Items of Interest March 17, 1934 Issue

Items of Interest

How many Readers in Christian Science churches feel that definite responsibility have been placed upon them by Mrs. Eddy's provisions for Readers? We are sure that the answer is "all." And we are sure, too, that Readers generally are convinced that through demonstration they themselves should make the selections of the Scriptural readings, of citations from the Christian Science textbook, of hymns, and of benedictions; in other words, that for these parts of the service they should not use some stereotyped outline worked out by others to whom the responsibilities of making selections have not been assigned. Today many enterprises seem to be conceived, or even launched, which are designed to sae effort on the part of the individual; thus various so-called helps are proffered to the Christian Scientist. This is not wholly new, and the Directors of The Mother Church, consulted from time to time about the issuance of such supposed helps, have discouraged the use of them on the ground that they remove from one a fine opportunity for his own progress.

Readers who inquire of the Directors which dictionaries should be used are referred to any standard dictionary. If the time should come when it is found necessary to define words used in Christian Science literature, no doubt The Mother Church and The Christian Science Publishing Society will sponsor the work. Instead of taking a collection of benedictions made by another, Readers will desire to select for themselves, through prayer and reference to the Bible, suitable benedictions. Instead of accepting Scriptural readings and correlative passages from Science and Health collated by self-appointed assistants, Readers naturally will not wish to be deprived of the benefit and growth resulting from making their own selections and meeting the need of their own particular congregations—a need which could not be met so fully from a spiritual standpoint without the Readers' participation.

A First Reader recently wrote to the Directors: "Had Mrs. Eddy wished Readers to have references listed for Wednesday evenings, she surely would have provided them, and the same holds for Sunday Bible readings. The opportunity with concordances, and without, to choose subjects and selections for Wednesday evenings, and Bible selections for Sundays, has been a joy and has meant growth for me."

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