The altitude of modern youth toward Sunday School attendance differs little from that of the young people of yesteryears. As a general rule, the Sunday School pupil who has found a teacher that loves and understands the youthful thought needs little urging to appear regularly at his classes. In a letter to The Christian Science Board of Lectureship our inspired and inspiring Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, writes (The First Church of Christ. Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 248). "Spiritual heroes and prophets are they whose new-old birthright is to put an end to falsities in a wise way and to proclaim Truth so winningly that an honest, fervid affection for the race is found adequate for the emancipation of the race."

While these words of loving counsel were directed to the lecturers, they can be taken to heart by practitioners, nurses. Sunday School teachers, and all workers in our great movement. It is indeed not only the privilege but the duty of everyone who calls himself a Christian Scientist to proclaim winningly by thought, word, and example the Christ, Truth, which comes with healing in its wings. If one feels that he is not a winning missionary in this sacred work, he may with profit ponder the apostle's injunction (II Tim. 2: 15). "Study to shew thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Christ Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew from their fishing nets and promised to make them fishers of men. What nobler ambition can the student of Christian Science have than to be a wise, winning fisher of men—"a workman that needeth not to be ashamed"! Now an intelligent fisherman studies the habitats as well as the habits of fish. He looks well to his bait. With wisdom and quietude he approaches the stream or lake where he intends to operate. He will not wittingly do anything to frighten the fish, for his task is always to attract, and not to repel.

Should we not approach work in the Sunday School feeling that here is afforded an unparalleled opportunity to become true Christian fishers of men? First, are we learning to go where the fish are? Do we know some of the problems our young people are facing? Note how quickly they respond to the overtures of a loving and understanding heart. And when the teacher uses the bait of spiritual perception—in other words, the recognition of man as not callow youth, nor existing at the standpoint of immaturity, but always Mind's intelligent expression—behold the success of the fisherman.

Does some discouraged teacher say that the pupils in his class are listless, inattentive, and apparently uninterested in the Lessons? Here unquestionably our fisherman must look to his bait. Should he not pray for the grace and wisdom which will be manifested in "a word fitly spoken," which Solomon says is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Prov. 25:11)? Here the Bible reverts to the picturesque imagery of the East; and does not this hint the wisdom of teaching through symbols and apt illustrations? Nothing is more valuable in an effort to drive home a metaphysical point than a story or a simile. Think how potent have been the parables of the Nazarene these many centuries to illustrate some mighty point. Should not the Sunday School pupils be reminded frequently of this method, and asked how they would apply these lessons to their present problems?

Those who were privileged to study personally with our Leader testify to the remarkable clarity of her teaching. She would, among other things, carefully question her students, encouraging them to tell what God meant to them. Undoubtedly this not only would enable her to gauge their spiritual unfoldment, but would open the door for further questioning. Should not the teachers in our Sunday Schools pattern after this inspirational method of spiritual teaching?

When a pupil asks a question, often times the answer will come from the lips of another in the class if the teacher gives all the pupils the opportunity to ponder the query. After all, the Christ, Truth, is the only teacher, and may not this light shine through the mental windowpane of the pupil as well as through the transparency of the teacher's understanding? Those in Sunday School work cannot be reminded too often that teacher and pupil are together being taught of Mind, the all-wise, all-loving, infinite intelligence, whose idea, man, forever understands, loves, and expresses all that Mind imparts. This precious realization, if protected from the arguments and encroachments of personal sense, must ultimate in nets abundantly filled.

Grand lessons for the Sunday School teacher appear in the twenty-first chapter of John's Gospel. First, we have the picture of the Master standing on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias beholding the empty nets of his discouraged disciples. Tenderly he addresses them, "Children, have ye any meat?" Was he not asking, in other words: "Have your material efforts been successful? Have you been toiling in the darkness of burdened self and sense?"

To the discouraged teacher in the Sunday School today, the same Christ, Truth, speaks. Today, as two thousand years ago, comes the command to cast the nets of endeavor wholly on the side of spiritual truth; and when this is done a false sense of responsibility drops off, and one may exclaim with Job (36:22), "Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?"

Uplifting in consciousness the torch of exalted thought, may we not expect to win back any apathetic or mesmerized young people, and draw to our Sunday Schools new pupils as well? Spirit, Love, is the only attraction. What power has the carnal mind to lure from the joy and good of scientific Christianity the honest seeker after Truth?

John Randall Dunn