Description
Contains the following addresses: “Blessed Are Your Eyes, for They See”; Pentecostal Baptism; Unselfed Love; Our Divine Heritage; Abiding in God; Our Defense against Malicious Animal Magnetism.
Mr. Pickens’ Association Address titled “Blessed are Your Eyes for They See,” is not about eyes, but about vision, about having insight and foresight concerning all things. Mr. Pickens says, “It is my purpose today to present to you a clearer view of Love’s kingdom, and to bring to your attention the obvious need for gaining a vision of divine reality; for without this vision, no picture of the universe of Love’s creating could be seen or understood. . . . Mrs. Eddy, transcending all mere human vision, saw that it all rested upon the view (or understanding) which comes by, and through, the clarified, spiritualized consciousness.
“How wonderfully blest are we today with the Science of the Christ, which enables us to have the spiritual vision whereby we, too, can see and understand the deep things of God. It is about spiritual vision which I want so to discuss with you today. . .. Oh, that we could, like the prophet Ezekiel, even though he was a captive at the time and in bondage to a heathen nation, recognize a need for spiritual sight, for he warned, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ . . . One thing that is plainly seen by the alert student, is that errors such as ingratitude, disloyalty, and apathy are not a cause, but rather an effect of a lack of vision.” Then he says, “You need only the spirit of the Christ, the humility, the selfless love, and devoted consecration to this Truth; and equipped with these divine qualities, you will reflect all of the greatness of our God in your spiritually endowed mission among men. ‘Blessed are your eyes, for they see!’ This is the vision!” The highlight of this address is the lesson on Revelation in which he gives his interpretation of the vision of St. John.
In the address, Our Divine Heritage, Mr. Pickens brings out the powerful influence our prayerful thoughts have on world consciousness, and how this work is essential if we are to help humanity. He writes: “You will recall in the past my having brought to your attention great possibilities of our universal metaphysical work for humanity. Our Leader refers in our textbook to ‘millions of unprejudiced minds — simple seekers for Truth,’ and she tells us to ‘give them a cup of cold water in Christ’s name.’ We see that even in the realm of human invention, how the radio reaches unlimited millions where there are receiving instruments. Infinitely transcendent over such material transmission as the radio, our mental work actually reaches these millions of receptive minds. I have stressed this possibility to you, but it has been mainly regarding the distressed, sick, and discouraged thought that hears your angelic message of ‘Peace be unto you,’ and you can vision in yourselves what a comfort your universal work is to these millions.
“But now I want to call your attention to this same universal work now specifically directed to millions of prejudiced minds, those who are thinking in terms of war, of fear and hate. These so-called prejudiced minds are not necessarily unreceptive minds. Indeed, these countless millions who, through fear and hate and mad ambition are arming themselves for war can surely hear the Christian Scientists’ universal declaration and realizations: ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.’ And we, His children, are brothers abiding in the oneness of Mind, and the comradeship of divine Love. There is no hate, no fear in God’s realm. Let us send forth this message each day — yes, each and every hour.” He goes on to enumerate the essential points in this prayerful work for the world.
In Unselfed Love, Mr. Pickens emphasizes the need to have absolute faith in God, a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love. He writes: “Remember that you are not living in time, but eternity. Do not count the measure of your day’s accomplishments in material things that are done, or not done. It is altogether how much you learn of God and demonstrate an understanding that constitutes the worth-whileness and substance of your day. It is how much humility, honesty, gratitude, and unselfed love you have reflected that makes up the day of God in your life and mine; for we are building the temple of God in consciousness, and that work knows no time; it is one with our eternal being.
“We in Christian Science are confronted with the same problems as are those who are outside of this Science. The belief of mortal existence, which is accepted by the non-Scientist as leading to an inevitable death, is the same belief that confronts you and me; however, we who have learned of man’s indestructible nature as the child of God, and who have glimpsed the eternality of Life, know that there is no death, and that the transition, or passing on, does not affect in any way man’s at-one-ment with God, who is Life.”