big production out of it-no fanfare, no blowing his own horn, no contacting other church members to discuss the pros and cons. He simply went right where Saul was and addressed him as "brother." How do we address-silently, let alone verbally -our fellow church member, particularly one who we feel is not acting in the best interests of the church? If Ananias could call Saul of Tarsus "brother," can't we do the same toward our fellow church member?

3 وو

The Founder of Christianity, Christ Jesus, taught that we have to look beneath the mortal seeming to find the real man created in God's likeness. Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health, "The divine must overcome the human at every point.' As we accept this fact in our branch church work and see everyone's true selfhood as God's own likeness, right where mortals appear to be, we have a basis to do what is right for us to do and to do it successfully, joyously, and selflessly.

Ananias helped Saul see the light, see where he was going. And he explained to him in words he could understand what his unique mission was to be. Ananias was evidently a no-nonsense kind of church member, for he then asked Saul, "And now why tarriest thou?" Wasn't Ananias telling Saul to get with it and not to waste time with self-condemnation for what had happened in the past? Let's roll, all "united in one band." 5

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And so Saul went forward, taking even a new name-Paul-and went out into the world, really serving church in its fullest sense, teaching, healing, and helping suffering humanity find itself, its true self as the offspring of God.

Is this what we're doing in our church work? Or are we so wrapped up in material things that we forget there's a whole community out there waiting for the Christ message of salvation and freedom? Are we healing dissension and strife within our own branch church, or are we perpetuating it, causing turmoil and disturbances? Are we encouraging our fellow

church member to grow spiritually, or are we hindering him?

Understanding that divine Love always maintains its creation fully and completely, we can know that there is no reality in hang-ups, indifference, misguided aspirations, sullenness, defiance. Because infinite Truth always maintains its creation as perfect, without flaw or blemish, there is nothing that can express a rigid hold on any lie or self-willed opinion.

One can say to himself, "Behold, I am here, Lord," resting not upon person or personal sense to decide his course of action, but only upon divine Principle. "Here I am, and so is everyone else, in true selfhood, as man." Mrs. Eddy writes, "God is the creator of man, and, the divine Principle of man remaining perfect, the divine idea or reflection, man, remains perfect."

Just glimpsing this fact gives us an inexhaustible spiritual basis for subduing personal sense and self-will and letting Principle direct and govern our role in our branch churches. It often means letting go pet church projects, regardless of how well thought out we think they are. It means surrendering our human views as to what we feel our church and other fellow church members should be, or not be, doing.

for

Am I actively bridging the gap to my community, or am I waiting, passively, my neighbor to come bursting upon me, shouting, "Christian Science is for me! Where do I start?" Am I actively praying to be more concerned about my neighbor's needs? Am I sincerely listening when he needs a friend? Am I offering him a ride to a lecture or a church service when he is obviously reaching out? Am I willing to loan him a copy of Science and Health and honestly tell him what that book has meant to me?

In our branch church activities we always know when we're not proceeding from divine Principle, because our community outreach or our internal church serving starts becoming routine, dull, or even boring, and we let individuals rub us the wrong way. Isn't that the time to be

another Ananias, not for a moment to entertain arguments of mortal mind, the carnal mind, which Paul himself called "enmity against God," which tries to drown out our humble plea, "Behold, I am here, Lord"?

Mrs. Eddy-and we all know what kind of devout church member she was-gives us a wonderful example as to how to really feel this humble plea, how to really know if we're proceeding from divine Principle. In relating one of her personal experiences she had at the bedside of a sick child, she said, "In my anguish I bowed my head until it touched the floor, and when the assurance came again of the loving presence and healing power of God, the child responded instantaneously." 8

speak-can we do any less than figuratively bow our head until it touches the floor, until we really recognize that we must turn to God, divine Principle, not to person, for what we need to know and do? And how will we know? We'll just feel "the loving presence and healing power of God" in all our church activities.

Then, when we each ask ourselves the question What kind of church member am I? we'll know the answer, and we'll love the answer we get. And, even though we occasionally stumble, we'll be inspired to climb greater heights, to say with keener spiritual perception and deep joy, "Behold, I am here, Lord."

1 Acts 9:10; 222:12; 3 Science and Health, p. 43; 4 Acts 22:16; 5 Christian Science Hymnal,

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our particular church problem that has really upset us-put us in anguish, so to

8 Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait by Lyman P. Powell, 1950 Edition, p. 180.

TODAY'S DISCIPLESHIP

John 14:12

"Greater works.

.. meaning us?

...

GERALD STANWELL

[For parents]

Almost daily we hear of the apparent lack of communication, understanding, and support between parents and children in what has come to be called "the generation gap." Where trust, affection, a spontaneous give and take of ideas and sharing of experiences should be the norm, too often there is distrust, withdrawal, and even heartbreaking separation.

Parents find themselves faced with a sense of frustrating inadequacy. Their best human efforts do not result in the workable, warm relationship they long for. Why?

Christian Science answers that much more than human desire, ability, and love is required. Reason proceeding from the standpoint of human parentage, human logic, or even of the problem itself cannot work out lasting solutions. The basis for all right thinking and acting is the spiritual fact that reality consists only of God and His perfect creation-a creation that includes man made in His likeness, immortal, spiritual, good, and pure. God is the divine Parent, the only Father-Mother, the only cause and creator.

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Mrs. Eddy points to this scientific method of reasoning when she writes in Science and Health: "For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence." Elsewhere in the same book she writes, "The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,-perfect God and perfect man, as the basis of thought and demonstration."2 If we are to deal intelligently and effectively with our children, achieving justice and respect, it must be from this higher, spiritual, and impartial

basis.

On the other hand, if we reason from the standpoint of human love alone, we are at the outset headed for failure. Human love is based on a dualistic sense of reality. It sees man as both spiritual and material, good and bad, mature and immature, capable and incapable, intelligent and unintelligent, pure and impure. Such love is unstable and can easily turn into human hate if its desires are not satisfied. It is largely governed by one's own personal and often intense likes and dislikes, prejudices, fears, and limiting hereditary beliefs. It is hardly a sound basis from which to think!

Thinking from the standpoint of divine Love rather than human love demands persistent self-discipline and courageous self-correction. It may mean a mighty struggle with our most cherished personal beliefs. Our love will be tested again and again. Self-justification, self-will, and selflove will rebel. But such a battle within our own consciousness is good in that it helps purify our thinking, eliminating those thoughts that are based on matter models and not part of our spiritual identity.

Healing in Christian Science always takes place in our own thinking. It is our concept of our children and of young people generally that needs to be corrected, uplifted, purified, and brought into har mony with the revealed truth of man's real, Christly nature. Healing results follow inevitably as we bring our thinking into accord with divine law and are willing to be governed by that law.

Seeing our children as spiritually mature ideas, obedient to divine law, is seeing them as they really exist in Love. Such Love-inspired seeing, if held to persistently and joyously, will help dissolve selfish,

rebellious, negative thinking. Our willingness to hold to the spiritual facts, no matter what discordant, ugly, immoral, or frightening pictures mortal mind would suggest, ensures our success. We must refuse to believe in, to be intimidated by, or impressed with these aggressive suggestions, and treat them, as Christ Jesus did, with complete dismissal.

Evil always masquerades as good, and never so subtly as in the guise of parental love. Deceptively cloaking with the word "love" such errors as possessiveness, idolatry, vanity, sensuality, and human will, it would enter the precious sanctuary of home and there, undetected, cause suspicion, rivalry, and hate. Our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has named all such action animal magnetism, and as such we must deal with it.

Evil of any kind is never real. It has no identity or power, no history, no embodiment. It is nothing but sheer illusion. Understood in this light and handled with the full authority of spiritual power, it will begin to disappear as reality and cause in our experience.

of

While we may temporarily fill the office parent humanly, we should never lose sight of the fact that, in Science, God is the divine Parent; it is always His province to govern, protect, sustain, and bless His children. The reflected love of the divine Parent is evidenced as harmony, trust, joy, unity, and peace. Such love, reflecting wisdom and sound judgment, never gives in to the pressure of mortal mind. It never excuses sin. Rather, it uplifts thought to a higher understanding of man's real being as a child of God.

What a sense of release and burden-free parenthood can be ours when we are willing to let the divine Parent care for His own! Personal responsibility, inability, and fear can no longer tyrannize the parent whose consciousness is being constantly filled with the priceless understanding of God's ever-present, gentle, and all-inclusive love. How beautifully this turning wholeheartedly to God is described in Job: "Ac

quaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee"!3

Discipline will no longer be a contest between two human wills, the stronger will dominating the weaker. It will no longer be my will or your will but Thy will, Father.

Differences of opinion as to clothes, friends, social activities, and physical appearance can be solved harmoniously and with justice through prayerful adherence to our Leader's revelation that nothing is impossible to God. Divine Love meets the need of the hour and, if we let it, supplies a right answer to every problem. Our Leader has given us many guiding state

ments in this area. In one of them she states, "Wisdom in human action begins with what is nearest right under the circumstances, and thence achieves the absolute."4

Nothing is more heartening to our children, nothing creates a better atmosphere for understanding and respect, than for us, as parents, to express those precious qualities of humility, patience, sincerity, and honesty when working with our children. Do we listen with an open thought to what they have to say? Do we admit having made a few mistakes of our own along the way? Do we admit that we too must pray for guidance from the one Father, that we too are learning daily, hourly? A rigid, know-it-all stand on human issues or an extreme point of view in either direction is not conducive to a harmonious adjustment of legitimate differences in the human realm.

There will, of course, be times when as parents we must reprove and rebuke. This is necessary at our present stage of development, especially in our children's early years. If our motive is to heal, bless, protect, and help awaken thought, such discipline will be with the guidance of divine Love. As such, it will not tear down or disturb the self-respect so essential to the well-being of our children. Love-directed discipline will check uncontrolled thought

in a wholesome way until it is ready to adjust to divine direction. Nagging, belittling, overly punitive measures are sure signs that a parent has lost control and is acting through fear, selfishness, anger, or self-justification. Such action is certain to beget reaction of the same kind.

At no time has it been more imperative than it is today for us, as parents, to keep constant watch over our thinking, to be certain that it is in conformity with our highest understanding of spiritual Truth. There is no double standard in Christian Science. Our lives must be an example of our words. And, because we are living in times of phenomenal change in every aspect of human experience, we must be ever

alert that we do not allow error in any form to frighten us or cause us to become angry, confused, apathetic, or helpless.

In Science, we have the right and only basis for all thought and action, and we have the answer to every human problem. Our privilege is to utilize what we have been given.

How do we close the generation gap? By being willing to recognize our children's spiritual birthright of innate dignity and worth, and by being willing to support, in every right way, their true Christly selfhood as their only selfhood. Divine Love is the way.

1 Science and Health, p. 492; 2 p. 259; 3 Job 22:21; 4 Miscellaneous Writings, p. 288.

It's a Fact

DOROTHY S. HARTKEMEIER

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A group of people were talking. One said, "Well, it's a fact that our business has progressed faster this past year than in all the previous years. Look at the figures.' Another said, "There are some things that are positive fact; these cannot be overlooked." And still another said, "Like two times two are four, I suppose." And with this they went their ways.

But one who overheard these remarks thought, "How true it is that a fact gives a sure foundation from which to build further steps along the line of advancement!" A fact, he thought, is not something one hopes will be true; it is that which is already true. It is present to be discovered, accepted, and worked with advantageously.

Great spiritual facts of our true being are revealed in Christian Science through the Bible and its spiritual interpretation in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. These facts are vital to our happiness and progress. They are the true conceptions of

spiritual reality, just at hand in the one heavenly Mind to be discerned, accepted, and utilized. Thinking out from the basis of these facts, we have a sure foundation from which to advance in the infinite range of good, of true power, of dominion over erroneous conclusions and beliefs.

Spiritual facts are the revelation of that which is invisible to the material senses, namely, the nature of God and His creation. They are clearly discerned by spiritual sense. For instance, that God is infinite Mind, the source of all good thought, is not just a vague, abstract statement. It is the fact. It is the fact that man is the likeness of God, infinite, indestructible Life. It is the fact that God governs His purely spiritual universe with absolute law and order. All the phenomena of matter and discord, confusion and corruption, can never encroach upon or alter these facts.

Christ Jesus presented a great fact when