The Christian Science Reading Room

JANE G. JENKINS

A MOTHER brought her small daughter to a Christian Science Reading Room for the first time. The child, who had been taught to appreciate the holy purpose of the Reading Room, at once recognized the reflection of Love there, for after the visit she asked her mother to take her again to "God's room." That is exactly what the Reading Room is — "God's room," provided to bless all who come to it.

To those dear once weary and down-trodden, struggling with the burden of material sense and reaching out for a practical and saving understanding of God, the Christian Science Reading Room reiterates the precious invitation of the Christ, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

The revelation of Christian Science, given to the world by Mary Baker Eddy, is complete. In the unfoldment of the Christian Science movement, our Leader saw the necessity of providing Truth-guarded channels for sharing her revelation with the world, so that the seeker might partake of God's Word in its purity. So it was that she was divinely guided to make provision for the establishing of Christian Science Reading Rooms, in the By-Law in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. XXI, Sect. 1), which reads: "Each church of the Christian Science denomination shall have a Reading Room, though two or more churches may unite in having Reading Rooms, provided these rooms are well located."

The Christian Science Reading Room helps to show how wide was the scope of our dear Leader's vision. All over the world where there are Christian Science churches there are to be found these oases of love and spiritual refreshment. In the larger cities there may be several Reading Rooms, according to the need.

The purpose of the Reading Room is to bless all who come to it for love, inspiration, comfort, and renewed assurance. For the friendless and, yes, for the homeless, the Reading Rooms are constantly found offering the sweet, cordial friendliness and hospitality of the Christ.

Since the Reading Rooms are provided for by Churches of Christ, Scientist, they have a close connection with the church, and often one who has found his way into a Reading Room becomes interested in Christian Science and attends the church. It has been aptly said that Christian Science Reading Rooms are signposts to the Christian Science movement.

Attendants in charge of these Reading Rooms strive to exemplify the spiritual qualifications of love, wisdom, graciousness, understanding of the truth, patience, and an uplifting sense of joy, while at work in this blessed department of service in the Christian Science movement.

The Christian Science Reading Room can be happily likened to a great shade tree, spreading its kindly branches, generously giving gracious shelter to the weary and heavyladen, even as Jeremiah declares of one "that "trusteth in the Lord," "He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, . . . and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

One worker in a large Reading Room has many times witnessed the coming of those suffering from storm-tossed thoughts about some unsolved problem, and has had the joy of seeing them go on their way with the new light of hope and inspiration gained from the understanding of divine Love tenderly spreading forth its branches of comfort and healing.

On one occasion a stranger who, greatly discouraged and as a last hope, visited a Reading Room for the first time sought and found some understanding of God's allness and love. He began to drink in the rich promises of God's great goodness, and new hope welled up in him. He saw for the first time the real nature of true riches, and that instead of having lost them, he was in fact just beginning to find them; and he became a regular and happy visitor to this Reading Room.

In these sanctuaries, great numbers of men and women are daily proving for themselves that divine Love does not know evil of any kind. They come believing in various phases of erroneous beliefs; and in the sweet, uplifting benediction of His presence, understood, does each one realize that the problems were never real after all. They offered the opportunities to demonstrate a closer unity with the Giver of all good, thus expressing the thought in a loved hymn,

"I'll drop my burden at His feet, And bear a song away."

Not infrequently is the librarian called upon to explain some metaphysical point; and what a blessing it is to the inquirer to be lovingly turned to the Bible, the Christian Science textbook and Mrs. Eddy's other writings, and told that God is ever present, revealing Himself to all who seek Him. Many wonderful healings have resulted through the declaration and the acceptance of this truth.

All over the world multitudes of seekers for Truth are daily expressing their gratitude to God for the sacred hospitality of these Reading Rooms.

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