Article May 1, 1989 Issue

An invitation to be blessed

Jesus' disciples needed quiet times—and places—for prayer. People today do too.

Virginia J. Wood

Are there any of us who haven't longed for quiet moments to regain spiritual strength to go forward with our lives? Christ Jesus' disciples were so busy at one time that as the Bible tells us, "they had no leisure so much as to eat." With utmost compassion their Master urged them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while."^{Mark 6:31.} Those who staff Christian Science Reading Rooms graciously uphold that ongoing invitation of the Christ: "Come ye ... and rest a while."

Who uses these Reading Rooms, anyway? People of all ages and races, from all walks of life, from every religious denomination or with no religious affiliation come to browse, read, pray. Shoppers, shopkeepers, and office workers come. Business men and women are frequent visitors during their lunch hour. High-school school and college students, teachers and professors, drop in for moral and spiritual insight. The Reading Rooms also embrace the tourist and traveler, who often regard them as "a home away from home." All are welcome.

Reading Rooms are provided for the public by the membership of Christian Science churches in local communities around the world. In addition to being a store where Christian Science literature, Bibles, and other reference materials can be purchased or borrowed, the Reading Room could even be considered as a public office for the Church's impersonal pastor, which consists of the Bible and the denomination's textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Visitors have the opportunity to seek spiritual counsel and guidance from this "pastor" in the Reading Room's study area.

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An invitation to be blessed

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