Church-building

I quote here, from the Manual of The Mother Church page 132, a section of the Deed of Trust Conveying Land for Church Edifice (referring to The Mother Church):

Said church building shall not be removed from said lot except for the purpose of rebuilding thereon a more expensive or a more convenient structure in which said doctrines of Christian Science only shall be preached and practised. (My emphasis)

I came upon this passage when pondering the definition of church in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, part of which says, “Church. The structure of Truth and Love.”  See p.583.

I reasoned that if church is the structure of Truth and Love, it must be the structure of God. Now Mrs. Eddy does not use the phrase, the structure of God. Indeed, most of the references to structure in her writings are about the material structure.

Back to the Manual provision, I find it remarkable that any rebuilding must be of a more expensive structure if the present one is removed.

Mrs. Eddy expected the best.

Any comments, dear readers?

Joyce Voysey

Ed. Thank you for inviting comments. Here's a thought: We know that members worldwide contributed unselfishly to the call for funds to build both the Original edifice and the Extension of The Mother Church. It was a mammoth task. Maybe the requirement for a more expensive building (should conditions require rebuilding at some point) infers the need for greater generosity, sacrifice, solidarity, and gratitude on the part of those incurring the costs, i.e. the current members of The Mother Church.