Articles

JESUS PRESENTED TO THE WORLD an entirely new perspective on life. It represented more than a religion, or a way of living; he presented a new paradigm that redefined the world in which we live.

WHEN THE NASA ROVERS Spirit and Opportunity returned their first photos from the surface of Mars in January 2004, I rejoiced in gratitude. Eighteen months before, as an engineering manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I led daily meetings to oversee efforts to complete and test the high-tech cameras each rover carries.

HUMANITY IN GENERAL BELIEVES THAT GOOD —whether defined as happiness, fulfillment, rewarding activity, progress, or simply things, resources, and opportunities—is limited. The assumption is that good is finite, and therefore needs to be divided up, which means it is available to some, but not to others.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE AS A HEALING METHOD is reliable and effective. Why? It's based on the divine laws of God, and the spiritually scientific way in which the Master Christian, Jesus Christ, healed.

RECENTLY I WAS STUDYING the Gospel of Luke's account of Jesus' walk to Emmaus with two of his followers after the resurrection. I was struck by this comment from one of those with whom Jesus had just spoken: "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" ( 24:32 ) Think of it! These followers apparently did not realize at first that the man talking with them was Jesus, but they so strongly felt the spiritual animus of the Christ in his words that their hearts "burned" within them! Have you ever had an experience in which you felt such joy and inspiration that your heart "burned"? Athletes, artists, and musicians often put in endless hours of practice to cultivate a skill or pursue a craft without a single complaint because their hearts yearn to master it.

In The Chapter "Christian Science Practice" in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy describes someone she saw as the model for Christian Science healers: "It is related in the seventh chapter of Luke's Gospel that Jesus was once the honored guest of a certain Pharisee, by name Simon, though he was quite unlike Simon the disciple. While they were at meat, an unusual incident occurred, as if to interrupt the scene of Oriental festivity.

If you ask what's new with the Board of Lectureship, the answer could easily fill more than this page. Our ongoing challenge and opportunity is to explore new ways of telling the world about Christian Science and its Discoverer, Mary Baker Eddy, while remaining true to our roots in the Manual of The Mother Church.

THE KIDS WERE IN BED. The meeting was over.

AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, THE STAGE HAS BEEN MY SECOND HOME. Whether I was performing in a talent show, dance recital, or choral concert, I took advantage of every opportunity.

In these pages we've gathered several shorter items—articles of less than a page in length and excerpts from longer manuscripts that offer useful, inspiring insights. We hope you enjoy this kind of short-form nourishment in each issue.