Articles

A branch Church of Christ, Scientist, is effective as a healing influence in the community in proportion to its members' understanding of the true meaning of Church and their participation in its activity—the stirring and elevating of thought to bring healing to mankind. At times we may hesitate to accept church responsibility, perhaps fearing that we don't have the right experience or ability or that it will take too much of our time.

Mortal mind and physical force are the same. They counterfeit the spiritual forces of divine Mind.

Someone faced with a threat of lack of strength or health or life might turn to God to pray for these. But Christian Science shows us that because God is Life and the source of all the strength, health, and life there is, man already has strength, health, life.

It is important to know—to understand —that in God's universe, that is, in reality, there is no conflict or discord. No struggle against fear, prejudice, poverty, sickness (and worse) is a real factor in your identity as a child of God, made and sustained in His image.

It must have taken great courage for Paul and Silas to sing praises to God. They had been unjustly accused in a foreign land, severely beaten, and imprisoned in a dungeon with their feet locked in stocks.

The first time I saw the Original Edifice of The Mother Church reflected with great clarity in the pool at the Christian Science Center in Boston two thoughts struck me. The first was that the church had been there for more than half a century, but that it had had no reflection until recently because there had been no pool.

To witness the precision of astronomical predictions is a fascinating experience. Once when astronomers predicted a total eclipse of the sun, we scheduled a vacation, packed our bags, and drove two thousand miles to better view it.

Journalists, TV news teams, and world travelers have given us reports of the inequity and insufficiency of global food supplies. The difficulties encountered in providing needed food appear overwhelming.

Many statements in the writings of Mary Baker Eddy are so arresting, incisive, pungent—so contrary to generally accepted human opinions—that they tend to set us back on our heels when we encounter them. But through them all there is a luminous atmosphere of love.

Someone once likened the Reader's position, as he reads from the desk in a Church of Christ, Scientist, to being in a plastic booth alone with God. But what about the people in the congregation? Where do they come in? Isn't the Reader a human being reading to other human beings? But if this is the case, what is going on spiritually? This was the question I had to answer when I was elected First Reader of a branch church.