Man Is Always "Safe above life's raging sea"

An injudicious flagging in the vigorous pursuit of growth in grace can result in experiencing the "foam and fury" of "earth's troubled, angry sea". It may be little comfort to the storm-tossed mariner that Christ walks serenely over the waves while he must struggle manfully against them until their unreality and the peace and calm of God's omnipresence and omnipotence are finally glimpsed.

Depending on the measure of grace or gracelessness one expresses, the storms he endures may be of longer or shorter duration and ferocity, but their falsity cannot delude forever, despite carking fears they will persist like that centuries-old storm on Jupiter. Life's "dirty weather", as Captain MacWhirr calls it in Joseph Conrad's "Typhoon", exists after all only as the dyspepsia which follows yielding to the temptation to taste the forbidden fruit on the tree in the midst of the garden.

Should one find himself flung willy-nilly, to and fro on an ocean of troubles, he should heed Captain MacWhirr's sound advice: "Keep her facing it. They may say what they like, but the heaviest seas run with the wind. Facing it--always facing it--that's the way to get through." "The foam and fury of illegitimate living and of fearful and doleful dying should disappear on the shore of time; then the waves of sin, sorrow, and death beat in vain." (S&H 203: 27-30) Resolutely facing adversities, realizing they are all ultimately unreal and powerless, will also aid in breaking the illusory grip of aggressive mental suggestions that things or conditions which aren't God exist now or ever existed.

Note: The last wicket in the previous entry was added on the spur of the moment and may be a little too cute. I think LowlyWise got it. It is simply Christian Science with Christ removed. The short-sheet also implied the need for study of Prose Works, the Church Manual, and poems of Mrs. Eddy, plus, of course, OLD periodicals, class papers, Bible commentaries, etc.

A Few Sticky Wickets

o The Mulligan. A "dire emergency only" phone number kept nonchalantly by the phone.

o The One-Armed Bandit. Perfunctory prayers.

o The Dead Shark. Imaginary, i.e. motionless, "progress".

o The Caspar Milquetoast. Cheering on sweating and weary Christian soldiers from the comfort and safety of the sidelines.

o The Bugs Bunny. "Eh, what's up, Doc?"

o The Short-Sheet. Confining the study of Christian Science solely to the Bible and "Science and Health".

o The Micawber. Confidence that in time something wonderful is going to turn up even though efforts in the direction of spiritualizing thinking have been desultory at best.

o White Lightening. A materialized sense of God and His creation.

o The Tar Baby. Reacting pugnaciously to the claims of sin or aggressive mental suggestion. Duking it out mano a mano with the Adversary.

o The Drive-Thru. Shortcuts along the straight and narrow Way.

o The Tweet. Reducing one's repertoire of Christian Science to a convenient Rolodex of apothegms and bon mots.

o The Pyrite Ploy. Prospecting for anything that glitters.

o The Wedgie. Attempting to succeed with a lite version of the new man.

o Hobson's Choice. Choosing the best among materialism's many delightful offerings.

o Primrose Path Christian Science. . . . ian Science.

Holistic Prayer For Ourselves And Mankind

Challenges and afflictions for some come in copable (if there is such a word) quantities, like parasitic cowbirds. For others they may come in pestilential flocks, like grackles or starlings, but whatever the quantity it is tempting to limit one's Scientific efforts to the demands of personal tribulations, especially when they seem to come in exasperating mongol hordes. Obviously, our first responsibility should be to our own well-being, but taking care that this devotion to self does not become self-indulgent from soup to nuts.

If our hearts withdraw to the selfish confines of a personal material existence, we shouldn't be surprised if the unhealed and unmet needs of a sick and sinful world intrude upon us unbidden. Failing to pray for the mitigation humanity's overwhelming needs we default to some extent on our duty to pray more comprehensively for our own. We are never separate from our oneness with the whole of God's perfect creation, but to ignore the countless evils besetting humanity is to fail to wrestle with and overcome some of the false beliefs which tempt us all and which originate in the basic lie of mortal mind and to invite unwittingly the unclean spirit to take "seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and enter in and dwell there [in our consciousness]: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." (Matt 12: 45)

To human sense the dismaying quantity, depth, and ferocity of the evil, depravity, and cruelty in the world is ineluctable, but we cannot afford to ignore our duty to defend ourselves from aggressive mental suggestion and to refuse to "stand aghast at nothingness". As we heal in our thinking--the only place it ever "exists"--the world's aggressively mesmeric claims, we cannot fail, to some extent, to heal ourselves. Turning our back on suffering humanity or foolishly hoping the bad out there isn't as bad as we don't want to know gives to Satan the only "life" and influence he can ever have.

Note: By "conniptions" in the previous entry I was only choosing an eye-catching word to capture the false nature of material sense testimony. Nothing profound was intended.

Spiritual Senses Supersede Material Conniptions

It is generally accepted that humans acquire information through their physical senses. They see, hear, feel, taste, and smell with the organs mortal mind has defined for them. If one looks, however, at the definitions of ears and eyes in the Glossary of "Science and Health" it is clear that man's real, spiritual senses are active expressions of right thinking and reflection, not more or less passive receptors of whatever false belief throws his way. In addition to hearing and seeing, the other three senses are also spiritually employed in the Bible or writings of Mary Baker Eddy. Her "Communion Hymn" speaks of feeling the power of the Word. Psalm 34: 8 says: "O taste and see that the Lord is good". II Corinthians 2: 14 says: "Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour [smell, odor] of his knowledge by us in every place." Those who wait with anticipatory material senses to experience God's presence and power have a very long and fruitless vigil awaiting them.

We have all doubtlessly learned by now that it is not enough to limply accept and then foolishly declare that we are God's perfect spiritual reflections. This reflection must be understood and demonstrated, and understanding and demonstration require the use of our spiritual senses--in addition to a lot of study, thought, and prayer. "The senses of Spirit abide in Love, and they demonstrate Truth and Life." (S&H 274: 12-13)

Pigheaded!

That's what it is, or maybe good intentions with too much of the bark of stubborn human selfhood left on. There is firm footing, we are told, straight through the Slough of Despond for those who keep their eyes fixed on the little wicket gate at the far side. Still, there are those of us who are determined "to choose and see my path" (Hymn #169) or kick against the pricks even if it means wasted years wallowing in and playing patty-cake with the muck. Our materially-minded best efforts are unlikely to suffice--now or ever. In humility we must let that "kindly Light" daily lead us on.

Intention oft wishes to be mistaken for realization, but as that old saying goes "There is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip" (Palladas). Should the above tableau resonate with any reader, or even some recalcitrant amanuensis somewhere, it simply cannot be allowed to continue. High-minded desires and self-satisfying musings, if indulged, will, at best, only lead us down the primrose path.

"Only by persistent, unremitting, straight-forward toil; by turning neither to the right nor to the left, seeking no other pursuit or pleasure than that which cometh from God, can you win and wear the crown of the faithful." (Mis 340: 6-10)