Perhaps some people think of church as a sacrifice for God, a sort of favor we do for Him in return for all the good He has done for us.
But Christian Science shows us a different view. In a sense, church is God's activity—Love's gift—the outcome of God, divine Principle. The Bible tells us that God is not "worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." Acts 17:25.
Furthermore, Christian Science teaches that man isn't created to be a mere receiver of God's good, but to actually express His goodness, love, and intelligence. Thus our life purpose includes more than demonstrating harmony for ourselves; we have a collective mission, too—to share good with others. Our involvement in church, then, isn't only something we do to please God; church is a framework God provides to help us carry out our mission as His representatives. Mrs. Eddy defines "Church" in Science and Health as "the structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle." Science and Health, p. 583.
