Two important Christian qualities, which Mrs. Eddy also strongly emphasizes, are patience and watchfulness. They can easily be relegated, however, to a forty-winks, easy-chair, feet-on-the-footstool mode. Calm vegetation might be a cozy modus operandi to some for patience and watchfulness, but passivity is an almost iron-clad guarantee that spiritual progress isn't being made. It may even be a breeding ground for more insidious forms of error and false belief.
The Student's Reference Dictionary, an abridgment of the "American Dictionary of the English Language", which Mrs. Eddy is said to have used, gives in part more active definitions of both patience and watchfulness. One definition of patience is: perseverance; constancy in labor or exertion. And of watchfulness: vigilance; suspicious attention; careful and diligent observation for the purpose of preventing or escaping danger, or of avoiding mistakes and misconduct. Doing a better job of embodying the Daily Prayer is a good place to start each day in our demonstration of salutary patience and watchfulness.
Note to Helen: Regarding the title of this blog, it is probably obvious that it comes from Luke 5: 5-6 (KJV). More accurate translations say torn or ripped, but the point is the same. It is certain that I have yet to fulfill my duty to become a fisher of men whose net, first of all, has been filled and who, secondly, is able to bring the catch ashore without the net breaking, as exemplified in John 21: 6-11. Mrs. Eddy gives an inspiring explanation of these two events in Miscellaneous Writings 111: 4-14. This blog offers in its way my modest thoughts on how I (and perhaps we Christian Scientists) can do better and be a more faithful fisherman in obedience to my Father-Mother God and the Master Christian.
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20 comments:
I check your blog each day to see your latest, and this one does not disappoint. Very helpful thoughts in it.
Thanks so much!
You are really turning out good entries, and I appreciate having the opportunity to read things so well thought out and prepared.
Thanks, serious student of CS...
I find this quite uplifting for me personally, and imagine others are going to be equally as blessed.
Keep sharing your God-given inspiration.
Just love your blog posts. Always find something worth taking away and thinking about later. You are so talented, blogger!
Extremely well done. But then I always find yours to be so. Thanks once again for an inspiring, helpful explanation.
Catchy title. And the content isn't bad either! Glad you're finding more time to blog these days.
Thanks much,
How wonderful you are to answer my question! Thanks so much for taking the time. Of course you take your title from the New Testament.
(And you sound so humble, too.)
Thanks for giving us your thoughts on patience and watchfulness. Couldn't help thinking of what our Lord and Master says in Matthew 24:42 (commands actually): "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
Hope I'm doing better at this.
I almost always find it rewarding to stop by your website to see what God has inspired you to write. And you do it so well!
Enjoyed this one --
Your note to Helen is interesting: I would have thought the title you chose for your blog refers to the wrongdoing in Boston, that the steps they've taken have broken the net, as it were.
At any rate, enjoy what you share with the world.
Whatever the author of this blog was thinking about when she/he? started it, the fact remains that it is a superior blog where CS is concerned. Way above those that are Boston friendly.
Hi there,
Another very well written entry. So glad you are blogging on our behalf!
You're such a treasure! Really grateful God led you to start a blog. I've read so many of yours, and I think they are all excellent.
Keep it going.
An excellent blog post, which seems to be a habit with you. We just cannot let the carnal mind put us to sleep when it comes to the treasures of the Bible and the writings of our inspired Leader.
Thank you and God bless you,
I'd say you're well on your way to fulfilling your duty to God, to your Leader, and to mankind through the earnest, high-level blogging you've been doing.
With my appreciation,
Nicely done blog post, whoever you are. A professor of English I would bet -- if I were a betting man that is.
Such a treat to read good writing!
An outstanding blog, this. Thanks for our efforts to get us Christian Scientists thinking more deeply about issues that concern our very well-being.
Another fine message, and I do thank you for your efforts on behalf of our wonderful Christian Science!
Well done, but then yours just about always are, I find. A treat to find a Christian Scientist who not only thinks! but who can put thoughts into clear writing.
Thanks, once again, for maintaining a well-written blog. Found this one very helpful, too.
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