Saturday, March 28, 2009

"When all material streams are dried . . . ."

Material, human existence should be orderly and peaceful, but orderly and peaceful material existence is not the Way or the way to the Way. For most of mankind, even in the most pleasant times and circumstances the harrowing vicissitudes of matter, of mortal mind, hold sway, a fantastic simulacrum peopled with the golems of mystification. These phantasms are entirely false and unreal and subservient to the putative juggernaut of the lie of life in matter with its multitudinous fears.

Mr. Hartsook's latest issue of "The Banner" should disabuse us of any pollyannish hope that the ongoing Walpurgisnacht in Boston is going to "melt,/Thaw and resolve itself into a dew" anytime soon. That unholy madness will only pass away when echt Christian Scientists prayerfully unsee it and live Love and Christ to the exclusion of anything else.

* * * * *

The position taken by a comment to the second entry previous to this one that pablum (my term) has its place in the periodicals is a precarious one. When did pap ever really benefit "honest seekers for Truth"? "Fruitage" in S&H [the italics command refuses to cooperate, not for the first time] is a record of wonderful healings from those who only had the book. No class instruction, no Prose Works, no practitioners, not even an experienced Scientist to talk to. Even the relatively buff writing in the periodicals in those early days was apparently unknown or unavailable.

The more recent homeopathic version of "The Christian Science Standard of Healing" illustrates the peril to which bromidic fluff can abandon the unwary or uninformed when what they need is pure, healing, and straightforward truths. And there is no better place to go for those than Mrs. Eddy, and her writings and the Bible should be dog-eared vade mecums for any Christian Scientist. Judicious reading in the periodicals can be helpful, but it isn't essential. Reading the Peel biography of MBE would probably be more fruitful. Also, as Dr. John Tutt has written, probably more than once, "the readiness is all". Dumbing down will still not benefit Alfred and Alice Unready.

16 comments:

A California CS said...

Such a pleasure to read your blog posts. Right on with all you've pointed out, and especially like the very last thought you share. True, true.
Thanks much, blogger.

Anonymous said...

With so much "pablum" around, as you say in your blog entry, I am so grateful we have writers and thinkers like you. Christian Science is too precious to let it be scaled down to mortal mind's level. It must be cherished and supported.
God bless your efforts,

An Appreciative Reader said...

Well, we're certainly not cruising through life on the "basic 400" are we?

Excellent points, well spoken, as usual, blogger!

Anonymous said...

You are certainly using your God-given talent for good. Thanks for what you are doing to uphold the dignity and high standards of our great Cause. Or rather, God's Cause.

F. R. (Cambridge) said...

Not only well written, but educational as well. I habitually need a dictionary near by when I read your blog. This certainly doesn't happen with the periodicals, I assure you.
Thanks, blogger.

Anonymous said...

Do you know what my favorite thought is in this entry? Live Christ to the exclusion of all else. Wonderfuld!

Nick (Virginia) said...

I am a regular reader of your blog, and always get a lot from it. And I learn new words, too. (Are you an English professor somewhere? You must be.)
Thanks, thanks...

An Ohio fan said...

Really enjoyed reading this, from your first thought that being comfortable in the material existence is not the Way, down to the last well-said thought.
Keep blogging!

Anonymous said...

Very good website you have here. I'm a first-time viewer and I wonder, what is the "Banner" you refer to? Can anyone tell me how to find it on the Internet?
Thanks,

Janice T. said...

You're so good at what you do. Very well presented, I've noticed, and I hope you keep on bloggin on important topics concerning our Cause.
Best to you,

Anonymous said...

So glad you're using your considerable abilities to uphold pure Christian Science. When we think of how much we've been given through Mary Baker Eddy's great Discovery, can we be grateful enough?
Absolutely not!
Keep writing these wonderful essays.

D. W. (Boston) said...

Someone asked about "The Banner": being a fan of both that publication and this blog, one may order a copy by contacting Andrew Hartsook at 2040 Hazel Avenue, Zanesville, OH 43701-2222. Think you'll find it worthwhile reading.

Nick said...

Dear Blogger,
You rock. In a Christian Scientist sort of way,that is. Really enjoy the way you think and write.
I'll be back by...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the solid and extremely well written blog posts. A pleasure to read things that make me think.
Best,

A fan said...

Dear Blogger,
Get that pen of yours going. We out here need you, need your deep, insightful thinking and superior posting.
I'll check back today!

Nancy said...

Surely Dr Tutt is quoting from Hamlet: "There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come; the readiness is all." (V.ii.143-146)