In the early days of the Christian Science movement, Mrs. Eddy was ordained as a minister of the gospel. Some of her students throughout the field not only preached sermons on Christian Science but were also regularly ordained as ministers. In 1895, however, by reason of her alertness and keen perception of the requirements of the law of spiritual progress, our Leader ordained the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" to be the pastor of all Christian Science churches. Very soon the Lesson-Sermons appeared in their present form in the Quarterly, dealing with every fundamental point in the healing theology of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy instituted a unique order in church service which was, as she expressed it, a change "from fragmentary discourses to one eternal sermon" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 126). These sermons are preaching the eternal facts of being, the truth about God and His perfect creation. They are also exposing the false claims of erring, finite sense. In this they are awakening human thought to a higher, truer contemplation of Life and of man's infinite possibilities, showing mortals the way out of all materiality.
There is, doubtless, not a moment day or night but that somewhere in the world a Christian Science Lesson-Sermon is being read and its meaning unfolded. The very fact of the infinity and universality of truth makes this unfolding not only a blessing at hand, but enables it to reach "to earth's remotest border." Thus is the whole world reaping a benefit from that preaching which in its unfoldment is practice or healing; and a little leaven is leavening the whole lump. This should make every Christian Scientist appreciate more keenly the great value of studying the Lesson-Sermons in the Quarterly to gain from them spiritual unfoldment, and thus be the means of radiating the light of understanding which is convincing the world of the truth of Christian Science.
In the endeavor to appreciate these Lesson-Sermons the young student of Christian Science may feel at a loss as to just how to proceed in order to gain the help which they are intended to give; to find a sermon in what at first may appear a conglomeration of quotations. In this connection a few words of explanation may prove helpful. The subjects, chosen by Mrs. Eddy, remain the same year after year, recurring semiannually; yet no two lessons, even those on the same subject, are ever alike. The golden text and responsive reading usually unfold a definite idea which is found running through the entire Lesson. Each of the six sections bears directly on the subject, and the citations in each section taken collectively present a distinct metaphysical thought on the subject. There is nothing uncertain or haphazard about the construction of these lessons. Often a certain word in each citation, from both the Bible and Science and Health, will be a clue pointing to the unfolding of that particular section. These points appear to the student through careful, prayerful study, and thus the whole is found to harmonize, constituting "a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized" (Explanatory Note in The Christian Science Quarterly) . Being "divinely authorized," because an unfoldment of the truth about God, man, and the universe, the Christian Science Lesson-Sermon leaves none who hear its message in the same condition of thought that they were in before reading it or hearing it read. This may not be acknowledged at once, but the seed of truth has been sown, and its vitality being of God, it will propagate and bring forth after its kind.
