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How is the Bible lesson-sermon used in daily Christian Science study?

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The Mother Church at the Christian Science Center in Boston stands beside a large reflecting pool, with its domed roof and ornate facade visible under a partly cloudy sky. — Christian Science The Mother Church and reflecting pool, Christian Science Center, Boston.

In Christian Science, the "Bible lesson-sermon" serves as the foundational element of a practitioner's daily life of prayer and study. Designated by church founder Mary Baker Eddy in 1895 as the denomination's dual "pastor," the lesson-sermon is composed of selected passages from the Bible and the church's textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.12

These passages are organized around 26 specific subjects. Beyond its role in individual daily study, the lesson-sermon also functions as the basis for the Sunday service, during which it is read aloud by a first and second reader elected by the congregation. This systematic engagement with the lesson-sermon is considered essential to the church's mission and its members' readiness to practice Christian healing.1