Article October 4, 1993 Issue

The role of church in our journey to salvation

How can we judge church growth and progress?

Mark Swinney

One evening I was walking along beside The Mother Church in Boston, and saw a little kindergartner point at the structure and ask, "Is that The Mother Church?" "Yes," her mother answered. "Could we stop a minute, Mom?" she wondered, "I want to give it a hug." She walked over to the building, embraced it as best she could, and then smiled the same way she would smile if she were hugging her own mom.

What was it about the Church that made her want to do this? I heard her say, "Because Mrs. Eddy gave it to me."

The Mrs. Eddy the little girl was talking about is Mary Baker Eddy—author of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. And obviously the child wasn't hugging just stone and glass. She embraced what she loved about the Church that Mrs. Eddy has given to all humanity. Mrs. Eddy defines Church spiritually as "the structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle" (Science and Health, p. 583).