Article January 1, 1944 Issue

The Message and the Messenger

M. BERYL BUCKLEY

Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, ordained the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" to be the only pastor of the Church of Christ, Scientist (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 313). She designated that the church services should be conducted by Readers (ibid., p. 314). The Readers then are the representatives of the pastor. Christian Scientists everywhere are grateful to the loyal men and women who accept the all-important task of reading from the sacred pages of the Bible and our textbook.

So important is the message of our Lesson-Sermon that the messenger must be alert to see that the message be not obscured through faulty reading, which can be readily corrected. Reading aloud is an art. Humanly speaking, one's manner of reading is often influenced by environment and association. Bad habits of speech can be corrected by learning how, and being willing, to replace the wrong method with the right.

The instrument of vocal expression is the voice; therefore diction and all that pertains to beauty and clarity of speech are important. A musician, whether he be a vocalist or an instrumentalist, must understand his instrument and know how to obtain from it the best results. He knows that there are certain laws of technique which he must master if he would produce beautiful tone. If the instrument is out of tune, the attention of listeners is directed from the music to the instrument.

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