Article November 14, 1936 Issue

Our Sunday School

ROBERT ELLIS KEY

"Never give the children stale bread," is a remark once made by an experienced worker when speaking of the instruction to be given in a Christian Science Sunday School.

There is much to ponder in that admonition. In this work the pupils are being taught how to partake of the bread of Truth, and it is important that this instruction be presented to them in an interesting way. In a Sunday school class, teacher and pupil share not only the bread, but the milk and the fruit of spiritual reality. Our material diet is to some extent varied from day to day. We should not care to eat only one kind of food while others also are available. So can we vary the instruction given in the Sunday school. There are many forms of spiritual nourishment, and we can and ought to instruct the children how to partake of the bread of Truth, the water of Life, the fruit of the Spirit, the wine of inspiration and the milk of human kindness. All these have their place in the meal which teacher and pupil share in the Christian Science Sunday School. Inspiration must be sought from God, and we must be careful to lead the children along with us through inspiration. The fact that the teacher has gained much inspiration does not always mean that he is capable of readily imparting what he has discerned of the truth, or that the pupils are capable of receiving it at once. Watchfulness will show the teacher how far they are ready to go; and if they do not readily follow, he must return and lead them on by gradual stages.

We must make sure that our pupils are being encouraged to apply their understanding of the spiritual truth we impart; and if they do not appear to do so, perhaps we as teachers are aiming too low or too high to hit the mark of their present experience.

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