Article November 16, 1981 Issue

Ask your pastor— the Lesson-Sermon

THOMAS O. POYSER

Have you consulted recently with your pastor? If you are a student of Christian Science, you probably do so quite regularly! In 1895 Mrs. Eddy appointed the Bible and her book Science and Health as the only pastor of her Church.^{See Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 313-314 .} Thus the student of this Science confers with his pastor whenever he reads or hears read the Bible and Science and Health. For such, God's promise to Jeremiah is fulfilled: "I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."^{Jer. 3:15.}

The inspired teachings of these books nourish the hungering heart with spiritual sustenance that heals and instructs as pastor par excellence. Today, as in 1895, these observations of the Clerk of The Mother Church apply: "The sermons from our new Pastor, the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, ordained by our Pastor Emeritus, the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, are doing incalculable good. Many cases have been reported of persons who, through years of invalidism had become tired of this life, have come to the services in despair, but through the power of the Spirit have been entirely healed of their infirmities, and have gone away praising God."^{Quoted in Clifford P. Smith, Historical Sketches (Boston: The Christian Science Publishing Society, 1941), p. 194 .}

Attendants at Christian Science services the world over have been healed, inspired, and strengthened by this impersonal pastor. Deep pondering of the Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly can increase the student's knowledge of the perfection of God and man and further his demonstration of Truth. The consistent student regularly peruses the Lesson-Sermon and regards it as essential to his own and his church's progress. Mrs. Eddy herself emphasized the Lesson-Sermon's significant role in referring to it as "a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends." She also provided for the Sunday School to use it.^{See Manual of The Mother Church, Art. III, Sect. 1, and Art. XX, Sect. 3.}

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