During a recent lecture season, our church—First Church of Christ, Scientist, Clarkson Valley, Missouri—initiated a new idea by sharing a lecture on Christian Science with employees of a large local Roman Catholic hospital in Missouri. Our lecturer, who had formerly been a pediatrician for more than twenty years, was received warmly and enthusiastically. The audience, composed of nurses, counselors, and ministerial staff, viewed her as someone who could "talk their language." Our state Committee on Publication attended and said that every seat in the room was filled by the time the lecture began, and that the attendees asked questions that indicated sincere interest. Every piece of Christian Science literature that was displayed was taken, with many individuals promising they would put it in the hospital library when they had finished reading it.
We feel the lecture, titled "A clear view of Christian Science," was a success because of the preparations for this event that took place over a two-year period. During this time of praying and planning, the lecture committee was alert to handle suggestions of failure. Each time some such suggestion presented itself to thought, we would stop and pray, knowing the specific spiritual truth to counteract it, and we sought the divine Father's direction. Each time we found that the door opened to the reception of Truth's message. "These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" (Rev. 3:7, 8).
The lecture also turned out to be very timely, because there were several articles in the local newspaper criticizing Christian Science and Christian Science treatment for children. An interview with the lecturer by the same newspaper resulted in an article titled "Former doctor turns to Christian Science." In the text of the article, the director of institutional ethics for the hospital was quoted as saying, "The staff wanted to hear [the views on Christian Science] as part of its effort to develop its policy on religion and ethics."
