July 26, 1924
My Dear Ms. Marjorie Kendrick,
Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement and for acknowledging the work we do here at Unity Society. Your generous offering was greatly appreciated. We recently began publishing the daily word and I have enclosed two issues for you. I invite you to keep one for yourself and share the other with one who is wishing to develop a closer relationship with God. We here at Unity Society believe in doing the work God asks of us. Our creator is always in the midst our lives and our affairs and it is no surprise that our common foundations would bring us together.
I was glad to hear that you have a strong foundational Christian upbringing in the Methodist Church. We at Unity Society do not identify ourselves as a church however; we are but a school for the training and discipline of all who would develop spiritually. We aim specifically to prepare teachers for the work of spreading the Truth. I can tell you are a passionate and devoted woman to the teachings of Jesus and I am glad you have found a spiritual Unity Community in your hometown. It is unfortunate that you are disappointed with some of the Methodist teachings. You say my dear that “Our savior never intended to omit anyone from the ranks of the blessed”. I am well pleased with your spiritual work. You are developing your spiritual faculties and as you develop your faculties you may recognize others thoughts are not in alignment with your own. That is because each person must come to their own realizations of Truth when it is their time; each person must do their own work. As you and I may have come to the awareness of one in Christ Consciousness we must let others come to that awareness when they are ready. In everything my dear one there is prayer. Through prayer people become Spiritually quickened, illumined and guided. When we pray, we pray for the purpose of making one receptive to the good for which we are asking. I ask that you hold your leaders in prayer and I too shall do the same.
You mentioned in your letter thoughts of a God that allows children to suffer because of a religion they were born into? God is a loving divine source that would never abandon or torcher children. You are right to question such foolish thoughts. Since God is everywhere present, God also resides within humankind. God resides within us in our thoughts and in our minds. I do not believe that the bible can be interpreted to the letter and in fact Jesus seemed to agree when he said: “Not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter killeth, but the spirit givith life."
Perhaps you have not yet made the connection between wholeness of the spirit, soul and body. When you spoke of your health we must recognize that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Whenever we experience a sickness it is because we have been letting go of our gifts from God. We are to pray. Pray without ceasing and seek the way to health. We ask for understanding when we pray and illumination of our minds. We reclaim our oneness with God, with ourselves and with our divine health. When there is a renewing of our mind we can reclaim health, wholeness and order it matter not your age my dear.
In love with many blessings,
Myrtle Fillmore
Christine,
ReplyDeleteI could see Mrs. Fillmore using your words on how we all come to greater spiritual awareness at different times-- some are way down the road and others are still at the starting gate. But where ever one is on the spiritual road, "Judge not and you will not be judged." I believe your draft captured all of this, and in a very soft way suggested against fall into the error thought of spiritual pride.
I also very much liked how you had Mrs Fillmore , in effect, saying that Mrs. Kendrick might not as yet have made to real connection between "wholeness of the spirit, soul, and body." It is easy to know this stuff in theory and yet not really believe it in our heart of hearts.
While reading your draft letter, I could believe that Mrs. FIllmore might have used your words to express these key ideas.
Best,
Rick
I really liked this: "Perhaps you have not yet made the connection between wholeness of the spirit, soul and body. When you spoke of your health we must recognize that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds." While it's possible that Myrtle would have also written the second part, because of the whole idea of Metaphysical Malpractice, I have to admit that I tightened up upon reading this second part (because would Ms. Kendrick believe she was all wrong just because the physical healing was NOT taking place despite her work in consciousness? It is possible that Myrtle did believe this and perhaps it's us today who are more wary of such a claim: "Whenever we experience a sickness it is because we have been letting go of our gifts from God. We are to pray. Pray without ceasing and seek the way to health. We ask for understanding when we pray and illumination of our minds. We reclaim our oneness with God, with ourselves and with our divine health. When there is a renewing of our mind we can reclaim health, wholeness and order."
ReplyDeleteHi Christine. The softness of your response to Ms. Kendrick was refreshing. However, I found myself confused over the sentence, "It is unfortunate that you are disappointed with some of the Methodist teachings." Wasn't Myrtle herself disappointed with many of the Methodist teachings? Am I just mis-reading your intent? Thanks, Doug
ReplyDeleteDear Christine - You clever rascal! How very ingenious of you to respond (via Myrtle of course) with the generous offering of not one, but two Daily Words for this writer. The material was given in gratitude for the writer's offering and by sharing the 2nd Daily Word, the writer will be doing God's work. A very nice touch.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how you acknowledged their connection due to similar backgrounds with your sentence, "Our creator is always in the midst our lives and our affairs and it is no surprise that our common foundations would bring us together." You further went on to affirm the writer's religious upbringing.
I think the beginning, especially, would be a welcomed letter for anyone to receive and feels very Myrtle-ish. Thank you!
How adorable that you offered two Daily words, and I loved your typeset. I agree, with Daybree that it gives it a very Myrtle-ish feel. I appreciate pointing out how mental thoughts can change our health.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Myrtle believed that every cold, illness, sickness was always brought on "incorrect" thinking.
Good PR Christine giving away not one, but two Daily words. I am sure Mrs, Kendrick appreciated the gesture! Appreciate how you point out that each person must come to their own realizations of Truth. Not only that, but in their own time. I think that is significant. In your response to Mrs. Kendrick regarding her health you say '"we must recognize that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds." That is certainly a response Mrs. Fillmore could have given.
ReplyDelete