The Beatitudes — 1962 Association Address

by Herbert E. Rieke

Table of Contents

• The Beatitudes
• The Infinitesimals
• Our Youth Program

The Beatitudes

One Sunday I was asked to teach a class of first-graders in Sunday School. I started with their basic interests. Since it was just a few days after Christmas, I asked them what gifts they had received. They had fun telling me about their toys, dolls, trains, and pretty new shoes. Then I asked why we gave gifts at Christmas. They said that it was because the wise men gave gifts to Jesus. When I asked why they gave him gifts, one little boy answered, “Because he was such a good man.” I asked what was so good about him.

Another boy said, “Because he gave us the Beatitudes.” The door was now open. I asked them whether they knew the Beatitudes. They knew some of them and would like to talk about them.

I was shocked to learn that none of them knew what the word “blessed” meant. They had been memorizing the Beatitudes but did not know the meaning of the words. Our Leader tells us in Article XX, Sec. 2 of the Manual of The Mother Church, that we should teach the children “according to their understanding and ability to grasp the simpler meanings of the divine Principle that they are taught.” It is so important to talk in terms and words the children can understand.

I explained that the word “bless” means to make happy — not just a little bit happy — but very, very happy. I asked each pupil whether he was very happy. They all said they were. Then I asked what made them happy. One little girl replied, “Everything.” I then explained that it is not things, not even everything, that make us happy. It is not the toys, our house, automobile, and dolls that make us happy. It is God that makes us happy for He is really the only Maker or Creator there is. It is therefore our nature to be happy whether it’s raining or the sun is shining. God is always blessing us, making us very, very happy.

I then explained that the word “Beatitude” means the very highest kind of happiness. The Beatitudes show us how to be very happy all the time. I asked each pupil whether he really wanted to be happy all the time. He did. Who doesn’t? Jesus said, “My joy I give unto you. Let no one take it from you.” I said, “If someone gave you a hundred dollars, you wouldn’t let anyone take that from you, would you?” Of course they wouldn’t! Then I explained that God gives us His great happiness, and we are not going to let anything take it from us.

I asked one boy what took his happiness away from him. He replied, “Error.” I replied, “No, we’re going to let nothing take it from us.” Then I asked a little girl what seemed to take her happiness away from her, what made her cry? She too said, “Error.” I said, “No. Nothing even seems to take our happiness away.” I asked another what wanted to stand in the way of his happiness. He got the point and said, “Nothing.” I made them say again and again that nothing could interfere with their happiness. Nothing could even seem to or want to.

Then we started with the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in Spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I began by considering the reward — “the kingdom of heaven.” We must always start with the reward to awaken interest in the means to this reward. I explained that the word “kingdom” means government, because people of long ago were governed by kings. Then I explained that “heaven” means great happiness or harmony. I asked them whether they would like to be governed by God’s great harmony and happiness all the time so that they never felt bad, never were unhappy or disappointed, never had anything to cry about. They all said they would like that.

I then pointed out that we must be poor in Spirit to receive this wonderful reward. They all looked puzzled. These words meant nothing to them. When I asked them what the word “Spirit” meant, they all replied, “God.” When I asked whether we should be rich in God or poor in God, they all answered, “Rich.” “Then why did Jesus say we should be poor in Spirit?” They were all puzzled but thinking. I remember how as a child I had rebelled against this phrase, “poor in Spirit.” No one had ever explained it satisfactorily to me. It was just contradictory words. Now it was my task to explain the truth in terms the students could understand.

I asked them what grade they were in. They all answered, “the first grade” — except for one boy who was in the third. “Are you all very happy to be in the first grade?” I asked. They were. I asked the older boy whether he had started in the third grade. Oh, no. He had started in the first. “Why didn’t you start in the third?” I asked. “Oh that would be too hard and I’d fail,” he replied. Then I asked all of them why we didn’t all start out in the eighth grade? They looked almost scared. They said that that would be too hard and we would all fail. I pointed out how natural it was and how much fun to start out in the first grade. They were beginning to learn what “humble” means. They were appreciating the quality of humility.

I asked one boy what he was going to do when he grew up. He was going to Purdue and learn to be an engineer like his daddy. “And when you graduate from college and begin working for your father, will he put you in the main office and make you president of the company?” I asked. He replied, “Oh, no! He’ll make me mix cement so I can learn the business from the bottom up.” Then I explained that this is what Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit.” We must be very happy to start at the bottom in school, in business, in everything we do; and then we are ready to go forward without the fear of failing. I had each pupil tell me he was very happy to be in the first grade. I helped them to see the first grade prepared them for the second and third, and they would never be afraid of failing because they had built from the bottom up.

What a lesson we can all learn from this. How miserable we are when we try to start out half way up a ladder and feel insecure and inadequate because we have not built on a solid foundation. The “I-know-it-all” attitude is always insecure and miserable. True humility is the first step in finding the government of harmony and great happiness in our lives.

We must never teach the children that there is any virtue in poverty for that would be a deviation from the Principle of Christian Science. It is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. We must never let them feel it is right to be poor in God, in Spirit. To be rich in God is the way to happiness. But we can explain the first Beatitude in such a way that it will be absolute Science and will give them a true appreciation of the quality of humility.

Then we talked about the second Beatitude, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” We discussed the reward, “to be comforted.” I asked them what it meant to be comfortable. One girl said, “Not too hot or too cold.” Another said it meant to feel good all over. Another said it meant to be peaceful and happy. They all said they wanted to be comfortable. Then we considered the meaning of the verb, “to mourn,” and said that it meant to be sorrowful, sad, unhappy. It meant “to cry.” With the understanding of these words we read the Beatitude: “Very happy are those that are sad, unhappy, and crying, for they shall be made comfortable.” This didn’t sound right — “Very happy are the unhappy.” We knew there must be a deeper meaning. I showed them that the words to be sorrowful and to be sorry are closely related. I then said to one little girl, “Suppose you should break one of your mother’s beautiful dishes, what would you do — go and hide it in a closet? Would that make you feel comfortable and happy?” She looked at me with her big blue eyes and said, “Oh, no, that would make me unhappy.” When I asked her what she ought to do, she said that she should go to her mother and tell her that she was very sorry that she broke the dish. Then her mother would love her and not punish her, because she told the truth. I emphasized that it is so important to be sorry when we have done something wrong. Then we will not be tempted to do it again.

Here I asked the older boy, if he told a lie and his father found it out, what would his father do? He replied, “I’d get a whippin’.” “Would that be comfortable?” I asked. “Oh no. His daddy whipped hard.” In adult language we need to confess our faults and repent if we would make spiritual progress. We cannot justify our shortcomings and go up higher. When we make excuses for our errors of thinking and living, we have a guilty sense within. This does not make us comfortable. Much disease and failure comes from this guilt complex, that uneasiness within. The remedy is in this second beatitude “Truly happy are those who are sorry for their mistakes and repent of them” for through this repentance they find that truly comfortable sense of things whereby they are not tempted to repeat the offense.

This Beatitude is often presented so as to indicate that although we are sad and unhappy now, sometime in the future we shall be comforted. This is not in accord with absolute Science. Now is the day of salvation. Right now is the time to be saved from sadness. Both children and adults need to learn that crying does not solve the problem. Now is the time to rejoice. There has been too much sadness in all orthodox religion.

A little girl who hurt herself and was crying, suddenly stopped and said to her mother, “Crying is silly isn’t it; it doesn’t help.” Then after a pause she added, “It only gives you something to do until the pain goes away.” But to cry about things only tends to make them seem real.

We then came to the third Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” We saw that the word “inherit” meant to receive a gift from someone such as from your grandmother or grandfather. I asked them whether they liked to receive gifts. Of course, they all did. I asked them how they would like to receive as a gift all the good things in the earth. They would like that. But one girl said that she would not want all the good things; she wanted her brothers and sisters to have good things too. We discussed the fact that there is so much good in the world that there is abundance for everyone.

We can all inherit this good without interfering with the inheritance of anyone else. But what must we do? We must be meek. I asked one girl what the word meek meant? She thought for a few seconds and then replied, “Oh, that’s a fur piece you put around your neck.” She had never been told what the word “meek” meant. She thought the word was “mink.” We must never assume that children understand even some of the smallest words.

I then asked whether they had ever seen a little lamb? One girl’s uncle had a farm, and when she visited him she had held a lamb in her arms. “Did the lamb bite you?” I asked excitedly. “Of course not,” she replied, “lambs don’t bite.” I explained that the word “meek” meant being like a little lamb, loving, kind, cuddly, never getting angry, never stamping your feet, never crying to have your own way. Then I went around the class and asked each one, “Are you a little lamb, or do you bite and get mad?” They were all precious lambs and were happy to be that way — truly meek. We observed how the lambs always follow the shepherd and are obedient to him. We rejoiced that God is the great Shepherd who cares for His lambs, protects them.

I asked whether they knew as much as their mothers, fathers, and school teachers. They admitted that they didn’t. Then I pointed out that our parents and teachers are like shepherds, and that as we are obedient to them and follow their guidance, we receive all good things. You could see that they all knew now what meekness meant, and that it was a God-given quality. I pointed out that meekness is never weakness, but real strength. It is the willingness to listen to God, to follow the leadership of the Christ, Truth, and to turn to divine Principle in the solution of all our problems. Such an attitude causes us to be supremely happy all the time.

Here we talked about the fourth Beatitude, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” They did not know what “hungering and thirsting” meant, nor “righteousness.” I said, “Suppose you had been out in the woods playing very hard and you became very hungry and thirsty. Then you came out of the woods and away across the field you saw mother had laid out a big picnic table with many good things to eat and drink, such as chicken, potato salad, cake and lemonade.” I asked them what else people ate at picnics. They said, oranges, apples and bananas. We talked about that picnic lunch until their mouths were watering and they began to look hungry and thirsty.

Then I asked them what they would do — just sit down there and wish they had something to eat and drink? One little boy said, “No, I would run, run very fast to where the picnic was.” I let each pupil say that he would run to the picnic table. Then I explained that is what hungering and thirsting means — to run, to go after that which is good. We cannot just sit still and wish for good. We must go after it. We must be active. Jesus said, “Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” God is an omni-active God, and man reflects His omni-activity as well as His perfect being.

Now we considered the meaning of the word “righteousness.” We saw it meant that which is right. We saw that as we ran after, as we hungered and thirsted after that which is right, we would be filled with all good, just as we would be filled with food when we ran to the picnic table.

At this point the older boy spoke up and said, “I have a cousin who wants to be a safe cracker.” I asked him, “Would that be hungering and thirsting after that which was right?” He replied, “No, that would be wrong.” “Would he then be filled with good things?” I asked. He thought for a moment and replied, “No, he would be filled with bullets. The police would shoot him.” The children will preach their own sermons if we will just let them.

Here is the lesson we all need to learn. As we hunger and thirst after the beautiful, harmonious, the right, we shall be filled with all good in our experience. If we look for trouble we’ll find it. If we take an interest in the negatives we shall find negative conditions coming into our experience.

These first four Beatitudes deal with our own individual character development. They deal with man’s relationship with himself and with God. The rest of the Beatitudes deal with qualities we need in order to get along with others. The fifth Beatitude reads: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” The children knew this Beatitude by heart, but they did not know what the word “mercy” meant.

I asked a little girl, “If you went to your mother and whispered in her ear that you loved her very much, what would your mother do?” She replied, “She would put her arm around me and say that she loved me very much too.” Then I went around the class and asked each one whether he wanted his mother and father to love him. Then I asked whether they wanted their brothers and sisters to love them, and their playmates, and their teachers? They all wanted love from everyone. I pointed out how important it is for us to love others first if we would have them love us. We saw that in order to love others we must see the good in them. The word “mercy” means to see this good and not to find fault with people.

I asked them whether they would like to play a game. Of course! Children in the first grade are very much interested in games. I said, “Now when you go home today, I want you to go up to your mother and whisper to her, ‘Mother, I love you very much,’ and let’s see just what happens.” I went around the class and made each one promise that he would play this game.

One of the mothers told me later that her son came home on Sunday and said that he was supposed to tell her something, but he forgot what it was. Then on Wednesday he said, “I remember what it was the teacher told me to say to you.” And he whispered, “I love you very much.” I asked her, “And what did you do?” She replied, “I put my arms around him and told him I loved him very dearly too.”

Everyone wants to be loved, to have people appreciate him, to have people magnify his good points and not his faults. He wants others to be merciful toward him. He must learn to express that same mercy. How good it is to learn that we love others not so much because of the good in them, but because God is Love and man is His image and likeness. We therefore love naturally because we reflect God. It is our divine nature to love everyone. And it is the divine nature of everyone else to reflect back that same love and appreciation.

At this point the bell rang, and the class was over. But may we consider what we might say to the children about the rest of the Beatitudes. The next one reads, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” We all want to see God. We can’t see Him as a person or a thing; but we can see His true spiritual nature, we can understand Him. He can be as close to us as our breath. We can see God and His goodness expressed in all the wonderful things round about us. We all want to see good up close in our own home, in our back yards, in our school. We also want to see the manifestation of good far off in the mountains, on the lakes. We all want perfect vision, the ability to see good everywhere. We want the kind of eyes that never get tired, never wear out, never need glasses. What is the price we have to pay for such perfect vision? “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall have such vision.”

What does the word “pure” mean? Clean, of course. We would not eat candy that was full of bugs, apples full of worms, or bread full of dirt. We wouldn’t drink water that was muddy. The government has pure food laws to protect us so that the things we eat and drink are wholesome. There is no government law that says we have to think pure and clean thoughts, but there is a law of God that says if you want perfect vision your heart must be pure. Little children in the first grade are usually pure in thought. But they are ready to see that the words we speak indicate the thoughts we have. With pure thoughts we will not use naughty words. Children a little older particularly need to be helped to see the importance of purity of thought and speech.

But even the littlest ones can be helped to see that they are pure — clean window panes for love and truth, and goodness to shine through. We can help them to see that when they are angry, or disobedient, or unkind, or impolite, or selfish, they are not letting God’s goodness shine through.

When a windowpane or a windshield is all muddy we do not see things clearly. The mud must be washed off. When there are drops of water on the windowpane or windshield, the picture outside looks distorted. It’s a good experiment to have the children look through a drop of water on the glass and see how the trees look through a drop of water — all out of shape. Just so, when we have sadness in our thought and tears in our eyes, we never see things the way they really are. We must wipe away the tears, and then we shall see clearly.

I like to illustrate that when we are merciful we look at the faults of others with the binoculars turned around backwards, so that the faults look very small and far away. But when we ourselves are pure in heart we look at the good in others through the binoculars held in the correct position so that the good is greatly enlarged and seen as very close at hand. In Christian Science we are learning to magnify the good and to see the evil as very far off and small — yes as nothing. This is a very important lesson for both children and adults.

The next Beatitude tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Pupils like to be thought of as children of God. Children do not like to be called bad names. They want everyone to think and speak well of them. They want to be recognized as good children, or children of God. They appreciate it when people see the good in them. It is only when they are called bad children over and over again that they feel they have to live up to their reputation.

I love to ask the children whether they have ever heard a voice from heaven saying, “You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased,” the way Jesus did. They usually affirm that they have never heard such a voice. I assure them that God loves all His children equally, that God loves them just as much as He loved Jesus, and that God is telling them the same thing He told Jesus. What we must do is learn to listen the way the Master did. Then we shall hear God telling us that we are His beloved children in whom He is well pleased. Jesus taught us how to listen to the Word of God.

Now what must we do to be called the children of God? We must be peacemakers. We can illustrate in many ways how the children can be peacemakers in the home, in school, at play. They can tell the class each week how they have been peacemakers during the week. Our real success in life depends on this question — are we peacemakers or troublemakers? In business, in church, in our community, in government, in society, the real test of our value is this: Are we a trouble-maker or a peacemaker? Children can’t learn too early the importance of being a peace-maker. When they approach each situation with the sincere desire and willingness to be a peacemaker, they have the feeling that they are truly children of God, the great Peacemaker.

Being a peacemaker is never a sign of weakness, but of strength. Anyone can start a fight. It takes real spiritual courage and strength to stop a fight and substitute peace.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the next Beatitude. It is elaborated upon with the following: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” In teaching this Beatitude we must not instruct the children that they can expect to be persecuted because they are Christian Scientists, or because they are good or honest. That would not be in accord with the teachings of Christian Science. Neither do we dare teach them that they should be very happy because people say all manner of evil against them falsely. That is nothing to rejoice about. We must not teach the children to be martyrs.

The significance of this Beatitude is that we should not become discouraged and unhappy if people say unkind things about us or persecute us, or make fun of us, or say they don’t want to play with us. In other words, if things are not running smoothly in our relationships with others, that is when we need to pour in more and more of the oil of gladness to lubricate our human relationships so that they do run smoothly. We need to rejoice and be exceeding glad, very, very happy, not because of our problems of relationships with others, but because God is making us so very happy. He is blessing us and awakening us to the truth that we have no enemies.

When you are driving a rough road up a steep mountain, it is no time for you to drain out your oil but double-check it and make sure it is up to the high mark. Just so in relationships, it is the oil of gladness, being exceeding glad, that lubricates all things so that they run smoothly.

This is a very important lesson for both children and grown-ups to learn.

When things aren’t going right — that’s no time to cry. Crying just makes things worse. That is the time to recheck our oil and realize that neither things nor circumstances make us happy or take our happiness away from us. Our happiness is not dependent upon these things. It is God, our divine Creator, that makes us happy all of the time. For He is continually blessing us. We are never the slaves of circumstances. Through God we are always the masters of the situation.

The prophets saw this clearly and proved their dominion over persecution. We can do the same. It is only when we can maintain our peace, poise, and happiness in the face of adverse circumstances that we have found the true kingdom of heaven. For now we see that heaven is a state of Mind within us and not affected by outside circumstances. The reward for seeing this is very great. This is the way we find our complete dominion and harmony whereby we discern the unreality of adverse circumstances. Children need to learn this lesson early for they have the same problems along this line that adults have.

Here are the rules whereby we find complete and unlimited happiness. When children learn the meaning and the significance of these Beatitudes, the Beatitudes are a guide and an inspiration throughout their entire experience. There are almost infinite illustrations and examples whereby we can bring out the deeper meanings of these Beatitudes. Just to have the children memorize them is a poor substitute for spiritual teaching. But when we help them to understand the true spirit of the Beatitudes, as we help them to practice and live this spirit, they readily know them without half trying.

The first Beatitude promises us the kingdom of heaven. The last Beatitude shows us how steadfastness fulfills this promise and assures us of the reality of the government of harmony in all our experience.

The Infinitesimals

In Science and Health we read, “The divine Ego, or individuality, is reflected in all spiritual individuality from the infinitesimal to the infinite.” (p. 336)

Throughout history people have spent much time contemplating the nature of the infinite. You have all gone outside on a starry night, looking up at the moon and stars, thinking about how far away it all is. You have contemplated the existence of the galaxies of stars, and then the super-galaxies beyond. Possibly in the words of David you have said, “Unto thee lift I up my eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.” (Ps. 123) People have always thought that God was in the heavens because they knew that God was infinite in power and understanding; the heavens seemed to symbolize that thought of infinity, the unlimited nature of things.

Noting the harmony, the order, the beauty of the heavens, Amos said, “Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion.” Job, standing in awe of the divine government of the universe exclaimed, “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?” (Job 38:31-33) It is good to look outward, upward, and heavenward — to contemplate and appreciate the infinite.

But our passage says, “The divine Ego — is reflected in all spiritual individuality from the infinitesimal to the infinite.” It’s not enough to contemplate the perfection and order of the infinite. We must see the perfection and orderliness of the infinitesimal as well.

Natural Scientists through powerful microscopes are peering deeper and deeper into the infinitesimals and are discovering worlds never dreamed of before, just as the astronomers are discovering galaxies which we had never thought existed. Physicists, through their experiments, are penetrating deeper and deeper into the “hidden things” of the world. At first, they discovered the molecules, then the atom, then the interior of the atom with its nucleus, electrons, and other basic elements. They are so overawed by the beauty and harmony of what they have found that they are writing books, such as I discussed last year, entitled, “The Music of The Spheres.”

Mrs. Eddy did not think of the stars, the sun, the moon, the planets, as material objects. She defines sun as the symbol of Soul governing man. Then she says, “Suns and planets teach grand lessons. The stars make night beautiful. . .” (S&H p. 240) She says that the glorious heavens point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect.

Mrs. Eddy also did not think of the infinitesimals as material. On page 507 of the textbook she says, “Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the mental molecule to infinity.” In Miscellaneous Writings (p. 26) she asks, “Whence came the first seed, and what made the soil? Was it molecules, or material atoms? Whence came the infinitesimals, — from the infinite Mind, or from matter? If from matter, how did matter originate? Was it self-existent?” The implication is that Mrs. Eddy saw the infinitesimals as spiritual and not material — they come from Mind. In Science and Health (p. 502:29-4) she says, “This creation consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities, which are embraced in the infinite Mind and forever reflected. These ideas range from the infinitesimal to infinity. . .”

She says of the false concept of the atom, “The material atom is an outlined falsity of consciousness.” But that’s only the false concept of the atom or infinitesimal. Mrs. Eddy was ever busy resolving things into thoughts and exchanging the objects of material sense for the ideas of Soul. Therefore, she could say on page 190 of Miscellaneous Writings, “Atomic action is Mind, not matter. It is neither the energy of matter, the result of organization, nor the outcome of life infused into matter: it is infinite Spirit, Truth, Life, defiant of error or matter. Divine Science demonstrates Mind as dispelling a false sense and giving the true sense of itself, God, and the universe . . .” May I repeat, “Atomic action is Mind” with a capital M, “not matter.”

Because we are thinking rightly about the infinitesimals, the atoms, the molecules, the thought of the world is beginning to change and to see the truth about the basic reality of all phenomena. This year I had the opportunity to read three papers written by Donald Hatch Andrews, professor of chemistry at John Hopkins University. I would like to share a few of his observations. He says, “Today there is a new element of hope with us, because this same science which has given us atomic power, has also given us atomic vision. Through the microscope, the spectroscope, and the telescope, we are getting an entirely new view of the basic realities of which both the universe and we ourselves are made. And we are making the startling discovery that, in a word, the basic reality of our universe is not matter but music. We find that the materialistic philosophy of nineteenth century science is no longer tenable.

We are not quite sure what the new philosophy of the twentieth century science is, but we see that the most fundamental concepts appear to be based on relationships of harmony and resonance, rather than on mass and mechanics.” He says further, “Somehow we of the human race must learn to control ourselves before we can control our power. The crucial question is, will our new science help us to achieve a new wisdom of the spirit, a new sense of destiny.”

Speaking about peering into the nature of the infinitesimal, Professor Andrews goes on to say, “As we look and listen, we see first of all ripples and waves moving around with the electrons, like the ripples and waves on a pond when a stone is dropped in it. We hear a humming like a hive of bees, and if we turn up our hearing aid we become aware of overwhelming music all around us, although hitherto we have been completely unaware of it. We realize that we are listening to a vast symphony. The range of tones extends many octaves beyond anything we have ever heard in a concert hall. . . As this music surges around us we come to realize that it is here in these patterns of harmony, melody, and counterpoint, that we have the true reality, the essence of what it is that creates what we see, what we feel, what we are.”

He goes on to say, “Our new science thus teaches us both that seeing is not believing, and that we must believe in much that we do not see.” Here is another interesting statement: “When the seed is planted there is somehow power in that music of life within it which can reach out and compel the surrounding oxygen and nitrogen and moisture to do its bidding.” He goes on, “In the same way, the mysterious music of life in a seed or in a human being, transcends the vehicle of its functioning. Thus we recognize according to this logic, that in the innermost essence of life we have the implications of the supreme reality — call it ego, soul, spirit, or what you will.” And to top it off, listen to this one: “If we can keep throughout our lives a vivid sense of this reality of the spirit of the presence of our Creator, the vision of the invisible kingdom, the eternal verity to which science itself gives affirmation, then we can go forward confidently into this new atomic age on the road to a high destiny. And in the day when mankind shall finally establish peace and good will on earth, we may see at last the deepest meaning in the words, ‘Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.’”

In another paper Dr. Andrews says, “These electron waves which we thus hear, are neither sound waves nor light waves, and many scientists feel that they are not strictly physically real.” He says, “Because music is in reality also pure, dynamic form, I think it is both suggestive and meaningful to say that the atom now appears to be music.” He ends this paper with these statements, “If we can tune our inner-ear to hear this music of the universe all around us and within us, perhaps we can learn to discriminate its hyper-harmonies, and apprehend the message of its song. I believe that it is a message full of joy and beauty, but also a call to sacrifice and duty. Today outer space is challenging a new Columbus to set forth on an extra-planetary voyage of discovery. Just as truly, these inner spaces of the spirit are calling for a new Kierkegaard, or a new Einstein to voyage together on an exploration of their uncharted seas. Man is not a puppet in a box. The boundaries of the dimensions of man are the mansions of eternity.”

When you hear such words from a foremost physical scientist as to the nature of the infinitesimals, are you not proud to be a Christian Scientist? And do you not recognize that you have been on the right road in studying this true science of Christianity?

The basic reality of your being, the very substance of your existence, is not dust particles nor bits of flesh. The basic reality of your being is music, beautiful, symphonic music, more glorious than the world has ever heard. If you’ve been thinking about yourself, or your body, as material, you’re all wrong. The ultimate of you is concord, harmony, music. It was brought out in Dr. Andrews’ paper that it’s not a physical music, but truly spiritual music. It’s the song of angels — that’s what you’re really made up of.

Of course, these ideas aren’t altogether new. David once wrote speaking of the infinitesimals, “Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden parts thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” (Ps. 51:6) And Jeremiah said, (31:33) “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

According to the natural scientists, we as observers, stand about midway between the farthest galaxy observed, and the tiniest nucleus of the atom. In other words, from the standpoint of the nucleus of the atom, you are as a galaxy of stars. And from the viewpoint of the farthest galaxy you are as the nucleus of an atom. These facts should cause us to have a true sense of humility, but also a sense of true self-esteem.

Your outward view of things constitutes your concept of environment, both immediate and greatly extended. Speaking of your environment Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He saw the great truth that the infinite harmonies observed in the heavens — the music of the spheres — are right here at hand surrounding us, constituting our immediate environment.

When you begin looking within, you are dealing with your sense of heredity. On this point Jesus said, “The kingdom (or government) of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) Jesus elaborated on this point saying at one time, “And the Lord said unto him, ‘Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?’” (Luke 11:39,40) It is not only right for us to know the truth about our without — our environment — we must also know the truth about our within, our inner nature. Just listen to this absolute truth, “Did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?” Here Jesus is declaring the truth about these infinitesimals — these inner little things — recognizing that they are the products of God, and therefore spiritual, harmonious — yes, the manifestation of complete concord, harmony, music.

Many people know the truth about the over-all picture, the without; but they neglect the little thoughts within. In the Song of Solomon, we read about the little foxes that spoil the vines. Mrs. Eddy elaborates on this point saying, “Seeing that we have to attain to the ministry of righteousness in all things, we must not overlook small things in goodness or in badness, for ‘trifles make perfection,’ and ‘the little foxes . . . spoil the vines.’” (My. 123) Most sickness comes from not realizing the truth about our within, failing to recognize that the basic reality of our being is music, sweet harmonies, concord. What’s going on in you? Is there ravening and wickedness? Or is there sweet concord, the music of the spheres? May I remind you that even the physical scientists are saying, “The basic reality of you is harmony, not conflict; peace, not war; music, not discord.”

Most sickness stems from the fear that possibly everything isn’t all harmonious inside. People go to doctors periodically and ask the M.D.s to take a peek inside to see whether everything is running harmoniously. Often the doctors tell them that everything is fine; but even then they don’t believe it.

They go to another doctor and ask him to take another peek. Why not believe, have that simple faith in the truth of being that there’s only beautiful music going on inside.

Christian Science is showing us how to investigate thoroughly inside. And what do we find? Harmony, the very government of God, of the divine Spirit. Our Leader says, “If Mind is within and without all things, then all is Mind; and this definition is scientific.” (S&H p. 257:1) She defines man as, “The compound idea of God, including all right ideas.” (475:15) There is no matter within or without — there is only Spirit and its idea. Paraphrasing Mrs. Eddy’s statement we could say, “Spirit is within and without all things, therefore all is Spirit, and this definition is scientific.” Right where you are, there is nothing but pure unadulterated, harmonious, spiritual being making itself manifest, and you are that wonderful manifestation. There can’t be anything wrong within or without, for divine Principle lovingly governs all, from the infinitesimal to the infinite.

During recent years a new phase of biology has been developed called genetics. It deals specifically with the subject of heredity. I do not believe that we handle the false claims of heredity vigorously and intelligently enough in our practice of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy says, “Heredity is a prolific subject for mortal belief to pin theories upon; but if we learn that nothing is real but the right, we shall have no dangerous inheritances, and fleshly ills will disappear.” (S&H p. 228:7). She encourages us to realize that there’s only one Father-Mother, one Creator, one government. As we realize this great fact fleshly ills disappear, no longer appear in our experience. She says further, “In proportion to our understanding of Christian Science, we are freed from the belief of heredity, of mind in matter or animal magnetism. . .” (S&H p. 178:22-25) Animal magnetism, she tells us, is the specific name for all error. Therefore, we must handle this argument of animal magnetism or heredity, handle it intelligently and effectively. We must never ignore the subject, for we cannot practice Christian Science effectively through ignore-ance, or through ignorance.

During the past year I read a book entitled “You and Heredity,” by Amram Scheinfeld. It awakened me to the importance of knowing the truth about heredity, about the infinitesimals. The author speaks about all the things outside of us — the earth, the sun, the stars, the galaxies. He says, “This is the infinity of bigness outside of you.” He continues, “Now turn to the world inside of you. Here there is an infinity of smallness.” You see, in genetics they are dealing with the infinitesimals. May I remind you again of our Leader’s statement, “The divine Ego, or individuality, is reflected in all spiritual individuality from the infinitesimal to the infinite.” (p. 336:6)

Genetics teaches that you and I are made up of billions of little genes linked together in what are called chromosomes. These chromosomes make up the cells. Your human father and mother are supposed to have contributed specific chromosomes, and they say that you are the result. Each chromosome supposedly has twenty-four genes. Well that’s not quite correct — it’s twenty-four genes for a woman, but just twenty-three and a half for a man. Or more accurately stated, women are supposed to have two X chromosomes, and the man one X and one little tiny Y. You see, woman is no longer made from a man’s rib. A man is just short one-half of an X chromosome. That ought to put men in their place, don’t you think?

But please don’t think about these genes as material things. Listen to this statement (p. 58), “But as the genes are living units, we cannot quite regard them as mere chemical substances. Considering the amazing things they do, we may well think of them as workers endowed with personalities. No factory, no industrial organization, has so varied an aggregation of workers and specialists as the genes in a single individual, and no army of workers can do more remarkable jobs. Architects, engineers, plumbers, decorator, chemists, artists, sculptors, doctors, dietitians, masons, carpenters, common laborers — all these and many others will be found among the genes. In their linked together forms (the chromosomes) we can think of them as ‘chain gangs’ . . .” Every gene is made up of millions of atoms, and since an atom is music it would certainly be right to think of the chain gang of genes singing a beautiful song, as they go about their work. Remember that the substance of a gene is compounded beautiful music. May I again quote the theme of this paper, “The divine Ego, or individuality, is reflected in all spiritual individuality from the infinitesimal to the infinite.” (S&H p. 336) God, the divine Spirit, governs each infinitesimal spiritual idea, governs it lovingly, kindly, and effectively, because each idea is truly the manifestation of Spirit.

We are asked, which is more important — heredity or environment? Scheinfeld says, “We haven’t tried to bring out that both forces go hand in hand in shaping anyone’s life, and that consideration of one without the other is impossible. You will understand, therefore, why the geneticist counters with, ‘which is more important, the fish or the water in which it swims?’” He then goes on to question what the elephant has that no other animal has. The answer is not a trunk, but baby elephants. He says, “When a person says I don’t believe in heredity, I believe in environment, he is being downright silly.” (p. 127) In Christian Science we believe in both. We believe in environment — the kingdom of heaven, of supreme harmony, which is always at hand, and that man truly lives, moves, and has his being in God, the atmosphere of Soul. We also believe in heredity, that there is one Father-Mother God, one source from whom we all receive a rich inheritance of infinite good. In Christian Science we know the truth about our heredity and environment. We rejoice that God, Spirit, lovingly governs our without and our within. We rejoice that our environment, or our without, is spiritual and perfect, and our inheritance, or our within, is spiritual and perfect.

I am certainly not going to go into the details of the teachings of genetics. I only want to show you the right way to think about this subject and a few of the false claims to handle.

In handling the belief of cancer, you need to be particularly alert.

Scheinfeld says, “. . . all cancerous growths have this in common: They consist of cells that behave abnormally, and do not cooperate with the surrounding cells in the orderly process of the body.” (p. 162) We need to rejoice that since God, Spirit, lovingly governs everything from the infinitesimal to the infinite, that every gene, every chromosome, every spiritual cell of man’s being behaves not abnormally, but normally according to God’s law.

They speak of cancer cells as behaving as outlaws or criminals. How excellent Jeremiah’s remedy is: “After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer. 31:33) Rejoice constantly that God is putting His law in your inward parts, and in the inward parts of your patients, and that’s the reason there can be no outlaws, no cancer. We can rejoice that every spiritual cell, every atom, every mental molecule of our being, cooperates with its environment, the kingdom of heaven. We’re not resisting something — we’re enjoying heaven. We are not fighting; we are not irritated. The substance of your being is beautiful music. We read (p. 167): “. . .tumors whether benign or malignant, arise through the same causes: irritation or upset of the originally affected cells by either internal or external means.” Let us rejoice and help our patients to rejoice that they are never upset or irritated by anything — from without or from within. We are not upset by big things or by little things. We are not upset about ourselves nor irritated by what we’ve called our shortcomings, for we are perfect all the way through. We’re not upset or irritated because of others, for we are seeing them also as God’s perfect children. We are rejoicing in the absolute truth that God governs everything, from the infinitesimal to the infinite.

In handling arguments of abnormalities, know the truth about these infinitesimals. The belief of retarded children finds its basis in the belief that something went wrong in the genes. Biology authorities say that criminals, sex perverts, and all sorts of unsocial creatures have become such because something went wrong inside. Be thorough in your understanding in every case that every atom of man’s being consists of beautiful, spiritual music. Man is perfect from the mental molecule of his being throughout every phase of his experience. Every gene, every chromosome, every cell, is governed by divine Love, by Principle. “Mind is within and without all things, and this definition is scientific.”

In the last chapter of his book, Mr. Scheinfeld talks about another kind of genes — social genes. He says (p.585 “. . . our social make-up is determined by social genes, also passed on from one generation to another. These social genes would include all the factors that go to make for education, technical knowledge, habits, customs, mannerisms, attitudes, beliefs, etc., and also for the physical effects of our social environment. Thus you like every other person are the product of both biologic genes and social genes.” He says that the social genes, of course are all acquired. If you and your wife should be put on a desert island and somehow every thought, every memory of everything you had ever learned was blotted out, you would have to start as a primitive, stone-age man, and learn things all over again. It is pointed out that we have progressed “because we have had passed on to us an accumulation of social genes from the past, with their many resulting products.” He brings out, however, that the best of social genes are not always passed on to us. There is also the claim that there are bad or social “black” genes linked with or producing poverty, ignorance, social and contagious diseases, injuries from accidents, vice, crime, suicide, corruption, strife, conflict, and finally war. He says that if we look back through the pages of history we will find little to suggest that these blights on mankind are inherent in man. He says, “Those who point to them as part and parcel of ‘the human nature’ ignore the fact that the impulses of the vast majority of people are toward sociality kindness, peacefulness, tolerance, the desire to be and let be.” He emphasizes how important it is to pass on the very best of social genes for the good of humanity. It is the best of social genes that we can pass on from one generation to another that brings real advancement in society. It is our knowledge of God, of true religion, and of man made in His image and likeness that constitutes our greatest spiritual social genes. It is our knowledge of scientific Christianity that is changing the world, changing even what the physical scientists are seeing in the atom, the molecule, and the genes. You and I have a great heritage in our knowledge of Christian Science. Our experience is not the same because of this wonderful heritage of our knowledge of God. We also have a glorious opportunity and responsibility to pass on these highest spiritual, social genes — the knowledge of God, the universe and man — to our children, and to all children. We have the opportunity, privilege, and duty to pass on to them the vital knowledge that they are spiritual and perfect all the way through; that they’re not made up of good and evil, of perfection and imperfection; but rather that they are truly the very image and likeness of God and His infinite perfection. This knowledge of God and His creation eliminates the mortal beliefs of heredity. Then there is nothing to pin theories upon. Think of the great heritage that has come to us as the result of the life of Christ Jesus. He truly changed the world, not because of so-called biological genes, but because of the spiritual and social genes which he has shared with mankind. Jesus gave us the right idea in regard to identity, the true nature of man. He did not think of himself as a spiritual creature who was in possession of a material body. He knew that he was spiritual and perfect all the way through, from the mental molecule to infinity, from the infinitesimal to the infinite. He knew his body, his sense of identity, was spiritual and perfect. He could not have gone through closed odors if he had thought of his body as physical. He could not have walked on the water. Neither could he have been immediately on the other side of the lake. He knew that his identity, that which they called Jesus of Nazareth, was spiritual and perfect all the way through. His ascension was his complete realization of his true spiritual nature. This is a spiritual heritage he has given you and me. You too are spiritual and perfect all the way through. You are not a spiritual idea who possesses a material body. The only body you have is the embodiment of right ideas — from the infinitesimal to the infinite. Your identity is spiritual and perfect. That’s why there’s nothing in you to be sick or imperfect. There is no force within you to cause you or any part of you to misbehave. There is not a cell of your being that can be delinquent, that can rebel, be naughty, discordant, or destructive. You’re not trying to get rid of a material body because you know with absolute certainty there is no matter, there is no material body to be rid of. The only body you have is spiritual and perfect, pure unadulterated Spirit made manifest. You do not hate your body; you are not unhappy about your body, for you know the only body you have is spiritual, a beautiful symphony of music. You’re not trying to put off mortality as though it were something. You put off mortality by refusing to think of yourself as an imperfect mortal. You rejoice in the fact that you are spiritual and immortal all the way through. You’re not trying to put off the corruptible for the incorruptible, as though the corruptible were something — you are rejoicing that there is nothing corruptible about your being, nothing corruptible about your body, for you are music from the tiniest atom throughout the grandest achievements in your life. You are rejoicing that right now you are the son of God, the son of Spirit, the very manifestation of pure unadulterated, perfect, spiritual being. You owe it to yourself to think these positive facts and to help others to think that way, for this is the absolute truth. Sometimes people do not think very seriously, correctly, or persistently along these lines, until problems come up with their bodies. Be clear on this subject now, and you’ll never have any trouble with your body, your sense of identity. Help your own children, and the Sunday School pupils to think rightly in regard to marriage, family, heredity, body. Help them to keep their thoughts above the materialistic concepts, to see and appreciate the facts of being. Help your children and young couples even before they’re married, to think correctly about children as spiritual ideas, born of Truth and Love, born of Spirit, born of God (See page 463 of the textbook). Help people to realize the truth, even as physical scientists are admitting, that every atom of their being is music, beautiful music. Be modern, be up-to-date. Accept the teachings of Christian Science, these facts to which the natural scientists are just beginning to awaken. There’s nothing in you to become diseased, nothing to malfunction, absolutely nothing to grow old. Beethoven’s Symphonies are just as beautiful, vital and fresh today, as they were when he wrote them. You are made up of the same kind of beautiful music — you are just as beautiful, harmonious, and fresh today as you were a thousand years ago. Beautiful music never grows old. And that’s all you are — beautiful, spiritual music. Paul said, “The inward man is renewed day by day.” (II Cor. 4:16) Your inward man, the only man, is being renewed day by day, according to God’s law. There is absolutely nothing in the spiritual atoms of your being to grow old, to wear out, to degenerate. Speaking of the importance of little things, the infinitesimals, Jesus said, that if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed we can move mountains. How precious and beautiful are these little things, these infinitesimals. David prayed, “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts.” How wonderful it is to let God search us, peer into the very innermost recesses of our being, our inward thoughts, to see the beauty, the harmony, the concord therein. Mrs. Eddy writes, “In spirit I enter your inner sanctuary, your heart’s heart, breathing a benediction for God’s largess.” (My. p. 188) That is truly what Christian Science has done — it has entered into your inner sanctuary, your heart’s heart, and revealed to you the allness of God and His goodness, the greatness of God, the absolute reality of Spirit, and the nothingness of anything unlike God, unlike Spirit. Mrs. Eddy also writes, “Christian Science, full of grace and truth, is accomplishing great good, both seen and unseen; but have mortals, with the penetration of Soul, searched the secret chambers of sense?” (Misc. p. 292:2-28) Mrs. Eddy expected us to take a good look within, to search the secret chambers of sense, and recognize, realize, and demonstrate that there is no evil, no matter, no “black” genes, no discord, no inharmony, within. She expected us to face the facts of being, that man is not a mortal, a materially-sensed creature — but that he is the very radiation of Soul, the expression of harmony. He is beautiful music. Take a good look within, and recognize that your heritage is wonderful, for you are the child of the perfect Father-Mother God. Take a good look also without and recognize that you live in the environment of heaven — all is perfect. Mrs. Eddy tells us that it is, “. . . Principle that holds the earth in its orbit. . .that commands the waves and the winds, that marks the sparrow’s fall, and that governs all of the infinitesimals to the infinite, namely God.” (My. p. 226)

Our Youth Program

Every successful church organization, Protestant and Catholic, provides an active youth program. Many churches have youth directors and spend anywhere from one-fourth to one-third of their annual church budgets on youth projects. In order to succeed and fulfill its mission, I believe that every branch of the Mother Church needs to give a lot more thought to ways and means of bringing greater spiritual inspiration to all the young people in their church. Our basic means of helping them is through Sunday School teaching. How many members of this Association are Sunday School teachers — may I have hands? I truly wish every hand were up. Here is a most effective way to help.

As we travel around the world and inquire a great deal about Sunday School, we find that all the teaching can be much more effective and inspirational. Some of it is so poor that it drives the young people away from Sunday School and even from Christian Science. This is almost a crime. Today we’re going to talk about Sunday School teaching — the primary, the intermediate, and the senior classes.

Because we’re on lecture tour so much of the time I can’t serve very much in our Branch Church. But I have asked to be appointed as a substitute Sunday School teacher. I have had many different classes from the first graders up to the seniors. They are usually just one Sunday stands. But each experience has been a thrilling one.

Last Christmas I was asked to teach the first graders. After Sunday School a board member exclaimed, “What a waste of talent.” I was horrified! I love to teach the little ones. I had the best time I’ve had in the last twenty-five years. May I tell you about that class?

I started with their interests. It was the week after Christmas, and so I inquired what gifts they had received for Christmas. They were enthusiastic in telling me. Then I asked why we gave gifts at Christmas time, and was told that the wise men brought gifts to Jesus. When I inquired why they gave him gifts, one little boy replied, “Because he was such a wonderful man.” I asked what was wonderful about him, and one boy said, “He gave us the Beatitudes.” The door was open. “Would you like to talk about the Beatitudes this morning?” I asked. They all would. I was shocked to find that none of them knew what the word “blessed” meant. They had been memorizing the Beatitudes, but they didn’t know the meaning of the words. I then explained that the word “blessed” means to make happy — not just a little bit happy, but very, very happy. Then I went around the class and asked each one, “Are you very, very happy this morning?” They followed the example of the first one, and all replied they were. We emphasized that it’s God that makes us happy, it is our nature to be very happy. Then I explained that the Beatitudes are rules to follow to be very, very happy.

We took the first one, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I asked them whether they would like to have heaven, supreme happiness and harmony with them always. Of course they all would. I asked them what Spirit meant, and they said “God.” On asking them whether we should be poor in God, or rich in God, they all said “Rich.” “Then why did Jesus say blessed are the poor in Spirit,” I asked. They were all puzzled but thinking. I next asked them what grade they were in, and they all said the first grade except one little colored boy who said he was in the third. “Are you happy to be in the first grade?” I asked. “Yes,” they were. I asked the colored boy whether he started out in the third grade. He said, “Oh no, the first.” “Why didn’t you start in the third grade?” I asked. He replied, “Oh that would be too hard, then I’d fail.” “Why don’t we all start in the eighth grade?” I asked. They all looked almost scared. They said, “Oh that would be too hard, and we’d all fail.” I pointed out how much fun it was to be in the first grade, to start at the bottom and be willing to take one step at a time.

Then I asked one little boy what he was going to do when he was a man.

Oh, he was going to go to Purdue and be an engineer, so he could work with his daddy. “And when you graduate from college and begin working with your father, will he put you up in the main office and make you president of the company?” He replied, “Oh no, he’ll make me mix cement, so I can learn the business from the bottom up.” I then explained to the children that that’s what Jesus meant, that we must be happy to start at the bottom, in school, in business, and then we’re ready to go forward. I had each one tell me that he was happy to start at the bottom, in the first grade.

Then we talked about the second Beatitude, “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.” When we discussed the meaning of the word “mourn,” it was brought out that this word means to be unhappy, sorrowful, to cry. We read the Beatitude then, “Very, very happy are those that are unhappy.” That didn’t sound right. I showed them that the word “to be sorry” is closely associated with the word “sorrow” or “mourning.” Then I asked a little girl, “Supposing you should break one of your mother’s beautiful dishes — what would you do? Go hide it in a drawer? Would that make you feel comfortable, happy, and joyous?” She looked at me with her big blue eyes and replied, “Oh no, that would make me unhappy.” Then I asked her what she ought to do, and she said that she should go to her mother and say, “Mother, I’m very sorry that I broke your beautiful dish.” Then she said her mother would love her and not punish her. Then I asked the colored boy if he told a lie and his father found it out what would happen. He replied, “I’d get a whipping.” “Would that be comfortable?” I asked. “Oh no,” because his daddy whipped hard. We didn’t leave that Beatitude until they all saw clearly that if they did something wrong they must be sorry, and then they would be made comfortable and very happy. We talked a lot about what the word “comfortable” meant also.

When we came to the third Beatitude, and I asked one little girl what the word “meek” meant, she thought for a moment and then replied, “Oh, that’s a fur piece that you put around your neck.” It had never been explained what the word “meek” meant. She thought the word was mink.

Then I asked whether they had ever seen a little lamb. One little girl’s uncle had a farm, and she had been on the farm and held a little lamb in her arms. “Did the lamb bite you,” I asked, excitedly. “Oh no Mr. Rieke,” she replied, “Lambs don’t bite.” Then I explained what the word “meek” meant — being like a little lamb, loving and kind, cuddly, not getting angry, stamping your little feet, crying to have your own way. Then I went all around the class and asked each one, “Are you like a little lamb, or do you bite and get angry.” They were all precious little lambs, truly, and they were very happy to be that way — truly blessed. We talked about how lambs followed the shepherd and were obedient, and how happy we were to be obedient to our parents and to our school teachers. You could see in their eyes that meekness was a wonderful quality.

Then we talked about hungering and thirsting after righteousness, the fourth Beatitude. They didn’t quite know what hungering and thirsting meant, nor the meaning of righteousness. So we began. I said, “Suppose you had been out in the woods playing very hard, and it came noon and you were very hungry and thirsty. Then you came out of the woods. Way off across the meadow mother and daddy had a picnic lunch all spread out, with good things to eat — chicken and sandwiches.” And I asked them what else they had for picnics. And they told me about oranges, apples, and lemonade. Well we talked about that picnic lunch until their mouths were watering and they really looked very thirsty. Then I asked them, “What would you do, just sit down there and wish you had something to eat?” One little boy replied, “Oh no, I would run, run very fast over to where the picnic was.” And I asked each one what he would do, and they would all run very fast. Then I explained, “That’s what hungering and thirsting means — to run, to go after that which is good.” Then we talked about this word “righteousness” and we saw that it came from the word “right” and we understood that as we went after, hungered and thirsted after that which is right, we would be filled then with good, just as we would be filled at the picnic.

At this point the little colored boy spoke up and said, “I have a cousin who wants to be a safe-cracker.” I asked, “Would he be hungering and thirsting after that which was right — after righteousness?” “Oh no,” he replied, “that would be wrong.” “Would he then be filled with good things?”

I asked. He thought for a moment and then replied, “Oh no, he’d be filled with bullets — the policemen would shoot him.” Oh how little ones will preach their own sermon, teach their own lessons, if we’ll just let them. If we’ll all just hunger and thirst after that which is right and good, we’ll be filled with that good.

Then we talked about the next Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” Some of them knew the Beatitude, but they didn’t know what the word “mercy” meant. I asked the little colored girl in class, “If you whispered in your mother’s ear, ‘Oh mommy, I love you very much,’ what would your mother do?” She replied, “Oh she’d put her arms around me and say, ‘I love you very much too, dearie.’” I then went around the class and asked each one. “Do you want your mother, your daddy, your sisters and your brothers, and your playmates, to love you very much?” And they all replied that they did. Then I showed how important it was for us to love other people first, so that they loved us. I showed them that the word “mercy” means to see the good in others, and not find fault with them. Then I said, “Let’s play a game.” Remember always that the little children in the first grade are primarily interested in games, but Sunday School lessons must always bring the games that teach spiritual lessons. I said, “Now when you go home today I want you to go up to your mother and whisper to her, ‘Oh mother, I love you very much,’ and then let’s just see what happens.” I went around the glass and made everyone promise that he would play this game. They all promised.

One of the mothers was in my class this summer, and I inquired what happened. She said her little boy said some time after Sunday School, “Mr. Rieke told me to tell you something but I forgot what it was.” For a couple of days she asked him whether he remembered but he didn’t. But then on Wednesday he said, “Oh mother, I remember what Mr. Rieke said.” Then he told her, “Mother, I love you very much.” And I asked her, “What did you do?” “Oh,” she said, “I put my arms around him and told him that I loved him very much too.”

Well, here the bell rang and the class was over. But may we consider for a few minutes what we might have said about the rest of the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I’d ask them whether they wanted to see good everywhere, up close, in their own home, in their back yards, and way off in the distance, in the mountains, on the lakes. I’d ask them if they’d like to have the kind of wonderful eyes so that they never had to wear glasses to see good. And if the little child were wearing glasses I’d explain this is the way we can think and pray so you don’t ever have to wear your glasses. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Jesus once said, “He who hath seen me hath seen the Father.” We see God by seeing good in men and women, and in our playmates. We see God as expressed in the beautiful trees, the flowers, the blue sky, the white fluffy clouds, the moon, the sun. We see good everywhere, because we have a pure heart. Then we would discuss the fact that if you looked through a window pane that is not pure and clean, one that’s all muddy and grimy, we would not see things clearly outside. In order to see clearly what must we do? They would tell me that we must wash the window pane clean. Then I’d ask them if they’d ever looked out of a window pane where there were a lot of drops of water on it.

And I’d explain to them how looking through those drops of water, you’d see the trees, the telephone poles, and everything out of shape. Then we’d explain that when we have tears in our eyes, when we’re crying, sad, and unhappy, we don’t see things the way they really are, so we need to wipe away the tears and then we’ll see the beauty and loveliness all about us.

I’d have asked them whether they’d drink old dirty, muddy water out of the street, and of course they wouldn’t. They would want pure clean water from the faucet, wouldn’t they? I’d ask them whether they’d drink milk that was all full of bugs, and they would tell me that they wanted pure, clean milk. I’d explain how the government has pure food laws so that things we buy at the grocery store are clean and pure and good. We’d discuss how everyone wants things pure and clean, and how we have to have pure, clean thoughts to find these pure, clean things about us. We’d make cleanliness and purity so attractive, so interesting, so desirable, so natural, so normal, that they’d want to be clean and pure in heart, to see and experience good.

“How would you like to be called the children of God?” I would ask in discussing the next Beatitude. We’d discuss thoroughly just what that means. We would talk about how good parents protect their children and support them, feed them, clothe them, and plan their entertainments, take them to the lake, and do all these wonderful things for them. Then we’d talk about the wonderful things that God does. He makes us healthy and happy and free. We’d discuss what a wonderful feeling it would be to go to school and about our play, always recognizing that we were children of God, and therefore could not be hurt or fail or have any unhappy experience. We’d discuss how Jesus heard the voice from heaven, saying: “Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” We’d show how this understanding and this truth gave him power to heal the sick, raise the dead, and do all these wonderful things.

Then we would recognize the fact that in order to be called the children of God we need to be peacemakers. We’d all do a bit of soul-searching, and I would inquire whether Johnny was a real peacemaker at school, or whether he started the fights. I would inquire whether Mary was a peacemaker at home or entered into arguments with her sisters. We’d see together how much fun it is to be peacemakers, for that word “fun” to little children is synonymous with being very happy or blessed. We’d talk about the peacemakers of the world, such as Jesus, Joseph making peace with his brothers, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Baker Eddy, and other great leaders. We’d help them to see that peace-making brings the greatest of joy, and that sincere feeling that we are truly the children of God.

In dealing with the last Beatitudes, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” In discussing these Beatitudes, I certainly would not emphasize the negative aspect of them. I certainly would not encourage in the thoughts of the children the idea that they were going to be persecuted in school because they were Christian Scientists or that people were going to revile them and say all manner of evil against them falsely. And I wouldn’t cause them to believe that they were going to get their reward sometime in the future for the persecutions they experience today, for I don’t think that’s what our Master meant to bring out. Instead I would emphasize the fact that it’s a supremely happy experience to be a Christian Scientist and set an example for the other children. If they don’t follow our good example immediately we’re not going to become unhappy and imitate them, but we’re going to go right on being wonderful Christian Scientists living the spirit of these Beatitudes. I’d help them to see that if an automobile isn’t running smoothly, that’s not the time to drain the oil out of the automobile, but put more oil in. And just so, if our human affairs do not seem to be running as smoothly as they should, it’s not the time to drain out our oil of gladness and be sad and unhappy — that’s the time to rejoice and be exceeding glad to pour in more and more of the oil of gladness until everything does run smoothly, and people do follow our good example.

We would certainly emphasize the fact that great is our reward in heaven, and that heaven is right here and now, is always at hand. We would emphasize that there’s always a present reward for every bit of right thinking and living. We’d emphasize the fact that “having done all, stand.” We’d see how it makes us supremely happy to stand for the Truth always.

Now sometime when I teach another first-grade class, I’ll tell you how the discussion really came out. Now let’s talk about the intermediate classes, for a few minutes. You know, the young people from the fourth grade to the eighth. The other Sunday I asked two little girls after Sunday School, “Did you have a good time in Sunday School this morning?” One replied, “Oh yes, our teacher told us a wonderful Bible story, and I’m coming back again next week to hear another.” Whoever this teacher was, she was being obedient to the Manual — she was teaching the Scripture. But more than that, she was causing the Bible to be loved. The trouble with too much Sunday School teaching is that the teacher tries to cover too much ground and doesn’t do any of it thoroughly enough. You can’t cover the whole lesson in three quarters of an hour and do a good job of teaching. Devote your thought to one or two points and do a thorough and complete job of it.

Several weeks ago, as you know, the lesson was on Soul, and there was included in the lesson Jacob’s struggle at Penial, and his reunion with his brother Esau. Of course, the story had to be shortened in order to include it in the lesson, but it was too short to bring out the real beauty of the experience in a Sunday School class. Why was Jacob frightened contemplating his meeting with Esau? I went back and reviewed the whole story thoroughly. I told the class about Isaac and Rebecca and their two sons, Jacob and Esau. I reviewed all the details about how Jacob, influenced by his mother, sought to deceive his father Isaac, to receive the blessing or the inheritance. I described in detail how angry Esau became, and how he told Jacob, “I won’t do it now, but when our father is gone I’m going to kill you.” I didn’t just tell the story, but asked questions as I was telling the story, such as, “What do you suppose Jacob did?” And one student said, “He ran away.” They participated in the discussion of the story. And then we came up to the place in the lesson where Jacob was going to have to meet Esau. Here we stopped and interrupted the story, and I asked whether any of them had ever done anything and gotten themselves in a jam and they were going to have to face up with the situation, and they too were scared stiff about what the results were going to be. One student told about a misunderstanding he had had with a friend. Another boy told about a lie he had told, and how he was going to have to face his parents.

Then we read a portion of the Bible in that week’s lesson that described Jacob’s struggle. It said that there wrestled a man with him. I asked what or who this man was, and it was brought out that Jacob was wrestling with his concept of man, thinking of himself as a fearful mortal, and of Esau as a revengeful mortal. We discussed thoroughly what kind of a concept of man he should be entertaining in consciousness. We really struggled with Jacob and corrected our thought about Jacob and Esau. We didn’t let go until we too had done a thorough job. Then we went on with the story. The Bible lesson ended with the statement that Esau and Jacob embraced each other. But we went on to that keynote of the whole story, where Jacob said, “Last night I saw thy face as though it were the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.” We discussed the fact that Jacob had beheld in Science the perfect man, and that’s what healed the situation. Then we went back to their individual problems that they had told about. And we saw that in our whole practice of Christian Science we too are often struggling, as Jacob, with our concept of man — either of ourself or of someone else, and very often both. And we saw so clearly together how we needed to cling steadfastly to God and His idea of man, how we needed to give up the material picture, or the material sense of things, and accept the spiritual Truth. We saw how our health, our success, our happiness, depended upon doing as good a job as Jacob did. We saw that we too had to say in our heart, “Last night I saw thy face as it were the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.”

I asked them whether everyone was pleased with them. They didn’t know; they weren’t sure. I showed them they hadn’t wrestled enough, they needed to go on until they could truly say, “I love everyone, and everyone loves me. I’m pleased with everyone, and everyone’s pleased with me.” I told them that I couldn’t hold up their hand and cry, “The winner!” as they do in a wrestling match, until they had really finished the job. Just at the time they were all winners the Sunday School bell rang.

After the class one boy said sincerely, “Gee, I enjoyed Sunday School this morning. Are you going to be our substitute again next week?”

Now during that lesson we only read two or three short passages from Science and Health that were very pertinent to our discussion; but we did teach the Scriptures, and our lesson consisted of questions and answers as may be found in the Lesson Sermon. I think this teaching was obedient to the spirit of the section of the Manual that says, “They (the children) shall be instructed according to their understanding or ability to grasp the simpler meanings of the divine Principle that they are taught.” (Man. p. 62) Remember always that we must talk in terms of their understanding and ability — not yours. We must always talk in terms of their interests, not yours.

May I repeat a statement that I made before — don’t try to cover too much ground in a single Sunday School session. When I was a boy we had a large cherry tree in our back yard, and dad and I would pick the cherries. He always said, “Herbert, where you pick — pick clean.” Applied to Sunday School teaching — where you teach, teach thoroughly, don’t scatter your fire, don’t try to cover too much territory in one session. Remember, you have twenty years to do a good job.

Here is a very helpful recommendation in preparing for your Sunday School class. Read your lesson over, and then write down on a piece of paper what young people in that specific grade of school are interested in. Be honest — use your imagination, remember what your problems were at that grade in school. And then your “questions and answers” will be adapted to a juvenile class. Don’t talk over their heads, or don’t talk down to them — be one of them.

Recently I had a class and the subject was, “Is the Universe Including Man Evolved by Atomic Force?” Before the class started I heard two boys talking about automobiles. One had wanted to borrow his brother’s car, and his brother wouldn’t let him have it. When I started the session, I read the title of the lesson and said, “Do you find this interesting and inspiring?” They all answered, “No.” That’s really the response I wanted, because I was interested in showing them that it was an inspiring and interesting subject. I then said, “I heard two of you talking about automobiles just before class. Are you quite interested in transportation?” they were. Some of them had learned how to drive, and others were looking forward to it very much. Driving cars is tops in the thinking of young people about 16 or 17. I then said, “I’d like to talk about transportation just a little this morning.” They looked surprised. I said, “Let’s follow the history of transportation. What was the first form of transportation?” A girl answered, “Walking.” “What was next?” “The wheel.” “What was next?” Another answered, “The cart.” “What was next?” “The wagon.” “Next?” “Train.” “Next?” “The automobile.” “Next?” “The airplane.” “Next?” “The rocket ship.” “Next?” They looked a little puzzled.

“Well there is something more coming, isn’t there? We didn’t stop with the wagon or the automobile. Are we going to stop with the rocket ship? Now, I said, there’s certainly been evolution in transportation, hasn’t there? Nothing stands still. Terrific progress. What brought about this evolution in transportation? Was there something material in the feet that evolved the wheel, or was there something inherent in the molecules of the wheel that made the wagon? Did the material molecules of the wagon evolve themselves into the train, the automobile, the airplane, the rocket ship? What’s brought about this terrific evolution in transportation?” One boy spoke up — “Ideas, new ideas.” Then we saw that ideas come from Mind, and that this evolution in transportation was all brought about as the result of Mind or intelligence.

Then we discussed briefly the evolution from ice boxes into refrigerators, the evolution of sewing machines — all the wonderful things that we have in the universe. They have been evolved by Mind. And as it is with all the things in the universe, so is it with man. We saw, as the lesson brought out, that there’s been a great change, or evolution, or improvement in the thought of the world in regard to man. Man originally had been thought of just as a brute, but through Mind people have gained a better and truer concept of man. Then it was brought out that just as all the materials and the ideas of the airplane have always been here in Mind and if someone had turned thoroughly and completely to Mind, we could have had airplanes 2000 years ago. Just so, the perfect concept of man made in God’s image, is always here in Mind, and we can all turn constantly to this one divine Mind to find this perfect man made in God’s likeness. When we got through with the lesson I asked the class, “Did you enjoy discussing the subject of ‘Is the Universe Including Man Evolved by Atomic Force?’” And they were all very enthusiastic about that lesson.

Last Christmas I had an older class, and the subject was “Christ Jesus.” Three things stood out in that week’s lesson as pertaining to young people. First, that the Christ was defined as “The Lord Our Righteousness.” Secondly, Christ was defined as “Immanuel.” And thirdly, Jesus heard the voice of heaven saying, “Thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” After we had talked a few moments about the lesson in general, I turned to one girl suddenly and said, “What’s wrong with you this morning?” She looked puzzled and embarrassed. “What do you mean?” she asked. “What’s wrong with you.” I repeated. She didn’t know what to answer. Then I turned to another one almost critically and said, “What’s wrong with you this morning?” Then I turned to a third and said, “What’s wrong with her?” They all began to look dejected and unhappy because of my critical thought. Then we turned to Isaiah, and I had one of the girls read this passage that the Christ or Saviour is “The Lord our righteousness.” I was then able to point out that we do not find our salvation our health, our happiness, our good dispositions, our freedom, by digging around trying to figure out what’s wrong with me, or what’s wrong with her, or with him. Our Saviour is found in the Lord our righteousness, thinking about what’s right about man. Then we entertain the Christ Truth in consciousness. Then I asked the question again, “What’s wrong with you?” And the girl answered, “There’s nothing wrong with me; I’m God’s perfect image and likeness.” I asked another one, “What’s wrong with you?” “Nothing. I’m perfect.” Then we saw clearly that that’s the Christ in operation. Every Christian Science treatment is entertaining that thought of The Lord Our Righteousness. The class was soon all happy and smiling again. We read a passage or two from Science and Health to back this right idea up. Then we turned to the passage which defined the Christ as Immanuel, God with us. We saw how important it was to have the recognition that the seven synonymous characteristics of God are always with us. We saw that at examination times it was important to have that feeling of Mind with us. In our relationships with others, that sense of Love with us. Finding health and freedom, knowing the truth that divine Life is with us. In solving problems, Principle is with us. We saw that whenever we were thinking in terms of the absence of good, we were not entertaining the Christ, God, good, with us. Only when our hearts were full of gratitude did we have the Christ in consciousness — God, good, with us, for which we were grateful.

Then we turned to the word “us” and saw that the Christ is not God and His qualities with me, but with us, with all of us throughout the world. We saw that that which would bring peace and harmony on earth was the recognition of God with us, with every man, woman and child throughout the universe. We saw how important it was to entertain that idea of the Christ, Immanuel, God with all of us.

Then we turned to the passage which stated that Jesus heard the voice from heaven saying, “Thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” I asked each one in the class whether God had ever talked to him, whether he had heard a voice from heaven. They all said, “No.” One replied, “Well, not audibly.” Then I went around the class and asked whether God was pleased with him or her. They nearly all answered, “Well, I hope so.” Or, “I don’t know.” I asked them why God didn’t talk to them just as He had talked to Christ Jesus. Well, they didn’t know that answer either. I asked them whether they didn’t think it would be wonderful if God would only talk to us today the way He talked to Christ Jesus. They all thought that sure would be wonderful.

I then asked them, “What’s the difference between you and Christ Jesus.” One said that Jesus had a virgin birth. But I went on asking all of them, “What’s the difference between you and Christ Jesus? God certainly loves all of you children, doesn’t He?” We had read the statement from our textbook where it said that Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowal. God must be saying to all His children, “You are my beloved children in whom I am well pleased.” Why don’t we hear that voice? Again I asked the question, “What’s the difference between you and Christ Jesus?” And one little girl’s face brightened up and she said, “Jesus listened.” Then we brought out the point as was expressed in that week’s lesson — that God is universal Love; he plays no favorites; He loves all of His children equally.

God, eternal Truth, is declaring to each one of us, “You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.” And what we need to do is listen, and then we too shall hear that eternal Truth, God’s voice. I was getting them all to affirm that God really was pleased with them as His child when the bell rang. Six months later I asked one of the girls in this class, “What did we discuss last Christmas when I was your teacher?” She told me those three points distinctly and told me how much they had helped her. We didn’t cover a lot of ground, but what we covered we did thoroughly. We picked clean.

I know that many of you have had just as inspiring experiences in all your Sunday School classes, but I hope that this discussion may help some of you to see what a thrilling experience it can be to teach Sunday School.

When you go to Sunday School and just read the lesson over with the pupils, you are proving that you did not find much inspiration in that lesson. It’s the lazy man’s way of teaching Sunday School, and it drives the children away from Christian Science. Furthermore, it’s disobedience to the Manual which says that Sunday School shall consist of such questions and answers as may be adapted to a juvenile class and may be found in the Christian Science quarterly lessons read in the church services. Many teachers are not finding the deeper inspirations to be found in our lesson sermons — they are reading their lessons in a perfunctory fashion, and that’s the reason they are not able to bring the thrilling inspiration to their Sunday School classes. Talk roughly to yourselves, dig deeper into the lesson, find the thrilling inspiration that will inspire young people. Pray to God that you might hear His voice more thoroughly. And then your pupils will never skip class, and they’ll bring all their friends to Sunday School.

Remember that Sunday School is not an examination period in which you’re testing the young people whether they have read the lesson during the week. Sunday School consists of vital questions for the young people, and it helps them to see that the vital answers are to be found in the Bible and in our textbook.

Sunday School isn’t a pleasant game, just trying to discover the basic theme of each of the six sections. You may do this; the students may do this — but Sunday School should consist of a lot more than just trying to find the basic themes. And if you try to cover the whole lesson in such a fashion, you’re scattering your fire too much.

May I here speak about another point in regard to your relationship with your Sunday School class. Show a personal interest in them. You owe it to them, to yourself, and to the Cause of Christian Science. If there are many who are absent from your class, you’re to blame. You’re not making it interesting or vital enough, or they would be falling over themselves to be in class. Show that you’re vitally interested in them, and in their spiritual unfoldments, and they will be vitally interested in your class, and in Sunday School.

To accomplish this, many Christian Scientists find it helpful to send out at the first of the week, very pertinent and practical questions vital to young people, whose answers might be found in that week’s lesson. Children like to have a sense of purpose in studying. But more than that they like to know their Sunday School teacher is interested in them. And though these questions should be challenging, don’t make them too hard. People should always have a sense of success in everything they do, and particularly we want the young people to feel they are successful in understanding and demonstrating Christian Science. I have seen many types of questions sent out — some stimulating, some not. Remember, you may be interested in increasing your vocabulary, but young people aren’t particularly interested in the meaning of words unless they are real intellectuals. Don’t spend a lot of time testing them whether they understand words. Explain the meaning of words as you go along. That’s the way we learn the meaning of most things anyway — we haven’t looked them up in a dictionary.

If a student misses a week or two, call him up. Don’t ask him why he wasn’t there — that’s his business. But let him know you miss him, and the rest of the students miss him also. Help young people to truly feel important. If you’re not able to get the student back, the Sunday school Superintendent or his assistants, should contact these young people either by phone, letter, or personal call. I am positive that many young people get away from Christian Science because the teachers and the officers of the Sunday School did not take sufficient interest in them. Sometimes we fail to show sufficient interest in guests who attend Sunday School classes. Because they haven’t filled out the cards and formally enrolled in the Sunday School, we neglect them. We should make every guest feel very welcome, and immediately treat him as though he’s going to be a regular member of the class, sending the questions to him, calling him on the phone, making him feel welcome.

I’m also convinced that it’s wonderful to do something outside of Sunday School with your class — take them to a movie in a body now and then, or on a picnic. During this year I’ve read many of your papers telling of things you did for your Sunday School classes, taking them swimming, taking them to a circus, having them to your house for dinner. Remember our Christian Science churches don’t spend a penny for social activities of our young people — you and I as individuals ought to be willing to spend something now and then to help meet this need. We have an obligation to help them to appreciate some of the cultural advantages in our community. A few years ago such social activity was frowned on by some Christian Scientists, and by some officials in Boston. But now it is approved. You don’t need to call it a Sunday School picnic or party, but you can certainly do something for these young people.

In some cases, we found that several of the teachers of the older classes have gone together and planned some very happy events. Help the pupils always to feel proud that they are a member of the Christian Science Sunday School.

May I say a few words about the committee of Sunday School pupils. In our Association last year, and during previous Associations, we explained what the Belfast Church had done in the way of having an organization of the Sunday School pupils, electing officers, and assisting in church activities. Our church and a number of other churches in the United States, are following this idea. The motive is to find ways and means whereby the young people in Sunday School might have more of an opportunity to serve the Cause of Christian Science in furthering its activity.

Our Sunday School Committee has elected officers — President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer. Sunday School pupils are in charge of handing out the books, keeping the library, ushering, playing the organ, leading the music, and more recently leading also in the Responsive Readings from the desk. The question has come up in what way these young people can further help the Cause of Christian Science and the individual branch church in particular. Here are some things that have been done or could be done by the Committee to be helpful to the Cause of Christian Science.

Most libraries in Christian Science Sunday Schools are not used as much as they could be. This Sunday School Committee could design and prepare information in regard to the Sunday School library to be shared with all the pupils. Here I would like to have    Wright explain about the little brochure they had prepared explaining the use of the Sunday School.

The Sunday School Committee might also assist in building such a moving library and covering the available books attractively as it was done in Lansing, Michigan.

The officers of this Sunday School Committee might ask the Board of Directors of their church to have a competent speaker, such as the Circulation Representative, explain to them at a business meeting of the Sunday School Committee at the beginning of each semester of school, some of the feature attractions that are going to appear in the Christian Science Monitor, which the pupils might use helpfully in their school work.

The Sunday School Committee might also ask the Board of their local church to have the Advertising Representative of the community explain to them the importance of Monitor advertising, and ways in which they can support such advertising themselves and encourage their parents to support Monitor advertisers.

The Committee also, through its officers, can make the offer to the Board of Directors to assist in preparing for a Christian Science lecture, offering their services as ushers, parking lot attendants, etc.

The Lecture Chairman of one church recommended a year ago that young people be used as ushers and attendants of the parking lot during the lecture. She had many other recommendations whereby the young people might be used. But the local church Board turned the recommendation down completely. Being a good member of this Association, she did not resist, but went on praying. This year that same Board of Directors has accepted all of those recommendations, and the young people are assisting in giving the lecture in just a few days from now.

We may ask the young people to do something for the church, but I think it’s a much healthier situation if the young people take the initiative and offer to do things for the church.

The Sunday School Committee can also help a great deal in writing letters, making calls on the telephone, and even personal calls on students who might have been irregular in their attendance of Christian Science Sunday School. In some cases they may be more effective than a call from the teacher or the superintendent.

All of this of course takes organization. The adults in the Sunday School should certainly not do this organizing themselves but should help the officers of the Sunday School Committee to organize things intelligently, and to help the young people cooperate in the activities of the Sunday School and church.

Periodically the Sunday School Committee might ask the local Wartime Minister and the College Organization Advisor, or the Representative of the College Organization Committee of the church, to address them about young people entering the armed services or going to college.

One Sunday in August this year a joint meeting of all of the Seniors in High School, and young people going to college, was held in First Church of this city. I was asked to give a half hour address on the subject of College Organizations. And then we had a panel discussion of some of the activities pertaining to College Organizations. About 80 attended this meeting, and I cannot help feeling that it did good, for several of them immediately wanted to take the step for Mother Church membership so they could be active in College Organizations. Such meetings are excellent and are approved by Boston. But I think it would be much better if the initiative came from the Committees of Sunday School pupils of the several churches, rather than arrangements made by the adults.

Mrs. Eddy says in the Manual of The Mother Church, page 44, “God requires our whole heart, and He supplies within the wide channels of The Mother Church dutiful and sufficient occupation for all its members.” I feel certain if Mrs. Eddy were here today that she would say certainly not only the members of the church, but the members of the Sunday School.

I certainly enjoyed reading about the many ways in which you have individually helped young people during the past year. One tells about devoting every Thursday to the Boy Scouts. Another tells about calling on the parents of Sunday School pupils, and how many of them have become interested in Christian Science because of this thoughtful and loving call. One told about a boy who had been very inactive in Sunday School, but when he was given some duties he now comes an hour early to be able to serve, and never misses Sunday School. One student tells about his church that formed a committee of the older children to help plan the building of a Sunday School. They became so interested in Sunday School and church activities that four of them joined the church this year. One student writes, “The talks about Sunday School work at Association last year were most helpful — and guess what! At our very next business meeting an 18-year-old girl was elected Second Reader in our church. She loves reading, and I can say truthfully that we’ve never had a better Reader.” Here I’d like to ask Mary Post to tell about the very unusual wonderful way she has had of serving young people. One of our members brought 35 of her Girl Scouts to a Christian Science church service. One writes about the fact that the attendance of their Sunday School increased from 29 to 79 in just two years, and they feel it was mostly due to very intelligent, well-worked-out workshop meetings which improved the teaching of the Sunday School teachers. I was certainly grateful to hear on many occasions that churches have changed their by-laws so that children can now join the branch church at the age of 12, as they do in The Mother Church. One Sunday School teacher found that her students were all studying French, so she gave them a gift subscription to the Christian Science Quarterly in French. This has stimulated much interest in their Sunday School discussions.

There are wonderful things that can be done for our young people, and ways and means in which we can let them help the Cause of Christian Science. Don’t wait for the other fellow to do it — start now yourself. Don’t wait for Boston to do it. It was recently reported by one of our members that a Director of The Mother Church said, “We’re literally chewing the corners of our desks to know just what is the right thing to do for young people, and the right way to let them serve.” Give them some good examples in your own community of how you have worked out the problem, and before long many churches will be finding divine inspiration along these lines.

There is too much of a tendency in our country to look to Washington to do everything. Within our Movement there’s too much of a tendency to look to Boston to tell us what to do and how to do it. The Manual of The Mother Church is explicit that each Branch Church is democratic in government, and it should work out its own problems. Article XXIII, Section I of The Manual says: “The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, shall assume no general official control of other churches, and it shall be controlled by none other.”

As you know, this year Mr. Seeley, Mr. Watt, and myself were asked by the Board of Directors of The Mother Church to prepare lectures designed particularly for college students, and they asked us to give preference to College Organization lectures. The young people had the opportunity to issue their invitations early in April this year, and we shall each be giving approximately 80 lectures for College Organizations. This is one of the reasons I could not accept very many lectures for churches and societies. I am sure it’s going to be a wonderful experience for us, and I know I’ll have some happy things to tell you next year about this assignment of College Orgs.

I cannot emphasize too strongly the most important thing of course is to think rightly about our children and our young people. Mrs. Eddy speaks of children in the definition as, “not in embryo, but in maturity.” Deal with children as mature, complete ideas — don’t talk down to them, don’t think down to them — expect wonderful things of them — mature ideas, real accomplishments, you will then find them fulfilling your expectations.

Love children — little children and youth. If for no other reason that our Master loved little children, and our Leader loved them sincerely. In Pulpit and Press, page 9, she writes, “Ah, children, you are the bulwarks of freedom, the cement of society, the hope of our race!” Take Mrs. Eddy seriously when she says that children are the bulwarks of freedom. It’s the youth that’s going to keep our nation free. She says the children are the cement of society. The children hold society together. She says they’re the hope of our race. Yes, they’re the hope of our church and the continuing progress of Christian Science. You cannot do too much for children in your home, in your churches, and in your communities. And you will never go wrong when you give these young people the opportunity to do things for the church or the home, and for the entire community.