Giving testimonies in a Christian Science church may seem challenging. For example, I remember hearing how some people told a fellow church member that his testimonies were unduly personal. Thinking to improve, for his next testimony he decided not to say “my wife.” Instead, he said: “Last week I woke up feeling troubled. So, I turned to the woman lying in bed next to me. …”!
It requires listening to God as to whether to give a testimony and, if so, what to say. It also includes listening supportively to the testimonies of others. Good testimonies grow out of this listening together.
At a testimony meeting, all have the opportunity to share their unique experiences of God’s healing power in their lives, and their fresh insight—to communicate their joy and gratitude. This sharing can bring healing to listeners. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, a writer tells that a testimony she heard, at what she calls an “experience meeting,” about how a woman’s marriage was saved, brought peace to her own “unhappy home” (see pp. 638–639).
