by Keith Wommack
» Rejoice in perfect God and perfect man. Cherish the majesty and might of God and the dignity and soundness of God’s spiritual idea, man. (See Science and Health, p. 259.)
» Erase the fear of the patient as well as your own anxiety. God is Love and knows how to control and care for all His spiritual creation. Man is exempt from disease and danger. Delight in these facts. (See Science and Health, p. 411.)
by Judy Huenneke
This is Women’s History Month, and it’s time to highlight a very inspiring Christian Scientist, a woman who achieved some pretty amazing things. Her name is Annie Knott.
Annie Knott was born Annie Macmillan, in 1850, in Scotland. In the early 1860s she and her family emigrated to North America, as did so many families in the 19th century. She grew up, married, and became a mother. Then things changed. Her husband left her, and she was a single mother, with three very young children. This was in an age when society offered little support to women, and virtually no opportunities. You could say that she was near the end of her rope!
by Holly Henneberger
My journey with Christian Science has been a whirlwind these last few months. I’ve grown up in the church and have been faithful to it. And since coming to college, I feel my spiritual understanding flourished.
But then for the last few months, I’d experienced a so called “slump” in my enthusiasm for Christian Science. I couldn’t figure out where this feeling was coming from. Before this, I really wanted to grow and strengthen my spiritual awareness more and more.
by David Bates
Never in my life had I ever had such a clear understanding of myself, my relation to God, and what Christian Science means to me. And it all stemmed from a simple, yet profound, instantaneous healing.
I was at home one evening. After eating dinner, I was suddenly overcome with illness, exhaustion, and fear all at once. I lay down on my bed and did the only thing I knew how to do in a situation like this—I prayed. After only a few moments of silence, a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal popped into my head.
by Mike Davis
Have you ever wondered what active young Christian Scientists were like in Mary Baker Eddy’s time, and what they did to help the cause of Christian Science? Young people played a strong and vital role in the early years of Christian Science and served in various ways. One of them was John Salchow.
I have to say that John Salchow’s reminiscence is one of my personal favorites from the over 800 reminiscences in the Mary Baker Eddy Library’s collection. I love his recollections of so many interesting details of daily life in Mrs. Eddy’s household.
by Shirley Paulson
I asked my Presbyterian friend if she remembered her first prayer. It turned into a great conversation with a fellow Christian. She answered that it was probably when she was about 3 or 4, and she loved remembering the way her mother gave her all her attention before she went to bed. Her mother taught her a traditional Christian prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” Bed-time prayers were so special because she felt nourished and nurtured, loved, and safe.
I asked if she thought of prayer as something that offers security and safety, and comes surrounded in love? She said she hadn’t even thought of needing that connection, but that’s probably why we should pray. As she said, “We don’t even know what we need.”
by Peter Jackson
In an unexpected rush of confidence, I recently offered to help a friend develop his website. This was somewhat optimistic of me as it turned out I’d need to use code in at least two internet languages which I knew nothing about. Despite this, I remained undeterred. I sought out some solid reference books from the library and set myself to the task of learning some new skills.
As I practiced different commands and saw what they did, I got quite excited. I frequently said things like, “Look! If I point the mouse at this text here, it all changes! Wow….” I was thinking how cool these scripts were, and how powerful they must be to enable all these great effects.
by Richardson Family
There’s nothing I love more than visiting different Christian Science churches while on vacation. But when we were in Guatemala, I have to say, the long trip from Lake Atitlan to Guatemala City seemed intimidating.
My family traveled on the weekends and that left me to make the trip alone. Travel advisories on the web labeled Guatemala City as the most dangerous city in Central and South America.
by Shirley Paulson
Don’t worry if you don’t know what docetism means. Most people don’t. But it would help Christian Scientists to know about it, because it expresses the most common distrust and disdain that many Christians feel toward Christian Scientists. It’s at the heart of the theological argument that started back in primitive Christianity and still functions today, even if the word isn’t commonly known among Christian Scientists or Christians in general.
As I suggested in my first blog on conversations with Christians, I thought it would be helpful to discuss some basic Christian concepts and history in order to know why we run into certain reactions when Christians start listening to Christian Scientists. I learned about the problem of docetism in seminary, and I’ve come to see why it colors so many of our efforts to communicate with Christians.
by Margaret Rogers
Dear Margaret,
Thank you for your last letter. A lot has happened since we last talked. I finished up all my course work and graduated from college. Transitions are often difficult for me, but I am excited about this new chapter in my life. I am enjoying finding time for prayer in my life and the contemplation of the spiritual. Still my hang-ups/questions revolve around physical healing and death.
You mentioned the importance of healing through spiritual means as a sign that we are drawing closer to truth. But at the same time we shouldn’t feel like failures when we don’t heal. I understand these two statements separately, but I don’t understand how to embody them both. I’m not sure how to practice physical healing-and then be ready for the eventual deaths of my parents.
