Christian Science:

Its Practical Application to Everyday Life

 

Sim Andrew Kolliner, C.S.B., of St. Paul, Minnesota

Member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother Church,

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts

 

What a joy it is to begin a Christian Science lecture with these inspiring words from one of Mary Baker Eddy's poems (Poems, p. 13):

 

"Father, where Thine own children are,

I love to be.

 

"My prayer, some daily good to do

To Thine, for Thee;

An offering pure of Love, whereto

God leadeth me."

 

A Christian Science lecture is a happy experience as well as a very sacred one. I trust that during and following this lecture we shall all be blessed. I believe some will be inspired to begin the earnest study of Christian Science; many may resolve to be even better Christian Scientists, and others may be shown the road to health.

A young man who had served with the Canadian Army in Europe received an abundance of good from the understanding of God as Love gained by attending a Christian Science lecture. He told me that when he returned to Canada he was forced to leave his wife and two children in England because of lack of shipping. They had been separated for many months. This young man is a member of one of the most influential families in Canada. He had used every material means at his command to have his wife and children returned, but to no avail. He said that the evening he attended the lecture referred to he felt especially hopeless. He related his experience as follows: "Walking home I recalled that the lecturer quoted from the Christian Science Hymnal, 'when orders come from heaven' (No. 92). Thinking along these lines, I suddenly realized that orders do come from God, and not from government officials, ambassadors, army officers or other material channels. The depression lifted and I was light of heart and sure. I had not felt such comfort and assurance in months. When I reached home, I was told, 'There is a cable for you.' I said, 'Yes, I expected it.' This cable contained the information that my family would soon be with me." He concluded, "I was awakened to a new understanding of God and His great love for His children."

An earnest study of Christian Science reveals God's love for all His children. The understanding, acknowledgment, and utilization of God's great love for us results in improved health, infinite supply, joy, and longevity in our here and now experience.

Discoverer and Founder

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, has written in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," that "to misunderstand Paul, was to be ignorant of the divine idea he taught" (p. 560). It naturally follows that one should have a correct estimate of the author of Science and Health in order to understand her teachings.

 

From her youth, Mrs. Eddy was taught that the Bible is the Word of God and the spiritual guide of the ages. She also learned to turn to God in prayer for the solution of her problems.

Many events in the history of Christian Science indicate that its discovery and founding are in accordance with God's divine plan. This plan can be traced in various ways, namely, through Wycliffe's translation of the Bible, Luther's protesting, the Puritans' coming to America for religious freedom, the devout religious thought of Mrs. Eddy's parents, and, finally, Mrs. Eddy's unusual spiritual preparation.

Mrs. Eddy is better known as the Discoverer of Christian Science, but it is well to remember that she was also its Founder. We are grateful that she did not stop with the discovery, but also founded this great religious movement, thereby perpetuating her discovery and giving us the advantages of Christian Science churches, Sunday Schools, lectures, and teaching, as well as the many other activities through which we are benefited.

The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science proved her concept of God to be correct by doing marvelous healing work in His name.

Critics of Christian Science occasionally say that we deify or worship Mrs. Eddy; nothing could be further from the truth. Her own counsel was, "Follow your Leader only so far as she follows Christ" (Message for 1901, p. 34). Many of us have pictures of George Washington in our homes; we also find his pictures in schools and public buildings, and annually thousands of people visit his home at Mount Vernon. Do we worship or deify George Washington? We certainly do not! We are, however, grateful to him because he fathered the form of government under which we enjoy a great measure of liberty and opportunity. We do mention Mrs. Eddy's name in our church services to indicate the authenticity of that which is being read, and when we quote from her writings, we justly give her credit. Some of us have her picture in our homes or offices. Surely this is no indication that we deify or worship her. We are but giving her credit for what she has done for mankind in mothering the religion that has given us health, satisfaction, and inspiration. She has given us a religion that is practical and demonstrable. Many of us owe our very existence to the teachings of Christian Science, and we express our gratitude by our reverence for Mrs. Eddy and by our acknowledgment of her as the revelator of Truth to this age.

Mrs. Eddy was divinely inspired to write the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," that all mankind for all time might have a textbook of divine healing — a textbook of Christ Science or Christian Science. This textbook presents the Comforter promised by our Master, and not fully revealed in the Bible. That the Christian Science textbook contains the revealed Truth is clearly indicated by the fact that it is undoubtedly the only single textbook that meets the need of the beginner, the advancing student, as well as the most advanced student. Many cases of authenticated healing as the result of studying this textbook are a matter of record.

In the early Christian church, preaching and divine healing were united; then, during what is known as the Dark Ages, divine healing was largely forgotten, and only the preaching remained. When Mrs. Eddy founded the Christian Science church, she reunited divine healing and preaching. This return to original Christianity is one of Mrs. Eddy's greatest contributions to mankind.

God

A clear, correct understanding of God eliminates illness and discord, and establishes health and harmony. It is the Christ, the right idea of God, which is in reality our salvation.

The Seven Synonyms for God

On page 465 of the Christian Science textbook, we are given the following definition: "God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love." An improved understanding of the seven synonyms increases our working knowledge of God. Each synonym for God has its special office or function. The word "synonym" is defined by Webster as, "One of two or more words which express what is essentially the same idea but which (commonly) differ from one another in some shade of meaning." Each synonym, therefore, portrays God; however, each synonym has a slightly different shade of meaning. As we gain an improved understanding of one synonym, this understanding helps us to gain a more comprehensive understanding of each of the other synonyms and consequently a more complete understanding of God. We shall now briefly consider the seven synonyms for God and how to apply them to our daily problems in a practical and demonstrable way.

Mind

For example, infinite Mind has the special office or function of imparting unlimited wisdom and intelligence to His offspring. Man does not possess a separate mind of his own. The divine Mind is the only Mind of man. Understanding that God is the only Mind is the real basis of man's health.

It is well to remember that man is governed by divine Mind and not by the so-called mortal mind and its suggestions. Our Leader wrote, "He who refuses to be influenced by any but the divine Mind, commits his way to God, and rises superior to suggestions from an evil source" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 113). The suggestions of error frequently claim to come from the minds of others. It is one's belief in minds many that subjects one to evil suggestions. There is but one Mind, the divine Mind, and in reality man is influenced only by the divine Mind. When evil suggestions attempt to influence us, we shall do well to declare and prove that our thought is busy, communing with God, divine Mind. Suggestions from an evil source cannot reach us when we are communing with our heavenly Father.

Spirit

Spirit exalts mankind, elevating thought above material beliefs and error of every kind.

The story of the flood in Genesis portrays to us the importance of rising above error rather than wading through it. Let us think of the flood as a rising accumulation of fear, criticism, distress, and hate. The Bible tells us that the ark was the vehicle by which men were saved in the time of the flood. Mrs. Eddy defines "ark," in part, as "the understanding of Spirit, destroying belief in matter" (Science and Health, p. 581). The understanding of God and His Christ is our present-day ark. As the waters of the flood of old rose higher, the ark also rose higher and higher, always above the water. Just so, no matter how high or how engulfing the claims of error may seem to be, our present-day ark, that is, "the understanding of Spirit, destroying belief in matter," is always above the floods of error. Those who abide in this ark are protected. Mrs. Eddy said, "By lifting thought above error, or disease, and contending persistently for truth, you destroy error" (ibid., p. 400).

Soul

Soul, as presented by Christian Science, rebukes and corrects material sense. Soul refutes human sense or material consciousness and imparts a clear concept of the harmony of spiritual sense or consciousness, which emanates from God. Mrs. Eddy wrote, "If it were possible for the real senses of man to be injured, Soul could reproduce them in all their perfection; but they cannot be disturbed nor destroyed, since they exist in immortal Mind, not in matter" (ibid., p. 488).

During a Christian Science lecture a blind woman's understanding of the spiritual sense of sight, as taught by Christian Science, was so improved, she later testified, that her vision had been completely restored during the lecture.

A man told me that he had not been able to hear much of a public address in more than twenty-five years, but that during a Christian Science lecture he learned that hearing could not be disturbed nor destroyed because in truth hearing is spiritual and not material, and that as a result of this understanding he distinctly heard every word of the last two thirds of the lecture.

Principle

Principle heals sin and disease and emphasizes spiritual man's immortality and indestructibility.

A young physician whose mother was a student of Christian Science went to a Christian Science practitioner seeking help for badly infected fingers that had failed to respond to medical treatment. The healing was quick and complete, and when the physician returned to express his gratitude, the practitioner said, "It is gratifying that you turned to God for help."

The physician replied: "In my extremity, I reasoned this way. I have a valuable grandfather-clock in my home. If it developed any trouble, I should certainly call a clockmaker to do the repair work. Suppose he said to me, 'Doctor, I made this clock back in Switzerland many years ago.' Wouldn't I be confident of the results if the one who made the clock were to do the repair work? I am convinced that God made man. So you see, I felt thoroughly justified in turning to God through Christian Science, for my help."

God is the one and only healer. If we are giving ourselves a Christian Science treatment, it will be well to realize that God unfolds all that we need to know to establish the truth in our consciousness and to eliminate the claims of error. If we are treating another, it is our blessed privilege to place ourselves and the one whom we are treating in God's care, being assured that God unfolds to all concerned the divine ideas that eliminate error and reveal His perfect man.

Life

Life triumphs over death. Life, God, is eternal, without beginning and without end. Life is neither a matter of heartbeats nor clock ticks; Life is God, omnipresent good. Man does not die out of problems or difficulties; rather, he lives out of or outlives problems or difficulties. Man's immortality is assured because God is his Life. Throughout his entire ministry, Jesus taught and proved Life to be eternal.

When Jesus arose from the tomb, he removed forever the sting of death for himself and showed mankind how to remove the sting of death for themselves. He proved that Life is eternal and is not dependent upon bodily conditions. Mrs. Eddy has declared, "Life is, like Christ, 'the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever'" (ibid., p. 249).

Truth

Truth eliminates error of every kind and nature. The spiritual law of Truth heals all manner of sickness and sin through Christian Science and attributes all power to God.

A man related the following healing as a result of receiving one Christian Science treatment. He said: "For a number of years I had a sore on my left cheek which would not heal, and I was told it was a face cancer. When I was shaving the morning after my visit to a practitioner's office, I noticed that the sore had disappeared and that I was completely healed."

A French woman heard this experience when she attended a Christian Science lecture in Paris, and she later testified that she was completely healed of a like condition at the very moment she heard of this healing of cancer.

The understanding of the spiritual law of Truth establishes within our consciousness that which is real, canceling that which is unreal. The word "unreal" as used in Christian Science means not true, not a fact, not of God. When we say a thing is "unreal," we do not mean that it cannot be seen or felt by the material senses, but we do mean that it is not a fact, because it is not made by God. In John's Gospel we read, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). If God did not make a thing, it is not created; it is, therefore, not actually going on, not happening, not occurring, not existing, not truly real.

Love

Love annihilates hate and imparts patience, kindness, humility, forbearance, unselfishness, and faith. Love frees the body from the effects of hate.

Divine Love, or God, is continually giving good to all His children. If someone seems to dislike or even malign us, we turn to God, Love, filling our thought with kindness, forgiveness, and genuine love. We then realize that what others think about us is not really important, it is what we think about ourselves and others that matters. If we love others and think justly and kindly about them, this blesses our brother man and constitutes our protection from evil.

If we wish to receive an abundance of good from our study of Christian Science or from a Christian Science treatment, we shall find it helpful to love our neighbor. Whenever we scorn another, we depreciate ourselves; whenever we see another as less than the image of God, we deface our vision of God; whenever we recognize another's weakness, we are never quite so strong ourselves. The Bible says, "Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way" (Rom. 14:13). There is no better way of hastening the day of universal brotherhood, of seeing the healing Christ reach the waiting nations of the world, than to recognize the presence of perfection and to bring more love for God and man into our daily experience.

To really love is to forgive, and forgiving includes forgetting. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science wrote: "Brethren, even as Jesus forgave, forgive thou. I say it with joy, — no person can commit an offense against me that I cannot forgive" (Message for 1902, p. 19). It seems evident that our Leader did not mean the kind of forgiveness about which I recently heard. A woman said, "Certainly I shall forgive it, but I shall remember it as long as I live."

"The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love" (Science and Health, p. 113). If we seem to be troubled with a problem that has been persistent, let us carefully examine our thought to see if we are really loving God and all mankind and truly forgiving all who seem to have offended or injured us.

Divine Healing

Physical health is in reality an improved understanding of God, man, and health. A Christian Science treatment is a devout, Christianly scientific prayer. It is the Word "made flesh" among us. Hence, a Christian Science treatment is dynamic, effective, powerful, and sacred. The Christ, Truth, expressed in the treatment is that which heals.

The treatment of disease in Christian Science practice includes a clear realization of the truth about God and His creation, about the perfection of God and His compound idea, man. A Christian Science treatment includes the realization of the truth concerning God, man, Life, and law, and the understanding that error is without reality, power, law, or presence. The understanding of Christ, Truth, has the power of God to enforce, sustain, maintain, and perpetuate it. Recognizing the infinitude of Love and seeing man as perfect, always at one with his creator, is the fundamental practice in all Christian Science healing. God is perfect, and man in His image and likeness is perfect. A clear realization of this fundamental fact is tangibly manifested as health, infinite supply, happiness, and longevity in our here and now experience.

Whatever the problem may seem to be, we must supplant the false sense with the true. Mrs. Eddy wrote, and I quote, "Our proportionate admission of the claims of good or of evil determines the harmony of our existence, — our health, our longevity, and our Christianity" (ibid, p. 167). To distinguish between good and evil, the fact and the fable, is characteristic of a Christian Science treatment. That which is evil, wrong, or false is always a fable. War and hate are fables; peace and love are facts, illness and pain are fables; health and ease are facts. Lack and sorrow are fables; abundance and happiness are facts. We can always discover the spiritual fact by reversing the material fable. As we recognize, accept, and retain the spiritual fact, meaning that which is true before God, we automatically eliminate, annihilate, and eradicate the material fable. Being consciously aware of the reality of the spiritual fact, we cancel the seeming reality of the material fable.

It is necessary to understand that the real man is spiritual and perfect.

God is perfect; He always has been and always will be. Consequently, man, the true image and likeness of God, was and is and always will be perfect, because God created him perfect, and God's law and love so maintain him.

The real man is always perfect — not was perfect or going to be perfect, but is perfect. The error which is attempting to address or engulf us is that which needs to be treated, to the end that the error be reduced to its native nothingness. The basic error that needs to be eradicated in every instance is the claim that man is mortal, physical, or material. Christian Science clearly teaches that in the absolute truth of being there is no mortal man or material state of existence, but that man, as the image and likeness of God, was, is, and every will be spiritual, immortal, and absolutely perfect.

Our Leader wrote (Science and Health, p. 411), "Always being your treatment by allaying the fear of patients," and she continued, "If you succeed in wholly removing the fear, your patient is healed." God is Love, God is good, and God is All. We are not afraid of infinite good, nor of divine Love. There is, therefore, nothing of which to be afraid; consequently, there is no fear.

Fear indicates a lack of complete faith in God's power, willingness, and ability to care for us. Faith is a complete confidence in God's power, willingness, and ability to meet our every need. Actually, fear is neither cause nor effect. Fear is not a channel nor an avenue, because it is unknown to divine Love. Fear is no thing — nothing claiming to be something.

The healing of the lame man as related in Acts (3:1-8) is most inspiring and instructive. You undoubtedly remember that it reads, "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right had, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

"Peter and John went up together." May not the words "went up together" indicate an ascending state of consciousness and a definite unity of purpose? Peter and John were about to go into the temple "at the hour of prayer." They had a definite purpose, a holy mission; they were going to pray, to commune with God, and thereby receive spiritual enlightenment and inspiration. The lame man was a beggar, seeking material assistance, money, alms; that is what he asked of Peter and John. Peter immediately recognized the fact that the man did not so much need money as spiritual riches, holy, uplifting faith, the healing Christ, so he said, "Look on us," conceivably meaning: "Look and recognize our understanding of Christ, Truth. Lift your thought above the crippled body, above the belief of a mortal in want. You, as the son of God, are perfect and have an abundance of every needful thing."

This clear realization of Truth aroused an expectancy of good in the man, since it is recorded, "he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them." Peter then said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Peter remembered that Jesus had said, "In my name shall they cast out devils." Peter's confidence in the healing ministry of Christ was implicit; he took the man "by the right hand, and lifted him up," and it is recorded that "immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength" and the lame man was healed. This man, who for forty years had been carried about and laid daily at the temple so that he could beg, was overjoyed at his freedom, his liberation from material limitations, his healing. He did not, however, immediately depart to tell his friends or family of his new-found freedom. We read that he entered with Peter and John "into the temple, walking," and last but not least, "praising God." An earnest study of this inspiring experience teaches us many useful lessons for giving and receiving a Christian Science treatment.

Protective Work

The statement that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies especially to students of Christian Science; they, of all people, should know most about the "ounce of prevention." We can prevent many unhappy experiences by keeping our own thought right, that is, by keeping it spiritually kind, gentle, and loving. We shall find it helpful to ponder this fact: Instead of seeing erroneous persons and things, we are temped to see persons and things erroneously.

There is no person nor thing that can come between us and infinite good. Man is always at one with God; hence, there is no room, no opportunity for anything or anyone to come between man and God. Let us declare and realize that we are always at one with infinite good, that we are actively and consciously aware of our at-one-ment with Him. Though it may seem contrary to the physical testimony, it is helpful to realize that, as the son of God, man cannot be discouraged, dismayed, or confused, nor in any way be influenced by the claims of mortal mind or matter. Man is guided, protected, and guarded by divine Love, infinite good, God.

For simple, practical, protective work, let us take the Lord's Prayer for our model and know that God does save us from evil, and also from the temptation to do evil, when we love God supremely and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Christ Jesus

The teaching of Christian Science regarding Christ Jesus is concisely stated in Mrs. Eddy's Message to The Mother Church for 1901 (p. 8) from which I now read: "The Christ was Jesus' spiritual selfhood; therefore Christ existed prior to Jesus, who said, 'Before Abraham was, I am.' Jesus, the only immaculate, was born of a virgin mother, and Christian Science explains that mystic saying of the Master as to his dual personality, or the spiritual and material Christ Jesus, called in Scripture the Son of God and the Son of man — explains it as referring to his eternal spiritual selfhood and his temporal manhood." Jesus was a human individual; Christ is the absolute truth about everything; and Jesus was the individual who showed us how to use this truth practically and demonstrably. Earnest students of Christian Science are striving to obey Jesus in his twofold command to preach the gospel and heal the sick, and in so doing they have met with such good success that Christian Science is recognized as an effective curative method, as well as an inspiring and satisfying religion. We love Christ Jesus with an abiding love; so much so, that we humbly strive to follow his instructions.

The entire human experience of Christ Jesus was dedicated to the well-being of all mankind everywhere. The life and teachings of the master Christian were intended as much for you and for me as they were for the disciples of his time. He clearly shows us the true and the false values in life, the true foundations, and how we may build on them. When Jesus taught the great truth that God heals the sick, he straightway proved it. God appointed Jesus to speak His Word, and Jesus appeared to mortals so that they could both see and understand him.

It is sometimes said that Christian Scientists do not believe in nor fully accept Christ Jesus. The truth of the matter is that Christian Scientists do believe in, completely accept, and reverence Christ Jesus. We so completely accept his words and instructions that we, to the best of our ability, humbly follow him. He said, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). As a result of our complete acceptance of the Science of the Christ, as evidenced in Jesus' teaching, and revealed to the world by Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Scientists are successfully healing all manner of sickness and sin.

Prayer

Throughout the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings we are counseled and urged to pray. "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, — a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love" (Science and Health, p. 1). Profound prayer is a desire to express the nature of God, a constant endeavor to rise above apathy, selfishness, worldliness, and sin of every kind. Prayer is a constant song of gratitude to God for being God, for being unchanging Love and unending Life. Mary Baker Eddy wrote, "What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds" (ibid., p. 4); and Paul wrote, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). "Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers" (Science and Health, p. 15), and it is conceivable that this is what Paul meant when he said, "Pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17).

One of the most inspiring prayers in the Old Testament is Solomon's prayer wherein his only request was for wisdom. As he was addressing his request to God, it is obvious that he was seeking divine wisdom, divine intelligence, God's greatest gift to man. In the New Testament, our Master gave us the Lord's Prayer, which "covers all human needs" (Science and Health, p. 16) and indicates that spiritual consciousness which we must attain in order to instantaneously heal the sick. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus' all-embracing love is well portrayed. You remember he used the word "our" in place of "my". He prayed: "Our Father which art in heaven," "Give us this day our daily bread." And he used the word "us" in place of "me" when he said, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This gives us some idea of the universal love that Jesus had for all mankind. Proof of true prayer is shown forth in a more humble, a more just, and a more generous outlook on life, as well as in deeds of unselfishness and kindness to our brother man.

It is well to remember Jesus' instruction to his disciples when he healed the boy whose case had not responded to their treatment. Jesus said, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matt. 17:21). It seems evident that in this instance Jesus meant that prayer was a correct mental attitude, a turning unreservedly to God for guidance, enlightenment, instruction, and inspiration. And by fasting, it is conceivable that he meant refraining from evil thoughts; going without criticism, hatred, and condemnation; abstaining from material beliefs and human convictions.

In the epistle of James we have the following promise: "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up" (James 5:15). The "prayer of faith" includes a clear realization that God is good. The "prayer of faith" includes the joyous acknowledgment that health, harmony, prosperity, peace, and perfection are the real qualities of man. The "prayer of faith" includes a profound sense of gratitude for the blessings that God has already bestowed upon us.

We Live in God

We shall find it helpful to realize that we dwell in God. Paul wrote, "In him we live, and move, and have our being." In God we are entirely surrounded by good, and in Him there is no pain, sorrow, lack, nor disease. In Him all is perfection. What a joy it is to realize that actually we are not in danger, in a quandary, in jeopardy, in pain, nor in doubt, because we are always in Him, in the consciousness of Love.

In the interpretation of the twenty-third Psalm in the Christian Science textbook, we find this arousing and practical statement (p. 578): "I will dwell in the house [the consciousness] of [LOVE] for ever." In the consciousness of Love there is no racial or religious prejudice or hatred, no political strife. In the consciousness of Love man lives in complete harmony. In the consciousness of Love there is no lack, no business depression; in the consciousness of Love there is prosperity and an abundance of good.

We shall conclude with two inspiring verses from a well-loved hymn (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 154):

 

"In Thee, O Spirit true and tender,

I find my life as God's own child;

Within Thy light of glorious splendor

I lose the earth-clouds drear and wild.

 

·          ·          ·          ·          ·          ·

 

"In Thee I have no pain or sorrow,

No anxious thought, no load of care.

Thou art the same today, tomorrow;

Thy love and truth are everywhere."

 

[Delivered under the auspices of the Churches of Christ, Scientist, in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 23, 1948 and published in The Grosse Pointe News of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Dec. 2, 1946]

 

 

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