Even though the New Testament mentions the word pastor only once, pastors have long played an important role in the Christian Church. And no wonder! The root word for pastor means shepherd. Jesus called himself the shepherd of his flock, and in his final instructions to Peter, he said repeatedly, "Feed my sheep." See John 21:15–17.
Over the nearly two thousand years since those words were spoken, Christian churches have been served by a wide range of pastors earnestly seeking to feed the followers of Christ Jesus with the Word of God.
The Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, Mary Baker Eddy, also sought to provide her Church with a pastor, one that could and would endure time and fashion and maintain the purity of her discovery, Christian Science. After some years of having a more traditional approach to pastors in her Church, she was eventually led to announce, "Humbly, and, as I believe, divinely directed, I hereby ordain the Bible, and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' to be hereafter the only pastor of The Church of Christ, Scientist, throughout our land and in other lands." Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 313–314.
How can two books genuinely meet the needs of individuals, people who have problems, sorrows, joys, illnesses, and questions that seem very real to them? Let's take a closer look at this unusual pastor.
Millions have proved the value of the Bible in establishing the fundamental rules for living happy, useful lives. It contains the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and Christ Jesus' teachings, along with many examples of the rewards gained by being obedient to God's laws. The J. B. Phillips rendering of II Timothy 3:16, 17 states: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for re-setting the direction of a man's life and training him in good living. The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God, and fit him fully for all branches of his work." The King James Version reads: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "
Many people find, however, that the Bible is not always easily understood unless the light of revelation opens its apparently hidden meanings. It is here that Science and Health shines as a beacon on the pages of the Scriptures.
When Mrs. Eddy published Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she believed it to be the first and only book to fully explain the divine Science underlying the laws of God as revealed in the Bible—laws that were the foundation for all that Christ Jesus taught, lived, and practiced. She had spent the nine years since her discovery of this divine Science applying these laws to a wide range of tests within the context of everyday living. Through her prayers people were healed of pain, disease, deformity, sin, and lack. During that time and throughout the rest of her life, she continued to heal and to elucidate the explanation of her discovery in Science and Health. Included in the book are accounts of people who were healed of a wide range of illnesses, both physical and emotional, through reading the book.
This unique approach to pastoring is founded on the recognition that God and man, as His image ad likeness, are inseparable; that God, divine Mind, is ever present and always communicating to His beloved idea, man. No intercessor is needed in order for man to feel and know God's power and receive the peace and healing that come from a spiritual understanding of Him.
We each have the ability and right to understand our individual, intimate relationship with our Father-Mother, God.
No intercessor is needed in order for man to feel and know God's power and receive the peace and healing that come from a spiritual understanding of Him.
We each have the ability and right to understand our individual, intimate relationship with our Father-Mother, God.
Often the inspiration gained from prayerfully opening these books at random will guide, comfort, counsel, inspire, and heal us. Other times, deep research and study are required. Various Bible translations and commentaries may broaden our view of or shed light on an already familiar Bible quotation, and the use of Concordances with both books helps us to appreciate the breadth and depth of our pastor.
The Bible Lessons outlined in the Christian Science Quarterly give guidance and direction to our orderly study of the Bible and Science and Health throughout the week. On Sunday they are central to the worship service. Even though the same twenty-six lesson subjects are used repeatedly, each lesson has a fresh and inspiring approach to the subject.
On Wednesdays, Christian Science churches hold meetings that begin with selections from the Bible and Science and Health chosen by the First Reader on a relevant subject. These are followed by testimonies of healing from the congregation. Early in my term of serving as First Reader in my branch church, several days before a Wednesday service, I prepared selections from the Bible and Science and Health that dealt with racial bigotry.
A few days later, I found myself in a loud argument with an ex-employer over a commission I had earned. One of the reasons I had left the firm several months before was this manager's attempted racial and sexual harassment. Again I was filled with righteous indignation, anger, and resentment. I knew that this was no way for a Christian Scientist to think or act, and I set about trying to change my view of the situation through prayer.
With a struggle I made slow progress. Then, the morning of the Wednesday meeting I read the selections I had prepared for that day. It was as if I had never read them before! The pastor was speaking directly to me about the anger and self-righteousness that had tried to invade my thought. That was the turning point for me, and I immediately began to make progress and gain more clarity and peace. The commission dispute was resolved satisfactorily and without bitterness on my part. This is just one example of the very immediate kind of help the Bible and Science and Health provide every week and every day.
The pastor of Christian Science teaches us how to turn earnestly and confidently in prayer to our Father-Mother, God, to answer every need. This turning enables us to feel secure in the knowledge that help is always at hand because God is always at hand. We find there is less need to seek out personal opinion or advice. We realize we don't have to wait for a person to save or heal us. God is sufficient in every case.
The Bible and Science and Health are a faithful guide to a deeper, more practical understanding of God. The truths they teach feed us to the full!
