Church Alive April 4, 2011 Issue

The following was written in support of Church Alive, a focus of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, that explores the meaning and possibilities of awakening to the spiritual basis and impact of Church. 

It’s simple — Church unites us

By Pamela Cook

Not long ago I was talking with a woman long-distance on my cellphone. She’s a longtime member of The Mother Church, who doesn’t have computer access, and we talked about the challenge this presents for The Mother Church to stay in touch with members and keep us all informed. I asked her if she was aware that the theme for this year’s Annual Meeting is “Church Alive.” We then had a comical cellphone moment—she sounded puzzled and replied, “Did you say, ‘Is church alive?’ ”

It may sound as if I’m splitting hairs, but it feels important to be clear that the Annual Meeting theme is not posing a question that we are to wonder about collectively throughout the year. Rather, by embracing this theme, we’re declaring emphatically together, as a unified movement, that our Church is alive!

Reflecting on the vitality evident in our Church, I’ve been reviewing its history, including the construction of the Original Edifice of The Mother Church in 1894. From all accounts, this building process was anything but smooth—members involved in the work faced one challenge after another and dealt with innumerable delays. In a letter to a student in 1894, Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Am glad that the demand for more grace to meet the emergencies of this hour is being realized by many of my students.”

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Dancing with daffodils