Article October 24, 1936 Issue

Questions and Answers

CARRIE A. STEVENS

Teachers in Christian Science Sunday Schools may profitably ponder Mrs. Eddy's words in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 61), "Posterity will have the right to demand that Christian Science be stated and demonstrated in its godliness and grandeur,—that however little be taught or learned, that little shall be right."

The Christian Science Sunday School teacher is increasingly grateful, as the work of teaching progresses, for the explicit instructions for teaching given in Article XX of our Church Manual by our dear Leader. First, in accordance with Section 3 of this Article, a firm foundation for Christian culture is laid in "the Ten Commandments (Exodus, 20:3-17), the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13), and its Spiritual Interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy, Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-12)." Upon this foundation is built the superstructure, the Lesson-Sermon. Furthermore, Mrs. Eddy recommends that the next lessons be developed by means of questions and answers on the Quarterly Lessons, thus bringing both teacher and pupil into active co-operation in the study of these Lessons.

In studying the teaching and healing methods of Christ Jesus, we find that he frequently asked questions, not because he needed the information, but because those whom he questioned needed the mental stimulus of those questions. Numerous instances are recorded in the Scriptures where a well-directed question has awakened dormant sensibilities into active interest. Perhaps none is more striking than that given in the Gospel of John (John 21:15-17). Here the Master asks Peter the same question three times. At first, the disciple readily answered the question, but the third time he was grieved, although the question forced itself deep into his now thoroughly awakened consciousness. The subsequent life and works of Peter evidenced the effectiveness of the Master's searching question, "Lovest thou me?"

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