Mrs. Eddy left to us the Manual of The Mother Church to govern the affairs of her Church and the relationship of the Church with its "distinctly democratic" branches. The Manual designates the role of The Christian Science Board of Directors in transacting the business of The Mother Church and also devotes a substantial section to what is expected of individual Mother Church members. This includes the following daily duties: to "watch and pray to be delivered from all evil"; to pray the "Daily Prayer" (given in the Manual); to defend ourselves against aggressive suggestions that would have us neglect our duty to God, our Leader, and mankind; and to keep our hearts filled with gratitude and love. See Man., Art. XXIII, Sect. 10; Art VIII, Sects. 1, 4, 6; Art XVII, Sect. 2.
It is quite a daily program, on top of studying the weekly Bible Lesson in the Christian Science Quarterly, reading the periodicals, serving in one's own branch church, and loving mankind! But Mrs. Eddy well understood that the prosperity of Christian Science and of spiritual healing—the long missing, essential element of Christianity—depended on the ongoing spiritual growth of the members of her Church. And this growth involves spiritual rebirth. In fact, only through this rebirth can we truly unite with church.
The Apostle Peter, addressing fellow church members of his day, spoke in similar terms and made explicit what this growth entails. They were to lay aside "all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings." Then he said, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by jesus Christ." I Pet. 2:1, 5.
