“The sunlight glints from the church-dome, glances into the prison-cell, glides into the sick-chamber, brightens the flower, beautifies the landscape, blesses the earth” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 516). When reading this passage recently, I noticed that the sunlight first glints off the church dome, then it goes to the prison cell and to the sick chamber before brightening, beautifying, and blessing the environment. To me, this represents the progress and goodness that Church brings to the world. So what is it about Church that has this effect?

The Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy states, “In Christian Science each branch church shall be distinctly democratic in its government, and no individual, and no other church shall interfere with its affairs” (p. 74). At first glance, it can seem that this By-Law is just talking about how we deal with issues that arise in the day-to-day running of branch Churches of Christ, Scientist. But I’ve discovered that it goes far deeper than that. 

The Christian Science Society of which I am a member has not always been a happy place. But I found my own church experience much happier as I put into practice my highest concept of that By-Law in my interactions with other members. We had all been praying for harmony in our church, and we now acknowledge that we have felt the results of those prayers over the past few years.