Article August 21, 1948 Issue

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE AND YOUR VOICE

ROBERT LAWRENCE WEER

The world-wide activities of the Christian Science organization require the capable and devoted service of all its members. All these need to use their voices in carrying out their duties as Readers, board members, lecturers, committee chairmen, Sunday School superintendents and teachers, soloists, practitioners, radio-casters, and that ever-growing army of grateful ones who testify at mid-week testimony meetings. Their voices should be pleasing and possess sufficient power to be heard distinctly.

Many valuable testimonies of Christian Science healing are never heard, except by those sitting quite near to the speaker; and sometimes reports are read at church business meetings in such weak voices that a majority of those present have little idea of what it is all about. This should not, and need not, be. A spiritual understanding of what voice really is, coupled with a willingness to take human footsteps, if necessary, to acquire adequate vocal power, will prove any seeming lack of voice to be but another lie of mortal mind.

Occasionally church members decline appointments to certain church offices because of insufficient voice. Another excuse for declining is phrased in some such way as this: "I am unable to express myself before people." Such arguments of "your adversary the devil" (I Pet. 5:8) are nothing new. Moses went through a similar experience. When he was selected of God to lead the children of Israel out of captivity, he offered excuse after excuse as to why he thought he was not qualified for the task. His main arguments were that he was not "eloquent," and that he was "slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." But God said unto him: "Who hath made man's mouth? ... Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Ex. 4:10–12). Moses finally accepted, and God's promise to him was abundantly fulfilled throughout the long years of his devoted service.

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