Faith, resolve, obedience achieve the impossible

I have finished reading A World More Bright: The Life of Mary Baker Eddy by Isabel Ferguson and Heather Vogel Frederick now. The thing that stayed with me was Irving Tomlinson’s record of Mrs. Eddy’s prayer which he overheard in her last days.

During these latter days, Tomlinson reports that, “...there were still times when Mrs. Eddy answered letters, shot off telegrams, and issued orders as briskly as she once had, but on the whole her life grew more contemplative” (p. 211).

Of Eddy’s prayer, Tomlinson said, “She would voice her inmost desire for a realization of God’s presence and power and follow it with a declaration that that presence and power was an eternal manifestation and fully realized by His children. She would petition that no temptation could assail; and follow (it) by the declaration that the real man was free from temptation. She affirmed that there was no lack in God’s provisions for His offspring and asserted that this truth was realized by all” (pp. 211 - 212).

What a wonderful example of scientific prayer. “Yearning” is the attitude that comes to me as I read it. And the realisation that that yearning is already met.

Important points to me are:

1.     That the prayers were not for herself but for all of mankind.

2.     Her prayer was spoken out loud.

As I was flipping through the latter pages of the book, I came across a Source Note that spoke of Mrs. Eddy’s son George (page 246). It tells me that I may find a wealth of information about George Glover II’s early years, his service in the Union Army, and his life on the frontier in Jewel Spangler Smaus’s eight-part series Family: from New England to the Black Hills. This series appeared in the Longyear Museum Quarterly News (Spring 1983, Autumn 1983, Summer 1984, Autumn 1984).

Now it seems I need to re-read the book without neglecting those Source Notes.

First, however, I need to go back to Caroline and Edward Bates. A reader may recall that I mentioned them in my previous blog and spoke at some length of Caroline’s contribution to the building of The Mother Church. I must have finished reading at page 140, because when I went back to the story, I found Edward’s mighty contribution.

Caroline had received a message from Mrs. Eddy which read: “Finish the tower and plaster the church” (p. 139). Well, she had seen to the tower*, now it was Edward’s turn. The couple prayed all night for guidance as to how to carry out the plastering part of Mrs. Eddy’s instruction.

I hope readers will have the opportunity of reading about this demonstration**. It seemed to be quite miraculous. The work which the contractor had figured would take 12 days—applying two coats of plaster—was completed in 12 hours, overnight. Edward could see no miracle here. He saw that it was clearly Mrs. Eddy’s vision that opened the way. He knew that “she would not have issued that order if she had not known what could be accomplished; we did not comprehend it until it was finished” (p. 143).

The great lesson for the Bates's was to be obedient and do what seemed to be impossible.

This chapter concludes with the completion of the building of the church. It was noted that the workers “all finished and went to the stairways to place their tools in the lower vestry at the same moment” (p. 145). The church was ready for the service which Mrs. Eddy had given instruction was to be held on that date.

The last word—Noted Edward: “Mrs. Eddy’s demonstration was complete to the minute” (p. 145).

It is worthwhile to go back and see what Mrs. Eddy wrote in the December 1893 Christian Science Journal, recorded in our book on page 137:

Our church edifice must be built in 1894…. No doubt must intervene between the promise and event; faith and resolve are friends to Truth, seize them, trust the Divine providence, push upward our prayer in stone and God will give the benediction (p. 137).

The corner stone was laid on 21^st May 1894. The church was ready for occupation on 30^th December 1894!!!!!

Joyce Voysey

*Ed.: The tower was 120 feet high!

**Ed.: I love what the contractor said: “I have never seen nor heard anything like it. It is wonderful” (p. 143).

A brilliant conversationalist

As we follow the story of Mary Baker, who became Mary Glover and then Mary Patterson, it seems that she is more and more alone. With whom could she confide her deepest thoughts and share her inmost dreams?

1866

The year 1866 was a landmark year for Mary Patterson (later, Mary Baker Eddy). Her husband, Daniel, had been unfaithful too many times and now the “marriage was over” (p. 62, A World More Bright: The Life of Mary Baker Eddy by Isabel Ferguson and Heather Vogel Frederick). But her unexpected recovery from unconsciousness following a fall on the icy pavement in Lynn, Massachusetts—a fall which had been deemed to be fatal—marked a turning point in her life.

At work

Subsequently, her “days were spent absorbed in the Scriptures as she searched and pondered” (ibid. p. 75) the substance and meaning of her recovery. In this work, she was alone with God, conversing with her heavenly Father-Mother. Meanwhile, she found lodging wherever she could and participated in family life with gusto.

The Wentworth family

At one point, Mary boarded with the Wentworth family—parents Alanson and Sally, daughters Celia and 13-year-old Lucy, whom “Mary [often] went to meet … on her way home from school” (p. 74), and 17-year-old son Charles. They welcomed her warmly and she left quite an impression.

“Charles later described Mary as cheerful and sprightly, ‘a woman of culture and refinement’ who was a brilliant conversationalist. He looked back on the 18 months she spent with his family as ‘one of the brightest spots in my life” (ibid, emphasis added).

Conversation and friendship

In his book Conversation: A history of a declining art, Stephen Miller writes that: “The art of conversation is the art of pleasing others.” (The Christian Science Monitor 21^st March 2006—“A Conversation Starter about how we converse”. Here Monitor contributor Tom D’Eveyln writes that “The art of conversation is a branch of an even bigger topic: friendship. Above all, friends listen to one another.”

D’Eveyln also quotes Virginia Woolf:

It may be that the art of pleasing has some connection to the art of writing. To be polite, considerate, controlled, to sink one's egotism, to conceal rather than to obtrude one's personality may profit the writer even as they profit the man of fashion.

We have fine examples of conversations that uplift and heal, in both Christ Jesus and Mary Baker Eddy, who would later write: “…a tender sentiment felt, or a kind word spoken, at the right moment, is never wasted” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 127).

Norma Palmer Adler writes (Christian Science Sentinel, Sept. 23, 1961)*:

The authorized biographies of Mrs. Eddy repeatedly bring out that her words were always a blessing to those with whom she spoke. She enjoyed interesting and constructive conversations as well as a sense of humor. Irving C. Tomlinson says in his book "Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy" (pp. 170, 171): "Whether conversing in her study with a single student, or entertaining hundreds of her followers on the lawn at Pleasant View, she radiated a love that made her guests feel free from all restraint and at ease in her company. Mrs. Eddy was a rare conversationalist, and an hour spent in her company was a blessing never to be forgotten."

Today, we too can experience “a blessing never to be forgotten” as we spend time with the Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. And we too can work on the art of conversation, the art of friendship, in our relations with our fellow man.

Julie Swannell

*For those with a subscription to JSH-online.com, see Tenderly, Divinely Talk. Those without a subscription are invited to call their local Christian Science Reading Room to ask for a copy of this article.

 

A faithful couple

Caroline and Edward Bates are two of my favourite characters in the annuls of Christian Science. They were so practical, efficient, and expectant of solving problems. We hear about them in Joseph Armstrong’s book, The Building of The Mother Church, where we are given a rather sketchy story of their work. In Chapter 17, 'A “Prayer in Stone”', of A World More Bright: the Life of Mary Baker Eddy, their stories are presented in much fuller and exciting detail.

Caroline donated the beautiful “rose” window for The Mother Church building (see page 138).

Edward was a businessman who contracted for the heating and ventilation systems of the new church. Responding to a “feeling that his church needed him” (ibid), he further offered his services as on-site manager, “setting his own business concerns aside” (ibid).

The metaphysical work of these two fine students of Christian Science wrought the working out of various problems in the build. For instance, it was found that a chandelier obstructed the view of the platform from the balcony. Caroline designed a sunburst skylight for the ceiling to bring the light from the right angle.

At a crucial moment, Caroline received a message from Mrs. Eddy: “Finish the tower and plaster the church” (page 139). These tasks were the two most daunting at the time. 

The stonemasons, bricklayers, and steel men couldn’t agree on how to finish the church’s tower. Caroline volunteered to climb up the 120 feet high tower on long ladders. The ladders swayed in the icy wind with every step, but she was under orders to “[f]inish the tower.” She came up with a solution to the problem as she saw it and the workmen followed her instructions on how to do it.

Caroline was healed by reading the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and both her father (a physician) and mother took up the study of Christian Science. During class instruction in Christian Science they were both healed of a need for eyeglasses.

Joyce Voysey

PS In case anyone has been waiting with bated breath to hear the dimensions of my Bribie Island schoolhouse, (see my previous post), I have now been provided with the original 1924 drawings. It was 21 feet square, and the desks and stools were 7 feet 6 inches long.