Article October 14, 1922 Issue

Over Twenty

HATTIE JOHNSON BONNELL

At a time when one student of Christian Science was earnestly seeking more light in order to be a better reflection of the Christ, Truth, in the Sunday school work of a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, a young friend, who had for many years been a pupil in a Christian Science Sunday School, appealed for help in the working out of a problem. In helping this friend so much good unfolded that the writer wishes to take advantage of the opportunity the periodicals give us to broadcast good over the land.

In doing the work, a careful study of the Manual of The Mother Church, as it relates to Sunday school work, was taken up, and attention was attracted and held to these words from Article XX, Section 1: "No pupil shall remain in the Sunday School of any Church of Christ, Scientist, after reaching the age of twenty." It was recalled that this young friend, who had but recently reached the age of twenty, had been obedient to this charge of our Leader. The above words remained fixed in thought, however; and a careful study of the whole section only served to make it clearer that the problem in hand demanded the application of that particular part of the section above quoted. Use of it was made, and its availability evidenced immediate unfoldment, thus again proving the truth of Mrs. Eddy'd words in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 504), "The rays of infinite Truth, when gathered into the focus of ideas, bring light instantaneously."

It was seen that while this By-law had been obeyed up to the fullest understanding of its meaning, that very fact brought more light as to its great value. It now was plain that there should be the same readiness to recognize the fact that our twenty-year-old friends have passed a definite stage in their progress; and that we all, as Christian Scientists, must consciously acknowledge this at the same time that we render loving obedience to our Leader's wise direction that they do not remain in our Sunday schools after reaching that age. By this conscious recognition of their careful preparation for the next step we will thus do away with any lurking errors of regret at their leaving the Sunday school. It was also seen that we, and they, must recognize in our daily associations that more of the "childish" has been put off and more of the "man" put on, in keeping with Paul's admonition, as given in I Corinthians: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought [Rev. Ver., reasoned] as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." We may well render a fuller obedience to the spirit of this By-law, which surely means giving due credit for much understanding of Truth gained through years of faithful Sunday school work on the part of both pupils and teachers, as well as church officers, if we take into full account the fact of this step, and consider its significance in each particular instance.

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