0.0 – Christ and Christmas by Christian Science Author Mary Baker Eddy – Topic – Star of Bethlehem 1 of 16

Structure of the Christian Science Church Manual
"Church Officers" (1) - "Guardianship of Funds" (9)
 
The concept of "Guardianship of Funds" is located on the bottom row as an element of Church. The location on the bottom row tells us that it is an element that is in serious need of healing. It has been noted in the previous chapter that this element, "Guardianship of Funds,"  when see in the universal context relates to the crucial need of society to safeguard the value of its currency as an expression of its inherent creative and productive power. It has been further noted that this safeguarding is currently failing, ensuing potentially catastrophic consequences. The vast scope of the ongoing worldwide economic collapse indicates that a great deal of healing is required for the process to function again to safeguard society's currency, society itself, and civilization as a whole, without which the physical existence of much of society is in danger of disintegrating. 

Obviously the required healing of a failure that goes immensely deep, down to the very heart and soul of mankind in its self-perception, cannot be achieved by merely changing governmental policy. The healing has to be won on a platform of science that is rooted in the Sublime of our humanity and is manifest in the spiritual dimension of the Christ principles that are reflected in human culture and support the structure of civilization. 

This pattern, of taking a healing to the deepest level in our spiritual self-perception, extends through the entire bottom row and finds it equivalent in both halves of Mary Baker Eddy's foursquare structure. The position-defined equivalent section of the Manual would therefore be the section "Church Officers." Element 1 and 9 are both the first element in their respective part.

So what about the section "Church Officers?" What causes an impending crisis here that is in urgent need of healing? In the context of Mary Baker Eddy's organizational structure, which is designed to be functioning in the Temple, the officers are not positioned as leaders, but are positioned at the lowest point in the first column, in the servants quarter so to speak, to function as the temple servants. That includes both the Board of Directors and the President. The demand that comes to light here is immense. It demands in the universal context that every President, King, Queen, Prime Minister, Viceroy, politician, or the like perceive themselves as but servant in the temple whose task it is to see to it that the furnace is stoked, the roof repaired, the bills are paid, and whatever society requires to advance its general welfare is made available to the greatest extend possible. If this was to happen, society would function. Unfortunately we are far from that.

The bottom line is, the king on the block is society, celebrating the completeness of God reflected in humanity. That's the tallest position. No one can exceed that. The only form of leadership that is possible is reflected in the fullness of that celebration, celebrating the profundity of it to the fullest extend possible as Christ Jesus had defined the position of leadership in the Temple. Any other form is mythological heterodoxy.

Jesus rose from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (reported in John 13:5-17)

     Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

     Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 

     Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. 

     Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 

     Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 

     Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 

For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

In today's world the officers that should serve society want to masters; potentates; the deciders in-chief; the dictators in-chief; rulers of empires; kings in pompous palaces -- thy want to be bowed to, cheered, respected, hailed, and be called "leader," though they haven't got a clue what civilization is, much less how it operates, or even what the general welfare it. And so, the world goes to hell.

The cultural failure that we see here is a mirror image of the cultural failure that is reflected in the section related to "Guardianship of Funds." When society begins to discover its inherent value as human beings and brings it to light to the point that it finds this value reflected in the value of its currency, reflecting its creative and productive power, then the corresponding scene in the Temple will change and the dance of kings will be replaced with the dance of the temple servants. That's inevitable.

The example shows how deeply the correlated individual elements of Church and Temple complement each other.