Bible Lessons—flexibility and freshness for today's reader
Christian Scientists so value the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons—the spiritual growth these lessons nurture; the insights into the nature of reality they provide; the spiritual truths they contain that heal problems related to health, business, finances, relationships, and much more—that it’s hard to imagine being without them.
In the early days of the movement, however, there were no such Bible lessons comprised of passages from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Church of Christ, Scientist, Founder, Mary Baker Eddy. The lessons developed over a decade or so.
In 1888, The Christian Science Journal published lessons that were essentially commentaries on the interdenominational International Series Sunday School lessons, which focused on Bible literacy. In 1890, a separate magazine published lessons that included Bible references from the Series as well as explanations and citations from Science and Health chosen by the Bible Lesson Committee. The first lessons containing solely passages from the Bible and Science and Health, selected by the Committee, appeared in July 1898. The 26 Bible Lesson subjects known today also appeared at that time, focusing on the Christian metaphysics that Christian Science presents as nothing else does.
Eddy gave the Bible Lesson Committee few instructions. Except for the subjects and for citations coming from the Bible and Science and Health, no format was specified. With this flexibility, the Committee configured lessons to best present spiritual concepts, which often don’t conform to standard human approaches. This resulted in lessons that had varied forms. For instance, one had only eight citations from the Bible—but another a month later had 27! Conveying the spiritual import of the Scriptures clearly took precedence over the number of citations or sections.
After Eddy’s passing, the Bible Lesson Committee adopted some strictures; for example, lessons would have six sections and no more than 24 Bible and 30 Science and Health citations. This decision was fine for the time, but Eddy didn’t dictate it or the structure it put in place.
More recently, the Bible Lesson Committee has returned to the flexibility of Eddy’s day. Now, Golden Texts and Responsive Readings may come from more than one book of the Bible; there can be more than 24 Bible and 30 Science and Health citations and more—or fewer—than six sections. Some lessons are longer, some shorter, as during Eddy’s life, when the overall length varied greatly. The Committee is free to follow divine inspiration, with each lesson’s ideas taking precedence over the form.
In coming months, Christian Scientists will find a little more variation in lesson length, particularly toward the shorter side. Like the Bible Lesson Committee, we’re all invited to think in new ways about the purpose of the lessons and how they can meet today’s needs for a world that includes long-time Christian Scientists and people just finding out about Christian Science.
The Bible lessons and the people who use them are two vital components advancing the mission of the Church of Christ, Scientist. With this combination, the Church can be found, as Eddy wrote in the Church Manual, “healing and saving the world from sin and death;” and reflecting “in some degree the Church Universal and Triumphant” (p. 19 ).
