Sunday, February 1st, 2026 Roundtable

Oh, may the love that is talked, be felt! and so lived, that when weighed in the scale of God we be not found wanting. Love is consistent, uniform, sympathetic, self-sacrificing, unutterably kind; even that which lays all upon the altar, and, speechless and alone, bears all burdens, suffers all inflictions, endures all piercing for the sake of others, and for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.

from Miscellaneous Writings, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 312

Abide in Love. Nothing can touch or harm you in Love. Know that you live in Love. Love is God as Life itself. Take thus understanding with you and bless others with Love.

from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 220

482 — WATCH that you remember that Jesus compared the error in you that causes you to see an error in your brother man, to his error, by declaring that it was as a beam is to a mote. A mote would be a very small particle of a beam. When we become aware of the error in others, we should remember that our work is to deal with the error in us that makes it possible for us to behold error in others. Then and only then are we really in a position to help our brother. The error in us that sees error in others is what we must deal with and cast out. See Matt. 7.

500 Watching Points by Gilbert Carpenter

Matthew 7 : 1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Moral Idiocy by Author Unknown

The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea, — perfect God and perfect man, — as the basis of thought and demonstration.

from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 259

From Some Notes on True Vision by John Morgan

LOVE beholds me as its own beloved. The divine Mother, Love, conceives me as complete and perfect. I reflect this divine conception and accept it, and so conceive and behold everyone in Love.

“The light of ever-present Love illumines the universe.”* I see that every idea is at rest, — never frustrated or thwarted, never tense, — and so my vision “rests in action”** and is at peace and satisfied. Love’s viewpoint confers impartiality, forgiveness, constancy. As Shakespeare has it:

“… Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken …”

I look with the eye of spiritual innocency and behold no evil, for we are in the divine presence. I behold man in Love and blot out all sense of imperfection, all fear and dislike. I look with the eye of Love’s benevolence and behold in man all the hues and qualities of God. In this view there is full recognition of the divine nature. So I look with the eye of gratitude, for the divine glory fills all space. With a grateful outlook I mother my entire universe and draw into expression the beauty of holiness.

“I saw the love of God encircling the universe and man, filling all space, and that divine Love so permeated my own consciousness that I loved with Christ-like compassion everything I saw. This realization of divine Love called into expression the beauty of holiness, the perfection of being which healed and regenerated and saved all who turned to me for help.” (Attributed to Mrs. Eddy. From “General Collectanea” published by Gilbert C. Carpenter, Jr., C.S.B.)

S. & H. 248 : 3-4
S. & H. 260 : 7-12
* S. & H. 503 : 14-15
** S. & H. 519 : 25
S. & H. 577 : 19-27

Signs of the Times, from the June 4, 1927 Christian Science Sentinel [From an editorial in the Montreal Daily Star, Quebec, Canada]

The Corinthians had asked Paul about spiritual gifts. He had replied by asserting the reality of the spirit—that … in the realm of the spirit there is … multiplicity of manifestation… . Having said this much, he continues: “But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.” That better thing, or more excellent way, had a full chapter given to its description. It is the greatest chapter he ever wrote—the world’s classic on the subject. The more excellent way is the way of love. All the New Testament writers place love above every other gift, and agree that without it there is no Christianity. One of them writes: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Love is the supreme gift. Its possession is the test of discipleship. In comparison with that love which goes about doing good, comforts the lowly, builds a bridge along which the vile and vicious may walk from the slums to heaven, theology, science, faith are of no account whatever. An old brass kettle struck by a stone—that is as much like music as a man without love is like Christ. He may be like an angel in persuasive speech, but without love he is nothing. He may have knowledge of mysteries and the power of reading the future, but without love it profiteth him nothing. Knowledge shall be done away; the science of yesterday is the foolishness of to-day; prophecies are fulfilled; theology adjusts itself to new fashion—but love never faileth. Thus moves on the tide of the apostle’s teaching.

Love is the diamond among spiritual gifts. It flashes the light from every facet. A man may belong to any religious sect, subscribe to any creed, but if he have not love he is chasing the will-o’-the-wisp over the dangerous morass of life until it engulfs him. In spite of all theories, the straightest of all sects know that those who truly love are loved of God. Many men are better and many are worse than their creeds. Where love is, theories are of comparatively little consequence. What a man is is always more than what he professes. “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us.” Paul does not leave the subject open to misunderstanding. Love is not manifested alone in outward action. A man may feed the poor in order to get a reputation for benevolence; in a frenzy of enthusiasm he may even be willing to be a martyr, and think only of self and a shining crown; but even martyrs without love are nothing in comparison with those who feel that humanity in itself is precious. He who is possessed of that conviction will do good according to opportunity; he who has it not will do good only so long as it will minister to his selfishness. It is not to be confused with tenderness or sensibility. Tears are not its natural language. It is manifested in action. Love is always measured by what one is willing to do for the object of affection. Jesus never made anything clearer than that love to God is to be determined by appreciation of man. We serve God, Jesus says, by clothing the naked and feeding the poor.

The emphasis is put upon the inner life, but that inner life expresses itself in the most practical and prosaic way. Sentiment of any kind is a thin gloss that lies upon the surface of feeling like a varnish; it does not go beyond the senses; it does not strike through the interior tissues and color its way down to the heart… . “Love,” said Paul, “suffereth long, and is kind; … taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth.” Abuse, misunderstanding, misrepresentation, may be piled high; the man with love in his heart not only endures it, but is kind. The more Christ [Jesus] was persecuted, the more intensely he manifested his love. Love not only does not injure another by outward acts, but does not retain the thought of evil things in the memory. It is one thing to refrain from judging in word; it is vastly different not to judge in thought. This would be a new world if none would think evil of their fellow-men. It never makes capital out of others’ faults; never delights in exposing weakness; endeavors to see things as they are; and rejoices to find them better than suspicion feared or calumny denounced. It is the very highest crest and loftiest summit of the Christian life.

The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond

7. 242 : 15 (Self-love)-20
Self-love is more opaque than a solid body. In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error, — self-will, self-justification, and self-love, — which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death.

Pond and Purpose, from Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy

The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love. Christian perfection is won on no other basis.

from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 201

The Scriptures, from Addresses by Martha Wilcox

The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love.

from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 113

Genesis 32:30
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Simple Lessons by Elma E. Williams

That was a problem that Jacob had to work out as you remember. He had an unpleasant mental picture of Esau as a threatening mortal and of himself as a fearful and deceitful mortal. Well, he did something about it. He wrestled until he prevailed. He tore up those unlovely mental pictures of himself and of his brother until he was able to see God face to face and knew that his life was preserved. He saw himself as divorced from that false fearful deceitful concept of man and saw that he was united with the ideal. He also saw Esau as completely separated from hatred and revenge and absolutely at one with Truth and Love. You know then what happened. The next day when he met with Esau all was well and he told him: “I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.” (Gen. 33:10)

David — How He Overcame Limitations, Association Address of 1950, by Herbert Reike

—

Let us now consider another very important point. You know in interpreting the line from The Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread,” our Leader has written: “Give us grace for today.” She appears to have summarized all our needs into this one word “grace.” I would like to have you study our Leader’s use of that word in her writings when you get home. How we all need more grace, more graciousness, more gracefulness, more poise, more of a sense of ease, freedom. How we need to relax and be ourselves. Tension must go. Rigidity, anxiety, self-consciousness, fear and worry are no part of God’s man. “Give us grace for today.”

Mr. B., are you one of the most relaxed individuals in the world?

Don’t say “I should be.” There is no God in “I should be.” Nowhere in the Bible do we read that God is the great “I should be,” and “I ought to be” or “I wish I were,” or “I’ll try to be,” or “I hope to be,” or even “I shall be.” We read that God is the great “I Am.” …

Such an attitude brings about quick healings. Mrs. L., will hatred bring about relaxation? Suppose you just detest someone; does that cause you to relax? No! It ties you up in knots. Try it sometime and see what a mistake it is. Or maybe you already have. It is love that brings that mellowness, that gracious feeling, that true relaxation. Realize with me for a minute that you love everyone for everyone is lovable and you are loving. See what it does for you. It softens you, even the lines of your face.

Mrs. G., suppose you had done something dishonest. Would this bring you true relaxation? Rather you would probably tighten up every time you passed a policeman. If you tell falsehoods you will find yourself getting tense.

Anxiety and fear bring on tension but perfect Love casts out fear and gives us grace for today. You can take each of the seven synonyms and realize how each of these divine qualities causes you to relax.

David — How He Overcame Limitations, Association Address of 1950, by Herbert Reike

Grace — the divine influence operating in man to bring about regeneration.

Regeneration — to implant holy affections in the heart.

Deeds, not words, are the sound test of love

from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page vii

James 2:18
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

12. 454 : 17-23
Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching. Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept.

Inspire — informed by the Holy Spirit to communicate divine instructions to the mind.

Illumines — to enlighten the mind; to cause to understand.

Designates — to point out, to select for a certain purpose.

From the Annual Meeting of The Mother Church, in the June 17, 1916 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

One of the functions of these annual meetings is the retirement of one and the introduction of another President. Our next President is known to most of you. Many years of his life were spent in the home of our Leader, in untiring devotion and loyalty to her every wish, and I am persuaded that she would have rejoiced at this accomplishment today. It is now my privilege and pleasure to introduce to you, and I am confident you will all be happy to know, our next President, Calvin A. Frye.

Mr. Frye said in part : —

I can hardly realize that only thirty-four years ago (1882) there was but one Christian Science church, and that its services were held in the parlor of our revered Leader, Mrs. Eddy, in Lynn, Mass. At my first attendance on these services I found an audience of about eighteen persons, seated on plain camp-stools, the simple service being conducted by Mrs. Eddy. It seems impossible that from this small beginning the church has grown to such large proportions.

What wonders has God wrought through our beloved Leader’s devotion to our cause, which she held in mind beyond all other things! Mrs. Eddy had no time for business matters, no time for society; her entire time was devoted to Christian Science and to its promulgation throughout the world. Her whole care was to watch its growth and to guard against the enemy’s encroachments upon it,—to keep it pure, and clean, and holy. We know that from the beginning it bore fruits in health and spirituality far beyond anything we had ever experienced before. It taught us that there is a God, and that He is not a great king ruling over all, punishing all who do wrong and blessing those who are His favorites, but that He is a God of love,—loving all and providing for the salvation, the blessing of all. We do not have to go to a physician to get our health. God supplies our every need, and He is blessing us continually, even beyond what we can appreciate.

My friends, our beloved Leader was a dear mother to me, and to all mankind as far as she could reach them and prove available for their blessing. I went through class with our Leader in October, 1881, and what innumerable hosts have come into the work since then and have proved the blessings which Christian Science confers,—not in theory, but in practice,—in daily living and an uplifting of thought! Our dear Leader was a spiritually minded woman, or she never could have wrought this great work for mankind. Her goodness was felt as well as proclaimed by others, and we cannot speak enough in her praise. Mrs. Eddy was a reflection of the divine Mind. She lived it,—proved it in her daily life.

Christ Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” Mrs. Eddy said, “Follow your Leader, only so far as she follows Christ” (Message for 1902, p. 4). She did not set aside the Saviour. She knew his worth and his work, and she tried to bring to the world the import of that work. T o be successful in our work as Christian Scientists, we have to take into account the belief of evil and resist it. As the apostle James says: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”