Article October 18, 1919 Issue

True Worship

STELLA WILKINSON

MANY times young students of Christian Science find themselves eagerly scanning the testimonies of the Christian Science periodicals hoping to find an account of some one who has solved a problem similar to theirs. The demonstration of Jesus at Jacob's well has been an inspiration to the writer, and the study of it has lifted her many times above limitation. Every reader knows the story, but we cannot become too familiar with it. When the Samaritan woman came to draw water out of this well, she found Jesus there resting from his journey. Jesus' conversation with her brought forth remarks which revealed her lack of spiritual understanding. Out of the fullness of his knowledge he agreed with her own statement that she had no husband, and reminded her that she had had five husbands. The woman, startled at his keen perception, adroitly changed the subject, and by her implied question as to where men should worship, evoked an answer from Jesus which instantly lifted him above physical limitation. Gone were the hunger, the thirst, the fatigue, in contemplation of this mighty truth, that "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." His true life, and his true work, that of saving mankind from the density and materiality of which the Samaritan woman's thought was typical, were revealed to him. What a wonderful lesson for us! How the false taskmasters slink away when we flood our thought with the realization that our "meat" is to do the will of God. How the bonds of materialism drop away from us, even as they did from Jesus, when we rise to greet the truth that God is Spirit and all worship of Him must be spiritual.

The rebuke that Jesus gave to the materialistic forms of worship which were expressed in the wordy prayer, hypocritical fasting, and strict observance of the letter of the law, was indeed merited. That pseudo-worship which demanded sacrifice rather than mercy, he could not tolerate. The absurd belief that the worship of God could be confined to any particular place, he dispelled once and forever. He also uncovered the lethargy which would postpone the harvest until a more convenient season. To the clarified vision of Christ Jesus true worship was revealed to be the constant doing of the will of God.

That God is Spirit was also seen to be a mighty truth by Mrs. Eddy, and she used it and its logical conclusion as a climax for that emancipation proclamation which she called the "scientific statement of being," and which is found on page 468 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In it she states: "Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." Centuries elapsed after Jesus gave this fundamental truth to the world before one was found who was fearless and faithful and pure enough to show mankind how this truth must be worked out to its logical conclusion that since God is Spirit, His creation is therefore spiritual. Is it any wonder, then, that Christian Scientists are continually expressing their gratitude for the consecrated life work of Mary Baker Eddy? She has made it possible for them to grasp in some degree the spiritual understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ.

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