Since the 1970s our church had been without a Journal-listed practitioner. In the December 1984 Journal, "The Church in Action" column included reports from Christian Science churches that, in finding themselves without Journal-listed practitioners, had resolved the situation through prayer. Inspired by these accounts, our church began to hold inspirational workshops.
The most recent of these began in July 1992 and had as its theme "Back to basics." At the initial meeting, everyone was asked to bring prepared answers to the questions "How/why did I (or my family) first become interested in Christian Science?" and "Why is Christian Science important to me today?" After the sharing of these, the meeting separated into groups, and each group decided on a particular challenge it would work on over an eight-week period. Challenges chosen included realizing more activity in the Sunday School, gaining a better understanding of the practical healing effect of Christian Science, expanding our love for the community, and the need for a Journal-listed practitioner.
In approaching each problem, groups were encouraged to use some of the basic building blocks which are integral to the study of Christian Science. These included the Ten Commandments, the twenty-third Psalm, the Beatitudes, and the Lord's Prayer found in the Bible, as well as the Tenets of Christian Science and "the scientific statement of being" from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. Meeting weekly or fortnightly, group members used dictionaries, Bible translations, and Concordances to take a fresh look at these inspiring messages. Homework assignments were given, and we all enjoyed sharing the insights and inspiration gained.
