Article December 9, 1939 Issue

Preparation for Sunday School Teaching

LYMAN S. ABBOTT

TEACHING in Sunday school is one of the highly important posts in which Christian Scientists must serve. Adequate preparation for this work is therefore necessary, and should be given earnest and prayerful consideration.

Preparation for Sunday school teaching may be said to fall into two parts, the metaphysical and the scholastic. With the alert student, metaphysical preparation is going on all the time, and forms a part of his daily work for the Cause of Christian Science. Do we sometimes have a sense of being unable to work clearly for our Sunday school? Let us then echo the prayer of the Psalmist in the 119th Psalm, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," and, "Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments." Let us declare that in reflecting divine intelligence we are receptive of divine direction, and are being guided into the right preparation for our work as Sunday school teachers; that wisdom and understanding are unfolding in our consciousness; that we are receptive of and responsive to the truth; that no discord, inattention, or indifference can interfere with, interrupt, or impede the activity of good in our Sunday school; that God's Word is going forth, and cannot return unto Him void.

Scholastic preparation includes an understanding of the requirements of Article XX of the Manual of The Mother Church. Here we are told (Sect. 3), "The first lessons of the children should be the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17), the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:19-13), and its Spiritual Interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy, Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-12)." It should not be difficult to carry out these instructions in the primary classes. In these classes, the little ones as a rule are eager to commit to memory the Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Lord's Prayer, and the understanding teacher will encourage this part of the work. However, we need to remember that we may add much of interest and secure better attention if the spiritual meaning of each commandment and beatitude is emphasized, and illustrated by lessons from the parables, stories, or incidents recorded in the Bible. Occasionally some personal experience of the teacher or of a pupil may prove useful in bringing home a lesson.

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