Inasmuch as the "Explanatory Note" found in the Christian Science Quarterly is included in the order of Sunday service in Christian Science churches, it is the obvious duty of Christian Scientists not only to gain but to manifest a clear sense of what the "Note" means, and to recognize the important work which its inclusion in the service is designed to accomplish. In order to achieve this, it becomes necessary that something more should be done by the student than just to listen, be it ever so attentively, to the reading of the "Note" each Sunday. Mrs. Eddy's statement that the Sunday Lesson is "a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends" (Manual, Art. III, Sect. 1) makes it plain that this "Explanatory Note" is provided as a help towards the further demonstration of that prosperity, and thus obviously demands earnest study and understanding in order that each individual student may avail himself of the great privilege of fitting himself actively to assist in that demonstration.
In its first paragraph the "Note" draws attention to the fact that "the Bible and the Christian Science textbook are our only preachers," thereby excluding all personal preaching from Christian Science and avoiding the many difficulties that would inevitably arise in our organization were various personal views and differing interpretations of the Holy Word allowed. Our Leader's clearly inspired wisdom in ordaining these impersonal preachers to be "our only preachers" has provided her followers with farreaching protection, which, when accepted in its fullness, may be found to save them not only from the dangers of personal preaching, but also, by implication, from the temptation to preach in any private capacity at the Wednesday evening meetings or at church business meetings. Obedience to this rule assists them to become better Christian Scientists.
This "Note" also informs us that the Sermon is comprised of Biblical texts and passages from our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, and that these texts and passages are correlated. The daily study of the Lesson-Sermon may be greatly stimulated by faithfully bearing in thought the fact that the word of our textbook is to corroborate and explain the Bible texts, so that the "spiritual import and application" of those texts shall become plain to our understanding, and the Christ-spirit be quickened in us. By this means we are enabled to reflect for all mankind in ever increasing measure the blessings of right thinking, with spiritual power to heal and to save.
