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CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE "Happy is the man that
findeth wisdom..."
This week's lesson subject: MORTALS AND IMMORTALS "This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." — I Corinthians 15:53 this To receive our free, weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson by e-mail, click here. You will be added to our e-mail list within one week. The following are format examples only, and not our current lesson: html, plain text, large print, or regular (citations only). The History and
Development of the In the July 1889 Journal a notice appeared as follows: “Christian Science Sermons. The Christian Science Publishing Society is preparing to issue a series of sermons on topics of Christian Science for the use of Sunday meetings. These will be selected with a view to the various conditions of thought that have to be met among inquirers and those who have gained some understanding. These, with The Christian Science Series and the Bible Leaflets, or Christian Science Bible Lessons, will meet all the requirements of Sunday meetings where there is no preacher.” In the August 1889 Journal the lessons were resumed under the title of “Christian Science Bible Lessons. (International Series). F.E. Mason, C .S.B.” In this series each week’s lesson had a separate title. Also in this August Journal appeared the following: “The demand for the Christian Science Bible Lessons is such that it has been found necessary to issue them as a regular serial (i.e., in reprints from the Journal)... All who hold Sunday services are earnestly recommended to make a study of these Lessons a feature of their meetings, and to commence with the first of the Series... These lessons are based on the same Scripture texts as the International Series, but there is nothing else in common. They are Christian Science Bible Lessons, pure and simple... They will be published eventually in a volume for the use of Bible students. They will doubtless form one of the standard publications of the Publishing Society...” The first Christian Science Bible Lessons to be printed separately from the Journal began December, 1889. The purpose of this separate printing was to give more space in the Journal for articles. From this date onwards the Bible Lessons were not printed in the Journal. In January, 1890, the Bible Lessons were compiled by a committee. The name “F.E. Mason, C.S.B.” no longer appeared on the publication. It contained copious references to passages in Science and Health illustrative of the Scripture text under consideration. With the issue of February, 1890, the “Cross and Crown” emblem appeared on the Bible Lessons leaflet. In the Journal for March, 1890, appeared the following: “April first, the International Christian Science Bible Lessons will be issued in the form of a quarterly.” Thus the Christian Science Bible Lessons terminated with the April issue, and The Christian Science Quarterly, Volume I, Number 1, began with the issue of April-May-June, 1890. The practice of reading “Bible Lessons” at Sunday services became so general that at a meeting of the Christian Scientist Association in October, 1891, the subject came in for long discussion, as indicated by the Association's records: “Much was said in favor of the Bible Lessons, of how much they had accomplished in the Sunday services, in place of sermons... Questions were asked regarding the best method for studying these lessons and the experiences given. To the direct question as to the wisdom of writing the references, quite a general expression was given of a higher understanding, a greater unfolding of truth in the study, from the reading of the references from the Bible and Science and Health, both in the home study and in the Sabbath School class.”
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