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Nile Kinnick correspondence, January-December 1941

1941-06-22: Page 01

Sunday afternoon
June 22, 1941
Dear George:
I am happy to hear that you rracted favorably to the idea I mentioned in
my last letter to you. I am sure that it has much merit, particularly, if each of
us makes an honest effort to fulfill his part in the plan. I wrote Ben much in
the manner that 1 wrote you but to date have not had an answer from him. However,
his failure to reply can be attributed to the fact that he is away from home a
good deal on his summer employment. I have no doubt that he will think it a good
idea just as you do. Now, George, even though you are younger than Ben and
I you must make an effort to write something of worth in your letters. It need
not be deep, or heavy, but you should make some attempt to put down your ideas
on different subjects. Also, you should take some pains with your grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Don't accept the argument that you cannot do it or
that it is not worth it but jump at the opportunity to improve in this particular respect.
You say that you enjoy and benefit from Sunday School but that you have difficulty in maintaing your attention in Church. You say that you do not seem to
get anything out of attending Church services and are wondering if it would be
alright just to attend Sunday School. Well, first let me say that your feeling
is not peculiar to you alone. Adults as well as young boys have difficulty in
paying continued attention in Church. It takes a good Christian Scientist with
a real desire to follow closely and completely everthing that is read from the
pulpit. However, just because you have trouble in listening attentively is no
cause for ceasing to attend altogether. If you think that when you are a little
older it will be easier you are reasoning on dubious ground. It is not your age
but your interest and desire that determine what you got out of the lesson each
Sunday.  It is a privilege for you to attend a Christian Science Church service
and if you understand only one statement from the Bible or Science and Health,
or if you get only one new thought during the entire time your time has not been
ill-spent. Failing in that,you still have a duty as follower of the teachings
of M. B. Eddy to affiliate yourself openly with the Movement by attending Church
each Sunday. And as a last resort I might say that it is better to sleep in
Church on Sunday morning than not attend at all. But neither of these latter
reasons should motivate you. There is no reason in the world why you cannot
get something out of Church. You may not seem to have any immediate problem to
which the particular lesson applies, and if not you sh ould be humbly thankful.
But it is your business not to think of yourself, and your own little problems
all the time. Apply what is read from the Books each Sunday to the problems that
are facing the world all the time. There is nothing mystical nor super-natual
about the teachings of Christian Science. It is an extremely practical religion.
There will be no halos nor fluttering of cherubim wings when you have gained
the understanding which heals your particular trouble nor when you have confidently declared the truth about God and his creation. However, the prayer of
the righteous man availeth much whether you see any immediate change in world
conditions or not. Don't make hard that which is divinely normal. When you
declare with conviction that now Truth is victorious, triumphant over the forces
of evil take it in as completely as if you were declaring that 2 times 2 is four.
Do not feel frustrated because Hitlerism doesn't fall the minute after you have
so prayed. You have contributed to the improved mentality of the world by such
good thoughts. You are then doing your duty. No more is required of you than
that you do it many times. It is God's business to determine how the truth shall
be worked out on this present plane of consciousness. And so is it with all the
mental work that you do for the world. It may be that you aren't listening or
studying your lesson quite like you should. If it doesn't take on an understandable continuity for you it is because you aren't constantly re-

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Sunday afternoon June 22, 1941 Dear George: I am happy to hear that you rracted favorably to the idea I mentioned in my last letter to you. I am sure that it has much merit, particularly, if each of us makes an honest effort to fulfill his part in the plan. I wrote Ben much in the manner that 1 wrote you but to date have not had an answer from him. However, his failure to reply can be attributed to the fact that he is away from home a good deal on his summer employment. I have no doubt that he will think it a good idea just as you do. Now, George, even though you are younger than Ben and I you must make an effort to write something of worth in your letters. It need not be deep, or heavy, but you should make some attempt to put down your ideas on different subjects. Also, you should take some pains with your grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Don't accept the argument that you cannot do it or that it is not worth it but jump at the opportunity to improve in this particular respect. You say that you enjoy and benefit from Sunday School but that you have difficulty in maintaing your attention in Church. You say that you do not seem to get anything out of attending Church services and are wondering if it would be alright just to attend Sunday School. Well, first let me say that your feeling is not peculiar to you alone. Adults as well as young boys have difficulty in paying continued attention in Church. It takes a good Christian Scientist with a real desire to follow closely and completely everthing that is read from the pulpit. However, just because you have trouble in listening attentively is no cause for ceasing to attend altogether. If you think that when you are a little older it will be easier you are reasoning on dubious ground. It is not your age but your interest and desire that determine what you got out of the lesson each Sunday. It is a privilege for you to attend a Christian Science Church service and if you understand only one statement from the Bible or Science and Health, or if you get only one new thought during the entire time your time has not been ill-spent. Failing in that,you still have a duty as follower of the teachings of M. B. Eddy to affiliate yourself openly with the Movement by attending Church each Sunday. And as a last resort I might say that it is better to sleep in Church on Sunday morning than not attend at all. But neither of these latter reasons should motivate you. There is no reason in the world why you cannot get something out of Church. You may not seem to have any immediate problem to which the particular lesson applies, and if not you sh ould be humbly thankful. But it is your business not to think of yourself, and your own little problems all the time. Apply what is read from the Books each Sunday to the problems that are facing the world all the time. There is nothing mystical nor super-natual about the teachings of Christian Science. It is an extremely practical religion. There will be no halos nor fluttering of cherubim wings when you have gained the understanding which heals your particular trouble nor when you have confidently declared the truth about God and his creation. However, the prayer of the righteous man availeth much whether you see any immediate change in world conditions or not. Don't make hard that which is divinely normal. When you declare with conviction that now Truth is victorious, triumphant over the forces of evil take it in as completely as if you were declaring that 2 times 2 is four. Do not feel frustrated because Hitlerism doesn't fall the minute after you have so prayed. You have contributed to the improved mentality of the world by such good thoughts. You are then doing your duty. No more is required of you than that you do it many times. It is God's business to determine how the truth shall be worked out on this present plane of consciousness. And so is it with all the mental work that you do for the world. It may be that you aren't listening or studying your lesson quite like you should. If it doesn't take on an understandable continuity for you it is because you aren't constantly re-