Editorial September 24, 1904 Issue

"Moral Obligations"

It is very clear that one of the most important religious movements of modern times has resulted from the study of the Bible in connection with the passages from Science and Health which, together with Scriptural selections, constitute their Lesson-Sermons. A number of years ago it became very apparent that uniformity in our Sunday services was the need of the hour, and to meet this need, our Leader, divinely directed, as we believe, ordained the Bible and Science and Health as the only pastor in all the churches of this denomination. The wisdom of this step was the more evident to all honest truth-seekers, because it compelled them to "search the scriptures" for themselves and not leave to another the work of gaining that true understanding of God which is life eternal.

In the Manual of The Mother Church, the duties of Readers are clearly defined. The section "Moral Obligations," reads in part, "The Readers must devote a suitable portion of their time to preparation for reading the Sunday lesson, — a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends" (Art. IV., page 31). From this we see the high estimate which our Leader places upon the importance of the Lesson-Sermon to our Cause; also the obligation which rests upon every Reader to study it properly. Surely no Christian Scientist, whether Reader or lay member can be misled by subtle error to believe he has "grown so spiritual" that the daily study of God's word is no longer a necessity for him. No one is exempt from this requirement. Mrs. Eddy says in "Miscellaneous Writings," p. 264, "Unity is the essential nature of Christian Science. Its Principle is One, and to demonstrate the divine One, demands oneness of thought and action." She also says, "The Bible is the learned man's masterpiece, the ignorant man's dictionary, the wise man's directory" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 364). All who faithfully study the Bible as illuminated by the truth contained in Science and Health gladly acknowledge that they are more than compensated for the time thus spent. By this means they are healed, enlightened, uplifted, and so fitted to feed the hungry with that bread which satisfies and heals.

Jesus once said. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Christian Science re-enforces his words in teaching the necessity for a constant denial of self, with all it implies. Above all, it emphasizes the necessity for following Christ. There are many who ostentatiously display some "cross" they are carrying, but who quite forget to deny self, and follow where Christ, Truth, leads. If it be a cross to deny the vain desires of self in order to study faithfully and intelligently our Lesson-Sermons, let us take it up; for by it we shall assuredly gain our crown, and while on our way to this consummation we shall be far more conscious of the joy of "following" than of the effort and sacrifice required in cross-bearing, and in the denial of self, for "When the Word is made flesh, — that is. rendered practical, this eternal truth will be understood: and sickness, sin, and death, will yield to it, even as they did more than eighteen centuries ago" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 182). K.

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