Christian Scientists serving the church as members of the congregation have an active, vital role to play. The duties of this office involve a spiritual response to all that is going on throughout the church services. How well we perform in this office largely determines the healing effectiveness of our services.
The Psalmist urged, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands." Ps.100:1. Spirited singing of the hymns is one way we can fulfill this demand. United lifting of voices in song lightens hearts heavy with fear, fatigue, and discouragement. Because the hymns at the Sunday service are usually keyed to the subject of the Lesson-Sermon,Bible Lesson in the Christian Science Quarterly. and those at the Wednesday evening testimony meeting to the readings, our close attention to the words of the hymns helps prepare the soil of thought for the seed of Truth.
The period of silent prayer is an opportunity to reach out in unselfed love to our fellow worshipers as a whole. The prayer that our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, included in her dedicatory message to The Mother Church in 1895 has been to me a model of a way to pray for the congregation. For that occasion she offered this prayer: "Divine presence, breathe Thou Thy blessing on every heart in this house. Speak out, O soul! This is the new-born of Spirit, this is His redeemed; this, His beloved. May the kingdom of God within you,—with you alway,— reascending, bear you outward, upward, heavenward." Pulpit and Press, pp. 10-11.
