Betrayal and going forward

It was 1907. Mrs. Eddy's credibility was under attack in a lawsuit brought by her "next friends", including her son George Glover. 

William Chandler, no friend of Christian Science and a "former senator from New Hampshire and owner of one Concord's two newspapers" (p. 177, A World More Bright: the life of Mary Baker Eddy by Isabel Ferguson and Heather Vogel Frederick) was the prosecutor.

"One of the central issues of the lawsuit was financial mismanagement" (ibid. p. 182), the claim being that her secretary, Calvin Frye, was cheating his employer and that she was no longer competent to manage her affairs. 

"The entire nation was following the developments of the case with interest" (p. 185) and so Mrs. Eddy granted several interviews, including by "two psychiatrists" and "four prominent reporters" (p. 186). The reports were in her favour. One commented that "Mrs. Eddy talked fluently, incisively [and] showed no signs of fatigue" (p. 188). 

Finally, the suit was dismissed. 

"She was free to go forward" (p. 192).

How beautifully the sentiment in hymn 278 from the Christian Science Hymnal sums up this chapter in Mrs. Eddy's experience:

Truthful and steadfast though trials betide thee,

Ever one thing do thou ask of thy Lord,

Grace to go forward, wherever He guide thee,

Gladly obeying the call of His word.

(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 278:2)

Julie Swannell

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).