As announced in the explanatory note...

I have been puzzling over the Church Manual's direction to Readers to "make the following announcement" : 

           As announced in the explanatory note, I shall now read correlative passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy". (See pp. 120-121.) 

This is required to be read by the First Reader after the Second Reader has read the Bible references of the first Section of the Bible Lesson. See Church Manual Appendix "Present Order of Services..." pp. 121, 125-6).

Why is this important, I asked myself.

Of course, we do need to know the name and author of the book from which the Reader is reading. But if that were the only reason for this statement, then the Reader could simply announce the name of the book and its author without referring to the explanatory note at all.

Let's examine the afore-mentioned explanatory note. It is found on the first leaf of the Christian Science Quarterly. (This periodical contains the citations for each week's Bible Lesson and Sunday sermon.) The explanatory note is profoundly important in establishing the credentials of our Pastor: the Bible and the Christian Science textbook. It explains to the listener that the sermon they are about to hear will comprise "Scriptural texts" (that is, passages from the Bible) "and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook" (that is, related or corresponding passages from the textbook of Christian Science).

The explanatory note then amplifies the import of this sermon. It explains that the biblical passages will be from "the canonical writings". The dictionary defines canonical as "accepted as being accurate and authoritative; included in the list of sacred books officially accepted as genuine", i.e. not apocryphal. 

Mrs. Eddy mentions the word canonical once in her writings, i.e. 

           Have we misread the evangelical precepts and the canonical writings of the Fathers or must we have a new Bible and a new system of Christianity, originating not in God, but a creation of the schools - a material religion, proscriptive, intolerant, wantonly bereft of the Word of God. (Message to The Mother Church for 1901, Mary Baker Eddy. p. 34: 10)

The explanatory note then proceeds to inform us that "the word of our textbook" will be "corroborating" (confirming, giving support) and "explaining" (making clear by describing in more details or revealing relevant facts) the Bible texts (read by the Second Reader). Furthermore, these passages together carry a "spiritual import" (spiritual significance) and "application to all ages, past, present, and future" (practical use or relevance in every age). And they "constitute" (combine to form) a sermon that is "undivorced from truth" (not separated from truth), "uncontaminated" (pure) and "unfettered" (not confined or restricted) by "human hypotheses" * and "divinely authorised" (official permission).

*Eddy refers frequently to "human hypotheses" in her writings. For instance, in Retrospection and Introspection (p. 35: 14-15) she writes:

           Human hypotheses have darkened the glow and grandeur of evangelical religion.

And in her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 p. 5: 14-16:

            The ever-recurring human question and wonder, What is God? can never be answered satisfactorily by human hypotheses or philosophy.

Might it be then, that the requirement to read "As announced in the explanatory note..." will not only provide helpful continuity for the congregation but will also reiterate and be a reminder of the solemn import of the explanatory note.

One writer gratefully acknowledged the impact of the explanatory note on her first visit to a Christian Science church service:

           After dropping the girls off at the Sunday School, I decided to attend the church service. Soon after I sat down, I heard the words, "The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized. (See Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons, p. 2).

            I thought I would faint from relief. Having been exposed to nothing but human hypotheses my entire life, from pontificating relatives, teachers, and ministers - and being fed up with all of it - the words struck such a strong chord I eagerly waited for what was to follow. Just hearing those words - what I later discovered was part of the Explanatory Note preceding each Bible Lesson-Sermon - was enough to make me feel I had been given a new lease on life! (See The Christian Science Journal June 2010 "A revolutionary communication" by Milika Nevarez).

What an extraordinary way to introduce our Lesson Sermons to expectant listeners.

Julie Swannell