Article October 30, 1926 Issue

The Lesson-Sermon

EDWARD L. REYNOLDS

Loyal Christian Scientists have unending cause for gratitude in the fact that Mrs. Eddy foresaw and forearmed them against the effort which so-called mortal mind would make to elaborate and alter her revelation of Truth. There is to-day great occasion for rejoicing that she so completely guarded the Cause of Christian Science against these attempts of the human mind to glorify itself.

Of the several means of protection which have been thus provided, there comes to thought the important provision concerning the Lesson-Sermons in Christian Science churches, to the effect that they shall consist only of readings from our textbooks, the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." And the Explanatory Note, which is found on the fourth page of the Christian Science Quarterly, and which is read each Sunday before the Lesson-Sermon, is a very definite statement of truth, and an essential part of the service. It is as follows: "The Bible and the Christian Science textbook are our only preachers. We shall now read Scriptural texts, and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook; these comprise our sermon. The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized."

This statement is so indispensable that alert Christian Scientists listen intently to it each time it is read, realizing that it is intended to lead human consciousness from limited, uncertain beliefs to the absolute truth contained in the Lesson-Sermon. It may therefore be readily seen why the First Reader so earnestly reads this Explanatory Note, and why the congregation so diligently attends to it, neither of them falling into the error of considering the reading a mere routine repetition of a familiar and therefore uninspiring message.

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