Serving as Reader in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, or a Christian Science Society is an opportunity for seeing more clearly the activity of God's presence in the lives and affairs of mankind. Service implies readiness: readiness to follow directions, readiness to be inspired, readiness to be of use. Such readiness includes a willingness to look to God as the Giver of all good and therefore as the supplier of the needs of both the congregation and the community.
As the Christian Science movement developed, our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, saw the necessity of establishing services on an impersonal basis. Pastors and preachers were replaced by a "dual and impersonal pastor." Our Leader tells us, "Your dual and impersonal pastor, the Bible, and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' is with you; and the Life these give, the Truth they illustrate, the Love they demonstrate, is the great Shepherd that feedeth my flock, and leadeth them 'beside the still waters.'" Miscellaneous Writings, p. 322;
Perhaps we need to remind ourselves more often of the grandeur and power of such a concept of ministry; no longer do we need to depend on personal sermons and a personal service. Rather, our reliance is placed on the activity of the Word as presented by the Bible and the Christian Science textbook. Moreover, the importance of this is emphasized by Mrs. Eddy: "The Readers of The Mother Church and of all its branch churches must devote a suitable portion of their time to preparation for the reading of the Sunday lesson,—a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends." Manual of The Mother Church, Art. III, Sect. 1;
