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The snake in the pew
It was the Sunday before Christmas, and the congregation had just started coming into our church, which is tucked back on a wooded lot. One of the members reached over to pick up a striped cord she saw lying on the pew … and it moved! A small garter snake, probably seeking warmth, had found its way inside. With some care and not a little amusement an usher deftly scooped up the little fellow in a large copy of the Christian Science Quarterly and deposited him outside in the dry leaves.
It was easy for all of us to immediately realize that here was something that didn’t belong in our church. The interloper was removed quickly and easily with no fuss, no fear, no delay, and no harm done. Afterward I was struck with gratitude for the members of our branch Church of Christ, Scientist, who are alert to what doesn’t belong in our church. Sometimes it’s obvious, like the snake in the pew. But sometimes it’s not a thing but a thought or attitude that has no place.
In the Manual of the Mother Church, Mary Baker Eddy writes: “The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously” (p. 40). Aren’t these the sort of subtle serpent suggestions we should be alert to? Ideas like “This issue will never be solved” or “We don’t have enough members to accomplish this” are false prophecy and have no place in church. The temptation to judge or condemn our fellow members or those in the congregation because we think they don’t come to the services often enough, or serve on committees, or agree with one’s own ideas does not belong in our church. Any temptation to counsel or suggest anything that is not Spirit based and God inspired should be thrown out. And the insidious suggestion that a type of personality can influence us or needs our help to be improved certainly has no place here.
In her definition of Church, Mrs. Eddy includes this description: “The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 583). By its nature, our church includes love, strength, and healing and excludes all wrong. Our teacher and example, Christ Jesus, showed that unchristly thoughts and actions had no place in church when he scattered the money-changers, removing their materialistic, negative influence from the temple (see John 2:13–17). Jesus has given us the best examples of the thoughts and qualities that should find a place in our church: compassion and forgiveness, patience and perseverance, humility and gratitude. When these fill our consciousness there is simply no room for discordant or divisive thoughts.
As branch church members we can put “snake thoughts” out of our church, and replace them with the Christly qualities that do belong. As we strive to do this, subtle impositions and false suggestions become as easy to recognize as a striped snake on a seat cushion. We don’t give evil a warm place to curl up, and we aren’t afraid to actively extricate error. The result is blessing for ourselves, our congregation, and our community.
Cathy Walter
Kingsville, Maryland, US