Christian Science teaches "that God is to be understood, adored, and demonstrated"(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 472). That understanding and demonstration result from a wholehearted study of this Science is widely acknowledged by its students; but it may not always be so clear to them that indissolubly linked with the understanding and demonstration of God is the necessity for adoring Him. Sooner or later, however, the student cannot fail to find out that the establishment of Christian Science among men is wholly for the glorification of God.
Although certain characteristics of the Church of Christ, Scientist, such as the simplicity evident in the church services as well as in the church buildings, or the absence of ritual, may at times have given rise to the opinion that adoration is meant to play a lesser role in the thought and endeavor of the Christian Scientist than in the thought of other religionists, such an opinion is altogether contrary to fact. One could not hold it after reading even the first chapter of the Christian Science textbook. This chapter, on Prayer, by gently opening our eyes to the sublimity, the unsearchable goodness, and the incomparable beauty of God, teaches us to approach Him with deepest reverence by calling Him not only "Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious," but also "Adorable One" (ibid., p. 16).
"Adorable One"! Words glowing with love, radiant with admiration, shining with gratitude, full of promise and assurance! Let no one assume that he has grasped their full significance. With the help of the Concordances to Mrs. Eddy's writings it will be found that in most cases where our Leader speaks of genuine adoration she correlates it with words which point to intelligence, such as apprehension, understanding, discernment, and so forth. Thus she shows that the nature of the infinite must in some measure be grasped intelligently in order to be worshiped aright. Jesus' words to the woman of Samaria (John 4:22), "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship," imply the necessity of knowing that which we would worship, for, after declaring to her that God is Spirit, he concluded that He must be worshiped "in spirit and in truth."
