Article March 1, 1913 Issue

CHRISTIAN SONG

GEORGE H. KINTER.

So far as we know, all attempts at Christian worship have included Christian song. In Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, he urges them to "be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." In earlier times the singing of psalms comprised a major part of public worship, and now we have the use of ancient and modern religious poetry set to music as an essential part of church services. Our own Hymnal expresses the endeavor to bring into use for the Christian Science services the best that poetry, combined with music, affords.

It will be of interest to Christian Scientists to know of their revered Leader's love of hymn singing, and that it brightened many of her hours. We all know how happy she was in expressing her thought poetically, and that many of her choicest poems have been set to music, especially for use as hymns and solos in our services, Christian song thus rightly and beautifully entering into our worship. All Christian Scientists do not know, however, that Mrs. Eddy was very fond of music, and especially of sacred songs. She frequently indulged herself to the extent of having songs and hymns sung for her in her home, and from the time she settled in the new home at Chestnut Hill, she devoted one room almost exclusively to this purpose. It was her custom every morning, before the daily routine of the household was fully entered into, to have some one of her helpers take a seat at the piano and play and sing for a longer or shorter period, sometimes as much as a full hour being devoted to this helpful, happy exercise. Quite as frequently she would call in all her helpers and ask for singing in concert, usually on these occasions selecting many of the hymns herself.

It is not unlikely that our friends throughout the Christian Science world would be happy to know what were some of the selections which she usually chose. Almost invariably the first hymn called for was the "Communion Doxology," which appears on the first page of the Christian Science Hymnal. Then in turn, and with happy variations, she would ask for others, occasionally one of her own hymns, "O'er Waiting Harpstrings of the Mind," or "Shepherd, Show Me How to Go," and nearly every day, "Mother's Evening Prayer."

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