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Church Periodicals. It shall be the privilege and duty of every member, who can afford it, to subscribe for the periodicals which are the organs of this Church; and it shall be the duty of the Directors to see that these periodicals are ably edited and kept abreast of the times.

As a youth-focused lecturer, I work on making my talks more of a conversation with audience participation. Early this spring I was giving a talk to a Christian Science organization at a college campus on the East Coast, and the natural interaction that flowed from that hour was really special.

As I’ve been studying Jesus’ works in the Gospels, I’ve been discovering new, deeper applications to daily living. I love the story of the feeding of the five thousand (see Matthew 14:15–21 and Mark 6:34–44 ), and have read it many times, as you probably have, too.

It was early December. With about 80 Christmas wreaths and 30 plus table arrangements to decorate within the next week, time pressures weighed heavily on me as I hurried off to pick up floral supplies.

Each year as the holidays approach I think about the season as one symbolizing hope and peace, and I prayerfully listen for a deeper sense of the meaning of Christmas. Recently, as I pondered the Christmas story in the Bible (see Matthew 1 and 2 , and Luke 1 and 2 ), I was particularly struck by Mary, the young Hebrew virgin, and by the depth of humility and obedience in her receptive prayer.

A recent film,  Contagion , directed by Steven Soderbergh, explores the spread of a lethal virus that becomes a worldwide pandemic, killing thousands of people as it gains momentum—and defeating the best efforts of disease control experts to identify it. According to the reviews, the story is alarmingly believable, dwelling on the science involved in combating such a virus.

By the time we reach our 40’s , we’ve often come to terms with life—settled in our ways and not expecting big changes. I certainly never expected the answer to the riddle of the universe to appear at that time of my life and transform my entire existence.

I have always loved studying different languages and cultures. So, when I was given the chance to learn Spanish and Indonesian during my last two years of high school, I eagerly signed up.

Last Christmas, while looking at a nativity scene, I was profoundly moved by the picture before me. On one side of the display were shepherds bowing to the baby Jesus, and on the other side were kings honoring him, as well.

One day as I was praying for church, I began to appreciate just how vital the Wednesday testimony meetings are in Christian Science churches. I turned to Revelation 12, verses 10 and 11 : “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.