Editorial August 2, 1913 Issue

DIVINE SERVICE

Archibald McLellan

The need for daily and hourly doing of deeds of Christianity, rather than simply putting on a religious habit for set occasions, is emphasized by Mrs. Eddy on page 40 of Science and Health, where she writes, "Our heavenly Father, divine Love, demands that all men should follow the example of our Master and his apostles and not merely worship his personality. It is sad that the phrase divine service has come so generally to mean public worship instead of daily deeds." This is in line with the announcement that the Master made of his mission: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." In other words, consecration to the service of God meant service to mankind, the ministry of Love.

Christian Science teaches that one must prove, "through living as well as healing and teaching, that Christ's way is the only one by which mortals are radically saved from sin and sickness" (Science and Health, p. 458). The life of a Christian Scientist, therefore, is one which does not permit him to lay aside the moral code with his Sunday clothes, in favor of a business code which is more or less inconsistent with the golden rule. To a Christian Scientist, divine service means the doing of the will of the Father in all things and at all times, the reflection of divine Love, the manifestation of Truth, in all that is said and done. It means the practical application of the golden rule, the testing of every thought and act in relation to one's brother by the touchstone, Is it what I would have him think of me? Is this what I would like him to do to me? Surely the millennium would not be long delayed if every professed follower of Christ were to practise this rule. Yet it is only by such consistent and persistent exemplification of this rule of living that we may dare to hope to attain to the demonstration of that greater command, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

We sometimes forget that our Master reminded his followers, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," and waste our time in longing for the opportunity to do some great service for the cause, instead of cheerfully and willingly doing the lesser duty that lies close at hand. Yet if in our daily living we are exemplifying the teachings of Christian Science, proving the faith that is in us by our words and deeds, we are doing our part in God's great plan for the redemption of mankind. Our example, our influence, may carry greater weight with our neighbors and friends than we realize, and there is no community so small or so isolated that there is not an opportunity for a loving word, a kindly act,—a cup of cold water in the name of the Master, a seed of the truth sown that may harvest an hundredfold.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

GROWTH AN AWAKENING