Articles

When I was a child, my first church experience out of the children’s room and in the auditorium was a Thanksgiving service at my branch Church of Christ, Scientist. I was thrilled to sit with my parents, the adults.

Often I’ve struggled when my prayer didn’t bring quick healing. Sometimes I felt frustrated and discouraged, even irritated.

Over the past few years it’s been encouraging to follow reports, particularly in The Christian Science Monitor, that show world governments taking a stand for honest innovation. For example, at the G20 summit in Turkey in November 2015, “The leaders of the G20 nations—including from major cyber powers such as Russia, China, and the US but also from Brazil, India, and Indonesia—approved this latest UN GGE [Group of Governmental Experts] report [on cyberspace norms] and called out several specific norms, including most surprisingly the prohibition on commercial espionage.

For several days I had been striving to feel the harmony and joy of divine Love’s presence but was finding it difficult to forgive a relative’s unkindness toward me. Then I remembered a potent statement Christ Jesus made about perception: “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness” ( Luke 11:34 ).

Last year, I had painted a mountain stream where my family had picnicked before, but the picture just wasn’t coming together. There came a point where I just wanted to toss it in the trash, but I put it under my drawing table instead and forgot about it.

Is it true that “you are your genes”? That physical vulnerabilities, intelligence, temperament, and other characteristics are largely determined by the genes we inherited from our parents?  Many instances of hereditary problems being healed through prayer that relies on God’s supreme power have been recorded in the Bible, as well as in this publication. These healings furnish proof that genes do not have actual power over one’s being—and that an understanding of what truly controls our individuality can bring freedom from the apparent dictates of genetics.

A fresh take on the idea of health.

Sometimes when things seem bleakest, you need a friend. For my family, that friend was the Christian Science Sentinel.

When confronted with a challenging or intimidating situation, I often think about the pep talk David gave his son Solomon when he was given the task of building a temple to the Lord. As recorded in First Chronicles, he said, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord” (28:20).

The Psalms are so full of insights into the spiritual nature of home. Throughout the Psalms, words such as abide, dwelling place, refuge, secret place, green pastures, and house of the Lord have helped me to gain a sense of home as where my thought rests on and in God’s presence and power.