Changing rusted minds through music

 "Music has that ability to cut through our defenses and go straight to our hearts... It brings us to a place where we're reminded of our shared humanity." So comments Christiane Karam, a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, in an interview reported in The Christian Science Monitor (print version, p. 3 week of November 28, 2022; online version Oct. 18, 2022). 

The print editorial is headlined "Iran's anthem 'for changing rusted minds'". It reports on the widely popular song by Shervin Hajipour, "Baraye", a protest against the arrest and subsequent death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. The editorial describes the song as "captur[ing] pent-up longing, frustration, and sadness", ingredients that contribute to its becoming like an "anthem".

Hymns are not anthems but they too can be songs of protest - songs that protest God's goodness. This section from a testimony in Fruitage in Science and Health attests to the spiritual power inherent in a hymn:

I was awakened one night by the sound that seems to bring terror to every mother's heart, and found the little fellow sitting up in bed, gasping for breath. I got up, took him in my arms, and went into the next room. My first thought was, “O if only there was another Christian Scientist in town!” But there was not, and the work must be done and done quickly. I tried to treat him, but was so frightened I could not think; so I picked up Science and Health, which lay on the table beside me, and began reading aloud. I had read but a few lines when these words came to me as though a voice spoke, “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” Almost immediately after, the little one said, “Mamma, sing ‘Shepherd,' ” — our Leader's hymn, that both the big and the little children love. I began singing, and commencing with the second line, the little voice joined me. I shall never forget the feeling of joy and peace that came over me, when I realized how quickly God's word, through Science and Health and the beautiful hymn, had accomplished the healing work.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 619:24–14)

What a joy to turn to our hymns for healing. And maybe make up our own songs of protest and praise. No rusted minds allowed.

Julie Swannell

Shepherd - see hymns 304-309 and 573-576.

 

Hymns in wartime

The thought has been with me for a while now that there is a significant mention of the hymnal in one of the Christian Science Wartime Activities books (First and Second World Wars). As I remember, it states that German prisoners-of-war in England were on the hunt for the music of the German national anthem and it was found in the Christian Science hymnal. It seems that the story must be in the World War I book, because I have not found it in my copy of the World War II one. I will have to borrow the first one from our Reading Room Library. (Ed. The book is available digitally at https://archive.org/details/christianscience00firs/mode/1up?ref=ol&view=theater. Friends may wish to contribute to the upkeep of this free website.)

The War II book has a chapter, Keeping Church Alive in Prison Camps. It is exciting to read of the church activity which developed in Stalag III B. Healings happened (p. 328) –

Healings through Christian Science which took place among the men who were participating in this activity at Stalag III B include appendicitis, two men healed of needing glasses after having worn them for over ten years, two mental cases, one of which was recommended to Christian Science by an American doctor who was held prisoner, and bone disease of the leg which had continued for two months and was healed withing three weeks after the man began to study Christian Science. The greatest demonstration of all under the circumstances was the proof of continual supply—sufficient bread, potatoes, and a few other foods to sustain the men throughout this time.

Another account tells of the Christian Science activity in Zentsuji Japanese prison camp (p. 331).

The Japanese couldn’t understand why we wanted Wednesday evening services when the other religions did not. They were quite obstructive about it, but this was overcome. They wouldn’t let us sing. After we insisted, the Japanese later allowed us to sing at the Sunday services but not at the testimony meetings. We never had a piano or organ in camp.

The singing was important to us, as it had been the result of demonstration. …. We wrote out the words of a few of the Christian Science hymns we could remember but discovered that our recollection of the tunes varied considerably. About this time the Japanese distributed to the other religious groups some music notebooks, so we obtained our share of them. Two musically talented men in the group were assigned to put the music to these words as accurately as they could remember.

This helped a lot. Our singing them began to go more harmoniously. At last, one happy day we had a pamphlet Hymnal. An Englishman was brought to camp who had one of the booklets containing a selection of hymns with the music from the Christian Science Hymnal. The hymns were then rewritten in the notebooks with the true words and music. We made five or six copies of the notebooks and used these hymnals for over two years.

If the reader seeks out a copy of either or both the Christian Science War Time Activities accounts, it is recommended that she or he also finds a copy of The Ultimate Freedom by John H. Wyndham for an account of Wyndham’s marvellous overcoming [of adversity] in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. [Ed. I have a few copies of Wyndham’s marvellous book and am happy to share.]

Joyce Voysey

Christmas hymns

I’ve just typed the hymns for our church’s Wednesday meeting. And I am reminded of what a valuable help the Words Only Hymnal is. Sometimes reading the words from the music version can be confusing. This is specially so when First Readers use the music version to read part of the hymn to be sung as a sort of preview.

At this Christmas time we go on a hunt for Christmas related hymns for our services and our individual satisfaction. There are quite a number in the 1932 Hymnal, and a few in the Hymns 430-603 one.

A long time ago a friend made a list of the 1932 ones which I copied into the back of my music hymnal.

This may not be a complete list:

11 Angels at the Saviour's birth

17 Be firm, ye sentinels of Truth

23-28 Blest Christmas morn

164, 165, Joy to the world

417 (best tune)

170 Let every creature hail the morn

222, 223 O little town of Bethlehem

236 O peace of the world

310 Sing, ye joyous children, sing

362 A child of hope is born

368, 369 Watchman, tell us of the night

 

There are some carol tunes set to un-Christmas words.

434 A Village humble, still

449-451 Blest Christmas Morn

511, 512 It came upon the midnight clear

538 O come, all ye faithful

544 O little town of Bethlehem

549 O thou joyful, O thou blessed (O du fröhliche, o du selige)  

Our church had a Carol Sing after the service last Sunday. We sang (beautifully) some of these. And added The Little Drummer Boy (with one of our number volunteering (most effectively) on a little drum.

Joyce Voysey

Ed. On the inside front cover of my hymnal I also have the following marked as Christmas-time-suitable-hymns:

122 How blest are they (tune Winchester Old àWhile shepherds watched their flocks by night)

123 How firm a foundation (tune - Adeste Fideles àO come all ye faithful)

158 It came upon the midnight clear

229 O Love divine…light which glowed / Upon the waiting shepherds’ way

Resisting what's unfamiliar

 

Here are some items from my gleanings of the [Christian Science] periodicals – 

ITEMS OF INTEREST

[As published in the Christian Science Sentinel, August 27, 1932]

 

In this issue of the Sentinel the Publishing Society is announcing the long-looked-for new Christian Science Hymnal. Undertaken by The Christian Science Board of Directors more than four years ago, with the aid of competent musicians, committee workers, and contributors all over the world, the revision and compilation of this Hymnal has received much loving devotion, prayer, and earnest labor. We can now avail ourselves of its many inspiring songs of praise.

 

In The Mother Church, according to a plan of its Board of Directors, those of the congregation who care to do so will be invited to remain after the Wednesday evening meetings for a time for perhaps twenty minutes of song practice of the hymns new to this Hymnal. The presiding Reader at the Wednesday evening meetings will announce that after a brief interval just following the meetings, twenty minutes will be devoted for the purpose. In this way it is hoped that the congregation will familiarize itself with the new hymns. [My emphasis,  J.V.] The singing of hymns in Christian Science church services has attracted attention and favorable comment from non-Christian Scientists, and has been declared to be noteworthy and highly inspirational.

 

The Concordance and General Index to the new Christian Science Hymnal is to be ready shortly. Inasmuch as many new hymns have been added to the Hymnal the Concordance will be found to be of great assistance in choosing hymns to fit certain subjects or to meet a specific need.

 

…….

 

In the August 9 issue of The Christian Science Monitor there appeared an article reprinted from the Kingsport Times, Kingsport, Tennessee, with reference to our Hymnal. This article gave interesting statistics regarding the material used in the make-up of the book, and we are repeating these for the benefit of those who may not have read the reprint in the Monitor.

 

The music plates for the 640 pages of the Hymnal were prepared in Boston and all of the type for the plates was set by hand. The Hymnal was printed in Tennessee at Kingsport, and the order for 410,000 books is the largest known single order of hymnals ever placed with a single firm. The printing commenced June 15 with the operation of five large perfecting presses running twenty hours a day, and was completed approximately two months later.

A total of 325 tons of paper, 40,240 yards of book cloth, 39,000 yards of headbands, 7 tons of end paper material, 50 tons of cover board, 210,000 yards of muslin reënforcement for the backs of the books, and 2,280,000 yards of thread were used. Probably the most outstanding part of the manufacturing process was the use of more than 500,000 sheets of the 22-carat gold for the stamping on the cloth-bound edition and for gilding the edges and stamping the de luxe edition.

 

565,000 copies printed  Annual meeting June 17, 1933

 

 

ITEM OF INTEREST

Christian Science Sentinel, Sept. 24, 1932

… Four hundred years ago Martin Luther said of such song, "Music is one of the fairest and most glorious gifts of God, to which Satan is a bitter enemy; for it removes from the heart the weight of sorrow, and the fascination of evil thoughts."

 

 

The Singing Church, Peter Allen, The Christian Science Journal, Jan. 2010

 

When the 1932 Hymnal was released, there was resistance to giving up the 1910 Hymnal, which it had replaced. In a Christian Science Sentinel article dated April 9, 1932, Margaret Morrison, the author of Hymns 179 and 371, wrote: "... let us work and watch and pray that our new messenger of song—this beautiful development of good—be protected from the erroneous beliefs of the carnal mind, the notes of discord which would seek to annul its mission and destroy our joy in taking this revealed step of progress. ...

"... we shall undertake the learning of the new hymns, not as a task, but as a great joy. May we see in this effort to sing our new songs a means of growing closer together in love, making melody in our hearts, praising our God, who is the God of salvation" ("Song and Salvation," p. 625).   

It was somewhat of a balm to me that the 1932 Christian Science Hymnal was resisted by congregations of Christian Scientists, for there was the same resistance to the 2017 printing (Christian Science Hymnal, Hymns 430-603). I was one of those resisters until being made aware that many of the new songs were suitable for the Sunday School.  As Superintendent I had noted that the 1932 book did not have many songs which were really suitable for the children. 

To help us all learn the new hymns, back in 2017 our branch church held “new hymnal” practices after our Wednesday meetings.  I was glad to read that it had also been done at The Mother Church back in 1932.

 

Joyce Voysey

About Christmas Morn, hymn 381, and a canary

As a beginner student of Christian Science, of course my first purchases at a Christian Science Reading Room were the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baer Eddy.  No doubt the next was a Christian Science Quarterly to guide my study of the weekly Bible-Lesson.  (No markers at first!) 

Following those purchases there seems to have been a tight race between the Christian Science Hymnal (1932 edition) and the Concordance to Science and Health.  The hymnal was precious, and I carried it to church services. On reflection I think the hymnal probably won that race.  

The story of the Concordance is interesting.  Over a few years there seemed to be a sort of epidemic of cancer deaths within close adoptive family.  This had been happening for a while before I knew about Christian Science.  Then we visited a loved uncle from Mount Morgan in a Brisbane hospital.  He seemed to be filled with fear, very disturbed.  I went away fearful and disturbed too.  However,  things were difference this time – I knew about the healing Truth, and I had a Concordance to Science and Health to guide me in gaining my peace.  I was such a new student, and it is a surprise that I was guided to citations on Life.  We visited the uncle again.  There was a complete change in his demeanour.  He did pass on soon after, but I was sure that he was at peace – and so was I. 

I was a devourer of the free literature (copies of the weekly Christian Science Sentinel and the monthly Christian Science Journal) available at church, so that after a while I saw the need to own a copy of Mrs. Eddy’s Prose Works other than Science and Health which was referred to in those periodicals.  This copy is still on my desk, although for study I have a new one (purchased in 1991!).  The original is well worn to say the least.  It has the signatures of my fellow Class students (Christian Science Primary Class instruction).  A precious volume. 

I receive emails from the Longyear Foundation and recently I found this gem about one of Mrs. Eddy’s poems being set to music for the church services.

Christmas Morn  In 1903, Mrs. Eddy wrote to Albert Conant, organist of The Mother Church, asking him to set her “Christmas Hymn” to music that could be sung in church services. She wanted a melody “adapted for my words,” as she put it. “They need neither a dirge nor a trumpet blast, but they do require the depths of HARMONY, plaintive and joyous. … I shall never consent to have that Hymn sung in any tune less sweet than the music that moves my heart, not head.” Enjoy this video from Longyear’s 2021-22 series about Mrs. Eddy’s seven poems that appear in the Christian Science Hymnal. WATCH NOW

This item is one of a series of Longyear notes about Mrs. Eddy’s seven poems that appear in the Christian Science Hymnal. I hope that readers of this blog will use this site https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1993/12/111-12/mary-baker-eddy-s-hymns for an inspiring commentary on the seven poems and their derivation.  

Hymn 381 

Last Friday I spoke with a friend in the Reading Room about the wonderful role played by early worker William McKenzie, and especially his hymn 381, “What brightness dawned in resurrection”.  My friend mentioned that the musical setting of this hymn (written by Clement Cotterill Scholefield around 1894) was included in the funeral service of Queen Elizabeth II.  The words sung on that occasion, [Ed.- and which convey a very different sense from those penned by McKenzie], were most likely the following –: 

1 The day you gave us, Lord, is ended,
the darkness falls at your request;
to you our morning hymns ascended,
your praise shall sanctify our rest.

2 We thank you that your Church, unsleeping
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping
and never rests by day or night.

3 As over continent and island
each dawn leads to another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor do the praises die away.

4 So be it, Lord! Your throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
your kingdom stands and grows forever
until there dawns your glorious day.

Another piece from Longyear tells us a little more – 

In 1932, just as the Hymnal was being readied for the printer, the Hymnal Revision Committee encountered an unexpected hurdle. Permission to print a poem by John Ellerton, which was intended for hymn #381, was withdrawn. With not a moment to lose, the committee sent an urgent request to William McKenzie. Would he be willing to write a replacement?

It wasn’t an easy task. The poem’s words would have to match the cadence of the tune. Also, the first line would need to begin with the letter “W” to fit within the hymnal’s alphabetical order.

Mr. McKenzie consented. He pulled out his paper and pen and got to work. The resulting poem, a tender view of the resurrection, has been a much-loved hymn ever since.3 In all, seven of William McKenzie’s poems would be published in that 1932 Hymnal. 

Finally, you may like to read this gem, not related to the hymnal–

Celebrations 

For about two months in the summer of 1891, after completing revisions for the landmark 50th edition of her major work, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy moved back to Boston from Concord, New Hampshire. In Roslindale, a Boston suburb, she purchased a home across the street from the Knapp family. Ira Knapp and his wife, Flavia, were rock-solid students and friends. Mrs. Eddy would appoint Ira as one of the first directors of The Mother Church. During her brief stay in Roslindale, Mrs. Eddy became aware that her neighbor had developed what his son Bliss Knapp described as “an abnormal sense about celebrating birthdays.” He refused to celebrate them. Mrs. Eddy felt this posture was excessive and needed correction, so, on Ira’s birthday, June 7, she gave him a birthday present! [A] vase …. filled with flowers, was sent across the street to the Knapp home, accompanied by a photograph of the sender in a hand-painted frame. June 7 also happened to be Bliss’s birthday, so she sent him a present, too — her favorite canary in a fine brass cage.

-Photo by Alfred Grupstra-

 Joyce Voysey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A perfect harp - beautiful possibilities and the New Woman

 As we start our exploration of the 1932 Christian Science Hymnal this month, isn't it lovely that music and harps appear in this week's Christian Science Bible Lesson.

I wondered what David's harp might sound like. UK composer Michael Levy's discussion on the topic is helpful.  

When I looked up the word harp in the Concordance to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (actually Concord online) i found this interesting passage in the essay "One Point of View - the New Woman", re-printed from The New Century, Boston Feb. 1895:

"She is as full of beautiful possibilities as a perfect harp, and she realizes that all the harmonies of the universe are in herself, while her own soul plays upon magic strings the unwritten anthems of love." (Pulpit and Press, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 81: 20-23) 

The stirring melody and emphatic rhythmic pulse, along with the rousing lyrics of hymn 200 provide an example of the blessings of music. This hymn includes a "harp" reference in the third verse:

O daughter of Zion, the power that hath saved thee, / Extolled with the harp and the timbrel should be;

Then shout, for the foe is destroyed that enslaved thee; / Th' oppressor is vanquished, and Zion is free.

Let's all sing today. 

Julie Swannell

Friends we are grateful for

At Thanksgiving time, it seems appropriate that we turn to chapter 16 in Romans. Here, Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with a joyous round of applause for all the workers in the field.

He starts in verses 1-2 with Phoebe, and asks that she be welcomed and assisted. Then there's Prisca and Aquila (New Revised Standard Version) "who risked their necks for my life" (Rom 16: 3-5). He continues with "my beloved Epaenetus, ..the first convert in Asia for Christ" (16:5), hard-working Mary (16:6), plus Andronicus and Junia (16:6) who Paul explains were in prison with him and were followers of Christ before Paul himself. 

More loving greetings are conveyed to Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, the Aristobulus family, Paul's relative, Herodion, and the Narcissus family. 

In verse 12 he mentions Tryphaena and Tryphosa. (Note from me: Some years ago, while sailing in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, we met a couple who had named their little yacht Tryphaena, so whenever I come to this part of Romans, I think of them.) And then the hard-working Persis.

We can tell that some of these folk have become like family to the wayfaring apostle. He mentions Rufus, and Rufus' mother, who has "become a mother to me also" (verse 13).

Finally he lists Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and other brothers and sisters, Philogus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints (verses 14-15).

Although there are no citations from Romans in this year's Thanksgiving Lesson (in the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons), we do hear from Paul in I and II Corinthians.  Here are the passages from the NRSV

B4 - II Cor 4: 15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

B13 - II Cor 1: 4-6 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind--just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you

B14 - II Cor 2: 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.

Paul was such an encourager. While never shirking his responsibility to warn as appropriate, he nevertheless was a master at giving a pat on the back when it was earned.

Thanksgiving greetings to all. You are welcome to join us this Wednesday at 1pm for our Annual Thanksgiving service.

Julie Swannell

Trauma?

I think most of us would agree that Romans is a difficult read. But it is also a very rewarding study - and study it we must. 

Tonight I've opened up The Living Bible and read Roman 12: 12: Be glad for all God is planning for you.

To me, this says that we are to look forward, not backward. To look to God, not to men. To expect to be a witness to good, by being grateful and glad for every evidence of good we encounter. 

This may require some work. Perhaps it's easier to blame others or God for what has not seemed to work out for the best. The requirement is to keep on loving, no matter what. Jesus showed us the way. Jesus was the epitome of Christly love that keeps loving and forgiving, of looking to God and knowing that God, Love, was supporting and guiding his very being.

Perhaps this is an antidote for the heavy burden of trauma.

Hymn 312 (words by Charles Wesley, slightly adapted for the Christian Science hymnal) verse 2 offers courage and assurance:

From strength to strength go on;

O wrestle, fight, and pray;

Tread all the powers of darkness down,

And win the well-fought day.

That, having all things done,

And all your conflicts past,

Ye may o'ercome through Christ alone,

And stand complete at last.

Bosede Bakarey's article in the Christian Science Sentinel of Feb 4, 2013 ("Prayer that heals trauma") offers an example of a life was turned from trauma and tragedy to freedom. She writes "It was when I 'came to the Christ' and realized that the conditions I was facing could never disrupt my real spiritual selfhood that I became completely free from illness and my family's situation turned around."

Having met Bosede at the Church Alive summit in Brisbane some years ago, I recall that part of the solution for her as a widow with several small children (the solution is always IDEAS, not things) was the idea to make THE BEST wedding cakes she could possibly make. Her business enabled her to put her children through tertiary education. 

Let's then be glad for all God is planning for us all.

Julie Swannell

Homelessness and hopefulness

My Christian Science church had the challenge of praying about homelessness.  We worked well on it.  The idea then came that maybe we could next time work on hopefulness.

When I see these two terms – homelessness and hopefulness - in type, I find there is an amazing balance. 

On checking the Bible concordance for the word hope, I was surprised at where it is prevalent -- Job (13) and Romans (12).  One thinks of Job as being a worrier, and it makes me glad to see that hope is with him.  Well, actually, some of them are negatives. And Romans has not been an easy study for me.  It gives me hope to see eleven entries.  Here are some of them --

Romans

+ (Abraham) who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations... (4:18)

+ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  (15:4)

+ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that se see not, then do we with patience wait for it.  (9:24, 25)

Job

Eliphaz the Temanite endeavoured to cheer Job.  Gave him a cheer job! 

Job, chapter 4 begins with recalling his good work --

+ If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved?  but who can withhold himself from speaking?  Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.  thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.  But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.  Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?  Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent?  or where were the righteous cut off?  (Job 4:1-7)

Of course, Psalms is rich with hope -- 2 under "noun" and 16 under "verb."  These are all positives --

* Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  and why art thou disquieted within  me?  hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance, and my God  (42:11)

*  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.  (146: 5)

What a lot of cheer one can find in the Scriptures!  As students of Christian Science we are comforted that with the promise of Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy: "The Scriptures are very sacred.  Our aim must be to have them understood spiritually, for only by this understanding can truth be gained."  (547:23-25)  And that precious book is the Key to those Scriptures.  We are rightly equipped.

Joyce Voysey

Courage, comfort and Truth's energies

 Just read in the Daily (online) edition of The Christian Science Monitor: "That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit." (A. Bronson Alcott)

Can we say this about the book of Romans, which is of course a letter?

It seems to me that a good book, a really good book, steers thought in a new direction, lifting one's conceptions to a higher or broader view. 

And so, browsing the pages of this deeply-reasoned letter, I find the famous Romans 8: 38 (The Living Bible):

"I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are--high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean--nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us."

This rousing and comforting passage has surely inspired generations over hundreds of years, just as Winston Churchill encouraged the people of Britain in March 1941 with his message to US President Roosevelt, which was broadcast publicly:

"Give us your faith and your blessing, and, under Providence, all will be well.

"We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down." (The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson, p. 370)

What we read, counts. What we listen to, counts. What we think, counts. Mary Baker Eddy once wrote: 

"A patient under the influence of mortal mind is healed only be removing the influence on him of this mind, by emptying his thought of the false stimulus and reaction of will-power and filling it with the divine energies of Truth." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 185:32)

I'll opt for being energised by Truth's divine energies every time. 

Happy reading!

Julie Swannell

Romans 8: 1-2 the law of life

This week's Christian Science Bible Lesson on "Probation after death" includes Romans 8:1-2. In Paul's letter, this passage follows his famous tussle between wanting to do good but failing to do so in chapter 7. The contradiction there - between intent and execution or performance - is solved with Paul's question and answer that follow, i.e. verse 24: "...who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"; verse 25: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Chapter 8 follows with a "therefore", i.e.,

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8: 1, 2)(emphasis added).

Is Paul telling his listeners that to be "in Christ Jesus" indicates our present spirituality and a recognition of ongoing spiritual growth which makes that spirituality evident? (Citations 9 and 10 in Science and Health in the Lesson give us some clues.)

Sandra Justad's article Challenging Impositions from the May 24, 1993 Christian Science Sentinel is excellent. Here is an excerpt: 

"If we come to see that reality is ..., in its truest sense, spiritual and wholly good, evolving from God, creative Spirit, and that we can never be separated from infinite good, we find ourselves governed by spiritual law. A growing understanding of this law, and increasing conformity to the moral precepts found in the Ten Commandments, help counteract the false sense that we're subject to chance or accident."

..."The material perspective is a lie, suggesting that evil is solid reality, an inescapable presence, and that divine Life and Love are absent. But in truth evil has never been real or present, and Life and Love are never absent. That's why we can challenge successfully the false beliefs of material existence rather than feel helpless in the face of discord. Science and Health [by Mary Baker Eddy] states, "The physician agrees with his 'adversary quickly,' but upon different terms than does the metaphysician; for the matter physician agrees with the disease, while the metaphysician agrees only with health and challenges disease."

Sandy goes on to recount a wonderful healing. 

Julie Swannell

More articles on this subject can be found in the periodicals available in Christian Science Reading Rooms. Check out BooksThatChangeLives.au for Reading Rooms in Queensland. You might also like to visit ChristianScienceRedcliffe.au.

Original sin?

 We are told that Chapter 5 of Romans is where the doctrine of ‘original sin’ originated for many Christians, starting with Augustine (354-430 AD).

I had had what seemed like a revelation about original sin (I am not ready to share it just now), so I looked on JSH-Online to see what students of Christian Science had written of their insights into this important theological subject.

Here are some excerpts from an article of profound interest from the January 14, 2002 edition of the Christian Science Sentinel.

I'm not Eve—women's place in theology redefined

By Katherine Degrow

A VOTE TAKEN TO DECIDE whether women are human! In the year 584 A.D., a council was held in Lyon, France, where the question of women's humanity was debated by church leaders. Sixty-three delegates were present; 32 voted yes and 31 voted no. Women were declared human by one vote.

What could possibly have led Christendom to such a place? Something must have gone awry from the time when Jesus walked the earth. Jesus associated with women freely and welcomed them as followers. In fact, one account tells of his holding what might be considered a theological conversation with a woman of Samaria—at a time when men of his culture would not even acknowledge their mothers or sisters in public. Women remained by Jesus' side at the cross and were the first at the tomb after his resurrection. Such a debate as was held at Lyon nearly 600 years later could not have been based on the examples given in the gospel stories.

… Augustine believed that humanity was irreparably damaged by "the fall."

… The view of women as sinners became strongly entrenched and was preached from pulpits for centuries to come. "Eve caused the fall of man," thundered the preachers, "and brought sin and all our woe into the world."

… As for society as a whole, women have made great gains in most areas of life, and their God-given talents have found expression to greatly enrich humanity. Yet women still suffer in many parts of the world.

I hope readers will turn to this most helpful article. Simply click on the title (above, in blue) or ask the Librarian at your local Christian Science Reading Room to locate the article for you.

Joyce Voysey

"stars of the first magnitude"

How do we know the difference between right and wrong? Can the Bible help? Does Paul’s letter to the Romans help? I find Romans HARD!! But I’ve also found that reading it aloud with my mum has been an amazing experience. So, the last time we did this, we were intrigued to read about accusing and excusing. It’s in chapter 2 and I’ve looked up three translations that help clarify Paul’s message. The highlighting is mine:

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2: 14-16, KJV)

^14-15 When the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of the Law, act in accordance with it by the light of nature, they show that they have a law in themselves, for they demonstrate the effect of a law operating in their own hearts. Their own consciences endorse the existence of such a law, for there is something which condemns or commends their actions. (JB Phillips) 

^12-15 He will punish sin wherever it is found. He will punish the heathen when they sin, even though they never had God's written laws, for down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God's laws are written within them; their own conscience accuses them, or sometimes excuses them. And God will punish the Jews for sinning because they have his written laws but don't obey them. They know what is right but don't do it. After all, salvation is not given to those who know what to do, unless they do it. (The Living Bible)

Mary Baker Eddy – a deep student of the Bible – mentions this passage in A Colloquy, in her book Unity of Good (a colloquy is a conversation or discussion):

In Romans (ii. 15) we read the apostle's description of mental processes wherein human thoughts are “the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.” If we observe our mental processes, we shall find that we are perpetually arguing with ourselves; yet each mortal is not two personalities, but one. 

In like manner good and evil talk to one another; yet they are not two but one, for evil is naught, and good only is reality.
(Unity of Good, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 21:1–9)

I love this observation of “mental processes”. I also love that, when looking for role models, instead of movie stars or sports stars, etc. we have stars in our Bible friends Paul and Jesus. These stars expand our thought beyond the everyday and out to infinity, just like viewing the night sky on a cloudless night. Mary Baker Eddy calls Jesus and Paul "stars of the first magnitude" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, 360: 13). Catching even a glimpse of their contribution is worth it. Maybe it’s a bit like peering into outer space through a powerful telescope.

Julie Swannell

Space.com - images from Hubble telescope

Justified - printing perfection

Our family had a printing business in the early second half of the 20th Century.  My husband was a compositor, the one who set up the type for printing.  In the early days of the business, before there was a linotype amongst our machinery, each individual letter or grammar point, full point, question mark, etc. was picked out of a case of type and put into a setting stick to form lines of type.

A full page was placed in a form which held it all together.  These lines of type had to be "justified" so that the lines were all the same length.  Now all the pieces of type were not the same width - a full-point was skinny, a capital "M" was wide.

 

Richard Evans, hand compositor at James Wilkes Ltd, at work in 1953. Image from the Wolverhampton History & Heritage website (http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/)

 Sometimes the compositor had to put in small pieces of lead between the words to spread the line; even a piece of card could be enough. That "justifying" could amount to a lot of work for the compositor.  He was very proud of his job when it was finished.  He had put a lot of work into making it as perfect as he could.

And of course, the compositor would know the correct place to split a long word with a hyphen to carry over to the next line.

 

A composing stick loaded with metal movable type, held over a lower case with larger boxes for more common minuscule letters: the upper case holds capital letters. Photo by Wilhei. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Handsatz.jpg#/media/File:Handsatz.jpg

There were many "cases of type" to "pick" from because of all the type sizes and fonts. Sometimes a "wrong font" letter got put in. The compositor would run some ink over his page of type and print a copy for "reading" for mistakes. My husband was remarkably accurate in his work.

The reader may like to read about the Printing Art in the book Mary Baker Eddy and Her Books by William Dana Orcutt*.  In particular he recounts his search for the perfect book which resulted in a family bible-sized Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mrs. Eddy's seminal/major work.

Oh yes!  All those pieces of type had to be "dissed" -- distributed back into the boxes.  That is when the "wrong font" letter could have gone astray.

Joyce Voysey

Ed. * This interesting book is available in Christian Science Reading Rooms. See https://booksthatchangelives.org.au/books-publications/biographies-of-mary-baker-eddy/

 Ed. Joyce has pointed out to me that yesterday’s post incorrectly noted that it was in a justified format. Of course it was not. It was merely left-aligned. For type to be justified, it has to line up on both the left and the right-hand sides. Thus, for this post to be justified, I have simply high-lighted and clicked the “justify” icon on Word and presto, it’s done (Done, that is, following several perplexing un-justified passages that needed persuading into the justified format!) This is rather different from the laborious and skilled expertise carried out by trained compositors like my Dad.

Lining up

We have discovered that Paul employs the term "justification" quite a lot. The original Greek word is (in English) dikaioo (dik-ah-yo'-o).

Here is an example from Romans chapter 5 verse 1 from the New International Version:

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

In printing, to justify one's text is to have it line up. In English, it is usual to justify the text to the left, as we see in this blog post.  

Joyce may be able to enlighten us on the way this was achieved prior to the advent of typewriters and computers. Does anyone have any clues?

Julie Swannell

Believing instead of achieving

Paul was a contemporary of Jesus. His letters were written prior to the writing of the Gospels, and Romans was his final letter, written circa 57AD - roughly twenty years following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (probably 33AD). But in the Bible's canon, the Gospels (written between 66-110AD, with Mark being the first) precede the letters of Paul. Furthermore, Romans is the first of Paul's letters to appear in the canon. Romans is also the longest and most complex and it denotes the culmination of his life-work as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The explanation seems to be that the order of the letters was selected according to their length. Thus lengthy Romans is first; brief Philemon is last. 

Paul employs contrasting concepts to convey his message. For instance in Romans 2: 7-10, he contrasts patient continuance in well-doing and obedience to truth with contentiousness, unrighteousness, indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish. The former behaviour begets glory, honour, peace, immortality, and eternal life. The latter reaps tribulation and anguish. It makes no difference whether the subject is Jew or Gentile. Paul's main point is that no one should judge another, because from a human point of view (Paul writes: "I speak as a man" Romans 3: 5), we all fall short. 

The question then is: Is being obedient to the Jewish "law" (or dogma) what is required of us? Mary Baker Eddy is clear on this point: "Ritualism and dogma lead to self-righteousness and bigotry, which freeze out the spiritual element. Pharisaism killeth; Spirit giveth Life." (Retrospection and Introspection, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 65:6–8)

Let's examine Romans 3: 28, the famous passage about justification by faith, so important to sixteenth century reformer Martin Luther. Note that according to Strong's concordance, the word translated "justification" in the King James Version means to regard as innocent, just or righteous.

KJV Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

CEV We see that people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law.

ERV I mean we are made right with God through faith, not through what we have done to follow the law. This is what we believe.

JB Phillips takes the argument up a notch: 

PHILLIPS What happens now to human pride of achievement? There is no more room for it. Why, because failure to keep the Law has killed it? Not at all, but because the whole matter is now on a different plane—believing instead of achieving. We see now that a man is justified before God by the fact of his faith in God’s appointed Saviour and not by what he has managed to achieve under the Law.

John's message gives a helpful perspective: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

Paul was a wonderful student of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus acknowledged the place of law of Moses, so Paul does not dismiss it. However, he has learned that the law on its own can become a source of authority and pride. He recommends a less strident approach, one that embraces grace - possibly the subject of another blog post.

Julie Swannell