The sermons consist of passages from the Bible (usually the King James Version) and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and are studied as lessons during the week and read aloud to the congregation on the Sunday following.
He or she selects the hymns; chooses and reads the "Scriptural Selection",[3] a brief prelude to the sermon, and the benediction, also from the Bible; makes announcements; and reads aloud the Sermon's citations from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy.
[5] In addition, the First Reader conducts weekly Wednesday evening meetings,[2] selecting and reading passages from both books on a topic as he or she is inspired.
Readers are required by the Manual to "devote a suitable portion of their time to preparation for the reading of the Sunday lesson" and they are required to "keep themselves unspotted from the world,— uncontaminated with evil, — that the mental atmosphere they exhale shall promote health and holiness, even that spiritual animus so universally needed.
"[2] Article III, Section 4 of the Manual prohibits Readers from reading from anything but the actual books,[4] however, in the February 2012 Christian Science Journal, the Board of Directors, the administrative body for the organization, worldwide, implied that this practice was mere "tradition" and "human regulation" and churches did not have to be adhere to the by-law.
[8] As a result, some Readers now read from a monthly version of the Quarterly, in which the lesson-sermon is printed in its entirety, rather than outlined.
However, if a memorial service is desired by someone, a Reader or other Christian Scientist may select some brief passages from the Bible and Eddy's writings for such purposes.