Article July 17, 1954 Issue

The Lessons—Both Specific and Comprehensive

Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, has carefully safeguarded the Sunday School lessons. First of all she provides in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. XX, Sect. 2) for the teaching of the Scriptures. In the same section she provides for the simplicity of the instruction. And the next section sets forth specific definitions for the first lessons and the next lessons. Since the Scriptural teaching comes within the framework of these lessons, the two By-Laws may be co-ordinated, thus fulfilling the requirements of both sections. It is the elucidation of the Scriptures in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, that makes the Bible our chart of life. These two great volumes are our dual pastor. Hence, a portion of time is not to be set aside in the classes exclusively for Bible teaching.

The first lessons—the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer with its spiritual interpretation given on pages 16 and 17 of Science and Health, and the Beatitudes—are basic. Their great fundamental truths underlie all the teachings of Christian Science. "The divine Principle of the First Commandment," our Leader writes on page 340 of Science and Health, "bases the Science of being, by which man demonstrates health, holiness, and life eternal." The Lord's Prayer, understood in the light of its spiritual interpretation, is adequate to meet every human need. And in the Sermon on the Mount we find the essence of Christian Science. So it is apparent that the first lessons and the next lessons may include anything in Christian Science that the pupils can understand.

In the younger classes Mrs. Eddy's verse entitled "Mother's New Year Gift to the Little Children" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 400) is sometimes assigned for home memorizing and taken up in Sunday School in connection with the first lessons. Also our Leader's hymn "Feed My Sheep" (Poems, p. 14) and other passages from her writings that the children understand and love are frequently used in this way. As an aid to teaching the children about our Leader, "A Child's Life of Mary Baker Eddy" by Ella H. Hay is often recommended to the parents to be read to them at home.

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