Articles

When a Hebrew religious leader asked Jesus, “Which is the first commandment of all?” he answered, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” ( Mark 12:28–30 ).   That statement emphatically conveyed the foundation of the Master’s ministry.

My first memory of hearing about Jesus was my mother reading the story of the Master throwing the money changers out of the Temple (see Matthew 21:12, 13 ). I couldn’t have been more than three years old, but the story made a distinct impression on me.

In the prophetic book of Isaiah in the Bible we read, “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

I am currently a business manager, and during my career, I am grateful to say I have hired many more people than I have dismissed. The process of dismissing an employee is not very pleasant for anyone.

I was raised as a student of Christian Science, and I had certainly accepted and even found healing in the understanding that man is the image and likeness of God, as we learn from the first chapter of Genesis, and is therefore spiritual. But I can remember a time when I was overly focused on life as a spiritual journey that required me to dutifully make progress.

Human sympathy for those who are suffering has impelled some medical, charitable, and religious organizations to find ways to comfort people as they are dying—or even to help hasten death. Some have attempted to comfort people by explaining why they feel God would allow or even cause death.

Ah, love. Isn’t it wonderful to be in the presence of someone who sees you as delightful, smart, talented! Who really sees and loves you.

At my church, a branch of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, the First Reader frequently opens the service with the greeting “Welcome to this healing service. ” Recently, I had an experience with my mom that proved that we do have healing services.

The Journal  is pleased to offer readers the first in an occasional column from the office of Christian Science Practitioner Activities at The Mother Church in Boston. “Pathways to the practice” is autobiographical.

I had to be out of my house in less than two weeks, but the rents in the area had skyrocketed, and when I found another possible place, I was told that forty other prospective tenants had applied for it. I am single and self-employed, and live in a military community where landlords prefer families with a regular paycheck.