Editorial November 30, 1912 Issue

READING-ROOM PRIVILEGES

Annie M. Knott

ALL Christian Science churches are required to have a reading-room where our literature, including the Bible, may be read and studied, or purchased if the reader so desires. The Manual of The Mother Church provides that "two or more churches may unite in having reading-rooms" (Art. XXI, Sect. I), but this does not lessen the privileges and responsibilities of all the individual members to give their very best support to this department of our church work. All service for the cause of Truth is a divine requirement, and calls for nothing less than our best effort, irrespective of what others may do or fail to do, the whole trend of the Christian Science movement being away from official ministry and toward universal and whole-hearted service of God and humanity. It is the privilege of the humblest member of a Christian Science church, in point of experience and understanding, to give of his best to the cause, and no one can give more than this.

It may be remembered that as each new department of our church work was started, under our Leader's wise direction, mortal mind was ready with predictions of failure for the new enterprise, whether it were the Lesson-Sermons, the reading-rooms, the lectures, or the increasing publications, and occasionally Scientists were unwise enough to echo these croakings and thus miss, until wiser grown, the blessings which ever follow cheerful and ready response to every call of Truth. It should not be forgotten that we only come to understand fully any Christian activity as we participate in it. For instance, one can never understand the law by which Jesus and his disciples healed the sick until he applies his understanding of its divine Principle in the way that the Master commanded when he said, "Heal the sick." In the same way, one cannot clearly understand the mission of the Christian Science reading-room until he begins to work for it in the truest way, by thinking of what it means as a place of refuge for the weary and heavy laden, by supporting it lovingly and by visiting it from time to time.

The supposition that all this can be left to the librarian is a sly little fox which would injure this branch of the Mother Vine and at the same time rob the members of one of their privileges. No one should of course interfere with the workings of the reading-room, or its rules, but members of the church have the privilege of bringing with them on their visits to it the sunshine of Truth and Love, which is a mighty healing agency. How often did our Lord bid some one oppressed by illness, or seemingly in deadly peril, "Be of good cheer," and this too in the presence of his enemies who sought to thwart his every effort for suffering humanity; but this never hindered Jesus' work, and it was, "Be of good cheer" till he could add, "I have overcome the world."

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