LETTERS

THEOLOGY LIVED

"My Church Home" by Fabienne Roy (p. 60) in the April Journal resonated with me. Years ago, after moving to a big city, I visited a large colonial-style branch Church of Christ, Scientist, near my home. It had brocade wing chairs in the foyer, stunning chandeliers, and a membership so big that a special committee was appointed to welcome visitors. I attended three Sundays, but never met anyone on the welcoming committee. Other members kept busy chatting with each other. So I drove 15 miles farther to a small Christian Science Society that met in a rented building with only one aisle and one exit. After the service, everyone gathered by the door. I tried to slip out, but by the time I reached the door I had received three dinner invitations. Naturally I joined the society.

The theology read from the desk makes a branch church attractive to newcomers seeking healing. But the theology lived by members is just as important.

DAVE HORN
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, US

OUTSTANDING ISSUE

What an outstanding issue the March Journal is. "The First Choice" by Judy Wolff (p. 28) should be required reading for all church members!

"Daily Bread. Daily Blessings. Daily Prayer" (p. 20) a talk with Edna Watson has some beautiful insights into the "Daily prayer" that Mary Baker Eddy gave us in the Church Manual (see p. 41). This is a prayer that I not only begin each day with, but use throughout the day expanding on thoughts like divine Love is unconditional, steadfast, unselfed. To "rule out of me all sin" includes criticism, resentment, fear, doubt, discouragement, etc. And my daily prayer for the world is that God's Word will "enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!" All mankind includes me, my family, friends, and everyone in all parts of the world.

Lastly, I'd like to express my gratitude to Michael Mooslin for "What It Means to Be a Law to Yourself" (p. 44). It is just packed full of insights into the directive in Science and Health, "Christian Scientists, be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake" (p. 442). Just one of these is: "...in order to be a law to ourselves we need to understand ourselves as that perfect likeness Jesus referred to, instead of accepting the imperfect view that we are continually tempted to see and feel. This doesn't happen by merely talking about the law of God, or thinking about it, or appreciating it intellectually. For me it means living it, by becoming the law that denies any compromise to harmonious, God-given identity."

He closes with: "To be a law to oneself means being neither a target for ignorance, human opinions, or malicious will, nor a source of negative mental influences. The only real influence is God-derived, because the only real Mind, the Mind that is all good, is God."

LAUREL MARQUART
CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA, US

JUST FABULOUS

The Depth, Dimension, Demonstration series is just fabulous! There are so many wonderful articles-and answers. Quality work and lots of it.

Such great things are happening with our Mother Church team. We are cherishing the wonderful work taking place in every facet—website. all the wonderful articles, etc. This particular series is so very helpful in finding pertinent answers.

JANA JAE
TULSA, OKLAHOMA, US

LETTERS TO EDITOR will be considered submissions for
publication unless you request otherwise,
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clarity. Opinions expressed in this column
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The Christian Science Journal.

MY PEACE WAS RESTORED

Over the last few months there have been many inspiring articles in the Journal. One in particular, in the March edition, "Start With God" by Klaus-Hendrik Herr (p. 54), came on a day when I had received some correspondence that had disturbed my peace, and I was struggling to regain it. As soon as the Journal arrived I felt guided to read this article. The whole article was very helpful, but this sentence turned my thought around: "I understood better how powerful it is to never start with the problem in order to eradicate it, but always with God." I immediately saw that I had to rethink the whole situation from a spiritual perspective, i.e., putting God first. This I did, and after praying about it, I realized I had been misunderstanding what had been written in the correspondence I had received. My peace was restored. I am so grateful to all who write for the periodicals, sharing their understanding and insights with us all.

VALMAI BARKER
COLLAROY PLATEAU, NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

GRATITUDE AND ADMIRATION

Just wanted to express deep gratitude and admi ration for the warm and outreaching nature of this March Journal. What a Christian attitude, and a healing one, is in this article "A Sunday School for Everyone" (Joseph Baleka, p. 12). The openness and caring, healing atmosphere that is being shown to that community by the local church is very inspiring. "The urgent need for the Christ-coming," mentioned in the Welcome (Bill Dawley, p. 2) is seen in our local papers, as well as in the world in general.

The roll that Christian Science has in comforting and being the source of light in the darkness, or human need, is literally shining forth. The huge demand (opportunity) on Christian Scientists is to let our light shine —to truly reflect this wonderful Truth in the communities around us and "Love our neighbor" however, and whenever, we are led. Healing is the natural outcome of all this, as we witness God's hand in all things.

My gratitude for these periodicals is abundant.

CAROLYN WORSHAM
CONROE, TEXAS, US

A REMOTE MEMBER

As a remote member of a Christian Science Society, I would like to offer a different perspective from the two answers to the question provided in the February Journal (p. 6). My membership is essential to my spiritual journey. Prior to attending church, I shower, dress, have breakfast, and prepare my thought spiritually for the wonderful feast that I know will be presented to me and the world through the service. And I pray for the service and our worldwide community, just as I do when I attend a church in a building. I sing the hymns, pray the prayers, rejoice in the good that I hear through the announcements, and listen or share in the socializing that occurs online after the services. On Wednesday, on occasion, I prepare and present the readings for the service. I no longer get sleepy during church services. As a member I serve on committees, participate in monthly metaphysical meetings, and as many business meetings as I can, research and pray daily on the study topic that the society has selected, and I contribute financially. I have been an active member of Christian Science branch churches for several decades. The love, commitment, joy, respect, and enthusiasm that is expressed by other society members and participants, both local and remote, lets me know that as a child of God, I, and every member and participant am cherished and valued.

Online services have been referred to as virtual services, somehow inferring that they are distant and less than services in buildings, although the society services do originate from a building, or that they are just ways of using technology. I decided to study the word virtual. Virtual has a number of different meanings such as practical, essential, substantial, effective, functioning, equal to, and implied. These synonyms define the wonderfully inspired expression of church that I am privileged to embrace.

BEV LEDWITH
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA, US