Article April 25, 1908 Issue

THE STUDY OF THE LESSON-SERMONS

ROSALIE G. AMORY.

I have been surprised to find some misapprehension in regard to the right manner of studying the Sunday Bible-Lessons, as given in the Christian Science Quarterly. These Lesson-Sermons are prepared for certain dates and are given out beforehand in order that those who desire to make a systematic study of the Bible from the spiritual standpoint may have the privilege of studying them in advance of the appointed public reading of such Lessons. One thing that Christian Science has done for its students is to create a love for Bible study, and Scientists not only do not want to wait until the Sunday reading, but realize that they will be better prepared to grasp the truth then taught if there has been a faithful study of the Lesson-Sermon during the week. There has grown up a habit, however, of studying daily only one section of the Lesson, with the thought that it is the intention of the compilers of these Lessons to give out a complete Lesson in each section. Of course there need be no criticism of those who can only give time for the study of one of these sections each day, if that is the best they can do, but it should be clearly understood that each section is only one part of a whole, presenting some phase of the whole, and that it takes the entire six sections to complete the perfect Lesson.

As an illustration of how misleading any other manner of study would be, I will relate one of several incidents. I met two friends who had been earnestly studying what they called the "Lesson for the day," and who said to me, "We cannot see the connection with Christian Science in some of the selections in Tuesday's Lesson, and it seems strange to us that these texts should be found in a Lesson on Christian Science." Upon inquiry I found that what they referred to was only the second section in the Lesson for the following Sunday. In my own study of that week's Lesson I had observed something like this structure; the first section stated absolute Truth—Principle. The second section illustrated the falsity of material sense testimony. The two following sections made evident the different results gained by accepting the testimony of Truth or that of error; then the fifth section explained more fully the fact that Jesus the Christ was "the way, the truth, and the life," that his teachings would enable us to distinguish the true from the false, and that "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The sixth section was a triumphant declaration of the glorious results of the understanding of Christian Science and obedience to the teachings of the Master.

Of course there is no unvarying order of structure in these Lessons, but there is always an order. The selections from the Old Testament and the New, corroborated and explained by those from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, make a splendid whole, and to study these Lessons with any other thought would be confusing and would deprive us of some of the blessing which is the fruit of a right understanding. The frequent use of the Glossary in Science and Health is also helpful in the right study of these Lessons. The clearer the apprehension of the great truths brought out by such study, the more fully will we realize the wisdom of our beloved Leader in appointing these Sermons as our public Teacher; and her love in affording us the opportunity, by providing the Quarterly, to prepare ourselves to hear these Sermons intelligently.

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