.
Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p264)
.
Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p506)
.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
(The Bible KJV – Romans 12: 2)
A member of the Christian Science community in Canberra gives thanks.
Recently I started reading a book by Christian Science practitioner Myrtle Smith. The book is titled “The Songbird Sings Before the Dawn” and has three parts to it. The first part is about Gratitude, the second is concerned with Angels and the third part is called The Practice.
Within the Gratitude section she makes mention of how much we can be grateful for; how much we can be thankful for. Some of the simple things – our privacy, our education, our thoughtful neighbours and friends, the simple act of being able to set the table for a meal.
She also relates a story of a meeting with another practitioner who had asked a person he was working with to make a list each day of the things they could be grateful for and to send it to him each day. The next day he received a letter with a 16 page gratitude list.
I have taken that suggestion and have started to write each day some of the things for which I am grateful. My daily list doesn’t run to 16 pages, but in doing so it is making me more considered and grateful for what I have. While I might not have been ungrateful for what I have I do recognise I have been remiss in not acknowledging and giving thanks for the good in my life.
Myrtle Smith also makes mention of Peter Henniker-Heaton, a man who had been discharged from the army when his legs became paralysed. His healing took ten years. When he was finally out on his own walking on crutches he met a man on a bus and the conversation turned to being grateful. The apparently somewhat grumpy man said to Peter Henniker-Heaton he (Henniker-Heaton) must be grateful to be here, to which Henniker-Heaton responded “No, I am here because I was grateful.”
I am not losing anything in my life by taking time to show a bit more gratitude. I am not losing anything in my life by being a bit more thoughtful and considered and giving thanks.
In the preface of Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy she states “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings.” (Page vii line 1).
It is in this spirit of ‘Leaning on the sustaining infinite’ and acknowledging the origin of all the blessings that I am giving more than passing or mere lip service to, and gratitude for, all that is in my life.
***
The lecture by Myrtle Smith titled: The Power of Thanksgiving – The Songbird Sings Before the Dawn can be listened to here.
.
Every step towards goodness is a departure from materiality, and is a tendency towards God, Spirit.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p213)
Sometimes, even though we are endeavouring to purify our lives and to grow spiritually, we can wonder whether we are actually making progress. We can wonder whether it is possible for our prayers to lead to healing. Lona Ingerwerson, a Christian Science practitioner of healing offered the following analogy to help us understand what is happening when progress seems slow.
Lona was a member of the Christian Science Board of lectureship and this is an excerpt from her talk entitled: ‘ A Morningside Meal in the Afternoon’.
Once a river flowed free and easy over its rocky bed but one night the temperature dropped a dozen degrees or so and continued to drop all the next day and by night it had formed a thick coating of ice under which the river flowed. Accepting the best of it, the river flowed on under the ice. But that night the coat thickened crowding the activities of the river further down the stream. This went on until the river was a frozen mass. “Oh dear,” said the river as it tried to move and couldn’t. “Was it ever possible that I was free and could move? Will that day ever come again?” The South Wind passed by and said, “If the Sun would shine on you, it would help you.” The next day the Sun did shine on the river and the river was glad and full of expectations. “Ah, now I shall be free.” But after shining all day nothing happened and that evening the river was very despondent.
The Sun, who had more persistence than the river, came again and shone all day and week after week and the river became discouraged and almost knew it would never flow again; never be free again as it once had been. But the sun kept on shining and one day the river felt a little loosening – couldn’t tell just what – and that night it was solid again so the river lost hope; but the Sun came again the next day and loosened it again and that night it froze stiff. “How disgusting.” Said the river, “Every little bit I gain I lose again immediately.” The Sun kept shining. At last the ice broke up into great chunks and floated away so swiftly that the river was all a quiver. How easily it had all departed.
Lona continues: ‘Neither the first day’s sun nor the last melted the ice. It took both and all the days in between, to overcome the condition that had been growing and intensifying for months and years. It took seven times around the walls of Jericho to reduce it to dust, and who shall say which was the most effective trip; the first or the last. Spiritually man is already free, and if he can get this firmly established in his mind and hold to it regardless of the appearance, the demonstration is made.’
2023 has now slid into 2024. Before long we will be planning for 2025. Sometimes it seems that the years slip by more and more quickly and as every year goes by, we add another unit to our age. For each stage in life there seem to be expectations for health, behaviour and appearance. Don’t we talk about the terrible twos or stroppy teenagers? How often do you hear people of advanced years say, when talking about their health: ‘What can you expect at my age?’
How much of this do we have to accept as inevitable? Do we have to accept the subtle, and not so subtle, standards that society places upon us? Do the years under our belt really define who we are and how we function, how attractive we are?
I was looking at an old black and white photo of my mum the other day. I guess she would have been in her early twenties, so the photo was taken over seventy years ago. As a young woman my mum was very lovely. She had a special grace about her that made you want to look longer.
I began to think, if she was around today looking like that you would still have to say she was beautiful, but she wouldn’t fit today’s standards of beauty. Her skin was whiter, her body fleshier, her hair contrived into curls and she wore a pretty frock. Standards of beauty change. This set me to thinking about what beauty really is. In each era fashion seems to give us strict dictates as to what the ideal look is – how tanned our skin should be, how lean our body, even the shape of our eyebrows. Not many of us fit that ideal model. So does this mean that we are not beautiful? If we do fit those standards, are we only beautiful for a short while? Does age diminish true beauty? Our society is currently quite preoccupied with youthfulness but true youthfulness is not defined by our age but by the youthful qualities we express.
My mother knew the impact that thought has on experience. To the end she was a strong, healthy, active woman. The qualities people saw in her – intelligence, calmness and strength in the face of trouble, joy at the little things, devotion to family and friends, innocence, resilience, energy – these qualities shone out of her right to the last. They were the qualities that people mentioned when they commented on how lovely my mother was.
Mary Baker Eddy, one of the first women to investigate thoroughly the connection between consciousness and experience, writes in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p208): You embrace your body in your thought, and you should delineate upon it thoughts of health, not of sickness. Perhaps if we put as much thought and effort into developing beautiful qualities of Mind as we do our outward appearance our beauty and health would be less ephemeral and blossom with the passing years.
Hymn 148 in the Christian Science Hymnal – words by Ann L Waring
In heavenly Love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me,
My heart may low be laid;
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed?
Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim;
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him.
Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
Where darkest clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure,
My path in life is free;
My Father has my treasure,
And He will walk with me.
Wednesday Testimony Meeting Readings.
This recording is of the readings on the topic: Thou Dost Give Me Peace
.
The inspiration for these readings came from Violet Hay who wrote the words of hymn 136 in the Christian Science Hymnal (verse 2).
Though storm or discord cross my path
Thy power is still my stay,
Though human will and woe would check
My upward-soaring way;
All unafraid I wait, the while
Thy angels bring release,
For still Thy presence is with me,
And Thou dost give me peace.
Hymn 245 from the Christian Science Hymnal
.
O tender, loving Shepherd,
We long to follow thee,
To follow where thou leadest,
Though rough the path may be;
Though dark and heavy shadows
Enshroud the way with gloom,
We know that Love will guide us,
And safely lead us home.
.
.
We know, beloved Shepherd,
The path that thou hast trod
Leads ever out of darkness,
And on and up to God.
If from that path we wander,
And far astray we roam,
O, call us, faithful Shepherd,
And bring us safely home.
.
.
.
Throughout the way, dear Shepherd,
Thy strong hand doth uphold;
The weary ones, at nightfall,
Thou gently dost enfold.
And when to Truth’s green pastures
With joy at length we come,
There shall we find, O Shepherd,
Our blest, eternal home.
Christian Science Canberra 