Articles

In the Bible, Jesus prefaced some of his major works with four words: “Be of good cheer. ” Given the extremes of the human conditions he often faced, these words seem incongruous—at least from the point of view of the sufferer.

I boarded my connecting flight in Atlanta, Georgia, and settled into my window seat, ready to take a short nap on the last leg of my journey. When my seatmate sat down, we exchanged smiles and greeted one another.

I had been serving as First Reader in my Christian Science branch church and had only three Sundays left for the completion of a three-year term. It was my habit to arrive at the church about an hour before the beginning of the service.

Assumptions. What’s behind them, and why do we make them? Almost every day we draw conclusions based on what we accept as true, on what we’re certain will happen, without proof.

The Bible account of Noah and the ark shows him at his finest hour as a man of epic courage and dedication to God. But after the flood, Noah’s story takes a less heroic turn.

Have you ever looked back at the past with regret? What can we gain by looking backward when what we most need to do is take the next step forward? Why not do as Mary Baker Eddy suggests in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “The discoverer of Christian Science finds the path less difficult when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, …” ( p. 426 ).

What is Jesus saying to us today through this strong statement to his disciples: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” ( Matthew 17:21 )? The Bible records Jesus as giving this counsel when referring to the ability to heal a boy who was epileptic, whom his disciples had been unable to heal. Fasting is commonly thought of as abstaining from eating for a period of time in order to purify one’s thought—to show one’s total devotion to God.

Whenever I find myself praying to change or improve my human circumstances, I know I’m on the wrong track. At first glance that statement may seem strange.

When I first began studying Christian Science, one of the most life-changing concepts I encountered was that fear is based on the false assumption that we are separate from God and, therefore, vulnerable. It’s something I’m still learning today: that because of my oneness with God, I can experience only what is real to Him—Life, Truth, Love, and all things good.