What does a Christian Science Committee do?

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Massachussets

Note: This is the last in a series of guest blogs by Dave Horn, and I want to say , “Thank you, Dave, for your wonderful contributions to my blog!” He promised to be back from time to time so watch for him.

By Dave Horn, former Committee on Publication of Indiana from Raleigh, North Carolina

Supporters of Committee on Publication work are inspired by Mary Baker Eddy’s promise in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She writes, “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.” (S&H 516: 16-19)

Sunlight often symbolizes truth, and Committees know this truth never glints from the pleasure-dome of material amusement, or the astro-dome of human competition, or the teapot-dome of political corruption, but only from the church-dome of spiritual consecration — pointing above shadowy distractions to reflect the sunlight of all-embracing love.

Spiritual sunlight uses the church-dome for reflection, but does not linger there, like an idle glow. Instead, it’s in perpetual motion. It glints, glances, glides, brightens, beautifies, and blesses!

Committees on Publication have seen it brighten “the flower,” answering the individual need of a lawmaker or editor for correct information about Christian Science. But it also beautifies “the landscape,” meeting the collective need for Truth by sharing Christian
Science through the media or public talks.

While serving as Committee for Indiana, I followed the sunlight of Truth from the church-dome onto a university campus and saw it brighten several flowers and beautify the landscape in a college class on Comparative Religion. Individuals in the class knew nothing about Christian Science except that we print a good newspaper. None had
heard the false rumor that we “can’t go to doctors.” Nobody recognized the name of Mary Baker Eddy. As my visit ended, one student said she believed all religions had something to offer, and she didn’t rely on just one church. I explained that was “buffet theology,” and hoped she’d try a big serving of Christian Science. With a sweet smile she said, “Maybe I’ll make Christian Science the cherry on my dessert!”

If we actively follow the sunlight of Truth as it glints, glances, glides, brightens and beautifies, we will prove that is always “blesses the earth.”