Editorial June 6, 1914 Issue

Church-membership

Annie M. Knott

If applicants for membership in The Mother Church of Christian Science, or in any of its branches, were asked to give their reasons for seeking membership therein, the answer in most cases would be that they desired to get all the good that is possible in this way. Now there is nothing wrong with this mental attitude, but very few appreciate the fact that the privileges of our churches are free to all,—the Sunday services, the Wednesday evening meetings, the reading-rooms, where those who choose may study the literature without charge, also the lectures, where all inquirers are made welcome. It is not necessary to be a member of a Christian Science church in order to have access to all these blessings.

Here it may be asked whether there are not some other things which are the special privilege of the members of our churches, and to this an affirmative answer may be given. To receive blessings is good, but we have it on the authority of Christ Jesus that there is something even better. He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," and this may well be applied to church-membership in Christian Science. When inquirers after truth begin to desire citizenship in the kingdom of God, they should examine themselves as to their fitness therefor. The mother of James and John came to our Master with a request that her two sons might be accorded the highest places in this kingdom, and to this Jesus made response by asking them if they were able to drink of his cup and be baptized with his baptism. He even said, "Ye know not what ye ask;" but he also gave assurance that they would be privileged to share his cup and partake of his baptism, with all that this implies. As for the high honors which they craved, these must come in God's own way and time.

Those who aspire to membership in the Christian Science church should go deep down into their own consciousness, to find whether they really desire to achieve the greater blessedness of giving themselves and all they possess for the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth, with its healing ministry as instituted by the Master himself. Our revered Leader says (Science and Health, p. 55): "Whosoever layeth his earthly all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ's cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing." This is unmistakable, and it is a test which each member should apply to himself. At the very start of our membership we have the privilege of helping to provide the bread of Truth which is to feed the hungry, and if this brings down upon us even the fiercest condemnation of mortal mind, we must take it meekly and rejoice that we are counted worthy to drink of our Master's cup.

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