One Sunday, almost twenty years ago, while I was cleaning up after dinner, my foot began to swell and become painful and discolored. I had substituted as Second Reader in our branch church that day and was supposed to serve the following Sunday as well. A member of the family, who is a Christian Science practitioner, was present at the time, and together we prayed and studied in Science to understand more of the truth of my real being. But for several days the condition worsened.
Prior to this, I had read an article in the Journal regarding the messages to the seven churches referred to in the book of Revelation. It had been especially meaningful to me and had been written by a Christian Science practitioner I knew. The following quotation from the message to the seventh church—the church at Laodicea—stood out (Rev. 3:15): "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."
The Journal article brought out that each church member needs to be willing to give up complacency, and wisely and fearlessly to establish Christian Science in his own consciousness, in his church, and in the community. I recognized this as being my need.
