If you had a few close friends who visited you on a regular basis, bearing precious gifts, wouldn’t you consider yourself blessed? That’s how I feel about the Christian Science periodicals—The Christian Science Journal, Christian Science Sentinel, Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons, and The Christian Science Monitor. I eagerly look forward to their arrival because they bring messages of comfort, guidance, and healing.
In the Church Manual the By-Law concerning these periodicals (which also includes The Herald of Christian Science) states 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 . . .” (p. 44). One dictionary defines organ as “that which performs some office, duty, or function.” By using this term to describe the periodicals, Mary Baker Eddy established their importance to the functioning of the ongoing Christian Science movement.
On the subject of their affordability, I have asked myself, How can I afford not to subscribe to them? How could I deprive myself of the “privilege” of receiving these gems of metaphysical thinking, which I consider so helpful in my spiritual progress?
For example, I treasure the weekly Bible Lesson, which provides me with my “daily bread” of grace and nourishes me spiritually every day until I partake of the heavenly feast it offers at the Sunday service.
Furthermore, I cannot imagine what I would do if I stopped subscribing to and reading the Journal and Sentinel. I would have no way of learning about the activities of other branch churches and how Church is alive and always moving forward. How would I learn about amazing testimonies of Christian Science healing that are taking place?
So often I have found comfort after reading about a healing of a difficult circumstance or a sickness similar to what I was struggling with. But perhaps most important, the periodicals help me pray about troubling situations around the world. For instance, as I was writing this article, I learned about recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai. I was wondering how I could pray. The very next day I received the Sentinel on the subject “Brotherly love—antidote to terrorism” (July 18, 2011). What perfect timing!
If Mrs. Eddy was divinely inspired to establish the periodicals, surely divine Love will provide us with the means to subscribe to them. Years ago, when I was a new student of Christian Science, I wanted to subscribe to the Monitor but was hesitant because of the cost. I lived in another country where the price was expensive because of the cost of converting US dollars into the local currency. But I felt impelled to pay for a yearly subscription. Just a week later I received that exact amount as a raise in my salary. From that time on, I have always had sufficient funds to subscribe to the periodicals.
When one is praying for the periodicals, a verse from the Bible can give inspiration: “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it” (Ps. 68:11). This great company includes anyone who interacts with the periodicals—the publishers, editors, writers, and all the subscribers and readers. Let us cherish the important role each of us has to play in maintaining the health and proper functioning of these vital “organs” of the Church body.
