The following experience of a church organist shows the great importance of the By-Law "Prayer in Church" from the Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy, which reads: "The prayers in Christian Science churches shall be offered for the congregations collectively and exclusively." Manual, An. VIII, Sect. 5
The soloist of our branch church is not a Christian Scientist. One Sunday she arrived prior to the service not feeling well. She wasn't comfortable asking for a substitute at such a late hour, and she felt she could "probably make it"; so we did a minimum of practicing and retired to our rooms to wait for the service to begin.
Some weeks earlier our First Reader had begun to include this statement in his announcements to the congregation: "The members of this church pray for and expect healing during this service." As I began to consider how best to support our soloist (without praying specifically for her since she had not asked for help), the above statement swept through my thinking. I thought, "Why, of course! The whole membership will be praying for and expecting healing during this service, and that healing prayer for the congregation will quite naturally include our soloist." With that I was filled with gratitude—gratitude for the healing power of Christian Science; the healing activity of our branch church and all of its members; and especially for the harmony that is always so apparent in our platform "family," among those of us who conduct the services. I found myself confidently affirming God's healing presence and refusing to accept any suggestion that there could be a disruption during the service. At that point it was time to begin the prelude.
