When we invite guests—a comrade in thought or a weary traveler along the road—to a meal in our home, as we all like to do, we prepare in advance the meal for that guest, that he may be refreshed in a normal way. Many times, if we know of a liking that he has expressed, we make an especial effort to see that this particular thing is served; and thus we express a sense of appreciation or affection. How vital, then, that in our church membership we shall not fail to prepare in advance the feast for our Wednesday evening meetings.

The active Scientist, doing his church work rightly, is of course alert to this fact; but the arguments are many and varied, and seem so real, which would prevent his either preparing or serving loving refreshment to his fellow-man. One of the most specious arguments is the thought that we must leave the meeting open for the beginner to express his gratitude, or for the visitor, or for the stranger, that he may have an opportunity to speak. Now, this has a pleasing sound and is most lovingly meant; but do we usually ask our guests beforehand to bring their own dinner? When the work is rightly done, will not the guest be given ample opportunity to add his offering to the feast, if from the fullness of his own plenty he has brought a contribution? So many times have our workers found that when they went to the meeting carefully prepared to feed the hungry, they were able to keep their own offering until some other time when it was more needed, as the testimonies came in abundance; and unquestionably many of them were from the beginner, the visitor, and the stranger, who most lovingly and helpfully contributed to the feast. Nevertheless, it is for us to remember that we are the hosts, and as such must have our meal prepared.

An earnest Scientist, though desirous of doing her part to support the Wednesday evening meetings in all ways,—as she had promised to do when being admitted to membership in a branch church,—seemed to experience the inability to get up and express her gratitude for many blessings, because of an appalling sense of fright; and in one particular instance, when she wanted to tell of some demonstration that had come to her, she found Wednesday after Wednesday going by, and the same old arguments of fear presenting themselves. Finally, on one particular day, she sat down to analyze the situation in her own thought. The arguments were many: there would just seem to be glue on the seat—it would not be possible to rise; it would be impossible to face all those people; it simply could not be done; she would forget what she had wanted to say, or would not express it intelligently; she was not used to speaking in public—others were accustomed to it, why not let them do it? As the mental battle raged in this fashion, the Scientist began at the beginning to look these lions in the face. The seat was a perfectly good, inanimate piece of furniture; one could rise out of it, or sit down in it with ease. But mortal sense would try to weigh down a mounting thought, and make one feel the heaviness and inertia of earth-bound matter. That, however, could not be the case, if one saw the falsity of the argument; and no weary or heavy-laden sense could keep one from the joyousness of gratitude. So, the lion of ingratitude disappeared. and gratitude came in its place. Who were all those people one had to face? Why, simply those who were honestly, earnestly seeking light and understanding, and eagerly waiting for even a crumb of comfort from those who, in however small a way, had proved the heavenly Father's tender care. So, the lion of self-consciousness was replaced with a desire to give. Then, supposing she should forget? Mind is omnipresent and ever operative, and Mind never forgets. Perhaps, what she had to say was not nearly so valuable and helpful as what Mind would express through her when she was obedient to its demands. So, the lion of self-love was replaced with a better love for God and man. No, she was not accustomed to speaking in public; but all those eager hearts would recognize that fact, and not care if she did not turn out to be an orator: they would accept the honest desire, and the refreshment offered, even though humbly garnished. So, the lion of selfishness was replaced with selflessness; and a much calmer sense was experienced.

Then this Scientist went on to examine the difficulties along the way, and to still an apprehension that the beating of her heart, should she really get up, might stifle her voice. She began to say her testimony out loud, as she was alone in the house; and to her surprise the sound of her own voice was so startling that she stopped, until it dawned upon her that therein lay much of her fear. It seemed a little thing; but in this particular case the Scientist was freed enough to be able to give her testimony, to bring out what she had desired, calmly and with less fear than ever before; and she had the opportunity to know later on that it had helped others. Being unaccustomed to speaking in public, it had not occurred to her how afraid of herself she was. Leaning on God, and forgetting self, she was upheld.

The complete demonstration over fear is not made in a moment; neither does the individual demonstration always bring complete freedom for all time. Each one is, however, a step,—each one a freeing from just that much of the belief in human law; and it enables us to drop something of our sense of burden as we travel life's way. The forces of evil would try their best to prevent us from either giving or receiving good, and that through every plausible argument possible,—and the more plausible the less likely are we to recognize its purpose; but evil cannot forever remain hidden, since it is entirely without intelligence. The more we desire to love God and man, the more we desire to obey the commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me;" the more we desire to show our appreciation of what Mary Baker Eddy has given us, the more quickly shall we break down the mesmerism of self, and bring into our own and the world's experience the fact so beautifully expressed by the psalmist, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies," the enemy being the belief that so-called mortal mind has power or reality. We shall then realize more fully what our Leader says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 234): "Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love—be it song, sermon, or Science—blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ's table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty." We shall find that our meetings will have expressed "song, sermon, or Science," of which the "signs following" are the living witnesses to the truth.

Copyright, 1922, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, Falmouth and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as secon-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.