"The teachings of St. Paul are as useful today as when they were first written."

I know we are supposed to be reading First Corinthians by now, but I'm still on Lyman Powell and drinking in all the lovely bits of information he has to share.

For instance, when writing about the Church Manual, Mrs. Eddy wrote to the Directors of The Mother Church: "Never abandon the By-laws...If I am not personally with you, the Word of God, and my instructions in the By-laws have led you hitherto and ... the teachings of St. Paul are as useful to-day as when they were first written."

Later, Powell identifies one of the very unique aspects of Mrs. Eddy when he points out that "...never, perhaps, in all history did another woman appear to understand as clearly...the unreality of error, the transitory nature of untruth" (p. 228).

Of particular note in relation to this week's Bible Lesson is the passage on page 233 where Powell quotes one of Mrs. Eddy's students, who wrote about her: "...Mrs. Eddy untiringly reiterated to her household...the Master's warning; -- "Watch." ...her indefatigable call to them that they have oil in their lamps, and watch to keep them trimmed and burning, -- so that evil's serpentine machinations be foreseen to the forestalling of its workings through their sleepiness, their unwariness, or their insufficiently spiritual aliveness."

This might make as smile: in discussing Paul's admonition to "put off the old man" Eddy "spoke of putting off, not keeping, the old man" (p. 245)! And I was arrested by the beautiful reference to resurrection's "perfect freedom of individuality."

It is good to be reminded of Mary Baker Eddy's early thoughts on newspapers. She wrote (1883, when she was establishing the Journal) that: "Looking over the newspapers of the day, one naturally reflects that it is dangerous to live, so loaded with disease seems the very air. These descriptions carry fears to many minds, to be depicted in some future time upon the body. A periodical of our own will counteract to some extent this public nuisance; for through our paper, at the price at which we shall issue it, we shall be able to reach many homes with healing, purifying thought." By 1908 she was ready to launch a newspaper of her own. And (page 249) "Later, at the request of the Board of Trustees, she expressed in print the desire that Christian Scientists should subscribe..."

JS