Message from Administrator (Dec 2013)

Dear Friends,

The San Francisco Bay Area doesn’t often see snow, but on those rare mornings that come every few years, the hills near Fern Lodge are blanketed and frosted with the crystalline beauty familiar to our friends in cooler climates.  The photos on this page were taken on such a morning.  The stillness, grace, and beauty of the morning reminded me of so many Christmas scenes that have been shared through the years.  Although the snowy images of winter are unusual where we live, the spirit of Christmas lives in our hearts through every day of each year.

Christmas has precious meaning for Fern Lodge.  Christian Science nursing cherishes the coming of Christ to human consciousness.  The role of Christian Science nurses is to witness this appearing in themselves, in each patient, each fellow worker, every day.  Christmas is a healing idea. It announces to mankind the spiritual origin and status of mankind, overcoming and destroying the sins and dis-eases of a mortal, material sense of men and women.

In her article, “The Significance of Christmas” (My. 260:3), Mrs. Eddy wrote the following:

“An eternal Christmas would make matter an alien save as phenomenon, and matter would reverentially withdraw itself before Mind. The despotism of material sense or the flesh would flee before such reality, to make room for substance, and the shadow of frivolity and the inaccuracy of material sense would disappear.”

Christian Science nursing is a healing practice, a daily celebration of man’s freedom from material conditions or limitations.  In this celebration, Christian Science nurses bring to their work their unique gifts, such as practical affection, the accuracy of a pure spiritual sense, and clear receptivity to Life, Truth, and Love.

In this Focus you will find articles from the recent Fern Lodge Annual Meeting, focused on the services offered by Fern Lodge and Christian Science nurses.  Our underlying theme was, and continues to be, the importance of being faithful and obedient in the expression of Christian qualities and in the healing practice of Christian Science.

With gratitude and affection,

George Strong

Administrator