Article December 19, 1931 Issue

Our Christmas Services

VALERIE E. CANT

Christmas Day had passed when a very young student of Christian Science entered a Christian Science Reading Room. Sadly she expressed a wish that Christian Science churches had held Christmas services. She then received an answer which opened up new channels of thought not only for her, but also for the writer, another beginner in the study of Christian Science, who had wished the same thing, to whom the incident was related. The answer was laughingly given, "You get a Christmas service every Wednesday, and now you want another!" The writer was puzzled at this description given to the Wednesday evening testimony meetings, and because she was puzzled, thought much upon this subject until progress in the understanding of Christian Science explained this glorious fact: December 25 commemorates the birth of the human Jesus; Christian Science reveals the ever appearing of Christ which our church services commemorate the whole year round.

At the time of this incident the writer was taking offense at the testimony meetings. Christian Science had come to her as a great truth, but up to that time she had not experienced healing; nor did she understanding healing in Christian Science. She thought she saw in the testimony meetings nothing but an advertising scheme for the denomination; but with the dawning of the Christ in her consciousness these Wednesday evening meetings became the most joyous of true Christmas gatherings, and the once disliked testimonies, precious Christmas gifts.

The very purpose of the Christian Science church is to commemorate the real Christmas, for it is recorded that in April, 1879, at a meeting of the Christian Science Association, it was voted, on motion of Mrs. Eddy, "To organize a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing" (Church Manual, p. 17).

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