Christian Scientists Must Honestly Do Their Own Work

[rv.ros...@gmail.com]

Once again it has been mentioned that Christian
Scientists should claim their part in the Christian
family of other denominations by focusing on
joining the National Counsel of Churches. ,

I think we do claim our part in the Christian family
one by one - not in mass.

Mary Baker Eddy tells us in the textbook on page
372:17-18, "Christian Science and Christianity are
one." To force that understanding on other groups
is not our work. Our work in humility is to prove
the effectiveness of Christian Science so that others
might notice and take up the work themselves, until
at last there is no one outside any human group.
In The Bible, Jesus declares in John 12:32, "And I,
if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all *men*
unto me."

Isn't this The Way? Whereby each one learns in
following the Master that "the I goes to the"
Father-Mother." Then the new earth appears with no
sea...just think, no sea, yet no problem from a
mistaken sense of drought.

I have felt a revelation in realizing that each
Christian Science church is entitled by Mary Baker
Eddy, the Leader of Christian Science, whether it
be located in Boston or in England, or anywhere -
it is described as ".......Church of Christ,
Scientist". And "Scientist" is *always* given in the
singular, not the plural. Isn't this perhaps why
in the Church Manual under Guidance of Members,
Article VIII, under Discipline, page 48:20, Sect.
28, "Numbering the People" our Pastor Emeritus
teaches that "According to the Scripture they shall
turn away from personality and numbering the people"?

Christian Scientists agree with other Christians
when it comes to Wendell Phillips' quote,
"One on God's side is a majority."

So, we really need not be much concerned, I think,
with numbering people or groups. Each one ought
to be occupied enough doing his or her own work.

As to joining the National Counsel of Churches,
wouldn't we need to exclude ourselves formally
and honestly inasmuch as that Counsel is very
preoccupied with numbering people. Take a look
here,

http://www.ncccusa.org/news/100204yearbook2010.html
That's all it is.

Also there is reference to "Professional Church
Leadership",

Membership, http://www.ncccusa.org/elmc/curriculum.htm#pcl

"Offices within NCCC member communions and related
denominations whose work is focused on professional
church leadership development and that participate in and
fund PCL may designate up to two (2) persons to membership
on Professional Church Leadership. Non-member
denominations may be invited by the Executive Committee
to send one (1) representative to PCL."

Whoa! Well our only Christian Science Leader is Mary Baker
Eddy, our Pastor Emeritus. We need to stick with that.

The National Counsel of Churches is doing wonderful things.
We can love that, respect and appreciate it. However,
Christian Scientists have plenty of work to do that is
also deserving of love, respect and appreciation. They
need to tend their own fields as so clearly expressed
in "The Message for 1900" - the whole message is excellent.
Mary Baker Eddy writes on page 2, in "Prose Works",
line 7, "The song of Christian Science is,
"Work -- work -- work -- watch and pray."

Let us be good neighbors, yet let us not allow our good
neighbors' excellent work to distract us from our own.

Paula