Why have church edifices?

August, 2015.  Book Miscellany by Mary Baker Eddy.

I am up to Chapter V, Christian Science Hall, Concord, N.H., and so far have not felt the urge to comment.  However, on the matter of the church building at Concord, New Hampshire, I am curious about the beginnings of the hall and those of the granite church which came later on the same site.

What surprises me is the short period between the remodelling of the hall (begun 1897; completed end 1897) and the dedication of the granite church (July, 1904).  I seem to recall that Mrs. Eddy said something like, “The hall is looking shabby…” when she announced the building of the new church.  But I have not so far found the quote.  If I am right about that quote, it gives us an idea of Mrs. Eddy’s standard for church building.  The remodelled building had been in use from 1898 and was replaced in 1904 – 5 years.

However, there is this note of caution about church edifices:  “Our proper reason for church edifices is, that in them Christians may worship God, - not that Christians may worship church edifices!”  (Message on the occasion of the dedication of Mrs. Eddy’s Gift, July 17, 1904 – 162:21).  Robert Peel  has a note that may explain this somewhat (Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Authority, 455 n. 7).

Mrs. Eddy called her last Class of about 70 to gather in Christian Science Hall in November 1898.  This is the famous class about much has been written by those called for that momentous few hours of teaching from the great inspired Leader and Teacher.  (See particularly the We Knew Mary Baker Eddy books.)

The following was found through JSH-Online.com  –

The Final Meeting

From the June 13, 1903 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

Concord Evening Monitor

The final meeting in Christian Science Hall last night [June 3] was full of interest. A large number were in attendance not only from Concord but visitors were present from Littleton, Lancaster, Boston, and elsewhere.

The deep sense of appreciation, manifest by reason of the active preparations for the handsome new church presented by Mrs. Eddy, was accompanied by a natural regret at the thought of parting from a place so dear to all.

It was in the fall of 1897 that Mrs. Eddy purchased, and after remodeling presented, Christian Science Hall to the Concord Church. Here she preached March 4, 1898, and in November of the same year she taught a class of seventy. At various other times she has addressed her students here.

For more than five years, therefore, this beautiful hall has not only been the church home of the local congregation, but here have been the reading rooms and the headquarters of Scientists from this and all lands.

The announcement of the manifestations of fraternal good will from sister churches in Concord brought forth many expressions of gratitude. St. Paul's Episcopal Church expressed their willingness to have their Memorial Hall used as a temporary place of worship. The Unitarian Church has extended the privileges of their beautiful edifice so long as it shall be needed. This permission has been accepted, and until further notice the services of First Church of Christ, Scientist, will be held on Sunday at three o'clock and on Wednesday evening at half past seven in the Unitarian Church.—Concord Evening Monitor.

As I was thinking about the Concord church and its updating, John Salchow’s reminiscences came to mind.  We find these in We Knew Mary Baker Eddy Expanded Edition, Volume 1.  John had provided photos of the outbuildings on Mrs. Eddy’s Pleasant View property; one of the barn and one of the carriage house.  They are beautiful, so far above my idea of what a barn is expected to look like, and to me give evidence of Mrs. Eddy’s building standards – and John’s meticulous work in knowing what those standards were, and up-keeping them so that Mrs. Eddy might not be distracted by seeing less than perfection.  Indeed, John refers to Mrs. Eddy’s high standards and her exact eye for colour (page 390 of the book) when she noticed an ill-matching of paint colour between the house and the barn.

Joyce Voysey