readings
Josh 22:5 take
Rom 13:8, 10
Ps 119:97, 98 (to :), 100, 104, 105, 111, 112, 165
Mis 11:3-4
Mis 17:1-15
Mis 148:10
My 251:28-2
Hymns:
461: “We cannot turn away from God because, whichever way we face, Spirit is there”
438: “Father, we Thy loving children Lift our hearts in joy today”
Member contribution A
1) How the bylaws apply to me
Mrs. Eddy writes, “This church is impartial. Its rules apply not to one member only, but to one and all equally. Of this I am sure, that each Rule and By-law in this Manual will increase the spirituality of him who obeys it, invigorate his capacity to heal the sick, to comfort such as mourn, and to awaken the sinner.” (My. 230:9) On first glance, it appears that some of the Manual’s bylaws are instructions to the Christian Science Board of Directors or other church officers. How would obedience to each bylaw improve the spiritual effectiveness of Mother Church members? I decided to “test” Mrs. Eddy’s statement by opening my Manual at random. It was an interesting way to study the Manual. Here are some of my discoveries:
Incomplete Term of Service. SECTION 14. If a student who has been called to serve our Leader in accordance with Article XXII, Sect. 11, of the Church Manual leaves her before the expiration of the time therein mentioned such student shall pay to Mrs. Eddy whatsoever she may charge for what she has taught him or her during the time of such service. (Man. 69:5)
Some would say that this bylaw is irrelevant, since Mrs. Eddy is no longer physically present. Yet, another bylaw, “Alertness to Duty,” admonishes us not to “forget nor neglect” our duty to our Leader. How do we serve our Leader today? By serving in her church and obeying her bylaws. It might mean not quitting when the going gets rough in a church assignment. From another angle, it might mean payment for services rendered by a Christian Science practitioner or teacher.
Names. SECTION 1. The Church officers shall consist of the Pastor Emeritus, a Board of Directors, a President, a Clerk, a Treasurer, and two Readers. (Man. 25:4)
I was tempted to skip this one. It is the first bylaw in the Manual and the first officer named is the Pastor Emeritus. When the new officers are announced at Annual Meeting, the first officer announced is “Pastor Emeritus - Mary Baker Eddy.” So, this seems to be pretty important. How does it relate to me? First of all, it’s a reminder that Mrs. Eddy is our Pastor Emeritus and as a named church officer is still leading us. How does she do that without being here physically? Through her writings. I was struck by a quote from Alfred Farlow in the August 2010 Journal: “...while engaged in the lecture work and other branches of Christian Science service...I had accumulated a lot of questions which I knew no one but Mrs. Eddy could answer...it had occurred to me that when I proceeded to ask my questions Mrs. Eddy might turn to her writings and read to me answers from the books...To guard against humiliation in this way I read all of her books...and when I had finished all of my questions were answered and I...demonstrated the possibility of interviewing Mrs. Eddy through the medium of her writings...” (The Christian Science Journal, Vol. 128, No. 8, August 2010, p. 23) Certainly studying Mrs. Eddy’s writings will increase my spirituality, etc.
Here’s another one that most would say doesn’t apply to them:
Sessions. SECTION 1. The term of the Massachusetts Metaphysical College will open with the Board of Education on the first Wednesday of December. The sessions will continue not over one week. None but the teacher and members of the College class shall be present at the sessions, and no Primary classes shall be taught under the auspices of this Board. (Man. 90:8)
Why would Mrs. Eddy want us all to know when the term at the Massachusetts Metaphysical College begins? (For those of you who don’t know, this is the class to train Christian Science teachers, called “Normal Class”.) It seems that this is certainly a reflection of openness and clarity. There’s no mystery to the training of Christian Science teachers. For those of us who aren’t in the Normal Class, it could be another way of doing our duty to our Leader through metaphysical support of the class. We would not be treating the teacher or members of the class, but we could handle world belief about Christian Science and its educational system. Doing this would help increase my ability to awaken mortal thought to infinite possibilities.
2) A bylaw that has been especially meaningful
I particularly like and remember often Article III, Section 1, “Moral Obligations”:
Moral Obligations. SECTION 1. The Readers of The Mother Church and of all its branch churches must devote a suitable portion of their time to preparation for the reading of the Sunday lesson, — a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends. (Man. 31:4-9)
In particular, the phrase, “...a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends.” (Man. 31:8-9) When I was preparing for first readership, this phrase relating to our weekly Bible Lesson was a surprise. Since then, I have really taken it to heart. Sometimes, I even read the Bible Lesson with pen and paper, making a list of every way in which that particular Bible Lesson helps ensure the prosperity of Christian Science. It also has awakened me out of the “half-hour-in-the-morning” ritual for the Bible Lesson. She says, “devote a suitable portion of their time.” Well, if every bylaw in this Manual refers to me, then the “canonical” half hour isn’t necessarily going to do it. If I thoroughly studied the Bible Lesson daily and put its lessons into practice, I would demonstrate increased spirituality and invigorated capacity to heal, comfort, and awaken. These days, I definitely spend more than a half hour on the Lesson and it is the basis of my practice for the week.
3) New insight gained about our Church and its Manual
Reading through the Manual this time, I was struck by its incredible consistency. I can’t give a specific example, but it seemed that as I read, current passages reminded me of those I had read before and were consistent with them.
I was also struck by the various infractions that would cause one to be excommunicated and actually found myself asking if I did any of those things today. An area where more attention is needed is alertness to mental malpractice. How many times do we absently think something that’s inaccurate metaphysically about somebody. “Oh, she doesn’t look very nice today.” “Hmmm, I wonder why he’s limping.” “Isn’t it just like the XYZ ethnic group to act that way.” “That @*$&#*(%(@ guy cut me off!” “Can you believe what the executive board did [or didn’t] do?” Christ Jesus and Mrs. Eddy wouldn’t have had these thoughts. Instead, they would have been knowing the truth. “She is the beautiful, orderly daughter of God.” “He reflects flexibility, strength, and endurance, and is not subject to material beliefs about age and heredity.” “We are all one with divine Mind, who governs His ideas consistently.” “Church rests on divine Principle. The government of our Church rests on His shoulders. Our executive board reflects the alertness and wisdom of God.”
Member contribution B
All of the bylaws in the Chapter on Discipline are guidelines for our daily lives and for practicing and demonstrating Christian Science. I believe this section of the Manual needs to be frequently studied by all Christian Scientists. Other parts of the Manual also offer excellent guidelines for living. Such as the following:
“A Christian Scientist is not fatigued by prayer, by reading the Scriptures or the Christian Science textbook. Amusement or idleness is weariness. Truth and Love rest the weary and heavy laden.” This is found in the section of Services.
Under Easter Observances: “Gratitude and love should abide in every heart each day of all the years.”
I especially love the section entitled God’s Requirement. “God requires wisdom, economy, and brotherly love to characterize all the proceedings of the members of The Mother Church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist.”
A teacher is told to “counsel his pupils in conformity with the unerring laws of God, and shall enjoin them habitually to study the Scriptures and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures as a help thereto.” So this is a reminder to me to “habitually” study the Bible and Science and Health. Also it reminds me that God's laws are “unerring.”
In Defense against Malpractice, I am reminded that I must defend myself “against mental malpractice, never to return evil for evil, but to know the truth that makes free, and thus to be a law, not unto others, but to (myself) themselves.”
Healing Better than Teaching. “Healing the sick and the sinner with Truth demonstrates what we affirm of Christian Science, and nothing can substitute this demonstration. I recommend that each member of this Church shall strive to demonstrate by his or her practice, that Christian Science heals the sick quickly and wholly, thus proving this Science to be all that we claim for it.”
In Science and Health we have the definition of Church. Under Laying a Corner Stone, the guidelines continue this spiritual understanding of Church, showing that Church is not a physical structure and so no large crowds or special trowel is needed, only a quiet, devout ceremony for the laying of the corner stone.
I love this statement from page 104 of the Manual. “It stands alone, uniquely adapted to form the budding thought and hedge it about with divine Love.” I like thinking that my thought is hedged about with divine Love.
Even the application offers useful reminders such as, we must love Christian Science, read understandingly the Bible, and Science and Health and other works by our Leader and that we “can enter into full fellowship with the Tenets and Rules of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass...” The application also reminds us that The Mother Church “is designed to be built on the rock of Christ – Truth and Life – and to reflect the Church Triumphant.”
Member contribution C
As each provision of our Manual applies to each of us, focus is important for tonight’s meeting. My focus tonight is on the word “imposition.”
This word is found in the Church Manual’s by-laws about the work of the Committee on Publication (p 97:17):
“It shall be the duty of the Committee on Publication to correct in a Christian manner impositions on the public in regard to Christian Science, injustices done Mrs. Eddy or members of this church by the daily press, by periodicals or circulated literature of any sort.”
An imposition is an uncalled-for burden, an infliction, a load or onus. It would press upon us something unwanted or unneeded. It would try to deny our wholeness and our place and purpose. Consider these examples: Is aging an imposition by society upon us all so that we think we have to become old, infirm, feeble, forgetful? Is disease an imposition that would rob us of our spiritual health and well being? Is any so-called chronic problem an imposition that tries to fool us into thinking we have a mortal past? Is heredity an imposition that we have human parentage and family, rather than a divine Father-Mother God? Is bad weather or disaster not an imposition on our spiritual universe, handled by our firm grasp of God’s control?
So, as we work to know that God defends Christian Science and its Leader, we must also work to know that God defends each and every one of us from the seeming bombardment of mortal impositions.
Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health 99:26) “The calm, strong currents of true spirituality, the manifestations of which are health, purity, and self-immolation, must deepen human experience, until the beliefs of material existence are seen to be a bald imposition, and sin, disease, and death give everlasting place to the scientific demonstration of divine Spirit and to God’s spiritual, perfect man.”
Member contribution D
1) How the bylaws apply to me
While the Manual outlines the manner in which The Mother Church is governed, there is substantial reference to individual Members of The Mother Church. The section on Discipline is the largerst section of the Manual, and it contains many references to individual members. The articles in this section pertain both to acceptable behavior as church members, and to requirements as metaphysical workers.
The Manual was not originally part of Mrs Eddy’s plan. However, as she states in Extract From a Letter in the very front of it, even before the contents list, “The Rules and By-laws in the Manual … were not arbitrary opinions nor dictatorial demands … They were impelled by a power not one’s own, were written at different dates, and as the occasion required. They sprang from necessity, … to maintain the dignity and defense of our Cause; hence their simple, scientific basis.”
In terms of increasing my own spirituality, the Manual makes clear the criticality of mental discipline in every aspect of my thinking. Right thinking is not something required only occasionally, or when there is a problem to be resolved. In Miscellaneous Writings we read that the “genius” of Christian Science is “right thinking and right acting.” The success of Christian Science and its church movement depends on this, and that applies at the individual level. It impels me individually to think as clearly as I can in line with divine Science.
I recognize the Manual as a vital element of church organization that ensures the organization conforms to the standards appropriate for an institution founded to promote Christian Science. This demonstrates that we do benefit from having rules and guidelines, just like our country needs laws to promote stability and freedom. Without them, mortal mind can easily have a field day. And there is a reason this church is not governed by popular human consent.
2) A bylaw that has been especially meaningful
I keep a copy of the manual handy on the top of my desk. Most regularly I use it to work with the three daily requirements in Article VIII. I know them all by heart, but it’s helpful to have the wording. Those parts of Article VIII are an important part of one’s daily work.
While I rarely work with other parts of the Manual on a truly regular basis, I find myself working with it on an as-needed basis.
Perhaps the parts of the Manual most frequently considered are the Order of Exercises for the Sunday School, and the Order of Services in churches.Other areas that I find myself examining from time to time are especially Article XX Sunday School and Article XXI Reading Rooms because they define explicitly the scope and content of key church functions. Understanding those bylaws helps to strengthen our implementation of and metaphysical support for those functions. Overall, these bylaws provide sound basis for what we do in our branch churches.
A piece of the Manual that I find myself looking at from time to time is the Historical Sketch near the start of the book. It is significant to me because it’s the place where Mrs Eddy stipulates the purpose of the church, “to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing.” This is so different from the basis of all other churches. One might even say that it excludes certain things that various other churches do, and do well.
3) New insight gained about our Church and its Manual
It’s important that we as church members are cognizant of the rationale behind various of the bylaws, much of which is not so obvious today (times have changed,) although the significance of the respective bylaws certainly remains as it always has been.
For example, after it being mentioned at a recent church-related meeting, I looked at Article XXIV Section 9, Committee on Business. It’s interesting that this committee is not assigned a specific purpose, although it is instructed to “transact promptly and efficiently such business as … the Directors or the Committee on Publication shall commit to it.” On the other hand, the Finance Committee (Article XXIV Section 4) is given specific duties.
Does this have a lesson for us? Perhaps it’s the difference between what church members do humanly, e.g. business meetings, church services, and building projects, and what they do prayerfully, especially \individual prayer. The significant of the latter may be the point here, and can be easily overlooked in the seeming urgency of human arrangements. But it’s the basis of the foundation of the Church of Christ, Scientist.
We need to see the Manual not as a constraint, but as a foundation.
