Article November 16, 1963 Issue

Teaching Ability Gained Through Divine Guidance

[From a teacher in a branch church Sunday School]

A rewarding opportunity awaits the church member who becomes a Sunday School teacher. But a member may feel uncertain whether he is qualified; or if he is teaching, he may sometimes wonder whether he is really meeting the needs of his pupils. Such doubt or hesitation is not likely to arise if it is clearly seen that the teaching ability is not a personal gift possessed by some and not by others any more than health, honesty, or goodness is reflected by some and not by all. When it is seen that in reality all reflect God, the one Mind, the one source of all intelligence, then this activity will be joyously entered into.

A merely intellectual approach to Christian Science is not sufficient. Thus a teacher must be willing to face these questions: Have I the spiritual sense of Truth sufficient to demonstrate its healing power in my own experience and to be able to help others in some measure also? Do I feel a sense of love toward all and a real desire to share the truth with all mankind?

If these questions are honestly answered in the affirmative, then the church member may indeed fearlessly enter into this holy activity, joyously sharing what he is learning of infinite good. If he is daily, hourly, praying for more light or understanding, if he is obediently seeking guidance and following God's direction, he will never lack freshness and inspiration. No two teachers are at the same stage of spiritual growth and experience. Through prayerful study each receives individual inspiration and meaning from the Scriptures. Through the infinite variety and scope of what both teacher and pupil glimpse of Truth and its application to human needs, the beauty of individually reflected spiritual sense comes into focus and is expressed in the Sunday School work.

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