IN THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BIBLE LESSON July 7, 2008 Issue

WHY WE BOW BEFORE CHRIST

BETH CAREY

THIS WEEK'S Christian Science Bible Lesson titled "Sacrament" urges going beyond the traditional concept of the sacraments as physical acts of worship—as outward signs of an inward grace—to a more spiritual worship and its cleansing effect in our lives.

Although sacraments are observed in a variety of ways in Christian churces, the word sacrament doesn't appear in the Bible. In this Lesson's Section III, Science and Health explains the term's origin: "In ancient Rome a soldier was required to swear allegiance to his general. The Latin word for this oath was sacramentum, and our English word sacrament is derived from it" (p. 32, citation 12).

Baptism was one of the first sacraments celebrated by early Christians. Jesus' words to John the Baptist summarize his thought regarding his own baptism: "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15, Sect. I, cit. 3). Mary Baker Eddy took the concept of baptism deeper, focusing on its spiritual significance as "purification by Spirit; submergence in Spirit" (Science and Health, p. 581, cit. 2).