The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-01-14
+ A Lecture on
Christian Science
Entitled
Christian Science: A Religion Of
Service
by
Gavin w. Allan, C.S.B.
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Church of Christ, Scientist, Baltimore,
there comes times to all when we
think seriously about life, when we
ask ourselves "What is the purpose
Of existence? Why am here? What
should be life's purpose-to serve one
self or to serve others?"
Mr.. Allan pointed out that Jesus
answered these questions when he
said, 1.-THE Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister" 81
am among you as he that serveth."
He went on to say that Jesus taught
that the First Commandment is to love
God and the second is to love man. He
pointed out that John so strongly felt
the necessity for our loving our fell
low men that he said, in effect, if we
| do not love one another, we cannot
possibly love God. In other words,
Mr.. Allan explained, if we are not
living in just and helpful relations
with our fellow men, there is some
thing wrong with our concept of God.
Mr.. Allan, who is member of the
Board Of Lectureship of The Mother
Church, The First Church of Christ,
Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts,
had chosen for his subject, christian
Science: A Religion of Service" He
made clear, by relating several stories
or parallels with which Jesus illus
trated his teachings, that Jesus stress
ed the thought of service.
True service, as understood in
Christian Science, the lecturer ex
planned, has two sides-its Godward
side and it's MAYNARD side; response
to God and responsibility to men. Re-
ligion, he held, has two sides-getting
and giving; receiving and rejecting;
hearing and doing.
, Mr.. Allan referred to some tend.
encies which hinder usefulness, such
as overzealousness, meddlesomeness,
entering unlimited into the affairs of
others, a desire for prominence, a
willingness to serve only in higher
offices, in the more prominent posi-
tons. This latter phase of selfishness,
he declared, frequently keeps its vic
tim in uselessness.
Mr.. Allan explained that Christian
Science teaches that God is Love; God
Mind; the divine Principle of the
Universe including man, and that man
made in His likeness and expresses
lin; that man, Gods likeness, always
effects Love, intelligence, and the
government of God. In our relation
hip with each other, he made clear,
We can reflect these qualities, can
ruly serve our fellow men in proper
ion to our humility and our under
landing of Truth.
Domination, which is the opposite
f true service, he pointed out, has its
DOT in an exaltation of self; self-im-
ortance and self-righteousness, which
the opposite of humility, and is not
characteristic of man as he really is.
Mr.. Allan spoke Of the love of
money as an obstacle to true service,
md quoted the sayings of Jesus and
# Paul in support of his statements.
He held that business organizations
which have an enduring foundation
IRE those whose primary intention is
;ervice; those which are based on the
Golden Rule.
He pointed out that scientific Chris
ianity demands more than rendering
iervice to our friends, that simply re-
itraining ourselves from doing an
,nemy harm is not conforming to the
Golden Rule. He maintained that this
,ule cannot be kept negatively, that
ustice is positive. 1t demands, he de-
,lared, that our enemy receive at our
lands painstaking bestowal of kind
ness, affection, and love. Thus only,
lie averred, can we reflect our Father.
Mr.. Allan pointed out that no one
s in position where he is indie
pendent of the service Of his fellow
men. He made clear that Christian
Science teaches that there is no in
equality among Gods children; that
It reiterates the message of the first
chapter of Genesis "God created man
in His own image"
In speaking of cooperative service,
Cue IeCLuTST lclu IIl1L IIlS Till LScAtH
chapter of I Corinthians is plain
statement of what good cooperation
means, of the only way to live help
July and smoothly with our fellow
men. The primary law of living, he
said, is not selfishness, but selfessness,
love.
Just as discords of various natures
have been overcome for individuals
through Christian Science, Mr.. Allan
affirmed, SO can they be for nations,
,ince the cause of discord is the same
n either case-the carnal mind, and
The remedy is the same-the utiliza-
lion of Gods law.
Touching upon the subject of heal
ing, Mr.. Allan made clear that Jesus
did not in some mysterious way be-
stow upon his disciples magic powers,
,ut he taught them what was neces-
sary for them to know in order to rem
Ter service to their fellow men, to re-
dice in the omnipresence and omni-
,otence of God, which is the basis of
yealing. One begins the practice Of
Christian Science, the lecturer ex-