Preparing for Attendance at Church

HELEN F. WELCH

In her Message to The Mother Church for 1900 (pp. 14, 15) our beloved Leader writes: "When invited to a feast you naturally ask who are to be the guests. And being told they are distinguished individuals, you prepare accordingly for the festivity. Putting aside the old garment, you purchase, at whatever price, a new one that is up to date." These words may be applied to preparation for church attendance. Each Christian Science church service is a feast which divine Love has prepared for us; hence we must always be careful to prepare ourselves before attending it. We may first ask who are to be the guests. The answer comes from the basis of Truth, Not erring mortals with clashing wills and differing opinions, but seekers of the truth who are learning that God's perfect children are governed completely and always by the one Mind.

Knowing the guests, then, to be truly "distinguished individuals," let us begin to prepare accordingly. We must put aside the old garment of material thinking, personal and critical thoughts of ourselves or those around us, differences of taste and opinion. This may not be accomplished at once. Lethargy, that subtle enemy which tries to steal over us when we are not alert, may whisper; Why change? It is difficult to break the habits of a lifetime; we are all human, so why try to pretend we are not? Again, discouragement may creep in and tempt us to retain the old garment of false thinking. But if we examine it carefully, we soon discover rents of prejudice, patches of false pride, stains of unjust judging, and many weaknesses of fiber that render it unfit for use.

So, refusing to listen longer to arguments of mortal mind, we persistently turn away and strive to cleanse our thought of material beliefs, which would rob us of the inpouring of Truth. Being now willing to discard the old garment, we turn whole-heartedly to the new, the true way of thinking, to find how we may obtain it. The prophet Isaiah calls it "the garment of praise" which will displace "the spirit of heaviness." In the Psalms we read, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." Our first thought upon entering a Church of Christ, Scientist, should be one of praise to God, accompanied by thankfulness for the revelation of Christ, Truth. This attitude will open our thought to the glorious possibilities of the service. Our duty and privilege as attendants at church services is to benefit others as well as to receive blessings for ourselves. If we have fallen into the monotony of routine attendance, let us break this habit immediately by arousing our thought to our present opportunities. One of these is to know that divine Mind is governing all who truly serve the Cause of Christian Science in any capacity. Paul tells us to give thanks and pray "for all that are in authority." This we can do by continually stressing good as the real. Let us silence the arguments which claim that error is using our church and its members. We know there is only one real Church, which Mrs. Eddy defines in part in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 583) as "the structure of Truth and Love," made manifest, as she shows in the next paragraph, in "that institution, which affords proof of its utility." Since good is the only power, we can know that no evil in the form of personal domination, greed, ambition, envy, or any other guise can use our church or its members.

Another way for us as Christian Scientists to benefit others is to contribute to the orderliness of the service. "Order is heaven's first law," said the poet; so, as our thoughts reflect divine Mind, they must of necessity be orderly. This will be outwardly expressed by prayerful quietness, and by refraining from unnecessary whispering or aught that might be disturbing to others. As the mortal senses are silenced, quiet meditation before and during the service will benefit all who are present.

The time for silence, however, is not when the invitation is given at the Wednesday meetings for "experiences, testimonies, and remarks on Christian Science" (Manual, p. 122). Then is the time to voice gratitude for the truth. Christian Science reveals that God is the only Mind, and that each of God's children reflects Mind. What, then, can hinder us from testifying? Our Leader says in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 12), "Faith in divine Love supplies the ever-present help and now and gives the power to 'act in the living present.'" Those who may timidly shrink from rising to testify, can and should know that error has no power to hold in his seat one who has something to say which will help others. We can "act in the living present." We can humbly and joyfully pass along the grain of spiritual understanding that has come to us, and know that it will bless others even as it has blessed us.

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One Increasing Purpose

June 3, 1933

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