Dear Editor,
Over the years, in order to be obedient to Article VIII, Section 14, of the Manual of The Mother Church, I have tried to subscribe to the Christian Science periodicals (including The Christian Science Monitor) regularly. That By-Law reads in part, "It shall be the privilege and duty of every member, who can afford it, to subscribe for the periodicals which are the organs of this Church...I will have to admit, however, there have been times when I have let my subscriptions lapse for what seemed to be "legitimate" reasons, although I would continue to read the back issues. I have come to realize that consistently subscribing to and reading the periodicals has not only blessed my life with spiritual enlightenment and healing; it has made me feel a greater connectedness to The Mother Church and to all my fellow Christian Scientists around the world. This "pipeline" can be tremendously supportive during times of tribulation as well as triumph.
So, to me, it seems well worth heeding the Manual's requirement to subscribe to our periodicals. I also believe that even the simple desire to be a regular subscriber will be blessed of God, and those so-called "legitimate" reasons for not subscribing will simply vanish.
