Articles

THE Christian Science Bible Lessons, which appear in the Christian Science Quarterly, were born of the wisdom and foresight of the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. She was the first preacher, as well as the first pastor in the denomination.

OF all the many longings of the human heart there is, perhaps, none more pronounced than humanity's craving for peace. This has been especially noticeable during recent years.

THERE have always been advanced thinkers who have been looking forward with hopeful eyes to something better for mankind. This expectancy of something better has been a wonderful factor in sustaining the human race; and it shows the triumphant power of hope.

In the Scriptures we read of Jacob, who, in a strange place, in darkness and alone, yet had a vision of divine help, and later declared, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. " Thousands of years after Jacob's time, we read of that other who knelt alone in the darkness of Gethsemane, and amid the greater darkness of the world's hatred and misunderstanding.

On page 39 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy has drawn the attention of all who will heed to both the time and the way to gain freedom from all evil.

That oft repeated message of John that we "love one another," which has echoed down the centuries, became the motive call of every step in Mrs. Eddy's great demonstration of founding and binding together The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, with all its worldwide branches.

Should there be in our midst today any one who doubts the appeal that Christian Science makes to business or professional men and women, or to mankind in general, he has but to visit a Sunday service or a Wednesday evening testimony meeting, held by any Christian Science church or society, to be convinced of this latter-day wonder in churchgoing, as many choose to term it; for there he will find a generous proportion of the large audiences to be those who are not merely attendants, but earnest participants in the worship. And since these services are brief and simple in character, devoid of any attempt to hold the attention other than by providing exercises of a devotional nature, the question arises, Wherein does the real attraction lie that draws and holds the interest of thoughtful men and women of all classes? Various reasons could be given for this, and also for the phenomenal growth of the Christian Science movement, as attested by the ever increasing number of its followers, chief among which must be the feature of healing, applicable not only to physical disabilities, but to all that comes within the category of human ills.

The word "spirituality" is derived from the Latin spiritus, breath, or from spiro, I breathe. Paul said, "To be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Paul surely condensed the wisdom of the ages into twelve short words, when he said, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. " He was writing to the church at Philippi, but his message is as vital and important to us now as it was when he first declared it.

We read in the first three gospels of a person spoken of in Luke's record as "a certain ruler," who went to Jesus desiring to learn what he should do to gain eternal life. Mark relates the incident in this manner: "There came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" The sincerity of his desire was manifest, but self-righteousness was rebuked by the Nazarene in the assurance that God is the only good.