Although I grew up in a Christian home in which church attendance was an important family activity, as a young adult I simply stopped attending. I suppose I felt at the time that religion had no practical import in my daily life. Instead, all my energies were devoted to activities that enhanced my career and to raising a young family. Some years later I felt a need to begin attending church again and subsequently became an active member of a Christian church.
My introduction to Christian Science was through a billboard advertising a Christian Science lecture. My initial reaction was one of surprise to see the words Christian and Science side by side. Deeply curious about this Christian Science, I decided to attend the lecture. During the lecture the speaker shared some examples of healing that were the result of prayer. I did not then grasp the basis or the reasons for the healings, so I left that evening with some unanswered questions. A few weeks later, however, I attended a Sunday service at a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, along with my two sons, who spent the hour in Sunday School.
On our way home after the service, both boys shared enthusiastically the ideas they had discussed in their Sunday School class. I was of course pleased to see this interest, but I was equally unprepared for the joint announcement that followed. They had decided that this was going to be their church and that I could continue to attend mine. I certainly did not share their unbridled enthusiasm about changing churches, but after further discussion we agreed to compromise. We would alternate attending between the two churches. After all, how could I deny them the opportunity to continue participating in a Sunday School experience they obviously enjoyed?
