Wait a minute! Before you turn the page thinking, "Well, this certainly doesn't apply to me," read on a little farther. You may not consider yourself a writer now, but it's possible you do have something to contribute. You may have some practical, provable metaphysical insights tucked away that could bless others who are striving to grow spiritually.

What does it take for a member of The Mother Church to share healing truths in print? Here are a few things.

First, we need love—for God, our Father Mind, and for man as Mind's expression. Mrs. Eddy explains: "Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching. Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action." ^{Science and Health, p. 454.}

If we've been healed through prayer in Christian Science or helped others to be healed, we've felt the tender, ministering presence of divine Love and reflected it in some degree. What we do in writing, then, is to extend that Christlike love, which Christ Jesus exemplified, to readers we may never know personally. Universal Love impels us to declare the truth beyond ourselves and our immediate circle to receptive hearts worldwide.

Second, we need experience in living the teachings of Christian Science. Writing is strongest when it flows from experience. What we've actually demonstrated of the power of Christ, Truth, we can communicate with conviction.

If we stop a moment and look at our lives, we may find we're living—proving—more of divine Science than we realized. As we faithfully study the Lesson-Sermon from the Christian Science Quarterly and draw on the Word of God for spiritual sustenance, we may find our lives fairly bursting with evidence of the Christ in action.

When the writing is illustrated with examples from God-centered lives, it will be lively, interesting, and well grounded. It can help others gain more experience in practicing the healing Christ Science.

Third, writing for our periodicals takes inspiration. It's not enough merely to plunge ahead to share what we think is a great idea. We need the impulsion that comes from on high. The best metaphysical writing flows from prayer-filled consciousness. It comes from thought communing with God, listening for Mind's unfolding ideas, and responding to the influx of revelation from "the Father of lights." ^{James 1:17.}

Isn't this the Christ being manifested in our expression of truth? It's Immanuel, "God with us," impelling the sharing of ideas freely, fully, beautifully.

Without inspiration we may express concepts accurately, but with inspiration's spiritual vitality our writing speaks to the spiritual sense in our readers.

Fourth, writing on metaphysical subjects requires skill, or practical ability. We may feel that we are already well qualified in this area or perhaps that we sorely lack any ability. Either way, our writing is benefited by our remembering that ability in any good endeavor is God-derived. Increased skill comes as we utilize the abundant moral and spiritual qualities derived from divine Mind—such as intelligence, discernment, diligence, confidence, courage, and creativity. Whether or not we think we have a special talent for writing, we can all improve our ability to communicate spiritual ideas in written form.

A practical tool has already been given us by The Christian Science Publishing Society in this regard. It's the short pamphlet "Your guide to writing for the periodicals." ^{For a copy of the pamphlet, please write to: The Christian Science Publishing Society; Journal, Sentinel, and Herald Editorial Department; One Norway Street; Boston, MA, U.S.A. 021 15 .} And it's packed with useful hints to get us started in formulating and refining ideas. Also, it shows the necessary elements that a clear and healing article needs to include.

Here's an interesting question. If we have all these essentials —if we're members of The Mother Church who cultivate love for God and man, gather in the harvest from our living of Christian Science, feel the inspiration of Soul, and improve our writing skills, will our writing necessarily succeed? Will we find one of our articles or testimonies accepted for publication?

Perhaps not without one final ingredient: persistence. Our first efforts may not succeed. But if we're not discouraged—if we sustain our faithful effort—we will progress in our spiritual growth and may well have an article published eventually.

My own experience may be encouraging. When I first began submitting articles to the Publishing Society—with the highest of motives and (I thought) adequate skill—the result was not favorable. Back in the mail came a string of rejections, saying essentially, "Thanks, but no thanks." I don't remember now how many manuscripts came back this way, but my collection of rejection notifications grew so large that I tossed them all out one day in disgust.

But still I persisted. You can imagine the joy I felt when gradually my writing merited more interest. Finally, one article was accepted and published. And others followed.

I see now that these years were marked by steady spiritual growth. All along the way I was deepening my love for God and man, gaining experience and discipline in living Christian Science, becoming more inspired, and improving certain writing skills. But it was persistence that allowed this progress to be seen and acknowledged by others.

You, too, can persist. A great company of spiritual thinkers and writers is continuously needed to fill the pages of the Christian Science periodicals with fresh, vibrant, intelligent, creative ideas. Standing by you is this Biblical promise: "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." ^{Isa. 50:4.}

So why not think about it and make a start. Maybe today.