Editorial December 6, 1947 Issue

THE PRACTITIONER'S SACRED MINISTRY

John Randall Dunn

As recorded in Dr. Lyman P. Powell's book, "Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait" (p. 322), our beloved Leader in a letter to one of her early students, Mr. James A. Neal, thus gave her concept of the sacred ministry of the Christian Science practitioner: "A real scientific Healer is the highest position attainable in this sphere of being. Its altitude is far above a Teacher or preacher; it includes all that is divinely high and holy."

Was not Mrs. Eddy re-echoing the great Nazarene's estimate of the important work of the Christian healer In the ninth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, verses 36 to 38, we read that when Christ Jesus "saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Then the Master made the following significant statement: "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

Truly there is no grander profession, no nobler career among men, than the calling of him whose life is dedicated to the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom and to the spiritual healing of the sick. When the thought of the student is first touched by Truth through reading Mrs. Eddy's textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," is there not invariably born a desire to prove for himself that the healing enjoined by Jesus is possible for his followers today? And where is the person whose heart is not thrilled when he first demonstrates the power of Truth to silence some argument of sickness, sin, or inharmony? Such a one can appreciate the joy of the little child, newly taught of the truth that makes free, who rushed in to his mother after overcoming some error, shouting, "Mommy, it works!"

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