For June we are reading PART
1 of The First Church of Christ,
Scientist and Miscellany. There are just two chapters plus an Appendix
(“As Chronicled by the Newspapers”).
“The First Church of
Christ, Scientist and Miscellany”
Foreword - from The Christian Science Journal of May 1906:
There are some lively words in the opening paragraph of the Foreword - stirring, growth, prosperity, wonderment, frequent comment, right hand of fellowship, popularity, persecution. And then a caution to "earnest and loyal Christian Scientists" to "fortify themselves".
Dictionary.com tells us that fortify carries the following meanings:
1. to protect or strengthen against attack; surround or provide with defensive military works.
2. to furnish with a means of resisting force or standing strain or wear: to fortify cotton with nylon.
3. to make strong; impart strength or vigor to: to fortify oneself with a good breakfast.
4. to increase the effectiveness of, as by additional ingredients.
5. to confirm or corroborate: to fortify an accusation with facts.
6. to set up defensive works; erect fortifications.
And then we see why Eddy has opened the Foreword with Kipling's Recessional, which includes the familiar "Lest we forget". We are reminded - or rather cautioned - to be mindful of several cogent historical facts that had brought the Christian Science church to that moment and which demonstrate that success always requires work, even "arduous preliminary labor" (requiring much energy and vigor, full of hardships, difficult).
How can we not be grateful as we fortify ourselves today by remembering those very same facts.
Julie Swannell
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