Devouring CS Sentinels and Journals

One of the joys of my early days as a student of Christian Science was in the availability of free Christian Science Sentinels and Journals. I devoured them. There was a tall rack in the foyer of the church and at that time I was probably the biggest borrower.

 

Most, if not all, of the articles and testimonies included quotes from the Bible or the works of Mary Baker Eddy (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and Prose Works). They gave me ammunition with which to work in handling the problems which came up. My knowledge of our textbooks was very limited as a new student, so these quotes provided much enlightenment.

 

For instance, one of my daughters was in distress on her bed. My husband and I went to her. He went off to fetch a damp cloth to put on her head. I declared, “There is no fear in Love; but perfect Love casteth out fear” (I John 4: 18 (to :)). I had certainly read many reports of healing through knowing that mighty truth.

 

The problem had been a stiffening of her whole body, and I reasoned that it seemed she was “scared stiff.” And that Bible truth made her free.

 

I was reminded of all this on reading my daily testimony from our book on the Continuing Evidence of Christ Healing where David Taillefer (see pages 145-148) seriously injured his thumb and nail. He tells of in-depth study of a copy of the Christian Science Sentinel the night before. He had been left with three quotes, all from Science and Health.

 

The first one: 

   “You must control evil thoughts in the first instance, or they will control you in the second” (p.234). 

The second: 

   “Banish the belief that you can possibly entertain a single intruding pain which cannot be ruled out by the might of Mind, and in this way you can prevent the development of pain in the body. No law of God hinders this result” (p. 391). 

And the third: 

   “Be firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God’s government. Have no fear that matter can ache, swell, and be inflamed as the result of a law of any kind, when it is self-evident that matter can have no pain nor inflammation” (p.393).

I am sure the reader will want to read how Mr. Taillefer used these truths.

Joyce Voysey

Encircled by Love

If there is any possibility of a testimony being perfect, it seems to me that Kristen Hills' one beginning page 103 of our December book Christian Science: Continuing Evidence of Christ-Healing could claim that accolade.

 

Her son Sam was a teenager studying at Principia College. (This is presumption from his testimony which is added to his mother's which gives his address as Elsah, Illinois.)  

 

Sam was on a rock-climbing expedition hours away from the camp when he was bitten by a rattle-snake.  His companions were a group of 13 to 15 year-olds, and there were counsellors in the party.

 

I love this: "He told me that the campers and counsellors present at the time of the incident had circled around him, and everyone was calm.  He had felt their confident prayers."

 

Kristen had early on been encouraged by a hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal (#53):

Everlasting arms of Love

Are beneath, around, above;

God it is who bears us on,

His the arm we lean upon.

 

Kristen adds, "I was struck by the fact that, as my son mentions below, the poison never seemed to circulate through his system.  It was as though that encircling of God's protection and loving care acted as a tourniquet."

 

I hope readers of this blog can get to read this outstanding testimony for themselves.  All the testimonies are outstanding really.

Joyce Voysey

Testimony from Australia

 As I progress through our lovely book "Christian Science: continuing evidence of Christ-healing", I've noticed testimonies from all over the world, so I wondered if I would find any from Australia.

I did! See pages 109 - 112.

In his account, immediately following a fall from a collapsed ladder, the testifier prayed with a sentence from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 476): 

    Man in God's image is unfallen and eternal. 

Later, from his hospital bed, he continued to pray. 

He also had daily contact with a Christian Science practitioner. Within six days of good progress he was "discharged to a rehabilitation centre" from where he was released much earlier than predicted. Later, a brace that had been fitted was removed when "the surgeon showed photographic evidence that the spine had healed properly".

I love this testimony and I loved reading and pondering the passages from Scripture, the Christian Science hymnal, and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy that John Bruce prayed with.

Love is universal. God is right here, right now, no matter where we are.

How comforting and thrilling it is to know this.

Thank you to the testifiers for taking the time to share these accounts.

Julie Swannell