Upfront August 20, 2012 Issue

A nurturing shepherd

Jeff Ward-Bailey, Staff Editor

I recently discovered that present-day usage of the word pastor has roots in the Bible: specifically in the Hebrew word ro’eh, which describes the feeding of sheep, and the Greek poimēn, which means “shepherd.” I love how the word’s etymology communicates the warm relationship that a pastor has with his or her congregation. And I suspect that by ordaining the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures as the pastor of the Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy was hinting that we can have a relationship with the gospel itself that’s every bit as protecting and nurturing as that between a shepherd and flock.

This issue is all about that relationship: When Christian Scientists make an “appointment” with the pastor, they’re not just flipping pages in hopes that something will jump out. They’re opening themselves up to the healing that comes from hearing God’s messages, communicated in the Bible and explained by Science and Health. Christine Driessen explains in our cover story: “The Word of God found in our pastor speaks to everyone in a language they can understand because it is God speaking to His children in real time, and it is natural for His children to love His message” (p. 4).

Elsewhere in this issue, George Reed explores how the relationship between the pastor—the Bible and Science and Health—and the Readers in a Christian Science church can inspire and uplift a whole congregation (p. 6). And Joyce Posik shares how a “deep dive” into the weekly Bible Lesson on the subject of “Mind” healed her quickly and completely following an accident in a dance class (p. 7). The pastor is comforting and ministering to each of us!

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