CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 November 1937, Page 14

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

RELIGION OP SERVICE. MR G. W. ALLAN’S LECTURE. A lecture on Christian Science entitled .“Christian Science: A Religion of Service” was delivered by Mr Gavin W. Allan, of Toronto, Canada, a member of the Board of Lectureship of the Mother Church, First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in Palmerston North last evening. To all of us there come times when we think seriously about life. At such time one may ask himself such questions as: What is the purpose* of existence? Why am I here? What should be life’s purpose ? To serve oneself or to serve others ? said Mr Allan. We know, of course, how Jesus would have answered these questions. He said to himself: “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” Also, “I am among you as he that serveth.” Jesus had no doubt of his mission. Ho was here to serve.

There is a question which confronts the world to-day, and to which each of us. must give consideration. It is this: Can this world be brought under the government of divine Principle? Some of .us may be ready to say we believe it is possible. But what are we doing to bring it about? Wo shall not help if, like the priest and Levite of the parable, we do nothing. But the Samaritans of to-day can. The Samaritan, you will remember, was the one who took in the situation, saw the need, was wise enough to know what to do, had the desire and ability to do it, and proved that in such dire straits selfless service, was the one thing needed. How well did the Samaritan of the parable illustrate Jesus’ own life of unselfed service! Might we not properly call it divine service ? Divine service should mean more than formal worship. As lias been pointed out in the Christian Science textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 40): “It is sad that the phrase divine service has come so generally to mean public works!ip instead of daily needs,” Divine service is something that should begin early Monday morning and last throughout the week. Divine service means meeting humanity’s needs through an understanding of what is true about God and man. Divine service means utilising the power of good over evil, truth over error, and harmony over discord, thus proving that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Divine service means helping each other. What are called our church services are intended to fit us for this work; and, looked upon in this way, how necessary they are. True service, as we understand it in Christian Science, has two sides — its Godward side and its manward side; response to God and responsibility to men. To regard religion solely as a means of comfort to oneself, without any obligation to comfort others, would he selfish. Religion has properly two sides—getting, and giving ; receiving - and reflecting; bearing and doing. On more than one Occasion our Master reproached those who did not practise their religion in their human relationships; those who knew what they should do and did it not. He said, “Every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not. shall be likened unto a .foolish man.” Jesus regarded a religion which did not exnress itself in help ful service as inadeqaute and selfish One Of our hymns (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 182) points out.. “They cease to have who cease to give; Such is the law of Love.” He who receives must give if he would receive more. There is a vast difference between getting to give, and getting to keep. Let me illustrate by a story as told by a wellknown writer: “The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are made of tile same water. ... The Sea of Galilee makes beauty of it, for the Sea of Galilee has an outlet. It gets to give., It gathers in its riches that it may pour them out again to fertilise the Jordon plain. But the Dead Sea

with the same water makes horror. For the Dead Sea has > no outlet. It gets to keep.” May we not herein see a rule? The selfishness which gets to keep defeats its own ends. From the moment of her healing, Mrs Eddy devoted her life to the service of God and humanity. Few, indeed, have served their fellow men as did she. Few lived as did she — a life of unselfed service. Not all of her students became successful practitioners; not ail of them entered upon a life of selfless service to the cause and humanity. Some of them not only forsook her teaching but turned violently against her, and out of her wide experience in dealing with various mentalities, she has left for our guidance many warnings. Another obstacle to true service 'is a desire for prominence. This made its appearance among Jesus’ disciples. We may read of it in Matthew’s account of the sons of Zebedee. No less a place than immediately beside Jesus was their desire. This desire for prominence, rather than self-sacrificing service, may be encountered to-day. It shows itself in a willingness to serve only in® the higher offices, in the more prominent positions—not in the minor offices. Thus does this phase of selfishness frequently keep its victim in uselessness. “HUMILITY THE .FIRST STEP.” What has Christian Science to say on this subject? Christian Science teaches that God is Love; God is Mind; the divine Principle of the universe, * including man; and that man is made in His likeness, and expresses Him. Man, God’s likeness, then, always reflects love, intelligence, and the government of God. In our relationship with each other, we can reflect these qualities, can truly serve our fellow men, in proportion to our humility an<l our understanding of Truth. Domination, which is the opposite of true service, has' its roots! in an exaltion of self or self-righteous-ness —which is the very opposite of humility, and is not a characteristic of man as he really is. Is it any wonder Mrs Eddy has written (ibid., p. 354). “Humility is the first step in Christian Science” ? Another obstacle which mortal mind sometimes throws into the path of true serviceds the love of money. Paul wrote to Timothy (Rev. Ver.): “They that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of. all kinds of evil; which some reaching aftei have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Jesus saw this temptation and warned against it. He saw covetousness rupturing brotherhood.; the lust for money invading the temple; men giving their lives to heaping wealth on wealth ; and he closed one of his parables With the never-to-be-forgotten words. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” There was a reason for this. Jesus was living a life of service; He was teaching His followers to do the same. And He recognised that the lust for money was one of the obstacles to be overcome. Probably one of the strongest one of the most ineradicable> of the human characteristics is a sens® of justice. It demands that wrong be punished ancl right be rewarded. So under the Mosaic law we find one sense of justice expressed in the phrase, Eve for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” Remember . not two teeth for-one tooth; one only, not a fraction more. Retribution must be just, revenge must be limited; there must be no injustice. This was the best way then known to discourage wrong. But humanity .grew in its understanding of justice and mercy, and in New Testament days Paul wrote to the Romans, “Recompense to no man evil for evil,” and, “Avenge not yourselves.” The Mosaic law limited retaliation; the New Testament annulled it. A better way had been found. Jesus revealed it. ; A century ago when methods of communication and transportation were comparatively slow, a person was able to render quick and effective service only to those in'his vicinity. To-day, with much improved methods of communication , one may hear by radio ox some great need which has suddenly arisen on the opposite side of the world; and if he desires to render assistance, his service may be effectively present at that distance place to-mor-row He may not be there, hut lus money to> buy supplies may be there, along with contributions from thousands of others. Thus can lie unite with with others to meet a need thousands of miles distant, and do it quickly. CAUSE OF DISCORD. Christian Science has embarked upon a much wider programme than dealing with' the needs of people in the immediate vicinity of its churches. “The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lessen evil” (Science and Health, p. 450), to quote again from our textbook, whether such evil claims to control an individual, a nation, or, the world. You have doubtless beam of instances in which discords of various natures have been overcome for individuals through Christian Science, and if this has been done for individuals, why should it not be possible to do it for nations. The cause of discord is the same in either case—the carnal mind. The remedy is the same—the utilisation of God’s law. True, it may not seem as easy to determine the speoific trouble in the wider realm, or to break the mesmeric influence of evil over collective human thinking; nevertheless, it is possible, and is it not oiir duty to do what we can in this wider sphere, even though it does necessitate a deeper understanding

and a' wider application of divine Prin-To-day Christian Science is teaching us that it is our duty not only to learn the truth about God and His creation ,■ but also to prove our understanding of truth by meeting human needs. If our theology is not continually put to the test of practical application, of demonstration, it will soon cease to be any more than a theory. In our textbook there is a very practical chapter entitled “Christian Science Practice.” When the practice of Christian Science is mentioned, many are apt to think this term' refers solely to that part of a Christian Scientist’s time which is devoted to the healing of the ills of his fellow men. But the healing of disease is not of itself Christian Science practice ; rather is it one of the results of such practice. One begins the practice of Christian Science the moment he begins to think rightly, or from a gurely Christian standpoint. Christian cielice practice is the practice of righteousness in his own thought and life. Nothing short of right thinking and right acting, from a purely spiritual viewpoint, is ' Christian Science practice, and to the extent this is done effects or healings will naturally follow. Calming the fearful, comforting the sorrowing, healing the sick, and reforming the sinner are services we should and must render to those who seek our help. Nor should these privileges be left entirely to those who give their entire time to the public practice of healing. Every Christian Scientist has, to use the words of onr textbook, “enlisted to lessen evil, disease and death” (Science and Health, p. 450) ; that is, to put into practice what lie is learning about God and man, and he must not, at liis peril, neglect to do this. ? This does not mean that one who is just beginning the study of Christian Science becomes immediately a competent practitioner, hut it does mean that the best way to know more is to put to the test, or to put into practice, what, lie lias already learned. One word more before we leave this subject. The influence of Christian Science teaching is to-day felt far beyond the confines of the Christian Science churches. By reason of it humanity is being awakened to see that distresses, which were formerly regarded ns acts of God, and, therefore, to be endured with becoming resignation, are not of God at all, but are evils, which should be overcome and destroyed. Because of this awakening, there is a growing demand for freedom from discord, and an insistence that such a freedom is humanity’s right. This demand Christian Science must meet; in other words, Christian Science must meet it, .and we ns Christian Scientists cannot evade the responsibility.