IN THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BIBLE LESSON January 5, 2009 Issue

TO SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

BETH CAREY

TRADITIONALLY, sacrament is any one of a number of formal religious acts that have sacred and spiritual significance.

Sometimes I think of sacrament as a heavy, almost depressing subject because it is so often related to Jesus' crucifixion. But this week's Bible Lesson, titled "Sacrament," is just the opposite. Gladness rings throughout every section.

According to the Golden Text, we are to "serve the Lord with gladness." The Responsive Reading reminds us that God has "girded [us] with gladness." And there's an echo at the Lesson's conclusion that refers to the promised gladness when we leave "false landmarks" behind and take joy in seeing them disappear (Science and Health, p. 324, Section VI, citation 25).