Article July 10, 1909 Issue

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE READING ROOM

CAROLINE E. LINNELL.

Of late, many churches have been awakening to the realization that, as the cultivation and upbuilding of the spiritual nature is the daily need of every individual, the church, whose mission it is to minister to this need, should provide for daily moral and spiritual guidance and help, and not confine its ministrations to the Sabbath. Many expedients have been resorted to in order to meet this need,—the institutional church, among others, and the Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Association, with their earnest workers. The Christian Science church, in addition to its healing work, offers the Christian Science reading-room as its solution of the problem. Although this department of church work has been established only a few years, it has already proved itself a most important institution; yet, while so much has already been done and accomplished, it is still in the first stages of its development, and great possibilities are before it.

When Jesus departed from his disciples, he commanded them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;" and after his departure the disciples were scattered into all parts of the known world, carrying the "good news" with them,—exhorting, preaching, "in season, out of season," as St. Paul says. Today Christian Science presents a new phenomenon to the world, a great religious movement which is sending its declaration of truth throughout the world, not only by the spoken, but by the written word. In the past, people assembled in large gatherings to hear topics of interest discussed by noted speakers. Today, by their own firesides and alone, they read concerning the ideas which are awakening and remolding thought.

Christian Science has taken advantage of this changed condition, and is sending forth as preachers its extensive literature. The reading-room naturally becomes the channel through which this literature is sent into circulation, and the importance of this branch of Christian Science activity cannot be overestimated. Other denominations at great expense send devoted men and women to the ends of the earth as missionaries. Christian Science also sends forth her missionaries, the Bible and Science and Health, with the periodicals to prepare the way; and the missionary spirit of any church or reading-room is fairly indicated by the proportionate amount of literature it puts into circulation.

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