Some Christian churches are divided into lay members and clergy—part-time and full-time. But our Church takes a different approach.
Everyone progresses at his or her own individual rate of spiritual growth, but there is no category for part-time Christian Scientist. There are no plateaus of study on which one expects to come to rest and say, "That's fine; I'm comfortable. That's enough for me!"
The whole textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, is everyone's working basis. No aspects of its teaching are reserved for any supposedly "advanced" group. Even the chapter on Christian Science teaching is there for everybody to study at any time.
How much of Christian Science are we expecting to use as a basis for living? Doesn't our answer have to be "All of it"? Mrs. Eddy certainly expected those who became students of Christian Science to catch the whole spiritual vision that she was giving her life to sharing. She wanted them to be stirred by the completeness of the revelation of the Science of being, and not just try to hold on to a few of the simpler statements. And she knew the results would be as described in Science and Health, pages 558 and 559.
Mrs. Eddy planned for no part-time Christian Scientists. Should we?
