"Prayer is not something we do to convince God to change"

with contributions from Ronald Haynes

The Sentinel, during the lifetime of its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, carried commentary by clergy and other thought leaders in various denominations, on a regular basis—along with articles, testimonies of healing, and editorials by Christian Scientists.

An excerpt from a Protestant publication, quoted in the October 7, 1905, Sentinel, perhaps helps in describing why the periodicals under Mrs. Eddy's direction sought out and quoted so liberally from a broad array of clergy: "Jesus' kingdom is to come as an inner process. It is a leaven ... hid deep in the individual soul. ... It lies there hid in the lump of things until its day comes. Its increase is unmarked of men. ... It is a spark which ignites from mind to mind and spirit to spirit. ... Its dynamic is love."

It's clear that the Sentinel in our Leader's day didn't include the wide-ranging insights and spiritual experiences of others simply because she thought readers might find them interesting or mildly uplifting. Given the Sentinel's purpose, it is clear that she felt they related to what she regarded as the underlying spiritual nature of reality, of God and His spiritual creation—what she termed the Science of Christianity. Signs of Christianity understood and lived—not only by her followers but also by those in other denominations—she welcomed as evidence of the power of Christ at work in individual lives.