Editorial July 17, 1948 Issue

THE "BANQUET OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE"

John Randall Dunn

In the early days of our movement, the testimony meetings now held on Wednesdays convened on Friday evenings. In a letter to The Mother Church, the beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, set forth a message of helpfulness which should be an inspiration for our testimony gatherings for all time to come. The letter will be found in her "Miscellaneous Writings" on pages 148 and 149. After expressing her desire that there should be no moneyed contributions at these meetings, she wrote, "Let the invitation to this sweet converse be in the words of the prophet Isaiah: 'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.'"

Then she continues: "Invite all cordially and freely to this banquet of Christian Science, this feast and flow of Soul. Ask them to bring what they possess of love and light to help leaven your loaf and replenish your scanty store."

Would it not be well for all Christian Scientists setting forth to attend a Wednesday testimony meeting to bear in mind their Leader's designation of this gathering— a "banquet of Christian Science"? And who are the hosts and hostesses? Are they other than the members of the church whose doors are thrown open to the public? This being the case, do the hosts and hostesses go to the feasts empty-handed, giving no thought to the spiritual food which is to be served? Do they, Wednesday after Wednesday, settle themselves comfortably and wait to be fed as do the guests?

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