0.0 – Christian Science – 16 books by Mary Baker Eddy – 14 – Message to The Mother Church 1902

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The Message for 1902 is couched in beautiful language, and has a very direct appeal. It was the last of the long Communion addresses, as they were replaced thereafter by a specially prepared Lesson-Sermon. This one is unique, however, on account of its full name; the double title distinguishes it from all the previous Messages, which were addressed to The Mother Church only. The reason for it, as was explained in Chapter III, is that the addition of a fifth Director in 1902 now makes it possible for The Mother Church with its function of external control to give way to the self-governing Branch. If the Pastor Emeritus does not give her approval to the fifth Director\'s successor (Man. 26) the church can no longer legally remain The Mother Church, although it will continue to be The First Church. Thus 1902 marks the point when church can be liberated from being an ecclesiastical material organization and can be released into its spiritual phase. \"The bonds of organization of the Church were thrown away, so thal\" its members might assemble themselves together ... in the bond only of Love\" (CS] Feb. 1890); although this quotation refers to the dissolving of the first organization it remains the model for the resolving of the second. Very appropriately Message 1902 is emphatically on the theme of Love interpreting itself through love. It has a strongly-marked fourfold structure: THE OLD AND THE NEW COMMANDMENT, GOD AS LOVE, LOVE ONE ANOTHER, and GODLIKENESS. These four sections reflect the four \'sides\' of the city, which brings to earth (love) a foretaste of heaven (Love). They are surely the four \'directors\' or cardinal points (see S&H 575-577) by which the individual Christian Scientist can chart his way, find his divine orientation, relate Christianly with others, and be at one with God. Once again the Other Writings reveal their inspired relationship to one another, for this clearly-defined fourfold aspect of Message 1902 expands the sevenfold \"numeration table\" found in Message 1901, and now shows it at work. While the \'seven\' reveal what God is, the \'four\' explain how He operates, so that Message 1902 could be described as the calculus of Love. See Mary Baker Eddy\'s Other Writings by John L. Morgan (1984)

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