Editorial September 18, 1965 Issue

"Fervent devotion"

Helen Wood Bauman

In the effort to avoid emotionalism in worship, the religionist of today may sometimes incline to lack of fervor. But intensity of love for God is a requirement of "the first commandment of all," cited by Jesus when questioned by a scribe (Mark 12:28). The Master said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." He added, "And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The same fervor of obedience is implied in both commandments.

Mary Baker Eddy showed the depth of her obedience to these two great commands by the kind of life she lived. With keen and honest perception she struck through the haze of emotionalism often surrounding worship and required of her followers the demonstration of love that heals sickness and sin and breaks the mortal dream of limitation.

In "Miscellaneous Writings" our Leader admonishes (p. 177): "Never was there a more solemn and imperious call than God makes to us all, right here, for fervent devotion and an absolute consecration to the greatest and holiest of all causes. The hour is come."

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