"Speak out, O soul!"

DAISY CYNTHIA WOOD

When Soul speaks, through spiritual sense, the utterance is always clear, distinct, and convincing. The inward voice, the spiritual intuition, comes to us as mental impression. To give it outward expression is to define it in articulate speech or beneficent action. Animals make sounds doubtless understandable to their own kind, but the progressive refinement in the ascending scale of intelligence is the enunciated, articulated speech of the human. Then how Soul-inspired and pure should be the gift of speech! Nothing should escape one's lips that is not God-sanctioned if one's constant prayer is (Ps. 51:15), "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise."

How attractive, winsome, beautiful, is pure speech! How definite, intelligent enunciation arrests attention and awakens the thought of the listeners! When God gives a message to the receptive thought, He provides the ability to express it in audible, understandable speech. Though one may not be thoroughly acquainted with a language, the utterance which is Love-governed and given with the motive to bless and share, will reach and uplift the heart. The most helpful way for one who is speaking to an individual, or to thousands, to show his loving consideration for them, is by knowing that God expresses His Word to all in purity, distinctness, and beauty. Volume of tone is attained without effort when thought is filled with the affluence of love reaching out to bless.

Sometimes one who is not awake to the mesmerism of habit or contagion falls into errors of speech or delivery. This can be checked by recognizing the law of Soul's perfection, and its control of every detail of our experience. Our Leader was keenly alert regarding proper verbal utterance. We have her sense of it in "We Knew Mary Baker Eddy," where she is quoted as saying (p. 79): "Speak up! When you speak so you cannot be heard, you virtually say, 'I have nothing worthy of saying.'"

In speech, as in all ways, Jesus is our Way-shower. His standard is perfection; such must be ours. One so motivated will never defile the gift of speech and never lapse into slovenly diction or vulgar expressions.

When gratitude for Christian Science fills our consciousness, we must needs articulate its praise. When those giving testimonies in our churches at the Wednesday meetings are inspired by the holy purpose to bless, the presentation of their messages will be effective and effortless. The outward expression of inward joy should surely be received without stress or strain on the listeners' part. Muffled, indistinct speech is not a fit instrument for the free outpouring of the words of truth. Beyond all timidity and fear should ring out the glad word glorifying God. The Master said (Matt. 24:31), "He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

How many hungry hearts are seeking and waiting for the message of cheer, of encouragement, of positive demonstration! How vital that we manifest Love in loving-kindness, generosity, and courtesy, and that our speech be clear, vivid, and inspired! We are admonished (Ps. 66:8), "O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard." All attending our testimony meetings have the opportunity of obeying this instruction in reciprocal giving and receiving. The all-inclusiveness of Soul reflected in its ideas leaves no vacuums, no separation, and is demonstrated in the degree we understand the unity, completeness, and oneness of Spirit and man's continuing sense of spiritual receptivity.

When Readers in our churches go on the platform with humble, prayerful eagerness to share the messages of Truth with the congregation, they do their part to institute a joyous mutuality. Realizing their holy privilege, they will utilize this sacred opportunity of reading the Word of God from the Bible and from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy with such clarity and spiritual responsiveness that healing will result spontaneously and God will be glorified. This same exalted spiritual sense radiating through all the messages that are given at church or committee meetings should herald the Christ-appearing.

All church activities afford the student of Christian Science opportunities for deeper consecration and an abiding realization of the immutable unity of God and man. With the singing heart of true humility he may respond to our Leader's instruction (Pulpit and Press, pp. 10, 11): "Speak out, O soul! This is the new-born of Spirit, this is His redeemed; this, His beloved. May the kingdom of God within you,—with you alway,—reascending, bear you outward, upward, heavenward."

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The Eye of the Beholder

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