Editorial June 20, 1977 Issue

Unchanging Church, Changing Culture

Geoffrey J. Barratt

Culture, as the term is generally used, refers to the fabric of human living woven of skills, arts, customs, traditions, technology, politics, education, language, and the like. Such elements express human thought; they change as mentality changes. And thought is especially changeful today under the impact of divine Truth.

By contrast, Church, in its spiritual essence, is unchanging. This spiritual concept, represented by the Church of Christ, Scientist, is the idea of divine Truth. To use Mary Baker Eddy's words in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "Church. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle."^{Science and Health, p. 583;} Church is as immutable as Truth. Though the spiritual concept of Church is not subject to social or cultural processes, it elevates these in the measure it is understood. But being wholly spiritual, Church is itself untouched by the forces of material acculturation.

Material appearances are always subordinate to spiritual facts. Outward human conditions don't have entity or being of their own but objectify thought. As we see Church as divine idea, not just as material organization, this perception helps undergird church activities. It aids churches in being increasingly effective transparencies for the purely spiritual concept, Church. Church is spiritual, and our real identity is spiritual. All real identity is eternally found in Soul, and all spiritual ideas are in perfect harmony within Soul.

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