Article May 23, 1942 Issue

Christian Science College Organizations

J. BUROUGHS STOKES

Christian Science college organizations, which were provided for by Mary Baker Eddy in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. XXIII, Sect. 8), are now established in seventy-six colleges and universities.

The college student who is also a student of Christian Science turns with joy to such an organization, wherein the practical spiritual truths about God, man, and the universe are recognized, proclaimed, and applied. The student realizes that in attending the meetings he will learn more of Christian Science, and thus he aided in finding a solution to his problem, be it academic, social, or physical. These meetings are held at regular times during the school year, but they do not prevent members from attending the services of Christian Science churches. The organization meeting follows the order of service for the Wednesday evening meetings in Christian Science churches. The readings from the Bible and from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy are selected with much prayerful consideration, and include many encouraging and inspiring passages. The service also includes silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord's Prayer, and the singing of hymns. The meeting is then open for testimonies and remarks on Christian Science.

The testimonies contain many helpful experiences. Students sometimes tell of the healing of fear during final examinations through the realization that God, Mind, is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient, and that God's child reflects divine intelligence. Calmness, serenity, and courage come as the result of trusting God, and in this way problems are solved and difficult examinations successfully passed. Testimonies of this character at the meetings are helpful and inspiring to the students and prove the truth of Mrs. Eddy's statements on page 128 of Science and Health: "The term Science, properly understood, refers only to the laws of God and to His government of the universe, inclusive of man. From this it follows that business men and cultured scholars have found that Christian Science enhances their endurance and mental powers, enlarges their perception of character, gives them acuteness and comprehensiveness and an ability to exceed their ordinary capacity."

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