Recently I have gained a deep appreciation for the continuity that the Manual of The Mother Church gives to the ongoing life of Christian Science today. To my sense, this slim book has an undergirding Principle expressed in its pages, while leaving room for Soul’s qualities to guide branch churches in applying its rules to their unique needs. Its By-Laws are fundamental enough that they can be adhered to throughout all time, but flexible enough to be adapted to various cultures. They can be followed by any individual, and they embrace the diversity of the whole world’s population. The Manual leaves room for the inclusive capacities of Church, but at the same time has requirements that ensure spiritual unity.
The By-Laws in the Manual, and the love they represent, protected and forwarded my own church-going experience. They enabled my family to partake of regular church attendance when we moved to a foreign country. In a culture very different from our own, being part of a church and Sunday School supported us.
In the 1950s, when I was eight years old, our family moved from the United States to Caracas, Venezuela. We were pleased to find a Christian Science group meeting in the city. That group of dedicated individuals held church services in a tall office building and set up card tables in a hallway for Sunday School. It was in this Sunday School that I first learned to pray for myself. The inclusive love and the good teaching by individuals from a number of different countries were highlights of the week, and drew us all together in friendship. These bonds remained a source of strength as the country went through a military coup, ousted a dictator, and began setting up a democracy.
