Sacrament

Written by Ella W. Hoag July 7th, 1923

We are told that the word "sacrament" was adopted by the early Latin church to denote those ordinances of religion by which Christians came under an obligation of obedience to God. From the days of the early Passover to the present time Christian sacrament has implied the renewal of one's obligations to God; and therefore all approach the thought of it with reverence. Although the Church of Christ, Scientist, has divorced sacrament from all materiality, it regards it as none the less sacred, and searches for its deepest meanings with utmost consecration and prayerful consideration.

While the earnest Christian Scientist recognizes very clearly that his obligations to God are most vital, he also knows that the relation to those obligations as they come to him through membership in the Church of Christ, Scientist, are of such a nature that he cannot pay too much attention to them or understand them too well. Since our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has given us the especial opportunity of studying the subject of sacrament twice every year, she must have realized the wisdom and advantage of looking deeply into the significance of what it really means to be a member of this church; for how otherwise are we to eat of the bread of Truth and drink of the wine of spiritual understanding, which such membership offers?

Membership in this church involves not only one's obligation to God, but also his obligation to his neighbor. To fulfill the demands of obedience to God as revealed through Christian Science, each one must acknowledge and obey no other Mind, no other Life, Truth, Love, than God, infinite good ; and this loyalty must also be demonstrated in association with mankind. In the Manual (p. 17) we are told that when the Church of Christ, Scientist, was first formed the purpose was "to organize a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing." Every member, therefore, understands that this design can only be carried out as each demonstrates the Christianity Jesus taught and lived, and proves it by his own works in healing sickness and sin. It is only thus that he can meet his obligations to God and his neighbor.

In The Christian Science Journal of August, 1889, Mrs. Eddy, in speaking of the observance of the sacrament, hints at the way in which this healing is to be apprehended, when she tells us of "solemn and silent self-examination by each member, as to his or her fitness to be called a follower of Christ, Truth; as to his real state of love toward man, and fellowship and communion with Christ; as to whether he is gaining in the understanding and demonstration of Truth and Love, coming out from the world and being separated from error; growing less selfish, more charitable and spiritual, yea, walking worthy his high calling." Could anything be more definite than this? Could a better correlative to Paul's advice to the early Christians be stated — the advice which he gave when he said, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup"?

No one understands so well as the Christian Scientist what it means to "eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." To partake of the bread of spiritual Truth which, while it feeds and sustains in a perfect way, at the same time demands that self-examination and self-renunciation which make it possible to cast out the false beliefs in a selfhood apart from God; this requires absolute consecration and devotion to Spirit. One must indeed hunger and thirst after righteousness with his whole heart, if he would continue to eat that which brings the purifying fires of the Holy Ghost.

As to the cup! In "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 30) our revered Leader,—opening the door for a moment on her own incomparable experience,—has told us, "No one else can drain the cup which I have drunk to the dregs as the Discoverer and teacher of Christian Science; neither can its inspiration be gained without tasting this cup." The true Christian Scientist, therefore, does not despair or even murmur when the way of loyalty to God seems also to him both dark and deep. On the contrary, he rejoices at every opportunity to gain the inspiration which comes to him when, through wrestling with error to its vanquishment, he thus tastes the cup.

To the Christian Scientist, partaking of the sacrament is, therefore, no empty rite to be passed lightly by; but, instead, it is eating of that bread of Life and drinking of that spiritual draught by which all hunger is satisfied, all thirst is quenched. Such eating and drinking bring the present evidence of man's eternal unity with God, since thereby sin, sickness, and death disappear and divine Love's glorious realities are known and lived. Thus the Christian Scientist obeys the command to "pay thy vows unto the most High."