Christ Jesus, the world's greatest spiritual teacher, recognized the truth of the Scriptural prophecy, "They shall be all taught of God" (John 6:45), and so he endeavored to lift the thoughts of his students out of the deadness of narrow mortal beliefs into the glow and warmth of true, spiritual inspiration. He met them on their mental level and raised them toward his spiritual stature in accordance with his statement, "Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
Mrs. Eddy was a true follower of Jesus and an outstanding teacher. She discerned individual receptivity and kindled the spark of inspiration in the thoughts of her students.
The teacher in the Christian Science Sunday School has the example of Mrs. Eddy before him. Her humility, strength, and love are his to emulate. According to the Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy, no books except the Bible and Science and Health by our Leader are taken into the classes, but teachers and pupils should bring hearts receptive to Truth. Divine Principle has endless variety of expression, and the consciousness willing to receive it has already opened itself to originality.
Sunday School pupils enjoy the exchange of ideas based upon the truths brought out in the Lesson-Sermons from the Christian Science Quarterly. One achieves success in teaching through drawing out the thoughts of the pupils by means of inspired questions and answers. Quite often the children's contributions on spiritual subjects are a delight both to themselves and to the teacher. If it seems difficult to put simple spiritual truths into words, let us remember that infinite Mind provides abundant ability. Vividness and beauty characterize the meanings and speech of him who humbly listens for God's direction and allows Him to guide expression.
God is manifested in the wisdom and understanding of His idea, man, who also manifests the variety, freshness, interest, and color of Mind. As we prepare for our Sunday School classes, it is interesting to note in one single Lesson-Sermon the number of references to literature or art, medicine or mathematics, used as examples to explain pure metaphysics.
Extensive formal education is not a requisite for the understanding of Christian Science or for good teaching in our Sunday Schools; however, to know more of the fine things presented in the arts and in the world of books colors language and its presentation and adds a refinement to the discussion in the classes at any age level.
Mere intellectualism is not the answer, nor should it be a requirement for teaching in our Sunday Schools; but appreciation of the words Mrs. Eddy uses is important if one is to understand her teachings. She prayed to find the proper words in which to clothe the ideas that unfolded to her. We must pray to understand their meanings. Mrs. Eddy knew that only pure thought can grasp spiritual facts. All her writings were inspired by the perfection of the Christ in her consciousness. In "Retrospection and Introspection" she says (p. 85), "Of this also rest assured, that books and teaching are but a ladder let down from the heaven of Truth and Love, upon which angelic thoughts ascend and descend, bearing on their pinions of light the Christ-spirit."
Science and Health contains no dull sentences, and dullness should never enter the discussion of those sentences. Mrs. Eddy eschewed mediocrity.
Human opinions and personal conjecture should find no place in the Sunday School discussions, although individual expression and a sharing of ideas are not only welcome but provide incentive for reasoning. There is within each lesson rich treasure of original thought to be brought forth alike by the pupils and the teacher. One of the challenges in Sunday School teaching is that of conveying spiritual truths by the use of adequate, vivid words and examples.
Teaching in the Christian Science Sunday School should be a happy combination of giving and receiving. Deep humility is needed on the part of the teacher to assure the class that erudition cannot take the place of spiritual understanding.
Pupils should be encouraged to express themselves freely. The receptive heart is the unbound heart. No limitation of thought, word, or expression can enter it. Willingness to think expansively opens thought to endless variety of expression. The teacher who deeply loves his teaching will find that love returned by his pupils in a reverence for Christian Science and for its Discoverer and Founder. This love will flow out to bless and heal the world.
Mrs. Eddy points out in "Miscellaneous Writings," "Humility is lens and prism to the understanding of Mind-healing; it must be had to understand our textbook; it is indispensable to personal growth, and points out the chart of its divine Principle and rule of practice" (p. 356). The world is hungering for an understanding of Jesus' teachings, and Science and Health explains them. The standard of good teaching in our Sunday Schools will be as high as our ability to understand Mrs. Eddy's words, and in proportion to our humility will this ability grow.
On page 195 of Science and Health, beginning with line 15, are to be found two important paragraphs; in these our Leader explains the importance of choosing academic subjects which will promote the spiritual growth of the pupil and at the same time assure him a useful and successful career. Teachers of pupils in high school and college will find these paragraphs helpful. The pupil should be taught that there need be no conflict between the teachings he receives in Sunday School and his academic training of the right sort. Carefully the teacher will lead the pupil to realize that spiritual advancement is the most important aspect of his career. Thus thought will pass naturally from the highest human beliefs to the divine reality, and academic work will fulfill its purpose.
Sunday School training in Christian Science does not isolate the pupil from society but makes him of more value to mankind because of his practical knowledge of the way to apply the divine to human affairs.
Through an unselfish desire to serve the Cause of Christian Science in one of its most vital and important functions, the teacher in the Sunday School class will in a sense become a pupil, and thus all shall be "taught of God."
