Article September 19, 1936 Issue

"And a little child shall lead them"

EARLE E. BRUCK

In an office, which as usual was quite busy, another telephone call had come through. It was from the clerk of the local Christian Science church, giving the information that a certain student had been appointed a teacher in the Sunday school. Acceptance of the appointment was given, but only after a quick and intensive self-examination. Still these questions remained in the student's mind: Was he fitted for the task? Was he worthy of it?

During the intervening days much mental house cleaning was done. Never before had the need for more consecrated study of the weekly Lesson-Sermon been quite so apparent. Never before had the desire been so keen for strong and sure and accurate preparation. How intensely was the Manual read, containing the words of counsel of our beloved Leader, as to what is proper to teach in our Sunday schools! Reference books were consulted, and Concordances brought forth so as to bring new and interesting light to bear on the Bible stories as they appear in our Lesson-Sermons.

One Sunday morning several years later, as this student stood and held the door open leading to the Sunday school assembly room, so that a group of small children might enter, he was struck by the happy looks on their faces, and their childlike earnestness. The grave responsibility which was to be his for the next hour was then clearly conveyed to his consciousness. He stood there silently praying that he be purified, strengthened, uplifted, so that he might approach the task at hand with a clarified thought, a more patient forbearance, and a stronger spiritual insight. In this state of true desire the realization seemed so clearly defined that for the next hour there would be placed in his charge a group of young children ready for impressions, either right impressions or wrong ones. This realization brought definitely to mind that old expression, "As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined." What need for divine guidance!

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