Perhaps one of the most inspiring statements which our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, has left to her followers is to be found on page 244 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany." It is this: "In the highest sense of a disciple, all loyal students of my books are indeed my students." With the disciples of old, it was after Christ Jesus had left them, when they were gathered together "with one accord in one place," that the spiritual illumination spoken of as the Holy Ghost fell upon them, enabling them to go forth and proclaim the Word of God more mightily than ever before, with "signs following." Discipleship is the result of the progressive unfoldment of Truth in individual human consciousness. And it is the "signs following" which measure true discipleship to-day, as surely as they did nineteen centuries ago.
Webster defines "disciple" as a "scholar; ... a follower who has learned to believe in the doctrine of his teacher;" and "scholar" as "a person of thorough . . . scientific attainments." From "disciple" comes the verb "discipline," of which a definition is, "to form a habit of obedience." Jesus gave continuing in his word as the condition of discipleship; for he said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." This continuing in the word—in the true idea—involves the habit of obedience to divine Mind, thereby rejecting daily and hourly the false beliefs and suggestions of so-called mortal mind. In the measure that we learn through Christian Science to do this, our spiritual understanding increases.
The great school which our beloved Leader has so lovingly provided and so divinely safeguarded, wherein we may advance in discipleship, is the Church of Christ, Scientist. Within the all-embracing, protecting arms of The Mother Church, under the loving and sufficient guidance of the rules of its inspired Manual, Christian Scientists are gathered together "with one accord in one place." Each year brings the increasing demand to upbuild, uphold, and spiritualize our concept of Church. Love of Christian Science begets love of the Church of Christ, Scientist; for we cannot separate the two. And loving the Church of Christ, Scientist, we love and support and uphold all who are loyally filling positions of trust in it. With love of Truth paramount, rather than love of self, we shall bring to the humblest post we may be called upon to fill, a love which is beyond personal ambition and above personal pique. This love, demonstrated in the hearts of the individual members, is the spiritual animus which heals in our services. And such love supports the hands of those in office without deifying personality.
