Unless we have been unwaveringly faithful to the words of Christ Jesus, the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, and the duties these exemplars place upon the obedient, we could peck open our little shells only to discover that stubborn heads rather than starving hearts have chosen our place of worship. Soulless Christian Science is little more than a dry theological husk.
Martin Luther wrote: "For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel." Daniel Defoe adds to his verse version of that statement: ". . . and 'twill be found, upon examination,/The latter has the largest congregation." Is the worship in this chapel the result of a willingness to snub the Church Manual and the ethical and moral standards of Christian Science in order to chase after a painted drab from Back Bay? Have some misunderstood that keeping up with the times does not mean swimming foolishly with great whites?
Could worshipping in the chapel mean that some of us have disregarded our desiccated affections in order to batten on the fatty tissue of the letter? Have we become metaphysical martinets, scuffling with punctilious and self-righteous dedication over any perceived or suspected peccadillo or transgression? If so, maybe some mental housecleaning with the bracing disinfectant of pure Christian Science is in order.
Note: "mego": "my eyes glaze over". My apologies again. I couldn't find the term in a dictionary either.
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17 comments:
Well done, as always. Have been looking forward to reading the latest from you, and this doesn't disappoint. (Had to look up a couple of words, however.) Love the way you start off with a mention of the words of Christ Jesus and the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy. What is more important to us than obeying these divinely-inspired gifts from God?!
A thought-provoking entry, I thank you.
Congratulations, Blogger! Another superb entry!! You've certainly explained a lot about the "Megachurches" and "mego" is one for the books!! Love it!!!
I concur. An excellent blog post today. And I am one who couldn't discover what "mego" meant, so thank you for telling us.
What a learned individual you are!
Certainly an interesting entry. Had to read it over a couple of times to get what you are driving at, but think it has come through. However, will continue thinking about this one.
One thing for sure, no one else is writing on Christian Science quite the way you are!
Could "mego" possibly be a contraction of the Greek "megalo"? The suggestion is certainly strong. In that case it could be freely translated as "humongousness." If it is a proofreader's mark, I can't imagine what it is, and I've done a lot of proofreading. It might make more sense as a copyreading mark, warning the writer that he's getting overblown, that is, bordering on megalomania.
Today's blog was sobering. There were some strangers at our service today, and it came to me to make some remarks explanatory of the Lesson-Sermon. After the service, the couple told me that they had walked by the church on their way to the symphony the night before, and thought they'd go just out of curiousity. They thanked me for the explanation, said they liked the service, and will come again. This was so wonderful, because our congregation has been praying about the future of our church, and for myself because I had obeyed a divine hunch. We aren't dead yet!
Blogger, I'd love to hear what you and your readers think of the new moniker "Bible Lessons" when MBE specifically denominated them the Lesson-Sermons. I refuse to use the term "Bible Lessons" because (a) they are Bible & S&H lessons, just as it says in the explanatory note; and (b) "Bible Lessons" sounds like a fundamentalist Sunday School.
Thanks for your wonderful essays.
Really enjoying your blog, blogger. And the comment just above this one gives food for thought. Will be interested to learn what you answer in response.
Thanks much.
You write so well. But then, you are a thinker and as our Leader says, the time for it has come. Keep blogging your wonderful blog posts!
Always get a lot out of your blog. So well thought out, and extremely well written. A pleasure to read what you share with your Internet readers.
To LowlyWise - the quarterlies for 1904 through 1922 say on the cover:
Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons.
What do I think about the new "Bible Lessons"? Stay with what the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science called them!
I don't think it matters whether you call them "Lesson-Sermons" or "Bible Lessons"; what counts is whether or not you are living the lessons. If the name of the messages is so important, why don't you translate what you think is the proper termonlolgy for every language in which they are printed as well as get all to agree on what you think they should be called? I am sure then we would see more healing going on!
I guess the name of the Lesson Sermons IS important, else why would our Leader have so designated them? Why try to work against what she felt was best? After all, Mary Baker Eddy is our forever Leader. So, get used to it!
Duh! As I said some comments back, the actual publications from 1904 through 1922 had on the cover:
Christian Science Quarterly
Bible Lessons. Obviously, Mrs. Eddy would not have allowed that from 1904 to 1910, anyway, if she didn't approve. She always stressed the Bible first in her teachings and in her life.
Love your website. On such a higher level, as to substance and the way you express yourself in a creative, fresh way.
Thanks much,
Good heavens, what a tempest in a teapot! But the blogger is to be commended for drawing the asp out of its hole. As has been commented upon above, the terminology “Bible Lessons” was established as early as 1904—a full six years before Mrs. Eddy left us. If you want to get really specific, during the week it is a “Bible Lesson” and it becomes a “Lesson-Sermon” when read from the desk on Sunday.
Don’t you have to wonder about a “proofreader” who missed the whole paragraph of the blogger’s explanation of “mego”?
And as far as adding explanations from the desk, Mrs. Eddy was quite specific on a number of occasions that there should be no unnecessary explanations by the Readers. Ponder that term “Reader.” It doesn’t mean “explainer,” “instructor,” or anything except “Reader” Readers READ!
An interesting study in learning to let go of false responsibility is to ponder the Israelites attempts to “steady the ark.” And what happened to them when they attempted it. Here’s what Mrs. Eddy says along those lines: (Ret. 84:14-18): The opinions of men cannot be substituted for God's
15 revelation. In times past, arrogant pride, in attempting to
steady the ark of Truth, obscured even the power and
glory of the Scriptures, — to which Science and Health is
18 the Key.
It might be well for Readers to let Mrs. Eddy’s own “explanatory note” suffice.
And finally, as the late Dr. Peter Drucker used to say, “Nothing is an isolate.” Meaning for Christian Scientists that there are reasons why the Christian Science movement is in the state it is. And it is not limited to “those people in Boston.” Or as Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and it is us!”
Thanks again, Blogger for drawing the issues.
An excellent website you have here, and I really enjoy reading good writing, and well-thought-out pieces.
Keep up the good work. We need you!
Dear Writer,
I appreciate this website for several reasons, but what I like most is you don't have to rely on photos, and gimmicks to get people to read your blog. The content alone does it.
Thanks much,
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