Article December 20, 1913 Issue

Appreciation and Participation

J. S. BLAKE

Of the various channels established by Mrs. Eddy for the advancement of Christian Science, the weekly testimonial meetings seem to me to belong in the front rank. Many Christian Scientists who attend these meetings regularly, seemingly do not fully apprehend their import, for with due appreciation there would follow full and free participation; and a great many can doubtless recall some meetings where the intervals between the testimonies have been too long and too frequent.

We sometimes hear it said, especially in the smaller centers of population, "I have given my testimony so often that I have nothing interesting to say; I will keep still and let others do the talking," such a one forgetting for the moment that the truth expressed, always heals some form of error. The student of Christian Science, through study and experience, gradually learns to realize that it is not the mere testifying which blesses every listener; it is Truth, divine Principle, expressing itself, and this realization will assist in overcoming the fear of criticism which at times keeps us in our seats when we ought to be giving of our abundance. As Principle has no useless activities, we may know that each testimony helps to meet the problem of some one in the congregation, and our text-book tells us that "whatever blesses one blesses all" (Science and Health, p. 206).

The speakers derive as much good as any one from the testimonies. To the spiritual consciousness, the testimony is not that a human being has been healed of this or that disease or inharmony, but that the truth has overcome its seeming opposite, error. If there should be only twelve Christian Scientists in an audience, and each of them came prepared to give out some experience of the overcoming of error by divine Love, it may be readily seen that such a meeting would not have any long intervals between the testimonies.

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