The Reader's Joyous Privilege
IT would be difficult, indeed, to think of a more joyous privilege than that which comes to those appointed to serve as Readers in a Church of Christ, Scientist. And when a period of such service is over, the outgoing Reader, although naturally regretting the drawing to a close of a task singularly happy, must needs rejoice that the great privilege of giving out the Word of God at our services and meetings can be shared by others, thanks to the divine wisdom vouchsafed our dear Leader. Happy the church or society that numbers in its congregation many who have had the privilege of reading! Certain it is that such an organization has therein many who are holding up the hands of the incumbent Readers, and not only are refraining from audible and inaudible criticism, but are ever ready to offer a word of loving encouragement or commendation to their successors at the Readers' desk.
What is sweeter, in this journey up the hill of spiritual attainment, than the "Well done" of a brother-pilgrim whose footsteps have preceded ours? And yet one frequently hears that words of appreciation of the services of a Reader or other servant of our beloved Cause are withheld because they might "spoil" him! It is argued that this might be injecting too much personality into the work. On a par with this is the unfortunate criticism, voiced many times, that a Reader is interpreting; that he is bringing his personality into his reading; and so on. In this connection, it seems wise for Christian Scientists occasionally to ponder these words of our inspired Leader, as found in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 73): "He who clings to personality, or perpetually warns you of 'personality,' wrongs it, or terrifies people over it, and is the sure victim of his own corporeality."
Let us assume that a church or a society has obediently followed the Manual provision in electing to office Readers who are "well educated" and who are able to "read understandingly" (Manual, p. 32). Let us also assume that the members, before casting their ballots for the Readers, have been mindful of Mrs. Eddy's statement in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 249) that she prefers for the Readership "that student who is most spiritually-minded," and that, as she hastens to add, "what our churches need is that devout, unselfed quality of thought which spiritualizes the congregation."
Now the newly elected Reader takes his place. His first efforts may not be marked with that smoothness and poise which at the end may have characterized the seasoned work of the friend whose three-year term has just closed. He may even look up from his books occasionally, where his predecessor may have felt it wise to keep his eyes on the printed word before him. His emphasis may here and there seem unusual, even unpleasant. Possibly his reading of the spiritual interpretation of the Lord's Prayer may seem to lack reverence; he may be thought to pass too hurriedly over our Leader's first reference to God as Mother; he may read too rapidly the wonderful "scientific statement of being" as given in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy (p. 468). In fact, one may wonder how one can ever endure such reading for three long years! And yet, experience has shown, time and again, that one who to human sense seems at first a poor reader, when his hands are patiently and lovingly upheld by those whose vote put him where he is, may unfold into what Paul calls "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
The newcomer to the Readership, while humbly receptive to wise and constructive criticism, needs to remember that no mortal on this earth can please everybody. Therefore, his first concern must be to know that he is pleasing God, not mortals. He needs the "Here I am" of Abraham, and the "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth" of Samuel. This state of consciousness recognizes that of one's self not a healing word can be uttered, not a ray of comfort fall on a sorrowing heart. It was a source of inspiration to one Reader to think that the "Here I am" and "Speak, Lord" meant not only that without Mind he could do nothing, but that Mind was uttering itself in spite of the claim of the Reader's mortality. Thus, reading can never be said to be beautiful or healing because of a certain mortal, but in spite of that mortal.
Let not the Reader, therefore, despair if he feels unworthy of his great mission. If he is honestly and faithfully laboring to wipe out of his own consciousness all that "de-fileth, . . . or maketh a lie," he can know with certainty that the claim of undestroyed errors cannot shut out the light of Truth. Whoever saw on a windowpane a spot of soot black enough to shut out the sunlight? How dare mortal mind assert that a few undestroyed errors in a Reader's thought, in his delivery or demeanor, can possibly rob a congregation of the glorious healing light of Love divine?
A Reader once said that right in the midst of a service the thought came to him, as if spoken, You are interpreting this lesson. He felt troubled for a few moments, and then the comforting lines from one of our hymns flashed into his thought:—
"God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain."
Here, then, was the answer! God was interpreting the lesson, and man was reflecting and expressing this light. Instantly all thought of responsibility vanished, as well as all fear of criticism. Mind was its own interpreter, and man, Mind's joyous, obedient expression. Small wonder that after this illumination, one member of the congregation said, "It seems to me I never had such an unfoldment of Truth as came during the reading to-day."
So the fear of injecting personality or personal interpretation into this sacred work need not hover, as a dampener to joy and spontaneity, over the Reader's first faltering steps. Divine Mind is the governor of His Church, expressing Himself with power, with reverence, and with joy; and man, His faithful witness, is reflecting this power, and reverence, and joy,—not through a material personality, but through a spotless spiritual individuality. So with confidence and freedom, and a growing humility, the Reader may go forward in his glorious work, keeping before him the excellent pattern of Ezra, the priest, one of the readers mentioned in the Bible, who, in the words of Nehemiah, "read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."
