Sunday, December 29th, 2019 Roundtable

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Morning Prayers

May this little sanctum be preserved sacred to the memory of this pure purpose, and subserve it. Let the Bible and the Christian Science textbook preach the gospel which heals the sick and enlightens the people’s sense of Christian Science. This ministry, reaching the physical, moral, and spiritual needs of humanity, will, in the name of Almighty God, speak the truth that to-day, as in olden time, is found able to heal both sin and disease.

— from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 147

Discussion points

102 — WATCH that you turn every untoward circumstance and experience to your spiritual advantage. Mrs. Eddy instructed her students to declare, when they were attacked by error, “I am the better for this experience; it is doing me good, lifting me higher, and strengthening my understanding.”

Once when she experienced something on her drive that shocked her, she said, “Know that a shock only makes us to go higher. Now let us know when mortal mind shocks us, we can use it to go up higher, and so know it cannot catch us there.”

— from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter




Mrs. Evans taught us to “demand the blessing” from every experience. No matter how tough or painful the experience may be, there is always a blessing in it, and we should always demand to be blessed by every experience we have. This is consistent with having a positive expectancy, whether we are in prison, in sickness, or in a bad relationship, we can and should demand the blessing from our wrestling, and not stop wrestling until we are blessed.

— Forum post from May 18, 2017 by Gary Singleterry




When you declare that, “This challange can only do me good” then you are facing it with a sense of dominion not as a victim.

— Plainfield Roundtable




Don’t let your thought sink with the problem, turn it right around by declaring the Truth and reversing error.

— Plainfield Roundtable




Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

— Matthew 5:25 King James Bible




Only the good is true.

— Plainfield Roundtable




And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

— Romans 8:28 King James Bible




Be so instant in Truth that error is always too late.

— Plainfield Roundtable




Golden Text — “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” — Psalm 107 : 20




Forum post — “He sent His word…” by Joanne from FL




Deliver: To free; to release, as from restraint; to set at liberty; as, to deliver one from captivity; To rescue, or save.

— from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary




Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

— Ecclesiastes 7:29 King James Bible




1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

— Isaiah 42 : 1-8 from citation 1 in the Bible portion of this week’s Lesson




Those that are weak he will be tender of; those that have but a little life, a little heat, that are weak as a reed, oppressed with doubts and fears, as a bruised reed, that are as smoking flax, as the wick of a candle newly lighted, which is ready to go out again, he will not despise them, will not plead against them with his great power, nor lay upon them more work or more suffering than they can bear.

— Matthew Henry Commentary for Isaiah 42




Strict adherence to the divine Principle and rules of the scientific method has secured the only success of the students of Christian Science. This alone entitles them to the high standing which most of them hold in the community, a reputation experimentally justified by their efforts. Whoever affirms that there is more than one Principle and method of demonstrating Christian Science greatly errs, ignorantly or intentionally, and separates himself from the true conception of Christian Science healing and from its possible demonstration.

One must abide in the morale of truth or he cannot demonstrate the divine Principle. So long as matter is the basis of practice, illness cannot be efficaciously treated by the metaphysical process. Truth does the work, and you must both understand and abide by the divine Principle of your demonstration.

— Citation 6 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 456 : 5-15, 19-24




Forum post — One must abide in the morale of truth… by Jeremy from NJ




Morale, also known as esprit de corps, is the capacity of a group’s members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower, obedience, and self-discipline of a group tasked with performing duties assigned by a superior. According to Alexander H. Leighton, “morale is the capacity of a group of people to pull together persistently and consistently in pursuit of a common purpose”. Morale is important in the military, because it improves unit cohesion. Without good morale, a force will be more likely to give up or surrender. Morale is usually assessed at a collective, rather than an individual level. In wartime, civilian morale is also important. Esprit de corps is considered to be an important part of a fighting unit.

— from Wikipedia




The procuring cause and foundation of all sickness is fear, ignorance, or sin. Disease is always induced by a false sense mentally entertained, not destroyed. Disease is an image of thought externalized. The mental state is called a material state. Whatever is cherished in mortal mind as the physical condition is imaged forth on the body.

— Citation from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 411 : 20-26




Cherish: To treat with tenderness and affection; To hold as dear; to embrace with affection; to foster, and encourage; To treat in a manner to encourage growth, by protection, aid, attendance, or supplying nourishment; To harbor; to indulge and encourage in the mind; as, to cherish ill will, or any evil passion.

— from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary




Ask yourself, “What am I cherishing in my thinking?” And, “Do I wish this thought to externalize itself?”

— Plainfield Roundtable




The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man’s real existence as a child of God comes to light.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 288




The memory of wrongs, evils, failures, must yield its ghost to the angels of Truth which show that error never really happened, nor made history. A student was talking with Mrs. Eddy, telling our Leader how her husband was suffering from injuries received in the Civil War. Mrs. Eddy quickly asked, “What war?” The lady explained, “Why the Civil War.” Mrs. Eddy again asked, “What war?” Again the explanation, “Why the Civil War between the North and South.” Still the same question, “What war?” but she added, “I see you both believe there was a war.” With that the light broke through.

— from From an Association Address by Blanche Hersey Hogue




To be a Christian Scientist one must burn all his theological bridges behind him. One must discard even the memory of them. The memory of errors in any form is a revival of them.

— from page 18 of the 1936 Address from Association Addresses by Bicknell Young




Once a patient called her practitioner to say she was healed of the sickness for which she was having help. She asked the practitioner if he should stop treatment. He replied, ‘Give me one more day in which to know you never had it!‛

— Excerpt from 500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter, Watch 246




In Science man is the offspring of Spirit. The beautiful, good, and pure constitute his ancestry. His origin is not, like that of mortals, in brute instinct, nor does he pass through material conditions prior to reaching intelligence. Spirit is his primitive and ultimate source of being; God is his Father, and Life is the law of his being.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 63




If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine. If the Scientist has enough Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Magdalen gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and deal with his patients compassionately; and the result will correspond with the spiritual intent.

— Citation 8 from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 365 : 15-24




Reach: To extend; to stretch; to arrive at; to penetrate. Penetrate:To enter or pierce; to make way into. To affect the mind; to cause to feel.

— from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary




Forum post — “ …reaches his thought…” by Lynda from PA




Article — The Frozen River A legend read in Mrs. Eddy’s home many times at her request.




There is no fatal mistake; there is no unforgivable wrong; there is no unpardonable sin; there is no permanent injury; there is no incurable disease; there is no such thing as too late.

Watches, Prayers, and Arguments by Mary Baker Eddy, page 91




Pride is your worst emeny.

— Plainfield Roundtable




Forum post — Let The Kingdom of Heaven Reign by Florence Roberts




Forum post — Sovereign Antidote For Error by Florence Roberts




Sovereign: Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe. Supreme; superior to all others; chief. God is the sovereign good of all who love and obey him.

— from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary




Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 392




Final Readings

History repeats itself; to-morrow grows out of today. But Heaven’s favors are formidable: they are calls to higher duties, not discharge from care; and whosobuilds on less than an immortal basis, hath built on sand.

We have asked, in our selfishness, to wait until the age advanced to a more practical and spiritual religion before arguing with the world the great subject of Christian healing; but our answer was, “Then there were no cross to take up, and less need of publishing the good news.” A classic writes, —

“At thirty, man suspects himself a fool;
Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan;
At fifty, chides his infamous delay,
Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve.”


Click here to read and listen to complete chapter. — Christian Healing by Mary Baker Eddy





Love is the liberator.

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